Cats will run from gardens if 1 natural item is left outside

Quite a lot of people aren't keen on cats, especially when they prowl into your garden and start treating your carefully managed raised beds as a giant litter tray. Indeed, cats can cause chaos in your backyard - they rip up seedlings, attack birds, and leave unhygienic mess dotted around your flowerbeds.

So if you're not a cat person and you're getting tired of finding clumps of cat poo in your vegetable patch, you've probably tried all sorts of methods to keep them at bay - everything from high-pitched "cat scarers" to spraying feline-repellent liquids. But instead of cheap tat, there is a simpler, all-natural method gardeners have been using to keep cats out for decades - and you can just use what's already in your kitchen.

Orange or lemon peels are an effective deterrent for cats. They can't stand the smell, and for decades gardeners have been using them as a cheap and easy cat repellent.

Cats can't stand the smell of citrus peel because they find it overwhelmingly pungent. The smell is apparently linked to potential danger for cats, so they will instinctively stay away.

Vet Dr Paola Cuevas said: "Cats have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, and they can detect scents farther away than we humans can. Most cats also detest the scent of citrus fruits, like oranges. Therefore, they tend to steer clear of such fruits.

"An unpeeled orange won't bother your cat that much, but the oils in the orange peel are sure to turn a cat around and make them go in the opposite direction.

"The easiest and seemingly most effective way to deter cats with the help of orange peels is to simply gather a few peels and layer them in the soil around the plants, trees, and foliage that you don't want any cats messing with.

"But you must do this regularly to keep cats away indefinitely. If you cannot keep up with the process of adding and removing orange peels in your gardens, consider making an orange peel spray instead. You can then spray the leaves, stalks, stems, and trunks of trees, plants, and foliage that you want to deter cats from a few times a week."

Another added benefit is that the peels rot into the flowerbed and enrich the soil, meaning you're not only deterring cats but also helping plants and flowers grow. Just watch that you don't do it too often, as it could make the soil acidic.

Another option is to distil orange essence into a bottle and spray it at various points in your garden. Reapplying orange zest or peel every few weeks should keep cats away for a minimal cost.

In terms of plants, cats don't like lavender or strong herbs like mint, but orange peel is probably the simplest and most effective option.