It is always really frustrating when a cat makes a mess in the wrong place. Maybe they make a mess in your garden, your favorite houseplant, or the living room couch. In any case, it can get tiring pretty quickly if a cat scratches or urinates in areas you don’t want them to. Fortunately, there are natural homemade repellents you can make to keep them away. Strong-smelling ingredients (such as citrus oils, peels, vinegar, lemongrass, pepper and garlic) repel cats, as these animals don’t like their scent. Most repellents can be used indoors and outdoors. However, it is always a good idea to test the formulas on fabrics and other delicate items to make sure they don’t stain.
Ingredients
Cat repellent with essential oils
2 drops of lemon essential oil
2 drops of wild orange essential oil
2 drops of lavender essential oil
Water
Vinegar cat repellent
1 part vinegar
1 part liquid hand soap
1 part water
Citrus cat repellent
2 cups (480 ml) water
1 cup (100 g) orange, lemon, lime or tangerine peel
2 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon juice
lemon-scented dishwashing detergent
Cat repellent with lemongrass oil
20 drops lemongrass oil
¾ cup (180 ml) water
Make cat repellent with an essential oil
Step 1
Pour the essential oil into a spray bottle. To make this repellent, you will need a 60 ml (2 oz) glass spray bottle. Add 2 drops of lemon essential oil, 2 drops of wild orange essential oil and 2 drops of lavender essential oil.
- Cats are more sensitive to odors than people; therefore, strong-smelling essential oils (such as citrus and lavender) can be helpful in repelling them. You can replace lemon, wild orange and lavender with lime, peppermint or eucalyptus.
- It is important that you use a glass spray bottle, as the essential oils will degrade more easily in a plastic bottle.
Step 2
Fill the spray bottle with water and shake it well to mix the ingredients. Fill it with water after adding the essential oils. Close tightly and shake well to ensure the oils combine with the water.
You do not need to use filtered or purified water. Regular tap water will do.
Step 3
After mixing the water with the oils, apply the repellent to the areas where you want to scare cats away. This will be especially effective if you have houseplants and want to keep them away.
- Be careful when spraying repellent on carpets, curtains or other fabrics, as the oils may stain the material. Test it on an inconspicuous area of the fabric to ensure that the solution will not damage it.
Prepare a cat repellent with vinegar
To make this repellent, you will need a spray bottle. Pour 1 part vinegar and 1 part water into the sprayer, and shake it quickly to mix the solution.
- You can use tap, filtered, purified or bottled water.
- You can use a plastic or glass sprayer.
After mixing the vinegar and water, add 1 part liquid hand soap. Shake the mixture vigorously to ensure that the soap is completely mixed with the vinegar solution.
Pour the soap into the sprayer and shake the mixture well. After mixing the vinegar and water, add 1 part liquid hand soap. Shake the mixture vigorously to ensure that the soap is completely mixed with the vinegar solution. Any type of hand soap will work to make this repellent, but it is best to use a clear formula. When the vinegar, water and soap are thoroughly mixed, apply the solution to the areas you don’t want cats to access. You can apply it directly from the sprayer or by rubbing it on the areas with a cloth.
- You can use the repellent to keep cats away.
- You can use the repellent to keep cats away from areas indoors and outdoors.
Tips
- If you scatter pieces of citrus peels in your garden, this may be enough to keep cats away. The citrus will repel them without damaging your plants or garden soil.
- Coffee grounds may keep animals out of your flower beds and can be beneficial to plants and soil.
- You should test any homemade cat repellent in a rag before applying it to carpets and rugs, so you know if it might fade them. To test the area, spray a small amount of the repellent on a soft white cloth and then wipe it on the fabric. If the color of the fabric adheres to the white cloth, you should not use the solution.
WARNING
Never spray a repellent directly on cats. Some ingredients (such as citrus essential oils and black pepper) can be harmful to them. Only apply the repellent to areas you want to keep cats away from.
Disclaimer: “The advice in this article is for reading purposes only. Always seek professional advice before following any
of the methods/ advice in this article”
