Some cats hate the smell of citrus.
According to our research, some cats will reject even the smell of their favorite citrus odor. This might be due to a genetic disposition.
You might experience this issue if you frequently use citrus products around the house. So, do cats hate the smell of citrus?
Cats hate citrus. They hate it so much that they will do anything to avoid it.
For example, they will avoid your house when oranges and lemons are stored in the kitchen. They hate the smell so much that they even avoid the juices from oranges and lemons.
In fact, cats dislike the smell of citrus fruits so much that they won’t drink orange juice. Cats hate citrus so much that they’ll spend hours licking themselves to get rid of the smell.
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Do Cats Hate the Smell of Citrus?
Citronella essential oil is a natural repellent to cats that keeps them away from gardens and homes.
Even though this essential oil is good for your health and the environment, you shouldn’t use it near your cats.
Citronella contains powerful odors that can keep away flies, mosquitoes, and other insects, but it can be dangerous to your cat’s health.
The benefit of citronella oil is that it repels felines from your garden or house without any side effects on the cat or the environment.
As a result, you don’t need to worry about the cat’s safety when using this essential oil around your home.
You may use citronella in gardens to keep pests like mice and raccoons away without using toxic chemicals that might harm your cats.
Begin by dissolving a few drops of citronella oil on a cotton ball and placing it in a smelly spot in your garden or near the house entrance where cats are most active.
Why Do Cats Hate the Smell of Citrus?
While humans like to eat oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits for their health benefits, some felines do not feel the same way.
Not only do cats dislike the taste of citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, but they also detest the scent of the fruit.
A cat’s sense of smell is 10 times more powerful than a human’s, so smelling something strong like grapefruit or lemon can send a feline running in the opposite direction.
Because of this, it’s not surprising that most cats will stay away from homes with citrus fruits.
Citrus fruits are very fragrant even before they are eaten.
How to Use Citrus to Deter Cats
Make a Powder
One approach to using citrus is to mix it with ground-up dried leaves such as bay leaves. You can make an effective spray for deterring cats and other animals from coming into your yard or home.
You may spread the powder around your garden to keep stray animals from digging through your soil and ruining your plants.
Create a Spray
To keep cats out of your home, make a homemade citrus spray by combining water and liquid dish soap with a squirt of lemon juice in a clean spray bottle.
You may make a spray for your doorways by filling a small spray bottle with equal parts of water and vinegar and then adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
Because the spray is acidic, it will prevent fleas from reproducing on your pet’s coat.
You may apply the spray in your basement, garage, or other areas where you keep stored items to deter pests such as rodents from entering your home.
Utilize Citrus Peels
Most of us discard the peels after we eat a grapefruit or orange, but you may not be aware of the usefulness of the peels as a natural repellent for cats.
Place the citrus peels in between the plants in your yard or scatter them near the entrances to your home to keep the cats at bay.
You may also put the citrus peels under your cats’ favorite resting spots to prevent them from climbing on the furniture in your home.
Pests can be kept away without using dangerous chemicals that could hurt your pet by using citrus peels.
It not only deters cats, but also snakes, deer, rabbits, and other nuisance animals.
Citrus peels decay quickly and should be replaced every few weeks to keep them effective.
Also Read: Is Patchouli Oil Safe For Cats?
Final Words
Citrus is one of nature’s best deterrents for pests such as rodents and insects, and it is a natural way to keep cats out of your yard or home.
Cats are a popular garden pest because they dig through soil and destroy plants and flowers.
As a result, humans are more familiar with using chemicals to deter cats from their yards, but you do not have to resort to chemicals to protect your garden and home.
You may keep cats away by planting citrus fruits and using orange peels or rinds as a deterrent in the yard and home.
If you do not want to plant citrus fruits, you could also try citronella essential oil.
You may produce a spray by adding a few drops of citronella oil to water in a spray bottle. Then, spray it around your garden to keep cats away.
In your yard, you may put a few citronella candles in the bushes to deter cats from coming near your flowers or shrubs.
