Smells that Make Cats say YUCK!

This may come as a surprise to many people, but cats can smell just as well as dogs - in fact a little better!  Their experience of smells - both good and bad - can be very intense.   So what scents exactly do cats like and dislike?   Knowing this will help you make your outdoor garden a more inviting and safe place or help keep your cat away from your flowers.  Indoors, an odor your cat finds awful might keep him from scratching your furniture or napping where you’d rather he didn’t!
 
Just like with people, for cats some smells are stronger and more offensive than others - and all cats react a little differently to various smells.  However, according to www.litter-robot.com, in general there is a group of odors that are not their favorites. 
 
This first will be obvious to all cat owners.  Cats do not like the smell of a dirty litter box!  This can be doubly true for multi-cat homes where several cats use the same box or boxes.  Cats will for sure let you know when the box has gotten to be too much for them by doing their business outside the litter box - never a good thing.  Frequent scooping or even a self-cleaning litterbox might help keep this problem from happening.
 
The second “yuck” smell for cats is another one we can all agree on - skunk spray!  Seems all animals have an aversion to that smell!  If you want to discourage your cat from your roaming your garden, you might consider planting coleus canina, which puts off the same smell as skunk.  You and your cat both will have to be able to stand it being there!
 
After these two obvious nasty smells, there are quite a few others that cats don’t like.  Based on the list from www.litter-robot.com, it includes:
 

Citrus fruits, orange, lemon lime and grapefruit
Spritzing these scents indoors or outdoors will help keep cats away. Be aware that, if you choose to put citrus fruit skins out in your yard or garden as a deterrent, they can cause vomiting, diarrhea or an allergic skin reaction if your cat should try and eat them.
 
Lavender, geranium and eucalyptus
Not only do cats not like the smell of these plants, they are also toxic to cats and can cause all kinds of problems if eaten, from dermatitis to vomiting.
 
Rosemary, thyme and rue and Pepper, curry and cinnamon
Cats do not enjoy smelling these very strongly scented common herbs and spices. While, rosemary, thyme, and cinnamon are non-toxic to cats if they nibble them, rue and certainly pepper could cause harm if ingested.  It’s not advisable to use any pepper or pepper flakes in a garden to keep cats away.
 
Banana and mustard
They may not smell too strong to us, but these to common kitchen scents smell awful to cats.  Some suggest rubbing a banana peel around areas where cats should stay away.

Mint, wintergreen and menthol
Cats learned long ago that eating these strong, minty plants can make them sick.  The smell is enough to put them off! 
 
Pine and cedar
If your cat litter includes either of these in its makeup, you might want to consider changing to unscented!

 
It’s also been noted that cats don’t like soaps smells so be sure and rinse really well when you wash your cat’s food and water dishes.  The same goes for spoiled fish or meat and even some produce like tomatoes and onions.  

With so many “yuck”-inducing odors out there that cats cannot abide, there are lots of choices for finding pleasant smells cats can enjoy or some they don't that will keep them in locations where you want them to be.  If you decide to investigate some of these “yuck” scents for cats in your house or garden, remember to NEVER use essential oils to create them.  They can be poisonous to cats. 

 

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CLICK HERE to see what smells cats do like!