Using one of these home made cat repellent recipes means you will know exactly what ingredients are in it so you can be sure it is environmentally friendly and safe. It’s also a lot cheaper than buying a commercial cat deterrent and they tend to be friendlier to the human nose!
Why are there so many different cat repellent recipes listed below? All cats are different and what works on one may not work on another. As an example, some of these were given to me by people who swore the recipe worked for them yet they did nothing to repel the cats visiting my garden.
So, if you try one of these and it has little effect simply try another. Even when you find one that does work, you should still consider trying another recipe after a week or so to ensure the cats don’t get used to the odour and start ignoring it.
Before using any type of natural cat repellent you should first clean the area of any cat litter or spray.
It’s worth noting too that using a cat repellent spray – whether home made or commercial – means it will need re-applying after a rain shower. Perhaps not a problem for some of our USA and Aussie readers but for British Isles residents, having to apply twice a day for 10 months a year and once a day for the 2 summer months can become a chore 🙂
Recipe 1
The average cat has 40 times more odour cells than us and they find many essential oils unpleasant. These include lavender, peppermint and orange.
Mix 1 part of any of the above oils to 3 parts water in a spray bottle and give it a good shake. For problem spots you can try soaking cotton wool balls in one of the oils and putting them in and around the area.
Recipe 2
Another natural cat repellent recipe I found that proved reasonably successful but required a bit more work was as follows:
Mix 2 tablespoons of Cinnamon, Rosemary and Lavender into a pint (500ml) of boiling water and leave it overnight.
Next morning you will need to strain the liquid through a cheesecloth and then add half a cup of vinegar and a dozen drops of Tangerine essential oil. Place your cat repellent in a spray bottle and give it a good shake before use.
Recipe 3
Squeeze a lemon into a litre of water, add 2 dozen drops of eucalyptus oil and give it a good shake. Eucalyptus acts as a repellent to several animals including cats and they are supposed to find citrus off putting.
Recipe 4
Certain dried herbs you can buy in the big supermarkets can also be effective as cat repellents. Sprinkle dried Rosemary or Lavender around your bedding plants or other problem areas for a quick and easy way to put the cats off using the area as its litter tray.
Recipe 5
Citronella oil is the home made cat repellent I had most success with. Although best known as a mosquito repellent cats find the Citronella odour very distasteful. Mix 1 part Citronella oil to 4 parts water and spray liberally in the trouble spot.
Recipe 6
Citrus peels contain limonene which cats find unpleasant. Essential oils such as lavender or peppermint can also be used to repel cats.
Mix lemon and lime peels together with a little lavender or peppermint oils, leave overnight then strain into a spray bottle and spread it liberally around your garden or outdoor area. The scent will help keep cats away while not harming them in any way.
Warnings
Although I have tried to use only natural ingredients you should still try to avoid spraying directly onto your plants.
I have come across several recipes that included boiling Cayenne or black pepper with other ingredients. Pepper can cause injury to a cat or other animals eyes and I would not recommend it. Not only is it cruel but you could well end up with a hefty vet bill or worse, being prosecuted (see cat laws).
Similarly, you will come across plenty of people advising the placement of moth balls in your garden to keep cats away. Moth balls are toxic and not only bad for your soil and plants, can cause all sorts of serious problems to most animals (including us) and can cause death to a cat.
Cat Repellent Recipes Submitted By Our Readers
Brian told us how he uses Listerine mouth wash where a cat leaves its mark as it eliminates the smell and puts the cat off when he returns.
I use it undiluted on the spot where the neighbour’s cat made his mark. It really eliminate the smell, never use vinegar or ammonia on a cats urine, it just make the smell worse.
Joseph from America had great success with his own concoction which he was good enough to share.
I bought the Eucalyptus plus Mint essential oil at Walmart for $3.87 (large bottle). The pharmacy there gave me a free syringe to use to extract the oil from the bottle. It is the plunger type that measures in ml and tsp.
I took 1 whole lemon and ran it through a juicer but a food processor works just as good. I then strained the mixture through cheesecloth and poured it into a 16-ounce spray bottle. I then used the plunger to extract 1/2 tsp of oil from the bottle and put it into the spray bottle.
I filled up the rest of the spray bottle with water from the tap. I shook the bottle vigorously before spraying in the areas where the neighbours cats were continually spraying and defecating on my property.
Thankfully, the mixture worked wonderfully. No more cats whatsoever. I respray every Saturday morning, and it has been working faithfully for more than three months now.
Debbie from here in the UK is finding Citronella seems to work best against her neighbourhood cats.
I have been using Citronella oil mixed with water and it is very successful so far. The cheapest way to do it is to buy the essential oil. There are gel’s on the market specifically for dog and cat repellent however it ends up being pricey as it doesn’t last long. Citronella needs topping up every couple of days. So far so good! I have been told to put lemon slices around the plants too as it will deter fouling.
Submit your home made cat repellent recipes
If you have any cat repellent recipes that you have had success with please let me know by clicking here and I will add them to the above list.
Also, you can read my reviews of some of the better known commercial cat deterrent options available by clicking below.
