Use scent to keep the cats away Cats dislike the smell of rue, lavender and pennyroyal, Coleus canina and lemon thyme. Plant a few of these throughout the garden. (Interplanting can attract pollinators and other beneficial insects too.) Cats steer clear of strong citrus scents.
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.
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.
Some effective homemade cat repellents include citrus fruit peel, vinegar, lemon-scented spray, or orange-scented spray. You can also use double-sided sticky tape or place chicken wire around the perimeter of your mulch area to keep cats away from it.
Cats are incredibly sensitive to smell so strong scents such as lavender, peppermint or cinnamon are great for keeping them away. Choose one of these scents, mix it with water and spray it around the garden. While this is just a short-term option, it's cost-effective and non-toxic.
Vinegar as a cat repellent
Spraying Outdoors – Straight or diluted vinegar can be sprayed around the edges of a garden, and on plants, fences, posts and garden décor to keep cats away. Concentrate the spray on areas that the cats frequent or that you particularly want to protect.
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.
Vinegar, with its strong and soury smell, is said to be effective in removing the smell of cat's poop and preventing cats from coming back again. It's really easy to use. Simply mix vinegar with warm water in a spray bottle. Then spray the plants or areas where cats often poop.
SPRINKLE USED COFFEE GROUNDS
Because they don't like the smell, you can use coffee grounds to deter cats from using your garden as a litter box. By regularly sprinkling used grounds (either wet or dry) in and around your garden, cats eventually will decide to find a new bathroom spot.
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.
Cats dislike the smell of rue, lavender and pennyroyal, Coleus canina and lemon thyme. Plant a few of these throughout the garden. (Interplanting can attract pollinators and other beneficial insects too.) Cats steer clear of strong citrus scents.
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.
Texture: Sticky paper, aluminum foil, heavy plastic or a plastic carpet runner (knubby side up) can be placed in areas you want to be off limits. Cats hate walking on these surfaces.
Mix equal parts of vinegar and water, and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Add a few drops of castile soap to bind the water and vinegar and mix again. Spray down your plant's pot or lightly mist the leaves. Be careful with the proportions to avoid harming your cats and plants.
Cats, being fairly territorial, are unlikely to feel comfortable doing their business in a place that smells like another, much larger, feline already frequents it. Put down extra strength hot chilli powder. It annoys cats' paws and whiskers without causing them serious harm. They'll stay well away.
Soak a sponge, cloth, or rag in vinegar and place it in areas where you don't want your cats. This method works for both outdoor and indoor purposes. You can keep the rag in a small container to prevent the vinegar from drying up so quickly.
Vinegar is a good cat repellent, yes. It's one of the many scents that cats hate and can be used to deter and train cats not to go in certain areas.
Sprinkling Epsom Salt As A Deterrent
You can also make a pet deterrent by sprinkling some Epson salt around your garden and around every plant. When you plant seeds, sprinkle some salt in a row and reapply every two weeks.
Cats dislike the smell of certain scents, such as citrus, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, and rosemary. You can use these scents to deter cats from entering certain areas of your home or garden by using essential oils, planting these plants, or using citrus peels.
Pest control products such as moths are frequently used in gardens to keep cats at bay. Cats find it irritating when they smell mothballs. However, not all cats will flee.
Toxicity to pets
Small ingestions of a few leaves or low concentration eucalyptus oil leads to mild gastrointestinal distress, but ingestion of highly concentrated eucalyptus oil has been associated with severe signs including seizure, tremor, and, rarely, acute renal injury.
Cats should not really consume vinegar in more than the smallest quantity, as it's highly acidic. You should not give your cat anything seasoned with vinegar; although small quantities aren't harmful, it could upset her stomach. Vinegar as a cleaning product is safe to use around cats.
To keep cats away from gardens, flower beds, or specific areas of property, scatter fragrant items that don't appeal to a cat's sense of smell, like fresh orange or lemon peels, organic citrus-scented sprays, vinegar, or oil of lavender, lemongrass, citronella, or eucalyptus.