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.
Citrus or lemon scents (orange peels, lemon peels), garlic, ammonia, vinegar, coffee grinds, pipe tobacco, mustard, citronella, or eucalyptus all deter cats as well. The scents diminish over time, so re-applying is necessary. Motion-activated sprinklers: These have motion sensors that trigger a short blast of water.
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.
Lavender (Lavandula)
Luckily, lavender plants come with a scent that's nice for us but unappealing for felines. These purple flowers are evergreen, so they act as a year round deterrent. Choose the tall varieties and plant them at the front of your borders as cats won't jump over if they can't see where they'll land.
Coffee Grounds
The strong smell of coffee can be enough to keep cats off of your garden. Simply take your fresh, wet coffee grounds and distribute them around your borders and plants where you want to discourage feline attention.
Keeping Fleas and Ticks Away
To make your own flea and tick repellent, mix one part vinegar with one part water and spray it on your pet's fur. You can also add a few drops of vinegar to your pet's drinking water to help repel fleas and ticks from the inside out.
Scented litter
A thin layer of baking soda placed on the bottom of the box will help absorb odors without repelling your cat.
Citronella oil is a homemade cat repellent that many people have had success with. Citronella is best known as a mosquito repellent, but cats find the Citronella odor to be distasteful. Simply mix one part Citronella oil to four parts water and spray liberally in the troubled areas.
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.
Try orange and lemon peels, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and mustard oil. You can either sprinkle drops directly onto your flower beds or soak a cotton wool around it and place at entry points. One sniff and they'll be gone.
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.
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.
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.
Spray problem areas with vinegar to repel cats.
Mist the area (but not the plant) with undiluted white vinegar (so the smell is much stronger than mopping water). The smell with naturally deter your cat from the area.
Cats dislike apple cider vinegar (ACV) because of its smell. If ingested in undiluted form, some cats may have diarrhea and vomiting. A non-diluted version of ACV can be abrasive to a kitten's tender skin. Some cats may have allergies to ACV, which may lead to itching and rashes.
All citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, limes and lemons) are mildly toxic to cats. Consider every part of the fruit, from the seeds to the fruit and skin, to be toxic for your feline. The substances found in lemons (Citrus limon) is toxic to your cat, even though you and your family can safely ingest lemons.
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, coffee grounds, vinegar, pipe tobacco, or oil of lavender, lemongrass, citronella, or eucalyptus.
Since most cats dislike the way aluminum foil feels and sounds under their paws, it can be an effective deterrent for keeping them off of a surface you don't want them to walk on.
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.
Trending. “Tabasco, chilli powder, curry powder, chilli flakes, cayenne pepper anything that's got a hint of spice can be put on the soil of your plants to keep them [animals] 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.)