Hi there,
I was wondering if any of these was safe for home use without causing any harm to cats? One of my cats has a carpet pulling problem and I’ve tried pretty much everything I could to try to tackle it even store bought sprays and nothing. I’m willing to try one of the recipes you have but I just want to make sure it’s ok to use indoors. Thanks in advance
Camila
I’ve never tried any of the above indoors but if I was to I think I would go with the lavender as I find it a pleasant smell while many cats don’t.
I thought it was interesting that cats, in general do not like lavendar. My cat enjoys it and comes up on my lap while I am filling lavendar eye pillows. Seems to calm her down.
Use lavender essential oil mixed with water in a spray, lavender to water – 1:4 parts. Unfortunately, did not work. Going to try next on the list.
“Similarly, you will come across plenty of people advising the placement of moth balls in your garden to keep cats away. Moth balls are toxic and not only bad for your soil and plants, can cause all sorts of serious problems to most animals (including us) and can cause death to a cat.”
I will put out whatever i want on MY PROPERTY WHERE YOUR ANIMAL DOES NOT BELONG.I have cats destroy my veggy garden many times over the years and will no longer tolerate it.
I understand your frustration Stoshy. However, mothballs are poison to YOU and your FAMILY. They will get in the soil and end up in your plants you EAT, thereby giving you POISON. So, please, for your sake, use something else.
People like you are the reason why everyone should just keep their cats indoors.
Yes please! Then I wont have to clear up their sht from my garden before my grandchildren can safely play out there
I agree 100%!!! If a person doesn’t want anything to happen to their cats! KEEP THEM DETAINED TO THEIR OWN PROPERTY!!! 🙏🏻
I agree with you. Swg.
People should not have to be told to keep their cats in their homes. Pets of ANY TYPE should not be allowed to run loose from a disease perspective as well as respecting others.
I am so sick of them using my flower garden to crap in that I am like you Stoshy. I have tried expensive Critter Ridder, and have shaved Irish Spring soap in the garden and they are continuing to use it. If they get sick off the moth balls, they will not shit in my garden then. I less feral cat to deal with.
Please -do- put mothballs in your garden. Lots of them, so you’ll suffer the same fate as the cats: poisoned.!! Seriously, what is wrong that you forget feral cats are a part of nature and keep rodent populations down? Put weed fabric down in your garden, that solves the problem entirely. It’s worked for me for years.
I have been using Citronella oil mixed with water and it is very successful so far. The cheapest way to do it is to buy the essential oil. There are gel’s on the market specifically for cat/dog repellent however it ends up being pricey as it doesn’t last long. Citronella needs topping up every couple of days. So far so good! I have been told to put lemon slices around the plants too as it will deter fouling.
Hey – great stuff here – thanks for putting it in such a great format and easy to find…
What about a citronella plant – they sell them around here as a mosquito deterrent, but would consider planting one in the garden bed (12’x12′) if you think it would work?
Also, when I water the garden, will the citrus or citronella (if an oil or spray is used) need to be reapplied or does enough stay behind to deter the cat?
Thanks!
Adam
Hi Adam, thanks for your kind words 🙂
The Citronella plant gives off a strong citrus odour when brushed against so should work well at discouraging cats as most don’t like the smell.
You can buy it in spray form to test whether it works on your neighbourhood cats before investing the time into growing it.
Bob
I always thought or heard that vinegar would kill the flowers? Have so many cats around my house and none of them are mine. They should be on a leash like dogs has to be. I have the peppermint oil.
Neigbours cat is coming into my garden, using my children’s Trampoline as a litter tray. I have used the bottle with water, pepper spray it worked for a few week. Now I am going to try lemon & eucalyptus oil.. can you reccommend any more that this problem has just started a few months ago… I am angry now as my children health is risk..
…Pepper spray? Really? If I saw a neighbor spray my cat with pepper spray I’d spray them in the face with it.
Cat owners have know idea (and probably don’t care) where their cats poo or how disgusting it is to clear up!
Herbert, did you not read the bit where Bob said pepper was bad for the cats? I find people spitting chewing gum on the floor disgusting but you don’t see me spraying them with pepper spray!
Michelle, I’m presuming you meant peppermint, not pepper….. If you see the cat doing it, spray it with just water ( from a bottle not a Hose Pipe!)
But spraying someone in the face with pepper spray just because you saw them spray a cat, he is using pepper spray in the vacinity, much less lethal than lily pollen, if cats are neutered they don’t roam as much. If you a cat fine but stick a honking big bell on it,
Keep you cat in your yard and you will not have to worry about it
I agree
LOL !!!!!!!! How laughable !!!!!!!! Its the law…..cats have FREE ROAM and theres not a person alive that can keep their cat in their yard give me a break !
There are plenty of responsible cat owners who keep their cat within the boundary of their own garden. It’s not difficult but it does cost money which I suspect is the real reason most cat owners are happy to let the cat roam and risk death by road traffic or other animal.
Domestic animals (including cats and dogs) are allowed to roam freely on THEIR OWNERS property. Your neighbor cannot legally harm your animal but he does have the right to put up traps on his own property. Once your animal leaves your property he has no rights. He is in essence, a trespasser because he is classified as a domesticated animal as opposed to a wild animal who is protected and not prohibited from roaming such as birds and other wild animals not classified as dangerous.
