In order to use cat hair in your garden, you’re going to need a lot of it. It’s a good thing your cat sheds like a champ!
I have been using cat hair in my garden for the past two years, but I never really knew just how useful it was. With four cats, I have an endless supply of it. In honor of the start of spring, here are three earth-friendly ways to use cat hair in your garden.
How To Collect Enough Cat Hair
Okay, so cats shed a lot, but it doesn’t seem like it would be enough for a garden. Never fear! There are a few grooming tools that will help you collect all the cat hair you need.
We personally use this de-shedding glove. It removes so much loose cat hair that I wonder how my cats aren’t bald! You can also use a slicker brush or de-shedding comb if your cat has medium or long hair. For short-haired cats, it’s best to stick to a regular brush or de-shedding glove.
To find out more about grooming your cat, check out our How Often Should I Brush My Cat? post.
#1 – Composting Cat Hair
For those not familiar with composting, there are plenty of helpful tips on Pinterest to get you started. Cat hair can be added to your compost bin just like human hair can. Dog owners can get in on it too!
Because cat hair is organic matter, it helps you make rich compost with healthy levels of nitrogen. The next time you pull piles of fur out of the corners of your dwelling, don’t throw them away – put them to good use! It’s one of the most earth-friendly ways to use cat hair in your garden.
#2 – Cat Hair As A Natural Pest Deterrent
Nature has its own pecking order. Pests like rabbits, squirrels, and other four-legged nuisances fear cats and dogs as a natural predator. Even deer shy away from gardens lined with cat hair.
To use cat hair as a natural pest deterrent, simply line the outside of your garden with cat hair. If you are using a raised garden bed, tuck it close to the sides so that it doesn’t blow away in the wind. Otherwise, you can use old pantyhose and fill it with cat hair, then tie it to a stake or place between garden rows.
#3 – Keep Slugs From Eating Your Plants
If you’ve tried everything to keep slugs out of your garden, relief is at hand. Putting cat hair in your garden, particularly around the border, can keep nasty slugs and snails from getting in. Their slimy underbellies have a hard time getting across mounds of cat hair.
I struggled with this last year because the cat hair kept blowing away. Make sure to plant vulnerable vegetables in less windy areas, and keep a steady supply of cat hair coming!
What To Do With Any Extra Cat Hair
If you still have cat hair left over, even after all of these earth-friendly ways to use cat hair in your garden, try donating it. The Clean Wave program collects hair, fur and fleece to soak up oil spills. They’ll take all the cat hair they can get!
You could also take up cat hair crafting and make your friends some hella-cute accessories! Offer some cat hair to the birds so they can build their nests with it, so long as your cat’s fur hasn’t been treated with flea medicine (it can be dangerous to birds!).
Have you ever used cat hair in your garden? If not, are you going to try it this year? Let us know what you think of these ideas in the comments section below. Don’t forget to share these tips with your friends!
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Wow! I had no idea! Super interesting.
I was surprised too when I found out. I’ve been just throwing away cat hair. Who knew it could be so useful and eco-friendly?
This is great information. We have a long hair cat, which provides us lots of cat hair to use. Thanks for sharing, have a great week!
Thank you, Amanda! Long-haired cats are the best kind to have if you plan to use cat hair in your garden. 😉 Have a great week as well!
The birds take out Shelties hair for nesting
Yay! Birds always appreciate extra building materials. 🙂
I just filled a bird feeder with my collection of cat hair, hoping maybe birds will use it for nesting materials. I think maybe I should have composted it instead (luckily, it is not too late!)
Oh, don’t worry, there will be more cat hair. lol I’m sure the birds will appreciate the donation!
Wow, what a timely and helpful article. Mom gets many a snails in her flower beds every year and ends up picking them out by hand. She is thrilled to learn that cat hair may help deter them. She brushes me almost daily so between that and me leaving tufts behind for her as carpet favors, she might just have fewer snails to worry about this year. Pet hair is also grr-eat for nest making materials for birdies.
We’re so glad we could help! You should also try a penny ball (literally pennies glued onto a foam ball), as slugs and snails dislike copper. I wish you luck with your flower beds!
Thank you for this resource! I wasn’t aware of it until today! My shihtzu’s constant grooming means that he is always ready to donate!
That’s PAWSOME! You have plenty of garden fuel now, and I’m sure the Clean Wave program will be happy to take any extra. 🙂
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I’ve been collecting cat hair for a month-2, long haired and 2 short haired. I want to try the hosiery method but I’d also like to keep the slugs out. In the past the hairs have blown away. I’m going to try mounding it as well as tying the hose to the posts. Hope for the best as I just noticed 3 baby groundhogs out in the back forty!
Good luck! I hope it works for you. 🙂
I think I first read about hair as s source of nitrogen in organic gardening or mother earth news, decades ago.
While I have tried wedging handfuls of hair in trees, I not found birds to particularly interested in my offerings, that may be more seasonal. My timing may be faulty.
I was delighted to read it could be used as a slug repellant. I had heard crushed egg shells work.
I would love to grow strawberries. Slugs love to eat them. Slug, ugh.
Have used hand fulls in pots, in the bottom and on the top, to control watering issues.
Mother Earth News is a great source for organic gardening. I hope the cat hair helps keep slugs out of your strawberries! Diatomaceous earth is also good (you sprinkle a thick layer around the plant, and it keeps pests out).
This has been extremely interesting and I have been saving cat fur each brushing. Anxious to try this out in my yard due to squirrels are recking everything!!!!!!!
Thank you!!!!!
I read (Adubon https://www.audubon.org/news/what-nesting-materials-are-safe-birds ) Pet fur can be detrimental to the birds and their chicks if the animal is treated with flea meds. Makes sense.
I hadn’t heard this before. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!