How to Make Cat Repellent: Ways to Keep Stray Cats Away

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

If you’re wondering how to keep a cat away from your house, you can create a natural cat repellent that keeps them away from your property and prevents them from making a mess of your garden. Fortunately, cat repellents are safe to use on animals. However, we discourage you from purchasing a store-bought product because this can contain harsh ingredients.

In this article, we’re sharing our favourite (and most effective) cat repellent recipes you can make conveniently and cheaply. We’ve also included some tips for keeping them away from your property in the first place.

How to Make Cat Repellent

Homemade cat repellent is a lot more cat-friendly than ones you buy in a store that can be packed with chemicals, which can be dangerous for some animals.

Indoor Homemade Cat Repellent

If you find that neighbourhood cats visit your house, they can make your pets uncomfortable and scared. Not to mention that you might not want an unknown animal on your property. For this scenario, here are some safe and effective tips to get rid of cats in your area.

Homemade Cat Deterrent Spray

Add apple cider vinegar and water at a 1:1 ratio to a bottle. Alternatively, you can use lavender oil, peppermint oil or lemongrass (using one part of the oil with three parts of water). The choice of essential oil is purely down to personal preference and what you have already. Add the solution to a spray bottle and spritz the mixture in areas where you typically find cats in your home. But, before you aim the spray bottle in all areas of your home, always test the cat repellent spray on an inconspicuous area of your home to ensure that it doesn’t stain or mark furniture.

The natural cat repellent is an excellent cat deterrent because it works by neutralising the area. So cats become less interested in returning since there aren’t any unique scents for them to discover.

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Use Sandpaper

Aside from a homemade cat deterrent spray, you’ll always want to keep cats from playing around in your home. Use sandpaper to protect your carpets, countertops and furniture. Alternatively, aluminium makes an excellent choice for providing an unpleasant surface for cats to work on. Adding your chosen material to these surfaces will keep cats away since they won’t be able to tolerate these materials on their paws.

It is one of the best ideas for keeping cats away from certain areas indoors.

Spritz Water Using a Spray Bottle When You See Them

Another strategy you can try to keep cats from coming through the door is spraying them with a spray bottle containing only water when you see them. It won’t cause them any harm or discomfort, but it’ll stop them from entering because they don’t like to get wet. Keep a spray bottle with water near your front door, so when you see a cat in your flower garden or digging up plants in your yard, you can spritz them once, and it’ll deter them from coming back again.

Alternative Homemade Cat Repellent Sprays

Just because a cat isn’t entering your house doesn’t mean that it’s still welcome. Not everyone likes a pet that isn’t theirs to enter their property, so below is a guide on how to make cat repellent sprays to keep cats away from your area.

Orange or Lemon Peel

Cats strongly dislike citrus scents. If you have a leftover orange or lemon, scatter the peel where the cats tend to go to keep them away, such as your lawn. You can then replace the peels with new ones to keep the smell strong. Alternatively, pour some orange juice on the common areas the cats like to visit.

Dried Herbs

Another effective cat repellent is using dried herbs, such as rosemary and lavender, in your garden. Scatter these dried herbs around the areas of your garden you’d like them to leave alone, such as flower beds.

Scaredy Cat Plant

Not everyone believes this to be true, but apparently, the scaredy-cat plant can repel cats and keep them away.

Garlic, Pepper and More

Another way to keep cats away is with garlic. Mix a diced garlic clove with lemon, cayenne pepper (a small amount) and tap water in a bowl. Allow this mixture to sit overnight, and add to a spray bottle. Strap off the solution and spritz the areas of your garden that you’d like cats to keep away from.

Rosemary Solution

Cats don’t like rosemary, so add this herb to a spray bottle along with water. You can also add lemongrass oil since cats don’t like this smell. Allow it to sit overnight and spray your yard with the solution to prevent cats from coming back. Another of our tips is to spritz this solution across various furniture indoors and outdoors, too.

Coffee Grounds

Something else that cats don’t like is coffee. So add coffee grounds to your yard, even in plants, and it’ll prevent some cats from returning. This process is simple since you just have to scatter the grounds onto the areas you want cats to avoid. You can also pour old coffee onto these areas, although this solution won’t smell as strong as grounds.