I’m afraid your only option is to keep your animal in the house and use a litter box or find some way to confine him to your own property where he is free to roam at leisure.
well those people DON’T want cats in their yard hence why they dont have cats. If you cant control your animals dont have them if a cat walks into my yard again i will gladly remove it and not in a nice way!! Do you really think it is acceptable to let your cat roam the countryside attacking other peoples pets and pissing and shitting and leaving their fur everywhere HELL NO IT ISNT!! Bet you wouldnt like it if i came and shit on your outdoor furniture
You certainly can keep it in your yard & stop it from straying it if you bury it.
I live in Las Vegas NV and there is a leash law for cats. I do get cats in my yard anyway and that is why I came to this site to find out what EO’s are best for keeping the cats away. I thought the reason there is such a thing as litter boxes is to keep your cats in the house.
Depends where you live. Australia has had cat curfew LAWS for years, requiring people to keep their cats confined to their properties after dark. YOU deal with the vile litter tray. People who don’t fool themselves these vermin are “pets” have had it with catcrap in their garden beds, plants dug up, and half-chewed or mortally injured birds, mice and lizards on the doorstep.
Domestic cats left to roam go feral and do horrific damage to … pretty much any wildlife they can get their claws and/or teeth into, so now https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-26/roaming-pets-on-borrowed-time-as-cat-curfews-considered/100716436 is being debated.
Keep your moggy in a cage, feed it and clean up after it. That’s what a pet IS.
I agree. Cat owners should keep their cats in their own yard.
Or better yet..in your house.
Although not much can be done about ferals, except trap neuter and release. They’ll still roam around free unless people are willing to adopt.
Absolutely right Joe.
I have a house cat, he is allowed int he back garden, which has a 7ft fence on two sides and other two sides are sides of the house. The fences have plastic cat spikes on, so that he cannot climb over and get out of our property. It was less than £100 to protect about 30m of fence. My cat is safe from the busy roads, and will not come in contact with other cats with fleas or diseases, the local wildlife is safe from being killed by him, and the neighbours are not cleaning up after him.
It is totally reasonable to expect people to keep their pets in the boundaries of their home. No other pets are allowed to roam free, I don’t understand why some people still allow cats to.
Don’t let your PET out if your going to be so defensive over your PET! If you have an animal (like a cat) that you can’t control. why would you threaten bodily harm to a HUMAN over a PET. You may love your PET like it was your child, but if your PET is on someone else’s property, and the owner of that property doesn’t want said PET on their property, then the owner of that property should take any action deemed appropriate to remove any PET.
No. Not just ANY action – you’re not justified in taking cruel, illegal or immoral action.
Just take appropriate action. You had a good start by coming here & I hope You can find a good and safe deterrent.
Please remember, your trampoline is OUTDOORS. There are mice, birds, insects, spiders that the cat is keeping away from it – and when the cat isn’t there all those things will be visiting it – so you need to keep your trampoline clean anyway!
I hate it when the neighbors kids come on my private property but I don’t spray them with pepper spray. The kids are just being innocent, exploring their neighborhood , and the cat is , too.
They don’t deserve permanent injury or death
I agree cats don’t deserve pain. We live in an area with no animal control and we are overrun with cats. We use 4 wheelers as transportation and keep them covered but the cats find their way in. You have them spraying in your transportation and then you stink when you get where you’re going. I am an animal lover but I am at my wits end as to what to do. You pay $12,000.00 for something and a cat messes it up in 1 month. What is the solution?
Now we know where feral should be used not on the cats but their owners
I agree
If your cat comes to my property not to just ruin our garden, but also to kill birds that visiting it, yes you right, your Pussy cat is a history. Keep your pest on the leash, if you love it.
AMEN! Only a lunatic would put an animal over a human. I love cats as pets, but I also respect my neighbor’s rights to NOT have my pet defecate in their yard. With that in mind, I keep my cats indoors because my neighbors don’t deserve to have my pets causing their problems.
If I saw you spray a human being with pepper spray just because they sprayed a cat, I’d put you in cuffs and stuff you in my squad car for assault. You have no right to assault a human being because they are applying a non-lethal deterrent to keep unwanted pests out of their yards.
Not all cat owners are as respectful as you. I have a neighbor who has three cats; and, they come to my slope area – and recently came down to an area behind my house where I have pea gravel (thinking that would deter them). I would never hurt a cat, ever. But I sure tire of picking up after them. I find cat owners that do this are incredibly rude – indicates to me the kind of people they are. I suppose I could put a litter box out and dump it back on their ground above. Just a thought.
Then I guess you should keep your cat in your own yard.
I have use citronella and bergamot oil mixed with water to keep my previous and my new cat from scratching my couch, I mist it on, so far so good…
@ Candice, Michelle never said she sprays the cat. My cat is my responsibility I keep min indoors or walk him on a leash as I love birds and small mammals and even though it’s a nasty job, I clean my cat’s litter box instead expecting an unsuspecting neighbour’s child to have to deal with my cats poop… it’s called common decency.
