Cats are domestic animals that serve as pets. They are wonderful for keeps, and having them around gives some aura and gracefulness. However, some defects come along with having cats as pets in the home. Among them is having to cope with them pooping around, which can be very annoying to their owners, especially artificial grass.
Artificial grass is one of the decorations in any environment that requires some maintenance level. This is because they are not just like the normal grass that grows on the soil. They are well cared for and groomed.
In many instances, cats have been reported to spoil the beauty of this grass because they poo on them, thereby causing some foul smell. As a house inhabitant with both cats and artificial grass, what should be done to prevent cats from pooing on them? All these and more will be considered in this article.
Do Cats Poop on Artificial Grass?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions on the maintenance of cats in an environment where there is artificial grass. The answer is yes. Cats poop on artificial grass the same way they do anywhere.
Although it is easy to remove the poops, this is because cats cannot dig through any artificial grass, which makes it easier to remove. However, it is easy to remove; the stench will still cause discomfort if scrubbing is not done to some grass parts.
‘5’ Ways To Stop Cats Pooping on Artificial Grass
Though it might not be easy to stop them, there are many methods to stop them from pooing on it. Check the effective ways to ensure that they do not mess the artificial grass in the environment.
1. Using Scents
Scents are one of the most effective ways of making cats stop coming around the artificial grass to poop. The reason for this is that they hate scents. To make sure cats avoid artificial grass in your environment, use scents.
There are lots of scenes that can be used to send them away. For example, lavender scents, Eucalyptus, and lots more do a greater job in making them run away from the grass.
2. Spraying Human Air on the Grass
Human hair is one of the best ways to rid cats of artificial grass. As it is known not to have an affinity with the odor from human hair, Cats would not hesitate to move away from it quickly.
Whenever the human hair is sprayed effectively, whether it is the owner’s hair or other people’s hair, they look for another place to stay, even if it is uncomfortable.
3. Using Barbed Wire
This could be considered the best method. The barbed wire helps to prevent them effectively from coming to where the artificial grass is planted. Although, it might be expensive to keep cats away from the artificial.
However, it is the best in the long run because whether you are around or not, you will have nothing to worry about in making sure that the artificial grass is well protected.
4. Using Other Animal Urine
Animal urine is another reliable and effective way to keep cats at bay. The reason for this is that cats love being territorial. Not only that, they possess a great instinct that can alert them of an unwanted environment within seconds.
Therefore, the moment they perceive a smell of urine around the environment they used to, they quickly get away from that environment. That is why they easily mark their territory and know exactly when there is an intrusion.
5. Home Remedies
It is not always that there would be financial ability to purchase cat remedies from a site. In such instances, home remedies also work effectively. Home remedies are best for keeping cats away from artificial grass.
There are many effective methods, such as peels from orange, banana, and coffee grounds, among other things. These are not costly and would make cats avoid artificial grass.
Will Cat Poop Damage Artificial Grass?
The answer is yes because cats love artificial grass, and would anything come around unless they are put under proper check. This is why it is expedient for artificial grass owners and a cat to keep the two away from each other.
Cats can do a lot of damage to artificial grass. This is because artificial grass is made of synthetic materials, and whenever cats want to poo, they dig the ground. In the process of doing this, they also destroy the grass by pulling them.
The result is that the grass starts removing, especially if they are not properly fixed. This can worsen over time and lead to several distraught and disfigured areas of your artificial grass.
Their poo does not damage the grass, At least not on its own. It won’t be a pleasant sight and can very quickly lead to bacterial and germ breeding, but besides that and assuming the cat does no digging, a cat poo cannot damage an artificial grass.
However, that cannot be said for their urine as it can very easily damage your artificial grass, speak less of destroying it. The reason is that the synthetic materials of the grass absorb the urine while pooping, and the stench can stay longer than necessary if not taken care of. Also, the residues need to be cleaned immediately to avoid a pile-up.
How To Clean Cat Poop off Artificial Grass?
Artificial grass needs not much stress when it comes to cleaning. However, there must be discretion in cleaning the cats’ poop to avoid a half-done job. The reason for the discretion is that cats’ poop is very tiny and might take time to locate on the artificial grass.
To have the most effective cleaning outcome, cleaners should make sure that they have some tools that would the cleaning process fast with accurate cleaning.
The tools needed include;
- Scooper
- Bunch of brooms
- A good brush
- A hose
- Deodorant
- Waste bin
The cleaning process starts with making sure that tools are ready. Also, cleaners need to use a broom made of raffia, and this is to prevent the artificial grass from removing or damaging. Proceeded to remove the waste with the broom and scooper.
This starts with picking the feces. However, please do not pick the feces when they are still fresh. This is because they will smear and mess up your cleaning tools, especially the broom, which stains the grasses more. Wait for those feces to dry up before starting the cleaning process.
By so doing, the process will be fast, and it will clean it quickly and properly. In a situation whereby cleaners do not have a scooping material, it is best to use some old newspapers to clean up.
After cleaning the artificial grass, the next step is to use the hose to remove dust residues. The dust residues also include the dirt and urine that might have settled on them. This can be done by thoroughly rinsing it and getting a perfect result.
Scrubbing off the stubborn ones is another method of getting the best result. This can be completed by using some detergents and water with a brush to wash the particular area. The cleaner needs to kneel or squat to have closer contact with the grass.
However, precautions need to be taken while scrubbing to avoid destroying or removing the artificial grass from their base. After the scrubbing process, thorough rinsing should be done.
The moment the cleaning is achieved, deodorants should be applied. This is because cats can not stand the sight of scents. Whenever cleaners apply it, they find their way out of such a place.
Disinfecting the environment can be done in two ways. There are natural and artificial disinfectants. If cleaners want to use natural means, they only need to use a small amount of vinegar and water. It can be sprayed using the hose spray method or a bottle spray method.
The bottle spray can be achieved by using a bottle spray to distribute the disinfectant evenly on the artificial grass. However, this method has some drawbacks. It might not penetrate deeply and is not good for a large area. After spraying it, allow it to sit on the artificial grass for a while before rinsing it off.
Furthermore, if it is an artificial disinfectant that cleaners want to use, they can get them from any store. Also, it can be ordered online. These products are safe for the environment for both animals and human beings.
Conclusion
This article has explicitly stated all that cat rearers need to know about cats and artificial grass. These range from establishing the fact that cats poop on artificial grass. Not only that, the ways to prevent them from coming near the artificial grass have been explained.
Also, cat breeders have been explained the best ways of keeping the artificial grass from being messed up permanently by cats. Cats are great to have as pets; however, if owners have an environment that has artificial grass, they need to add more precautions to enjoy the rearing of cats.