How to stop cats from damaging furniture, as well as indoor and garden plants using odors

An Arsenal of Cats' Unloved Smells

Despite developed vision, the sense of smell is also important for furry pets. Thanks to the ability to distinguish smells, cats are perfectly oriented in their surroundings, mark their territory and communicate with each other.

All odors surrounding your pet can be divided into several categories:

• Pleasant. So, the smell of sweat on the owner’s clothes calms the cat, she knows that he is nearby. Catnip and valerian excite, as they are similar to the hormones of furry pets. Also read about grass for cats.
• Repelling - any strong aroma has a repulsive effect, and there is a direct dependence on the intensity - the higher it is, the more unpleasant the smell.

Using this feature, you can use different scents to teach your cat good manners or wean them from bad ones.

Products are herbal or artificial based.

Also read: Why cats are afraid of water.

Plant-based sources of unpleasant odors

Such means include:

1. Garlic and onion cloves. They secrete phytoncides that irritate the nasal mucosa, which forces the animal to move as far as possible from the source of the unpleasant odor. To enhance the effect, it is recommended to finely chop or grind to a paste-like consistency. Prepared portions of onions and garlic should be placed in places that are subject to “attacks” from your pet. But it is important to consider that the aroma from these products is strong and will be noticeable not only to animals, but also to people. As the specific odor disappears, it is worth replacing with a fresh portion.
2. Any spices: cinnamon, coriander, pepper, curry, etc. make your pet want to run away. They can be used in several ways: rub surfaces or make a mixture based on them. Add 1-2 teaspoons of spice to 200 ml of water, stir and spray on areas that need protection from animals.
3. Oil from the leaves of the rue bush works well to repel furry pets. A few drops applied to problem areas will help in weaning from bad habits.
4. Many essential oils have similar effects. Lavender or rosemary based oil applied to surfaces will repel the animal.
5. All citrus fruits (orange, lemon, tangerine, etc.) will help cope with your cat’s bad habits. The smell of lemon is especially unpleasant for them, but the rest are difficult to tolerate. You can also add juice to water and use a spray bottle to treat surfaces or place fruit slices in the right places. The animal will avoid them.
6. The smell of coffee is also hated by cats, which can be used to your advantage.

To eliminate the unpleasant odor and wean the animal from shitting in inappropriate places, you can use a combination of some of the above remedies.

For example, pour lemon juice over coffee grounds or sprinkle with essential oil and place in the right place. Living lavender or rosemary plants placed on the windowsill will wean your pet from spoiling other plants nearby.

Perfumes and special products

Any product from the perfume industry, be it expensive perfume or cheap deodorant, has an equally repulsive effect on cats. The stronger the smell, the more disgust it causes. If the composition contains the aroma of citrus or lavender, this will enhance the effect.

Vinegar is extremely unpleasant for cats; you can add 2-3 drops to water and wipe the surfaces that need protection. People will not feel a special aroma from such a concentration, but this will be enough to scare away the animal.

Pet stores provide a fairly wide range of factory-produced sprays and liquids to wean cats from bad habits. For example, the spray “Repel? Yes!" or "Biovax". They contain special fragrances and enzymes that help in the fight against pet leprosy.

Also read the article: Antigadin for cats.

What are the reasons

A cat is a graceful animal, whose distinguishing feature is considered to be an excellent sense of smell. The vomeronasal organ (Jacobson's tube), which is located at the base of the oral cavity, smoothly passing behind the front teeth, is responsible for the animal's excellent sense of smell. Such a tube is capable of perceiving any odors and transmitting impulses to the olfactory areas of the brain.

© shutterstock

Despite the fact that a furry pet is a kind and affectionate friend for its owner, it remains a predator whose genetic ability is to track and capture prey. Therefore, smells are very important information for such an animal. With the help of such information, animals are able to get used to their surroundings, communicate and delimit territory.

And sometimes this may not seem entirely clear to the potential owner of the animal; many cat behaviors can be controlled by addressing the pet in the language of smell. Such “words” can be divided into the following points :

• smells that repel pets;
• scents that attract them.

But, first of all, it is important for the owner to instill in the pet respect for prohibitions, therefore repellent aromas are most relevant.

How to use “aromatherapy” to rid entryways of cats

If there is a street cat in the entrance, then it causes a lot of problems. Among the most common are: an unpleasant odor from the animal’s urine and feces, “screams” in the middle of the night and the rotting remains of half-eaten food. But you can get rid of uninvited guests in the form of cats using their dislike for certain scents. They evoke in animals an instinctive feeling of danger, anxiety and fear, forcing them to get out of their favorite entrance.