Amen. Best sensible answer over all. I too have a cat that I care for. He’s my responsibility. I wouldn’t allow a child of mine to disrespect my neighbors homes and property so why would I allow any pet to do likewise? I also keep my cat indoors for this reason and also for his own protection from diseases, traffic, other animals and any other dangers he might encounter while roaming the neighborhood.
Then keep your cat indoors, as vets recommend. You think intented pepper repellent is bad, hiw about the unknown chemicals that are in your neighborhood with no ntended purpose as cat repellent?
Then please keep your cat out f my yard. We have a flower bed right outside the front door which neighbors cats use as a litter box. I pickup behind my dog who is never outside without a leash. It should be the same for cats.
if your cat wasn’t crapping in your neighbours garden there wouldn’t be a problem.why cant you people see the problem ?? you like cats which is fine.next door might like cats too but certainly wont want YOUR cats crap in their flower beds.
Me too
I bought the Eucalyptus + Mint essential oil at Walmart for $3.87 (large bottle). The pharmacy there gave me a free syringe to use to extract the oil from the bottle. It is the plunger type that measures in ml and tsp. I took 1 whole lemon and ran it through a juicer, but a food processor works just as good. I then strained the mixture through cheesecloth and poured it into a 16-ounce spray bottle also at Walmart. I then used the plunger to extract 1/2 tsp of oil from the bottle and put it into the spray bottle. I filled up the rest of the spray bottle with water from the tap. I shook the bottle vigorously before using a spud sprayed in the areas where the neighbors cats were continually spraying and defacating on my property. Thankfully, the mixture worked wonderfully. No more cats whatsoever. I respray every Saturday morning, and it has been working faithfully for more than three months now. I hope this helps? Sincerely
Hi Joseph
Does the spray continue to work after a rain shower?
Re cats and trampolines, Had same problem . My kids tramp. has a skirt or curtain around the perimeter and by making sure it was tied to prevent cats from crawling under it I then sealed the opening (after they had finished for the day of course) using a piece of garden netting running full height to close both edges. I used a standard net as supplied for gardens and avail. in any garden shop. Hope this helps
Does garlic work as a repellant either in cloves grated or the pepper type for shaking
i buy garic whole bulbs at grocer shops then chop chop roughly on chopping board then scatter them all around the effected area so far ive found cats hate the smell and stay off . its a cheap method and does no harm to any creature so im using it now around a row of newly planted border plants and it works…
I found a fantastic, never-fail cat repellent. I got a dog 🙂
MY DOG IS BEING RUN TO DEATH BY STRAYS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CATS. HE NEEDS SOME RELIEF. GONNA TRY SOME OF THESE RECIPE. SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WASTE MY TIME. IF MY DOG IS REQUIRED TO BE FENCED SO SHOULD CATS.
Hi, Citronella oil can you tell me how much do I mix I have used a small spray bottle and put 20 drops in, is that too weak? I am surrounded by cats and they are driving us nuts. I don’t think my neighbor uses a litter tray. any suggestions on how to approach her. any help would be greatly appreciated.
Tilly, I own a cat, but I can really relate as my cat is an indoor and leash walked cat.
Cats hate Rue {Ruta graveolens}, the herb I’d try planting some of that in a few areas they seem to favour but it won’t help in winter
I’d make the solution as strong as you can stand it, I use 12 to 13 drops of both citronella & bergamot oil to 12 oz of water, the difference is I use it indoors on the arms of our couch which my rescued boy seems to refuse to stop scratching even though he has a post and condo and a couple of mats, he stopped using the arms once I sprayed them.
My neighbour’s cats would poop right by 2 of our basement windows it really stunk when we open the windows in the laundry room. I suggested she supply her cats (4) with a covered litter box, she complied but used an uncovered box which was readily flooded as soon as it rained. She just didn’t get it. I have since moved and will be planting rue around my veggie garden.
Me and my partner have two cats, one boy and a girl which are brother and sister, our boy seems to be trying to make a statement of domimace to our girl by having a wee on the floor in the corner, we have tried all sorts of methods for combating this recurrence, we are running out of ideas, we wondered if any other cat owners had a bit of advice on a solution for us, also because we have laminate it is difficult to get rid of the smell. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
When we moved into our house in the country, one of our cats took to pooing on the roof. Since we were to be on tank water, we didn’t find this too appealing! Consulted the vet and he suggested washing the area with vinegar, to remove the smell that reminded the cat that this was the place to poo. Problem solved!
You can buy stuff from the supermarket that gets rid of the smell. I forget what it’s called “Odour – something or other” I think.
(In case you’re wondering (or heaving!) – fortunately it was a dry summer, and we disconnected our water pipe as soon as we discovered what was happening! So no contaminated water entered the tank – we hope and choose to believe! :-))
Hi
Listerine mouth wash helps a lot it takes the smell away and the cats seem to hate the smell. I use it undiluted on the spot where the neighbour’s cat made his mark. It really eliminate the smell, never use vinegar or ammonia on a cats urine it just make the smell worse
this is a great idea, thanks. We have the neighbor cat on our porch, peeing in my planters, and out in the back yard, I put some Rosemary Oil drops around and hope that works, but like the Listerine idea better
Thanks again
Marti
try putting out another litter box, some cats don’t like to share. helped my son. might help you. good
luck
Neighbor cats use my nicely mulched front yard for their potty. I’ve asked the owner to provide a litter box outside their home for their cats. Since the owners refuse, my front patio smells like a cat potty. I will do whatever it takes to deter cats from my property. Why should I clean up cat poop and have a stinky yard, so that my neighbors can enjoy their pets?
