Spices That Deter Cats

Being a cat parent can cause a range of emotions: comfort when the cat sits on your lap and purrs, and frustration when they scratch the furniture or jump on the kitchen counter while you're preparing lunch, for example. Cats can wreak havoc in other areas of your home, too, including clawing at your couch and textured ottoman, knocking over your potted plants, and even tearing down your curtains. It can be challenging to redirect a feline's natural or destructive behaviors, but by using a few spices, you can deter their unwanted exploits. Here, citrus, lemon thyme, asafetida, or a mix of spices can all do the trick.

A cat's sense of smell is about 14 times stronger than a human's thanks to the little cuties having over 200 million odor sensors. Humans have only 5 million, but that's still enough for us to detect the potency of certain spices, so imagine a cat's experience when inhaling those same pungent aromas. To mark certain spots as "off limits" in your home, all you need are the aforementioned spices and a few sachets or a small spray bottle and a funnel.

Cats have a strong aversion to the smell of citrus fruits like lemons and oranges because the pungent aroma is too powerful and overwhelming for their heightened sense of smell. This is why dry citrus spices work well to deter cats from your off-limits areas. You can try lemon or orange zest or even lemon pepper seasoning. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of the citrus spice of your choice in small sachets and leave them lying near the areas that you want to repel your cat from.

You can do the same with asafoetida, also known as the devil's dung. Used as a fragrance in some cosmetic products, this plant has a bitter taste and a strong smell. It's native to Iran, Turkistan, and Afghanistan and is commonly used in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, as it provides a lovely allium flavor (think onion, leek, and garlic). While this flavor and taste may be pleasing to humans, several animal species don't share this sentiment. For your feline friend (as well as dogs and certain wildlife), the spice can act as a repellent. You can follow the same rule with sachets for asafoetida as you would citrus spices.

If your target "cat deterrent area" is your potted plants, you can create a liquid mixture and pour it in a spray bottle or a dry concoction to be sprinkled. For example, The New Zealand Cat Foundation recommends mixing together 1 teaspoon of dry mustard with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 crushed garlic clove, and a few drops of citrus essential oil. Use a funnel to pour the ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake the bottle to mix them together. Then, spray the mixture in your plants and on the soil. 

You can also make a dry mixture of 3 parts dry mustard, 2 parts cayenne pepper, and 5 parts flour, according to Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services. Mix the ingredients together, and sprinkle them on your plants to make your cat think twice about urinating in your houseplants again. After your cat gets used to the foul stench in those off-limits spots, they may eventually lose interest, and you may no longer need the deterrent spices.

Now that you know the spices you can use, read up on the herbs and other smells that can repel cats.