Natural repellents for cats: effective recipes

Your cat or the neighbour's cat needs it out of the litter box, inside the house or in your garden. You are looking for a natural and effective solution to prevent it from urinating everywhere. Discover our recipes for natural repellents for cats.

Before preventing a cat from going anywhere, must we first analyze the cause of this behavior? The cat is a very sensitive and very clean animal. If he does not make his needs in his litter, there is inevitably an explanation. Before we reveal our recipes for natural repellents against cats, let's understand what is going on in the head of a cat that needs it in an inappropriate place.

Why don't cats poop in their litter box?

There are several reasons that can explain why a cat does not use its litter box and prefers to venture into the house or garden to do so.

  • The cleanliness of his litter

The cat is very clean and very sensitive to odors. If he feels that his litter does not have a pleasant smell, he will not go to his needs. You must therefore clean your litter very regularly. Clean it with Marseille soap for an effective and natural cleaning.
In general we recommend one litter per cat but it can sometimes be necessary to have a second available to alternate uses. The litter should be easily accessible and away from the food area. Its location must allow the cat some privacy so that it is not disturbed and feels comfortable going there.

If your cat starts to poop outside of the litter box, this may be a sign that she is stressed. Cats are extremely sensitive to changes in the environment. A move, a conflict situation, new people or pets (a dog or another cat) in the house can disturb them and they will show their dissatisfaction or anxiety by going to urinate in places that evoke this stress. It can be the living room sofa with your scent, the new dog's kennel or the clothing closet of a newcomer. Find the cause of the stress and try to soothe your cat. Above all, don't reprimand him or force him to use his litter box if he doesn't want to. He will come back to it naturally when his stress has dissipated.

If the cat rubs or slightly ejects its urine vertically, it is simply a completely normal urine marking for a cat who wishes to mark its territory. This is the case for most non-neutered cats. It is advisable to have them sterilized after 6 months. The sterilization of cats will have the advantage of limiting urine marking but also vagrancy, fights, diseases and therefore will also lengthen its lifespan.
If it is a neighbor's cat that comes to your garden, find its owner to find out whether or not its cat is already sterilized and be able to suggest it to him.

If, despite your precautions, your cat urinates abnormally out of its litter, then it may have a urinary illness which must be treated. In this case, ask your veterinarian for advice.

  • For the pleasure of making its needs in the cool earth

It can also be quite simply the pleasure and the comfort of making its needs in the fresh ground, more natural and pleasant than a litter. This remains his primary instinct and if the opportunity arises, he will not hesitate.
However, if you want to preserve your plants and the pleasant smell of your garden, there are several solutions to discourage your animal.

White vinegar, a natural cat repellant

White vinegar is the essential natural product to get you out of all household problems. It will also be your ally to prevent your cat from urinating in the wrong places inside your home.
When you find out that your cat has urinated in the wrong place, clean the infected area as soon as possible. Use a soap solution based on water and Marseille soap for this. The area must be clean so that the cat does not return to it.
To finish cleaning, spray a solution of white vinegar and a little water. In addition to disinfecting the area, white vinegar will have the advantage of making the cat flee which does not support its smell. You can pour this mixture in a spray to facilitate its use.

Organic white vinegar, 1L, € 4.90, for sale on Amazon

A solution based on lemon and eucalyptus as a home repellant

As we have seen, the cat is extremely sensitive to odors. It will therefore not be very fond of citrusy odors of citrus (lemon, orange, mandarin …), lemongrass, eucalyptus or lavender.
It is possible to constitute a repellant spray by mixing water with a few drops of essential oils of these elements. However rather than using an essential oil, often expensive and which can present toxic risks or allergies for the animal or the inhabitants of the house, we recommend making a repellent mixture from the infusion of one or many of these. (Note: essential oils are to be preferred for therapeutic use and with caution).

Dip lemon or orange peels with a few eucalyptus leaves in 1 liter of water. Boil the water. Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes then filter. Let the preparation cool and pour it into a spray bottle.
You just have to spray this solution on the areas where your cat is used to urinating: furniture, plants, walls, terraces … Completely natural, it will not pose any risk to your environment and will even leave a pleasant smell to your interior.

Coffee grounds, the perfect cat repellant for your garden

When there is enough, there is the coffee grounds! This ingredient has many beneficial properties including those of being a excellent plant fertilizer and very good pest repellant (aphids, slugs or ants) but also against cats who do not appreciate its smell. Rather than throwing it in the trash, you can happily sprinkle your plants, seedlings or flowerpots with your coffee grounds. A 100% free and ecological solution!

Our other tips to prevent the cat from making its needs in your plants

There are many other effective natural tips to prevent cats from going into the garden or plants.

  • Pepper or mustard seeds : Very fragrant you can crush them and sprinkle them or even plant them in certain places in your garden. The repelling effect is guaranteed!
  • Onion or garlic : Two elements whose strong odors are known. If they are unpleasant for us, they are more unpleasant for the cat. Rub your outdoor flower pots with a piece of garlic or half an onion to let the smell soak in. Repeat the operation as many times as necessary.
  • Pine cones or small wooden peaks planted in the ground : to position in the places of the garden which you wish to preserve. As you will understand, the cat likes its little comfort to do its needs. If the area is strewn with pitfalls, it will not come.
  • Ultrasound systems : As a last resort, you can invest in an ecological solar ultrasound system to scare away cats. Ultrasound is inaudible to the human ear, but cats, dogs, small animals (rats, mice, birds …) and insects are sensitive to it. The waterproof ultrasonic repellent for animals from INTEY, sold for € 29.99 is the product that has the best reviews on Amazon. The delivery is free.

Be careful, however, not to scare everyone away! Biodiversity needs all of them to thrive. Prefer therefore the previous natural solutions.

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Video by Juliette Le Peillet