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What Can I Use to Keep Cats Out of My Child's Sandbox?

That lump your child sifted out of her sand box is not one of the peanuts you tossed out for the squirrels yesterday. You and your child see a sense-stimulating play space filled with learning opportunities, but your cat, or your neighbor's cat, sees a custom-built litter box. Cats love soft sand, and once they use your child's sandbox one time, keeping them out becomes an ongoing battle. Chemical, motion-sensing and barrier methods each have their merits and drawbacks.

  1. Barriers

    • A tight-fitting cover works best for smaller sandboxes, but that can be cumbersome for larger sandboxes. Try a tarp for an easy-to-remove cover, along with an upside-down bucket in the center of the sandbox to keep water from pooling. You can also use shade fabric or nylon netting weighted down with bricks or rocks. Make sure the edges of the tarp or fabric extend several inches past the sandbox walls in each direction, and don't forget to cover the sandbox the moment your child stops playing. Sheets of plywood make an effective but heavy barrier. Resist the impulse to attach them to the sandbox with hinges, especially if using a single plywood sheet. The cover could slam shut during play, injuring your child. Wooden or plastic lattice sheets make a safer cover, as long as the individual slats are two inches apart or closer.

    Chemical Repellants

    • Many chemical repellants, such as using mothballs, ammonia or pepper spray, expose your child to skin and eye irritation or possible poisoning. Citrus peels pose no risk to your child, while cats find their scent offensive enough to avoid the area. Replace the peels often to maintain a consistent level of the essential oils that provide their scent.

    Motion Sensors

    • Attaching a motion-sensor to a sprinkler or noise-making device will startle a cat enough to make him avoid the area in the future. Remember to turn the device off while your child plays and turn it back on when he comes inside. This method deters repeat offenders more effectively than barriers or chemicals, because most cats hate to get wet and dislike sudden noises, even those that are not particularly loud .

    Sandbox Alternatives

    • Indoor sand tables, cardboard boxes filled with packing peanuts, pebbles, rice or dried beans or storage bins filled with play sand, coffee grounds or dried pasta provide your child with options for sand play away from neighborhood cats. While your own indoor cats may still find a way to get into them, these child-safe options are easier to empty or discard if they do.

    Screen Rooms

    • Provide shade for your child's sand play while keeping cats at bay by pitching a screen tent over the sandbox. Add fabric loops along the bottom edge, every two inches, to stake it firmly into the ground, or lay 4-by-4 posts along the bottom edge to keep cats from simply slipping under the bottom to get to the sand. You can make your own easy, lightweight, screen room from four to six tomato stakes tied to form a tepee, setting the stakes far enough apart at the bottom to fit over your child's sandbox. An old garden hose cut to the circumference of the tepee base helps weigh down the bottom edge of the mosquito-netting cover.

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