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.
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.
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.
What you need: An essential oil (citronella, citrus), spray bottle, water. You should avoid using peppermint and lavender essential oils as they can be harmful to the cats. Mix one part essential oil to three parts water in the spray bottle. Spray in areas that you want to keep cats out of.
Mix together lemon juice, rosemary and white vinegar - three things cats detest. Put the liquid in a spray bottle so it's easy to use around the garden. Simply spray near where the cats spend time - on planters, the patio, or even inside.
Cats dislike eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, and peppermint – just choose the ones you don't mind the scent of yourself.
Many liquid potpourri products and essential oils, including oil of cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang, are poisonous to cats.
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.
Lavender, geranium, and eucalyptus
Some gardeners use lavender plants to deter deer, but you can also try this as a deterrent for felines. Likewise, geranium and eucalyptus plants give off an odor that cats dislike.
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.
To prevent your cat from scratching hard surfaces around you home, dab the areas with a little Vicks VapoRub. Cats don't like the smell and will stay away from the area.
Some of the most popular essential oils for odor control are as follows: lemon, lemongrass, rosemary, lavender, tea tree, and orange. You can choose one, or create your own unique blend using your favorite oils!
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.
“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.
Scent deterrents will either serve to repel (eg Citronella) or mark a territory (eg Silent Roar). Alternatively, try orange or lemon peel, since cats are not keen on the smell of citrus. A bucket or water pistol full of water, directed near but not at the cat, will help to chase an unwelcome cat out of the garden.
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.
Some of the most common smells cats hate include citrus, vinegar, peppermint, pine, onions, or spicy food. The dislike for certain smells might be rooted in survival, says Dr. Rebecca Greenstein, Veterinary Medical Advisor for Rover and Chief Veterinarian at Kleinburg Veterinary Hospital.
Essential oils that are unsafe for cats:
Citrus oils (bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, tangerine) Birch.
Lemongrass isn't harmful to cats, as long as they nibble in moderation. When made into an essential oil, lemongrass is potentially deadly for your cat. All cats lack glucuronyl transferase, a liver enzyme, that helps to break down most essential oils, including lemongrass.
Many cats do not like the smell of peppermint as it contains Salicylate which is poisonous to cats. Unfortunately, some cats are attracted to the peppermint plant because it contains Nepetalactone mimicking compounds, the active ingredient in Catnip.
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.
If you know your cat has eaten some eucalyptus or has been exposed to the oil, call your vet ASAP. While symptoms of eucalyptus poisoning can show up shortly after being exposed, they can also take several hours to develop, so don't assume your cat is OK just because he doesn't have any symptoms.
If doing so, consider mixing white vinegar with 20 drops of eucalyptus oil and lemon-scented soap. This mixture does a great job of keeping cats in many areas of our home. Outdoors, you can fill up a spray bottle with this formula and spray it around your home. Indoors, consider spraying this mixture around the home.