Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How can I make homemade cat repellent for flowerbeds?
By Coy Copeland from Edmond, OK
Try a half hardy plant called Coleus Canina, also known as Scardy Cat. It will grow in any kind of soil, has grey/green foliage, tiny blue flowers, and when crushed emits a foul odor. But cats cannot bear this plant at all. Plants need full sun or partial shade and require protection from frost during winter.
Regards,
Steve
I need to keep cats away from my bird's nest.
By Nilda from Westley, CA
A very simple cat repellent can be made using apple cider vinegar and water. You will mix this as a 1:1 ratio and add it to your spray bottle.
We have stray cats hanging around the perimeter of our house and the scent is driving our dog crazy, he is climbing behind the bushes, running and smelling all over. It is winter and cold in Wisconsin. I wonder if the "sprays" or fresh citrus would work in this type of weather. Has anyone tried staging citrus scented car fresheners; the ones that hang from the rearview mirrors?
By CLHT
You can sprinkle your used coffee grounds around the perimeter of your house and this will repel the cats as they do not like the coffee smell. It will also get rid of the pee smell. Then you will smell the coffee but that's not a bad smell. Be generous.
I am looking for an indoor cat repellent. How can I keep my cat off the chairs and keep him from scratching them?
By Evonne
Get a "scat mat" which is easily found online. Put it on the cats/pets favorite area for a couple weeks. Keep it on the low setting. Then buy the clear drawer/shelf liner which is found in just about any store. I get more for less at Ikea. Remove the "scat mat" and replace with the clear liner. Cats can't tell its not a scat mat and they steer clear of the liner.
How can I discourage stray neighborhood cats from "scenting" my entryway? Their urine smell is gagging me. I'm not home to spritz as they visit.
By Mickey from upstate NY
I don't know if it will work with cats but it does work for other critters: go to a loacl dog grooming lace and ask for the cut dog hair. Spread them around the area you want to keep the cats away from and it may do the trick.
I have had good luck discouraging this sort of behavior by splashing full strength lemon scented Mr Clean on the sprayed areas. Cats do not like a citrus smell, and this has the added benefit of cleaning the area as well.
If I spay lemon juice on the outside of my pool will that keep the cats from going near it? I just bought it and one has already put a hole in it. By falling in the water they destroyed my pool last year. Please help!
By Dottie
Cats hate the smell of citrus. Try putting any citrus peelings around the pool. I use this method to keep the cats out of my flower beds. Worked like a charm.
I put new sod in. The feral cats urinate on my grass and kill patches of my sod.
By D Boston from El Cajon, CA
We have stray cats hanging around our apartment complex because we have cat loving residents who feed them. These cats have destroyed the paint on our van. We now have a Suburban and the problem is not any better! Now we are even getting the males spraying on our windshield. We have service dogs and the cat problem is getting really bad. The animal control here will only pick up a cat if we trap it and then there is no telling when they will get around to collecting the animal.
By Pam D
This page contains the following solutions.
I have 8 citrus trees in my back yard and the miserable cats lounge in the shade under them, right beside the lemons, oranges, grapefruit, and limes that are near the ground.
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Is there a natural repellent that I can use to keep strays from using my shrubs as a litterbox?
I have two cats, but there are a lot of stray cats in our neighborhood. This is a problem because a stray tom cat has been sneaking into our basement window and spraying.