Here here Donna, they can’t even leave water out for the cats, the neighbours cats all go to one place, a cats homes open bedroom window, 2 cats is now six. I will do what I want to prevent myself or my Mother walking in that stuff, filfthy stinking cats. If responsible cat owners spayed and neutered their pets we wouldn’t have half the problems.
I have cats crapping on my stoned driveway and I wondered if anyone had any ideas on how to prevent it the stinking smelly things ?
Use essential oil -as it is 250 times stronger than a plant ….
I think cat owners are the creatures they are so selfish and horrible just like THEIR hanging so called pets all they are good for is killing as much wildlife as possible they should be fined for their horrible things fouling everyone else’s property just like dog owners and the sooner the law is changed the better for all of us.
well said
Also they squeal in the middle of the night for hours keeping everyone awake supposedly pet loving people don’t care about people and how can any cat owner argue that what I gave said is wrong???
One other thing that annoys me about selfish cat owners is that I spent £30 yesterday on a new bird feeder and bird food,as soon as the cats hear the young chicks in there nest they are on a mission everyday to find a way to get them just to kill them and not even eat them like natural predators the young ins are lucky if they last a week which is so wrong when you watch the birds parents fly in and out of that best constantly feeding their young uns just for some freak of nature to kill them for nothing.
It’s about cat smell here and not to name cats stinky things!!!
You can get “Biodor” (I get it from Ebay). That will neutralize any odor.
That is the beginning, because cats smell the odor, even if you put Lavender etc , on top of it.
Then spray your natural mixture out.
My cats love lavender. I mix lavender and orange as a room spary, because I love it and they lay down, where I sprayed it.
Biodor on it’s own worked for me, but Black pepper/Tea tree water did a good job too.
ok am going to try someof these as I am getting desparate, one of my cats insists in pooing under one bed and I’ve been trying every idea I know with no success there are some new ones here and also I didn’t know that they can still smell their odour so thank you.
Try hanging windchimes! The cats will go elsewhere!
I have cats using my back area as a litter box. Not happy about that; however, I do not want to harm them. Someone recommended cayenne pepper and oil and another recommended moth balls; I am glad I read your post because both are harmful. I will try the essential oil trick first; after that, I plan to put rock down. I’m tired of cats using the area as a litter box and deer eating the plants. Another thing I know is that oil and water do not mix; and, in another recipe I use vodka and oil then add water. Perhaps it will make the cats drunk and they will stagger off into the sunset.
I put rocks and wire meshing, and the cats went on top of it all….numerous times. Love animals but I am angry at continuously having to clear the mess. Cat owners should be made to have litter trays in their own gardens. My friends cat uses my garden and she just smiles and says “put bleach down as it stops it using mine”
Hoping it works for you. I plan on using vinegar, then a few of these suggestions, and laying fresh soil.
Vinegar doesn’t stop them. We have been dealing with people dumping unwanted cats in the neighborhood who are now breeding. Am going to try the essential oils. Would like to use my porch again and stop having to take my cushions in every night.
Ortho made a great product called “Dog & Cat B Gon” It worked very well. Problem is it’s getting very hard to find.
Will post with results.
Just like dogs, it’s not the cats that are bad it’s the owners not taking responsibility. I had a rocking chair and ottoman on my front pourch, notice I said I had! The cushions were clawed up and the Ottomans has to be recovered. I know it’s my neighbors cat but we have such a good relationship it’s a problem I can handle. Took all the fluffy stuff off the pourch, dang if I didn’t find cat piss sprayed on the rest of the furniture. I mixed up a cleaning mix I use, one cup amonia, one cup alcohol and two cups water. This cleans every thing from glass to pre-soaking oil spots in laundry. You can add vinegar and lemon to it and it will not only clean the smell but repell dogs and cats! One of the things about lemons though.. The active agent that really repells them is the oil in the lemon skin not so much the juice. Using the oil from the skin also lasts longer!
I have used orange peel plus cinnamon plus eucalyptus oil plus dried rosemary all together ! Now going to try citronella oil and water. How about planting lavender and rosemary?
I would just like to say thank you to you for this great site. I have tried various shop bought sprays & orange peel but neither worked so i will try the homemade receipes next. Thanks again
we have tried citronella and water didnt stop cats. we are now trying rosemary leaves,lemon juice and vinegar. my next plan is to grow citronella.lavendar and rosemary all round the fence line to deter the feral cat that lives next door.
My cat keeps pooping on my couch I have tried everything black pepper essential oils all the horrible ones even vanilla but nothing but nothing helps, he keeps doing it. The lounge window and bathroom window is open and the front door please help
There is an old lady who sees fit to feed a feral cat colony two doors up from me. They are all breeding and pooping everywhere. I used to be a cat lover but now i just want them gone. The automatic water sprayer works wonders. Looks like I just have to wait until the lady passes to get any real relief from these cats.
