Top Tips for Keeping Rabbits Out of Your Garden (That Are Pet-Friendly)

If you want to protect your hostas from local wild rabbits, there are a lot of natural remedies and garden hacks you can use. But not all are pet-friendly, and if you have a cat at home who wants to explore your garden, then you need to be careful not to cause them harm.

Here are some of the best tips for keeping rabbits away without spoiling outdoor playtime for your kitty.

Morning Glories

One suggestion is to surround your plant life with flowers that rabbits are known to dislike. Morning Glories are pretty, colorful flowers that rabbits just don’t get along with. Marigolds are another option. You don’t have to compromise the look of your garden – these pleasant plants are a great natural deterrent.

Distract Them With Food

One of the best ways to stop a rabbit from eating your plants? Provide them with an alternate source of food. You can either plant some lettuce or other edible leaves in another part of your garden, or provide some grains or rabbit food somewhere the rabbits can get it that’s not close to your plants. They do get full, so it will stop them!

Milorganite Fertilizer

Some brands of fertilizer, like Milorganite, contain chemicals that are unpleasant to rabbits, driving them away. Not only do you stop the rabbits, but you also give your plants a boost and help them to flourish – win-win!

Bars of Soap

Yes, really – bars of soap placed amongst your plants can stop bunnies from snacking on your leaves. Specifically, Irish Spring, with its fresh almond aroma, is meant to work wonders. And no, it won’t leave your garden covered in suds in the rain!

Plastic Owl

One suggestion is to place a plastic owl in your garden to act as a sort of scarecrow. How effective it would be over time is questionable, though – the rabbits may learn that it’s not really a threat.

Cat Fur

A surprisingly effective solution to keeping rabbits away from your plants is to use cat fur. Wrap it around the plants to stop it from blowing away in the wind – rabbits hate it. So next time you’re grooming your kitty, be sure to save the hair for your garden.

Blood Meal

Blood meal is a natural product – it’s simply ground-up bone. Rabbits really don’t like it, so sprinkle it around the plants to stop them from venturing near. It won’t be harmful to kitties either – if they did get curious and taste it, it’s just the same as eating raw bone anyway, and cats are carnivores.

Baby Powder

While not the most natural option, baby powder is a readily-available solution that can be found in most homes. Sprinkle it around the plant base and the ground nearby to stop those pesky rabbits in their tracks.

Peppermint Spray

Peppermint spray is easy to buy online and works as a safe, natural option to use around your plants. The only downside with the spray is that it will wash away in the rain, so you’ll need to keep reapplying it every time you have bad weather.

Cayenne Pepper

The strength of cayenne pepper is definitely enough to make a rabbit think twice about approaching your hostas for a nibble. Be careful, though, as cayenne pepper can be very irritating for dogs and cats, so if your pets are likely to sniff around the plants, then this is one solution to avoid.

This thread inspired this post. This article was inspired by the Internet and does not reflect the views and opinions of Floppycats.

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Top Tips for Keeping Rabbits Out of Your Garden (That Are Pet-Friendly) first appeared on Floppycats.