Garage is a highly possible refuge spot for so many stray animals. People commonly don’t frequent the space, so it makes a safe place for hiding and even birthing. For so many people, this is actually an unwanted situation. But before we know how to handle it, let’s understand more on the situation.
Read also: HOW TO CLEAN GARAGE FLOOR QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY
Cats Love the Garage
This complaint has been coming out since forever which means cats love the garage through times as well. Why do they love the garage very much anyway? Well, there are several good reasons though, from cat point of view, such as:
1. We Don’t Frequent the Garage
Unless you have a kind of man cave or workshop there, garage is a pretty nice hiding place. People don’t come there often. They will visit the garage only when they need to take out and in the rides, take some tools, or taking out the garbage.
As long as these cats hide on the corner during the times, the house owner won’t notice, and they can live in calm soon after.
2. Cats Like Protected Area
Like us, cats need safety as well. They need a place that is protected, safe from other animals and weathers, and easy to access. Garage seems to be an ideal place with all of those elements.
There are many reports that stray cats give birth on garages. These are easy to believe. A mother cat will leave the baby for hours to get some food. When it gets the food, mother cat brings the food to the baby. During the hunt time, it needs its baby to be safe. Garage is the best place for it.
As long as they take a hidden corner, covered from direct sight and stay silent most of the time, you won’t even notice. As a bonus, they will be free from the street predators.
The cats possibly love the garage so much, but it is recommended to keep them out from the space. Whenever they feel threatened, they will jump out, and possibly on you to attack, and this can be a serious problem.
Imagine if you get to go on a long vacation or if you need to leave the house for a while, and these cats are trapped in your garage for so long. They will likely be dead, and this mess is totally something you don’t want to experience ever. So, what to do?
Simple Ways to Keep Cats Out of Garage
Of course, there is always an option to adopt these stray cats, but how many stray cats are we going to adopt? Plus, if you are allergic to cats, there is no other way but to keep them out of the garage. In this kind of case, these ways can solve your problem:
1. Wait Until Your Garage Door is Properly Closed
Most commonly, you will get out of your car and push the button, and go inside the house immediately. Meanwhile, it takes time for a garage door to really close properly. During the process, a stray cat can go hurrying into your garage without you knowing it.
To prevent it to happen, you can stay there for a while, making sure the garage door is closed properly. Seeing there is someone right there, any stray cat won’t try to get inside. This simple gesture can be really helpful in this case.
2. Try Repellants for Cat
Due to the so many complaints about cats get into garages, there manufacturers producing cat repellents today. Cat has sensitive smell ability, and these repellents give smell that the cats hate so much. You can always get such products on your local hardware store.
In alternative to buying one, you can also make it yourself for even cheaper deal. There are so many recipes online you can try, but one with lavender and citronella is the best. Spray the repellants once every few days for best result because the smell tends to disappear after a while.
3. Welcome the Noise Oscillators
Cats have a certain hearing ability that allows them to hear even higher octaves than dogs. The noise oscillators will produce this sound so it prevents those cats from lounging comfortably in your garage. The sound won’t disturb you or even your dog, which is a plus side.
It is recommended to install this device in your garage wall or even right outside your garage door. Once added in your garage, this device will keep the cats away with very minimal hussle from your side.
4. Kitty Litter Helps
There are two certain things about any cat. They don’t like a place that isn’t clean and hygiene, and they are territorial. So, you can always put a kitty litter in your garage, possibly with a little of your cat poo in it.
It indicates that the place is already occupied by other cats, and it isn’t hygiene enough for any cat. This will keep those strays away from your garage forever. Of course, adding cat poo in it is only possible if you already have one in your house.
5. Seal and Clean
Thoroughly check your garage. Fix any opening or gap on your garage door and close any window when you aren’t in the garage. A cat can get into the garage through even a small gap so it is better to make sure they are all tight and proper.
It is also recommended to clean your garage every once in a while. Two weeks gap is highly advised but you can adjust it to your need too. It makes sure there are no stray animals or even pests causing trouble in your garage.
So yes, cats hiding in your garage can cause a lot of issues and no one wants that. While it can be frustrating when it happens, there are many ways you can try and they are very simple too. None require too much budget as well while they remain effective, which is good news. Ready to try now?