Just don’t be so hateful toward cats(or dogs). They’re just trying to survive. Many in a homeless world. Have compassion. Try to work together with others to get them spayed or neutered. ..thanks.
Thank you for a few words of compassion on this page which contains words of hatred. I own rescue cats. They don’t always use the litter trays because anxiety and depression make them act out, just as we humans act differently when we are anxious and depressed.
The best and most compassionate action here is to find your local cat rescue groups. They use the TNR program. They Trap the cats, have them Neutered or spayed by friendly vets who work with them, and then Release them back “home” to live their lives out in peace. This way the cat community will die out naturally without cruelty.
My cats live indoors both to protect wildlife, and to protect themselves – one of my precious cats I had for 16 years was killed by two rogue dogs in front of my home. I never want to go through that again! He was a favourite in the street, going to visit everyone. To my anger and disgust the dogs were euthanised because their owner refused to be responsible for them – they had also killed another cat, and two hens in the street. I was offered recompense, but money cannot pay for 16 years of unconditional love and friendship.
One thing you could do is to ask a friendly vet if they would be willing to come and do a community neuter service on a specified day. You could then letterbox the community with information about why it is so important, and maybe find some way to help subsidise those with little money.
Like it or not, we live in communities. Let’s try to keep our communities friendly, and help each other when we have problems. I know that I am happy for this page. I have a couple of new rescue cats who don’t use the litter trays for some reason. I am going to use Listerine in my steamer to clean the loungeroom rug. That’s one remedy I haven’t come across before!
I’m the first to say I’m an idealist. Yes, ferals are not good neighbours, but with local cat rescue groups their communities will die out naturally. Yes, neighbourhood cats are their owners responsibilities, but there are ways to resolve problems with them while keeping your community friendly, being helpful, and bringing in a friendly vet who may be willing to drop prices to neuter and spay. You could also have a local wildlife group letterbox the community with information about local wildlife and why cats should be kept indoors. When I first moved in to this community everyone had cat flaps and cats just came and went as we did. Twenty some years on some sixty-seventy percent of us keep our cats indoors and build “catios” like I’ve seen on Jackson Galaxy. Friends of mine go to feed feral communities in industrial areas where they were dumped, and they take traps with them so they can neuter them as quickly as possible, and also try to find home for the kittens they were unable to stop. The feral cats were dumped. They can’t help it, but you can help them.
I’m sorry for the essay, but it’s something I feel very strongly about. I do understand your frustrations, but it just isn’t their fault. It’s humans fault all the way down the line!
Thank you for finally speaking out for the TNR program. I have been part of this program for 13 years along with the local Humane Society, who sponsors a Feral Cat Day every Monday to get the feral cats into the TNR program. I am constantly at war with my neighbor, who is always telling me about all the pregnant cats running around and to keep my cats out of his yard. I have tried to explain to him that they are all ear tipped cats, (which is what they do to tell which cats are part of the TNR program) and that there can’t be any pregnant ones since they have all been fixed. He has now started putting cayenne pepper all over his yard and I hope none of the cats get sick. There are certain laws that apply to ear tipped cats here in Tampa and he could be in big trouble if he hurts them.
Live traps. Once the cat is caught, turn it over to animal control. Some animal control will even loan out traps. If the owner has to pay to get their cat back maybe they’ll stop letting it run free.
You can call a local TNR (trap neuter release) group and they will round up the cats and fix them so they don’t breed anymore. That’s the biggest problem.
In our state of PA, (or at least in our area) the SPCA does NOT take responsibility for trapping or picking up the cats. They said they don’t have enough help. I understand that but I will not try trapping them, then putting strange cats that may have diseases or who knows what, into my car where I put my groceries and other items.
This subject needs to be brought to the attention of officials in the gov’t. and be made to realize just how serious and wide-spread it is. It’s a serious problem and I haven’t the money to fix all the damage the neighbour’s cats are doing to my property. And as much as I see the automatic sprayers being touted, I can’t see why I should have to spend nearly $100. to purchase one.
Has anyone used the citronella mix? If so where did you get the cironella oil— I have large landscaping beds and am going to use the mixture in a 1 gal. Garden sprayer. So having a tiny bottle of essential oil is not ideal!
Thank you in advance!
Your local hardware store will have industrial size containers of it! ?
Need help as I live in an area which I need to pick up after my dogs. But it seems cats get a free ride. My front yard smells like a cat box. Birds are running scared and I clean up after the cats daily and more so then I do my dogs.
I have tried the lemon essential oils, but it lasts only about a day. The sprayers might work but they don’t know the difference between birds, dogs and cats. Is there something cats don’t like to step on, and will not wash away at the first rain. I am going to address the issue which the areas management.
Yes I am a pet lover, but first of all people take responsibility for your cats. I have had cats in the past but am now allergic to the smell of cat pee. Keep the cats inside where they are safe, and then just like I do clean up after the animals. As I carry dog bags to pick up the poop my dogs create. You should have to pick up after your pets mess a couple of times as well.
