Mint, wintergreen, and menthol More smells cats hate include mint and strong mint-related odors, such as wintergreen and menthol. This may be for good reason, as ingesting mint and its relatives can cause vomiting and diarrhea in cats.
Unfortunately, some cats are attracted to the peppermint plant because it contains Nepetalactone mimicking compounds, the active ingredient in Catnip. Most plants in the mint family contain essential oils which are harmful to cats.
When you're trying to train your cat away from a certain spot in your house, citrus is often the recommended deterrent. Mint - This one's a toss-up, but cats who really dislike mint are demonstrating good sense: from peppermint to the wintergreen herb, these mints contain salicylate, a substance toxic to cats.
Both catnip and catmint are types of mint that are safe to cats. Garden mint may cause gastrointestinal upset if too much is eaten. The essential oils specific to garden mint have also been known to relax the esophageal valve, making vomiting more likely in a cat who may already be ill.
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.
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.
Only one variety of mint is toxic to pets – Mentha pulegium. It can grow in most areas of the United States, except for the coldest regions. If your pet starts vomiting, having diarrhea, or showing weakness after eating mint, call your vet immediately or get in touch with Maven's veterinary team.
Cats should never consume lavender because it's toxic and can cause nausea and vomiting. Lavender plants contain linalool and linalyl acetate, which are poisons to cats because they can't process these compounds. Lavender essential oils have higher concentrations of lavender with a higher level of toxicity.
According to the ASPCA, basil is not toxic to cats. Basil is actually the common name for Ocimum Basilium and is an herb belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Commonly known as the mint family, this family of plants also includes catnip, lavender, sage, rosemary, oregano, lemon balm, and, obviously, mint.
Castor, peppermint, and spearmint oils are odors that digging and burrowing animals dislike. (This can include groundhogs, mice, moles, rats, skunks, voles, and others.)
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. Smell: Citronella, perfumes, solid air fresheners, citrus, aloe, eucalyptus oil and oil of wintergreen are all aversive smells to cats.
Use scent deterrents
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.
Catmint, also known as catnip (Nepeta cataria), is very popular with our pets. Its smell in toys or on sprayed utensils almost magically attracts velvet paws: It entices them to play, romp around and chase or ensures complete relaxation - as you can see from the pleasant purring of your pet.
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.”
Fortunately, roses are non-toxic to cats. So, you don't need to worry about the petals, leaves, and stems of a rose poisoning a cat if they ingest it. But it may upset their stomach and make them feel sorry for themselves, as roses are likely something outside of your cat's regular diet.
Snake plants are very toxic to cats because they contain mildly poisonous toxins known as Saponin, which is a defensive mechanism these plants use to protect themselves from harmful fungi, insects, microbes, and other animals like cats. ASPCA also reports that all parts of snake plants are not safe for cats.
Deer, insects, and some other outdoor pests do not like the smell or taste of mint. If they smell mint while scoping out your garden, they'll likely try to get away from the scent. There are a few different ways you can use mint to keep animals out of gardens.
Rest assured, according to the ASPCA animal poison control, rosemary is non-toxic to cats1, as well as to dogs and to horses. There are members of the Lamiaceae family that the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats. These include, surprisingly, catnip, lavender, marjoram, mint, and oregano.
In the home, cats are often scared of noisy household appliances, especially if they didn't become accustomed to them as young kittens. Vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, printers, washing machines and hairdryers are common culprits.
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.