Eeeeuuu... Using Scents That Cats Hate As A Training Tool
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The Cat's Nose Knows
With cats, the nose knows. Cats recognize their friends, familiar territory and food they consider safe to eat by scent as much as by sight. There are smells most cats love (catnip) and scents most cats hate (some herbs). Your cat's nose knows when he comes across a stranger, starts to eat something he shouldn't or ventures into territory where he's not welcome.
Scents cats hate can be used as a training tool to keep cats away from your garden or even off the furniture and kitchen counters. But what repels one cat may go completely unnoticed by another. My beautiful orange PK hated the smell of lavender. But the rest of his cat family didn't even notice it and would wander through the neighbor's flowerbed undeterred. If you're going to use scents to train a cat, you'll need to be patient and willing to experiment.
Photo: © Marilyn Gould | Dreamstime.com
Scents cats hate can be used as a training tool to keep cats away from your garden or even off the furniture and kitchen counters. But what repels one cat may go completely unnoticed by another. My beautiful orange PK hated the smell of lavender. But the rest of his cat family didn't even notice it and would wander through the neighbor's flowerbed undeterred. If you're going to use scents to train a cat, you'll need to be patient and willing to experiment.
Photo: © Marilyn Gould | Dreamstime.com
The Yuck Factor
Smells That Are Disgusting To Cats
![By André Karwath aka Aka (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lemon.jpg "By André Karwath aka Aka (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons")
What smells make a cat wrinkle its nose in disgust? It depends on the cat, of course, but these are scents most cats hate.- Anything citrus
- Bananas
- Used coffee grounds
- Lavender
- Geranium
- Absinthe
- Lemon-thyme
- Citronella
- Rosemary
- Garlic chives
- Coleus canina, which is also known as the Scardy Cat plant
- Rue repels some cats, but it's toxic to humans if ingested and can cause skin irritation if touched.
Warning!
Mothballs and mothball flakes are toxic to cats and other animals and, when used outside, contaminate the soil and groundwater. Never use mothballs to repel cats or other animals.
Toxic Smells
Some Scents Can Cause Severe Illness In Cats
Mothballs and mothball flakes are sometimes used to repel cats. But the fumes from mothballs are toxic to cats and other animals. Cayenne pepper is another popular cat repellant that can burn the cat's mouth and eyes if he gets it on his paws and then washes his face.Scented candles and carpet and air fresheners all smell wonderful to humans but can be annoying to cats, whose sense of smell is much more acute than ours. The scents from these products can trigger asthma attacks and even seizures in cats, and the essential oils in some can irritate your cat's mouth, throat and gastrointestinal tract if ingested while grooming. Some essential oils can be lethal to cats.
First Aid For Cats
Books That Tell You What To Do In An Emergency
If you believe your cat has ingested or inhaled a toxic substance, call your veterinarian or nearest animal emergency clinic immediately. These books will help you through the crisis until your cat can get medical care.
How To Use Scents Cat Hate Outside
Try These Tips For Keeping Cats Out Of Your Garden And Flowerbeds
Coleus canina: The National Gardening Association suggests making a hedge of coleus canina plants spaced about three feet apart around flowerbeds, sandboxes and other areas where cats are unwelcome.Plants And herbs: Intersperse lavender, geranium, absinthe, lemon-thyme, citronella, rosemary or garlic chives among the other plants in your garden or use them as a border around flowerbeds.
Citrus and banana peel and used coffee grounds: Scatter citrus or banana peel or used coffee grounds in the areas where you want to repel cats. They'll need to be refreshed almost every day.
Electronic Cat Deterrents
Safe, Effective Ways To Train Your Cat
While using scents cats hate can be an effective way of training your cat, I find electronic deterrents are a lot more efficient and much less labor intensive.
For outside, pet supply stores sell electronic deterrents that emit a high-pitched sound that only cats can hear or spray a stream of water on four-legged trespassers. Inside, ScatMats create a slight tingling sensation when stepped on. Cats don't like the feeling and stay away. All are designed for pets and won't harm your cat.
For outside, pet supply stores sell electronic deterrents that emit a high-pitched sound that only cats can hear or spray a stream of water on four-legged trespassers. Inside, ScatMats create a slight tingling sensation when stepped on. Cats don't like the feeling and stay away. All are designed for pets and won't harm your cat.
Tip:
Instead of repelling your cats, make them feel welcome by giving them their own garden. Choose a sunny spot and plant catnip, cat mint and valerian. Leave some bare soil for them to roll around in, and add a bench for napping. They'll be happy cats and leave your garden alone.
Using Scent Training Indoors
The Nose Knows Places That Are Off Limits
- Crush lavender, geranium, absinthe, lemon-thyme, citronella, rosemary or garlic chive leaves, put them in a saucer, and place the saucer on a counter or other places that are forbidden for cats. You'll have to refresh them every couple of days.- Lavender potpourri also repels some cats. Just make sure it doesn't contain other essential oils that are toxic to cats.
- Spray lemon juice on counters or other places that are off limits to cats.
Tip:
If your cat is eliminating inappropriately, sprinkle catnip in the places where he's using the floor or furniture. Catnip is a "friendly" scent and discourages urine marking.
My Favorite LInks
They're All About Cats, Of Course!
- A Garden for Cats
- How to create a garden for cats.
- Pampered Pets Pet Sitting -- Professional Cat Sitting in Columbia, MD
- Loving, Reliable Care for cats and dogs by Columbia, MD's Oldest Professional Pet Sitting Service
- Howard County Cat Club A No-Kill Cat Rescue With Adult Cats For Adoption
- Howard County Cat Club - The Howard County Cat Club, a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit no-kill cat rescue, is dedicated to keeping cats out of shelters because we believe that no cat deserves to live in a cage, or to be put to death because it is no longer wanted or in the way.
- Howard County Cat Club on Facebook
- Visit us on Facebook to see lots of cat pictures and read Cat Tales with happy endings.
- Cat Care From The Heart
- A large and growing collection of cat behavior and healthcare articles.
- Howard County Cat Club on Etsy
- Hello and welcome to our little shop of earrings. All the proceeds from these handmade items benefit the Howard County Cat Club, a no-kill cat rescue.
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See What The World Is Saying About Cats
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DavidDove
Jan 26, 2012 @ 4:05 am | delete
- another great cat lens, thank you
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by justforcats
Cats are my passion, and I love to share the things they've taught me with other humans. When I'm not writing lenses, I'm a freelance copywriter, run... more »
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