I have a cat that likes to chew on electrical cords
she mostly does this when I’m sleeping because
she knows she’ll get in trouble if I see her.
This morning I went to use my phone and she
had chewed the cord that plugs into the wall
that gives power to the base of my cordless
phone fortunately I had another cord.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I can put
on the cords to stop her from getting electro-
cited.
Having exactly the same problem! Unfortunately am struggling with a solution also.
Anyone out there have any suggestions?
Tabasco sauce.
Living very close to a restaurant attracts Ferrell cats who forage for food and keep rats at bay – however they are fairly aggressive and have attacked both my domestic cats on our property resulting in high vet bills. I have researched Non-Toxic Cat Repellent ad nauseum … and have found many articles that describe a mixture of White Vinegar, Lemon juice and Rosemary as the best deterrent … however most of them mention that the Essential Oil format of the herbs are very toxic to animals, and should not be used – especially to spray directly at them…. as an animal lover I do not want to harm the wild cats – just keep them off our property. Tried the dried Rosemary/Vinegar/Lemon spray and it does work but the Rosemary sprigs clogs the spray bottle tube …. so am going to steep Rosemary in boiling water and drain the sprigs and then make up the mixture to spray ll the garden walls – hope this keeps our cats in and the other cats out.
Jeyes fluid makes a statement to cats, they absolutely hate it.
I have heard that Keyes Fluid is very toxic to animals.
Jeyes fluid is incredibly toxic unless diluted heavily and imo it doesn’t work that well anyway. I have been watering my gravelled area with diluted fluid and put down half a dozen teabags I’d soaked in the stuff but they still insist on using it as a litter tray.
for phone cable use plastic coil for tidying cables wrap if around phone cable it wont get at phone cable buy them in £1 shops
Orange essential oil as well as some others are highly toxic to pets. Please check the essential oil websites and vet websites for toxic and nontoxic oils for cats and dogs. Please do your research so your pets don’t develop liver and other damage from toxic essential oils.
You need to be really careful with your pets if you plan to use a homemade repellent. Make sure of checking all the safety labels before using any of the ingredients.
planting Lavender & Rosemary does not seem to work I have a monster and i really mean monster rosemary bush in my garden with 2 large lavender plants either side of it, and the neighbours cat still poops underneath them, this morning i found one of my raised beds fill with seedlings had been scratched up and pooped in, iv tried the homemade sprays and none of them seem to work, I have 3 large dogs but unfortunately i have to lock them inside my funerary during the night otherwise they will be up barking at the possums all night. So it’s time to get serious with these dirty felines I am going to bu one of those humane cat traps today and when i catch that sucker he is gonna get a good old fashion hosing I bet he wont come back for round 2.
Please don’t take your anger out on the cat. It’s not the cat’s fault. Just turn it over to your local animal control. That being said, I had bird feeders in front of my house that the neighbor’s cat would lay under and wait for songbirds. I used my son’s super soaker squirtgun and would spray him all the way to the property line.
When my neighbours’ child kicks its ball into our yard, I return the ball to the neighbours yard.
If your cat loving neighbour won’t do anything to stop their cat leaving gifts in your garden or clean it up, try returning it to them, I’m sure they would appreciate your thoughtfullness!
I have an inside cat. She is allowed outside when I am there to supervise. She is not allowed out of our yard.
She has a litterbox and has no need to urinate or poo on our neighbors lawns. This isn’t a difficult concept. Please be a courteous neighbor and responsible pet owner.
There are neighborhood cats spraying my porch. Simply scrubbing the area didn’t work. So I am trying different things to rid them. So far the expensive repellent sprays I purchased haven’t worked, and the odor seems to be as defiant as the cats.
However, Arm & Hammer has a new kitty litter spray deodorizer on the market, so I sprayed my porch to first eliminate the urine stench. Smells pretty good there right now.
I also mixed peppermint and orange essential oils with water and heavily drenched the entire area in hopes to repel the cats who are marking their territory.
I will let you know if it works.
TNR programs are a good start but one option that needs to be used is euthanasia. How many of these feral cats do you think die from something other than being hit by a car, poisoning, disease because they are not vaccinated, predators like dogs or coyotes, the elements. How is that a humane option? Ferals should be managed just as wild animals are. If there are too many cats in a given area, they need to be euthanized.
I have 2 cats and they like to climb my curtains. I have tried citrus, peppermint and lavender oil to keep them from climbing the curtains but so far it doesn’t seem to be helping. Can you please let me know what I can do to make them stop. Thank you.