Outdoor Home Remedies to Deter Cats

Even if you’re a cat lover, it can be difficult to tolerate cats from coming into your garden because they like to walk along flower beds, garden beds, etc. Here are some ways to keep cat owners happy while ensuring they don’t return to your house again.

 

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Remove Things That Attract Cats

Firstly, one of the best things you can do is to make a cat-free zone in your garden so that they’re not attracted to your house in the first place. It includes removing a bird feeder so they don’t smell birds and want to come and investigate your garden. You can also put a lid on boxes and recycling boxes so they don’t smell food and want to investigate the items.

Furthermore, don’t keep a litter box in your garden because it will encourage a cat to go to the toilet outside of your property.

String

Add string to the fence in your garden, as this will feel uncomfortable for a cat to walk along, making them less likely to want to venture into your surroundings.

Rosemary

Plant this herb in your garden in the areas that the cats like to spend time. Rosemary is a natural cat deterrent, so it’s one of the most effective (and safest) ways of keeping felines away.

Shoo Them Away

Another safe way to create a cat deterrent is by shooing them away with your voice, clapping or tapping a pan. These sounds will intimidate cats, making them run away and probably never return to your garden again.

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Fence off Your Plot

Cats aren’t a big fan of obstacles, so an effective method is to fence off a vegetable garden. You can achieve this by planting sticks in the ground around the edges where your vegetables are planted. Doing so will prevent animals from entering and digging in the first place. If this doesn’t work on its own, opt for plants with thorns, which will deter them.

Wash Away Urine

Smells are one of the biggest things that will attract cats. So wash away any urine smells from walls as soon as you notice them. Cats can smell urine from afar and become intrigued to visit and lay their territorial mark on the area.

Purchase a Device Designed to Deter Cats

Another of our best tips to keep cats away is by focusing on sound. Purchase a repellent device that uses sound to discourage a cat from entering your garden. These devices are activated by motion, so as soon as they sense an animal, they’ll alert the sensor and generate noise.

Ways to Get Rid of Stray Cats

Many people will encounter a stray cat returning to their garden, but these can soon become a nuisance if you don’t use strategies to keep them away from your surroundings. Don’t fear because below are some effective cat repellents to keep stray ones away.

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Get Rid of Food

It’s likely that one of the main reasons a cat keeps returning to you is because there’s a food source around. Although you might not be putting out food for the cat to eat, you might likely be feeding it in other ways without even knowing it.

Ensure that you put all food scraps in a bin and tie the bag securely before adding them to the outside bin. Avoid leaving out bird food, which can encourage stray cats to come into your garden. And you should avoid leaving out food for other animals, as well as keeping barbecues clean to avoid enticing cats with smells.

Remove a Shelter Area

As well as a food supply, stray cats are looking for shelter, which can become a problem if you don’t use strategies to keep them away. Board up any holes in sheds or garages where cats can enter and find a secure place to sleep for the night. Ensure that you properly shut and lock doors and windows each night—and while you’re not indoors—to deter cats from entering.

Create an Uncomfortable Environment

Another way to create a cat repellent is by making your garden environment as less appealing as possible. For example, fill flower beds with pebbles or eggshells to make the ground uncomfortable for a cat. You don’t want to hurt the cat, but you want to make the area less inviting for them, so never place any sharp objects on the ground.

 

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Some Reasons You Might Want to Get Rid of Cats on Your Lawn

There are many reasons why you might want to keep cats away from your garden. Below are some obvious reasons why they can create a problem.

Cats are carnivores, so when they poop, they can leave parasites and parabens in your garden. It can become a problem if you’re trying to grow vegetables and fruit, which will become unhealthy for you to eat and even make you sick.

Cats might be looking for a new place to sleep. So, by entering your garden, they can destroy beds and rip up plants, which affects the aesthetics of your lawn.

Keep Your Lawn Clean From Cats

Do you have any other ingredients for a home remedy natural cat repellent that you’d like to share? Let us know your go-to essential oil or DIY tips for keeping felines away from your property.