Cats dislike eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, and peppermint – just choose the ones you don't mind the scent of yourself.
Cats are more sensitive to scents than humans, so essential oils with strong odors, such as citrus and lavender, can help repel them. You can substitute lime, peppermint, and/or eucalyptus for the lemon, wild orange, and lavender if you prefer.
Humane deterrents are the best approach.... Smells that repel cats: To keep cats out of yards or gardens, plant the herb rue or sprinkle dried rue. Citrus or lemon scents (orange peels, lemon peels), garlic, ammonia, vinegar, coffee grinds, pipe tobacco, mustard, citronella, or eucalyptus all deter cats as well.
Eucalyptus oil is used as a deterrent for numerous animals, among them fleas, mosquitoes, mice and rats and — and you guessed it — cats. Use both of these natural repellents to your advantage.
As a general rule, cats are sensitive when it comes to smells, but there are a few scents they hate that might just surprise you. They can't stand citrus and as much as you might love the smell of fresh herbs, cats hate rosemary and thyme. Banana and mustard are a big no-no too, as well as lavender and eucalyptus.
Orange and lemon peels (cats dislike citrus smells), cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, & mustard oil.
Cats dislike eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, and peppermint – just choose the ones you don't mind the scent of yourself.
You may not realize it, but certain scents and pure essential oils like tea tree, citrus, and eucalyptus oil can be harmful toxic oils to your little feline. Many compounds in these pure essential oils contain toxins that can be fatal if your kitty breathes them in or ingests them.
While a lavender plant itself isn't toxic to your cat, formulations from the plant can be. Your cat can eat a lot of lavender and may suffer only an upset stomach, but on the other hand, lavender essential oil can be deadly for your pet because of its concentration.
Squeeze 2 drops of lemon essential oil, 2 drops of wild orange essential oil, and 2 drops of lavender essential oil to the bottle. Cats are more sensitive to scents than humans, so essential oils with strong odors, such as citrus and lavender, can help repel them.
You can try orange and lemon peels (cats dislike citrus scents), the herb rue which can also be planted live, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco and various oils, including lavender, lemon grass, citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus and mustard.
The smell of vinegar can keep your cats away from some specific areas and items in and around the house. Vinegar can work as an effective cat repellent and training tool. Using Vinegar can make you prevent your cats from going to that your favorite furniture or any other area in the house.
Likewise, geranium and eucalyptus plants give off an odor that cats dislike. Keep in mind that lavender, geranium, and eucalyptus are all somewhat toxic to cats; if ingested, they can cause excess salivation, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, depression, or dermatitis.
Many veterinarians and other pet care experts recommend not using tea tree oil for cats, even though it has been considered a safe and effective remedy for some feline complaints in the past. Tea tree oil is one of several essential oils, such as peppermint oil, considered toxic to these animals.
Peppermint oil is highly toxic to cats.
Without the enzymes required to break down phenols, cats exposed to peppermint oil can experience: Liver damage. Breathing difficulties. Wobbliness and seizures.
While it is not deadly, lavender is toxic for cats. Lavender contains linalool and linalyl acetate, which cats cannot process in their livers. This means that consuming too much lavender can lead to liver damage.
While you might like the smell, eucalyptus isn't safe to keep around cats — whether it's dried or fresh. “Eucalyptus is poisonous to cats,” Dr. Bustamante told The Dodo. “Cats are not able to metabolize chemicals found in the plant; therefore, those chemicals can damage your cat's internal organs.”
Oils that are harmful to cats include, but are not limited to: wintergreen; sweet birch; citronella oils and candles; citrus (d-limonene); pine; ylang-ylang; peppermint; cinnamon; pennyroyal; clove; eucalyptus; tea tree (melaleuca); thyme; oregano; and lavender.
Lemongrass oil is most often found in the form of a hydrosol, a 100% non-alcoholic aroma that is made by steam-distilling or hydro-distilling plant matter. Lemongrass is a safe essential oil to use around cats at a low concentration. It should not, however, be ingested by cats or directly applied to their skin.
Quick Solutions: Scatter fresh orange and lemon peels or spray with citrus scented fragrances. Coffee grounds, vinegar, pipe tobacco, oil of lavender, lemongrass, citronella or eucalyptus also deter cats. Plant the herb rue to repel cats, or sprinkle dried rue over the garden.
“Diffused oils are very dangerous, as the oils are inhaled,” Bailey said. “Not only are these oil droplets dangerous themselves, but the inhalation of these oils can cause a foreign body pneumonia in cats.” Symptoms of respiratory irritation include a watery nose and eyes, drooling, vomiting, and difficulty breathing.
Cleaning the area thoroughly with vinegar first and then applying an enzyme treatment will break down and evaporate the uric acid and your home will be free of cat odors. Vinegar and enzyme cleaners work on all surfaces: hardwood floors, carpets, mattresses.
The smell of mint disturbs cats and thus keeps them away. Anything minty contains concentrated amounts of salicylate, an organic chemical found in many fruits and vegetables. It is toxic to cats and would warn them of danger.
Unfamiliar Objects, Fruit or People
But it is a good example of cats being afraid of unfamiliar things (people, objects, fruits, etc.). Cats like to feel safe and secure in their home — if something new enters their space, that's probably going to cause some stress.