can someone please tell me how often these relents need to be sprayed on the area
I live in a town that has an ordinance against “animals at large” that includes dogs AND cats. However, when you call city hall to report that the neighbor’s half dozen or so cats are crapping in your gardens and leaving dead birds, chipmunks, snakes, etc in your yard, they are either unable or unwilling to enforce that ordinance. I’ve got cats of my own, they are strictly indoor pets and no one has to deal with their messes but me. They’re all healthy, happy, friendly kitties. Next door are sickly antisocial cats who are allowed to come & go via an upstairs window that they’ve shredded the screen on. And apparently they don’t have a litter box in there so they use my yard- a nice double lot with 4 dozen rose bushes, many flower beds and approximately 2000 sq ft of food-producing beds that we’ve spent countless hours working only to have these poor wretched creatures (whose ignorant, irresponsible owner doesn’t give a damn about until you live-trap and re-home them) literally shit all over our hard work. Even the idea of making homemade repellent pisses me off because someone else’s animals should not be costing me money. Maybe I will save my receipts and stick copies in the neighbor’s mail box along with a bill for the time I spend cleaning up the messes and spraying the repellent. Would suggesting a higher quality food and regular vet visits to take care of their perpetual diarrhea be going too far? And if I save the messes to return to the neighbor, do I just use a trash bag or do I gift wrap it- what’s the proper protocol here? Anyway, I’ll try the recipes until they get too expensive and then I’ll get the other neighborhood gardeners riled up and we’ll march on city hall, demand they enforce the ordinance! Take a few bags of sick cat poo to the homes of city council members maybe?
All I can say is I’m dealing with a similar problem. My cat was an indoor one that used a litter box like they should. I didn’t even want to let her out because she was small and the neighbor’s cats looked mangy and dirty. She sneaked out a couple of times to try to play with those cats and ended up with worms because those mangy cats had fleas. Anyhow, she died a couple of years ago, yet and still I have to keep a pooper scooper on hand because the neighbor’s cats think my mulch front yard is a litter box. The most frustrating incident was that while attempting to get in my car in the morning I stepped in some cat crap that smelled god awful. Now every morning I have to be paranoid about stepping on my own yard because I don’t want to repeat that scenario. These kind of experiences have made me hate cats basically. I’m of the opinion that whatever happens to your cat while it is roaming about the neighborhood is your fault. It would be different if something happened to the cat while it is own your own property. If the cat-owner is irresponsible enough to let the cat wander onto the neighbor’s yard, whatever happens, happens in my opinion. (I don’t care if that means your stupid cat gets, shot, poisoned, or whatever.) If the cat-owners had some decency and consideration for their neighbors we wouldn’t even need to be here discussing cat repellents and wasting our own money and time cleaning up after someone else’s pets. (I’m obviously not speaking about feral cats, they can be trapped humanely and turned in. It’s not their fault they have no home.)
Cats are unable to properly metabolize essential oils and over time the toxins build up and can damage the liver. Cats in toxic overload may exhibit symptoms such as dizziness, lack of appetite, vomiting, lack of balance, lethargy, and extreme cases of toxicity may lead to death.
While many of us know not to apply essential oils directly – either via mouth or by spraying or rubbing the oils on our cats – it is important to realize that simply inhaling essential oils also poses a danger to cats. Whether absorbed through the skin or inhaled, repeated exposure to essential oils can build toxic levels to the danger point.
Hydrosols, a distilled by-product of essential oils, are considered by most to be safe for cats. If you are a big fan of aromatherapy for yourself or your animals, hydrosols may be an alternative to consider, and some household products are now using hydrosols in place of essential oils
Thank you for all the ideas. My nabour has a cat who does her business in my garden and I am going to try all the repellants. My biggest concern is tha she feeds the wild (doves) and then without her knowing it her cat catches the birds and kill them in my garden. Its always half eaten birds and feathers all over my garden. My doggie is a small breed and stays inside all day. I have now for the last week been throwing the dead birds in her garden with the hope that she can get into her heaf what she is causing.
Where I live the cat isn’t the problem it’s the coyote roof rats deer and rabbits Jack and drawf the wildlife has no boundaries killing cats and dogs thriving. Keeping a cat safe in yards to kill vermin is hard with coyote at Bay
Mountain lion poop keeps everything away
Fact!
Los Altos Hills, CA USA
To all those cat lovers and cat owners who don’t want desperate victims of their pet’s indiscretion to pose a hazard to them keep them in your property and away from ours, then we don’t have a problem.
Talk here of how bad some toxins are for your pets or how they might be uncomfortable – what about my poor child and the hospital bills or ultimate price I could pay from the parasite in your loved-one’s turd left in my yard (heard of toxo anyone?). My toddler is much more dear to me than your adorable pet (that is in abundant supply due to irresponsible owners who don’t neuter), regardless of whether it just does what comes natural. Responsible owners do the same for their loved ones: defend their families from harm by foul, vermin, parasites, insects. Despite the efforts of humane deterrents many cats don’t get the message and seem to consider it a territorial game.
I will protect my child from the health risk that their poop poses, regrettably: Your cat poop, my yard, your risk!
I think all of us doesn’t wish anything hostile to the neighborhood cats. Cat owners, instead of being angry that someone might be spraying your cat with deterrrent sprays maybe you should take responsibility and keep your cats indoor or pay to have somebody follow your cat around the neighborhood and clean up after them. If you don’t do that then you are the root of the problem and can’t blame anyone except for yourselves.
I bought a cat sprayer thats connected to a hose pipe on my outside tap, it has a PIR sensor so whenever the little crap machines roam into my garden they get water jetted at them…
It’s most satisfying to watch, as they bolt off, and they wont crap as they hate getting soaked. It also gives my garden a little water at the same time