What Smells Deter Cats from Peeing?

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As a cat owner, you probably understand how difficult some cats can be when they start urinating around the house. Some cats will urinate in the house or wherever they feel like it. When a cat pees in a particular spot in your house, such as the carpet or couch, it can leave an unpleasant and pungent smell. It can be annoying to deal with a cat that doesn’t pee in its litter box. According to CleanCrispAir, cats’ pee can cause some illnesses. Fortunately, there are multiple smells that you probably have in your home that can deter your cat from urinating in an inappropriate spot. Read on to learn the smells that can help deter your cat from peeing in inappropriate spots.

What To Do Before Using Smell Deterrents

Before using these smells, it is essential to talk to your vet about the inappropriate urination behavior of your cat and rule out any potential medical causes. Some cats might do this because they are sick, while others do it for behavioral purposes. Once the vet has ruled out any illnesses, you can begin to look into other options. One of the easy ways to curb inappropriate urination on your cat is by trying different scents that deter your cat. Cats repeat urinating on a spot once their urine smell is there. Therefore, for the smell deterrents to work, you must completely remove the urine smell. Naturally, cats have a higher sense of smell than humans, and their urine smell doesn’t go away by only washing with regular water and soap. The best and most effective way to completely wash away the urine smell is using an enzymatic cleaner before you add

Rosemary

Rosemary is an amazing option for repelling cats and deterring inappropriate urination as it can also serve as a fresh seasoning for your food. The herb produces a strong and delicate scent that is distinctive. You can try and keep potted rosemary plants in areas where your cat loves to urinate. Also, you can consider adding rosemary powder or leaves into breathable items or sachets to deter your cat. Other cat-safe cleaning products feature an herbal rosemary scent and might also be effective.

Citrus

Cats do not like the smell of citrus and don’t feel comfortable urinating in an area with nearby citrus peels. While too much citrus can be toxic for your cats, it is not common to see your pet bite into orange or lemon. You can mix lemon or orange juice with an equal amount of water to form a citrus spray. However, keep in mind that acidic citrus spray might discolor some fibers, so be careful with the type of fiber you spray it on. It’s hence better to use the spray on solid surfaces such as concrete. For fabrics and carpeted areas, you should place a sachet of citrus peels such as a coffee filter or old sock near a spot you want to keep your cat away.

Vinegar

Any vinegar can deter the cat from urinating in an inappropriate place. You can dilute the vinegar in a spray bottle and use it to clean up the bad urine spots in your home. Vinegar can effectively neutralize the smell of the can urine, preventing the cat from thinking the spots they have urinated before are acceptable places to continue urinating. Remember that vinegar does not have the most pleasant smell and can become overwhelming in higher quantities. Therefore, you might have to find methods of offsetting the vinegar smell with more pleasing options.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon has a spicy, distinct smell. This means using cinnamon to deter your cat’s inappropriate urination might help cover the unpleasant, lingering scent of your cat’s urine. Cinnamon can be challenging to use indoors, particularly powder form because it can become messy. Therefore, the better options to consider include; cat-safe cleaning sprays with cinnamon scent or cinnamon sticks. But ensure your cat doesn’t chew the cinnamon stick as it can lead to some digestive problems.

Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper is among the most effective options for deterring inappropriate urination from your cats. However, it’s one of the most challenging options to use. The issue with cayenne pepper is that it is mainly found in flake or powder form, which can be challenging to contain. Therefore, it’s an ideal option to use for outdoor spaces. If you place it in areas where it walks around, the cat may lick it off, and cats should not eat chili powder.

Peppermint

Mint plants grow well in warmer climates, with some gardeners placing them in containers to limit them from growing all over the garden. It is an invasive plant, but you can grow it in a terra-cotta pot or windowsill box to limit its growth. Placing bags of fresh peppermint around your home will deter your cat from urinating. Also, you can make a peppermint infused spray by boiling a cup of fresh peppermint with one cup of water for ten minutes. Leave it cool and pour it into a spray bottle. Peppermint does not change the color of fabrics, but you can test on a small area just to be sure.

Coffee

Most of us like coffee, and some can even survive without it. However, sacrificing some gourmet coffee beans can deter your cats from peeing in inappropriate places. Dark-roasted varieties have stronger scents and are more effective in deterring cats than lighter ones. You can also use ground coffee by adding it to a filter or sachet, although it’s more irritating to clean the mess up if the cat attacks the sachet while protesting.

Conclusion

These are some of the natural smells that are likely to deter your cats from peeing in an inappropriate place. However, this is unlikely to be an overnight thing. You will often require a combination of things to change this undesirable behavior in your cat. If you have consulted your vet about the inappropriate urination of your cat and ruled out any medical causes for the behavior, it’s advisable to discuss the smell options with your vet. They know your cat’s medical history and can provide insight on whether any of the scents might be harmful to use for your cat.

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