Essential oils and vinegar can best help with this. Since the entrance is a fairly large area, it will be more convenient to treat it with liquid.

To prepare it, take water and add a few drops of vinegar or any essential oil (preferably lavender or citrus), pour it into a spray bottle and spray it on the walls and floor of the entrance.

This will get rid of uninvited residents.

Industrial products and sprays

The industry offers a wide range of cat repellent products. Most of them are made on the basis of perfume compositions. Basically, such means have a deterrent effect, but there are also soothing means for litter box training.

As a rule, they are effective, but they may not be suitable for a particular animal: they may not have an effect if the specific smell does not cause rejection in the cat, cause allergies, and so on.

Before using industrial or homemade repellents, make sure that the animal is healthy and establish chain of command within the family. Without solving these problems, the situation with odors cannot be solved. Otherwise, repellents will be excellent helpers in establishing life with a cat in the house.

Repelling cats when they defecate on the bed

Pets bring not only joy to their owners, but also inconvenience, starting to “misbehave” in the apartment, for example, by choosing a secluded place in the bedroom that is not intended for the toilet.

Before you start weaning your animal from such an unpleasant habit, you need to find out why it does it. Among the main reasons for this behavior are:

• Protest. When a pet is scolded or punished for something, it develops stress, and with such behavior the animal shows its disagreement.
• If there are problems with the genitourinary system, the act of emptying the bladder can be painful and the cat looks for a more comfortable and soft place for the toilet.
• Young kittens are often afraid to get out of bed on their own or do not remember where the toilet is, which leads to bowel movements in the bed.
• Some especially clean individuals do this when their tray is full; you should pay attention to the regularity of changing the filler in it and the problem will be solved.
• Cats whose owners are rarely at home or pay little attention to them begin to get bored and try to attract attention and diversify their lives with this behavior.
• Many elderly pets, having lived in a family for a long time, suddenly begin to shit on the bed. This is not due to a deterioration in character, but to the aging of the body; the animal could simply not have time to reach its tray in time.
• Cats are terrible owners, and the bed smells like the owner; by peeing on it, they mark their territory.

Dealing with “indecent” pet behavior

Having understood the reasons for this behavior of your pet, it is much easier to understand what motivates him at the moment of dirty tricks and begin to fight it. In order to minimize stress, you should be more attentive to the animal, caress it, and play more. Keep the toilet clean and wash it more often, install additional trays with other types of litter.

You can use essential oils or wash clothes with a fabric softener that has a lavender or citrus scent. But it is worth considering that not only people, but also animals have allergic reactions, so you should use the products carefully. A few drops of oil can be applied to the bed frame.

It is possible to wean an animal from the bad habit of relieving itself on the bed with the right tactics.

Pheromones

Scientists have divided pheromones, which are synthesized by glands on the animal’s face, into several groups:

1. F 2 – left by animals as a message indicating readiness to mate.
2. F3 is a kind of “Ariadne’s thread” that helps you find your way home. This smell marks familiar objects and helps to navigate in space.
3. F4 – scent that reduces aggression. Cats exchange them when they meet, mark people and animals they know and like. With its help, cats smooth out conflicts.

The meaning of pheromones F1 and F5 has not yet been determined, but for cats they also mean something.

Composition of odorous substances. The composition of pheromones includes low-molecular odorous substances (organic acids):

• palmitic;
• iso-oil;
• aminovaleric;
• azelaic;
• hydroxyphenylacetic, etc.

Nepetalactone, which is part of the essential oil of catnip (“catnip”), and actinidin, contained in the roots of valerian officinalis, resemble the smell of a cat in heat.

Therefore, the corresponding plants “delight” mature cats and are not at all interested in kittens, as well as most cats.

Mr. Cat warns: danger to people

Rut oil is an effective remedy in the fight against bad habits of cats. But you need to know that if it is used in excess, the owners may experience unwanted reactions from the skin:

• development of allergic scabies;
• the appearance of urticaria;
• signs of allergic dermatitis.

When using this oil, you should adhere to the rule - the less, the better.

How to protect plants from cats

When cats mark territory, a special secretion is released along with urine, which, when it gets on the leaves of plants and flowers, spoils them. Many animals like to sleep in beds and flower beds and organize a toilet there, digging up the soft soil. This causes a lot of grief to owners of plots and gardens. Scratched tree trunks don't add joy either. But it is possible to fight such hooligans. It is enough to plant along the edge of the plot or on the windowsill where there are flowers, onions or garlic.

Ornamental plants will also come to the rescue. For example, lavender, which will not only repel cats, but will also decorate the area.
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"Love does not love"

“Favorite” smells for cats are those that tell them about the presence of food (the aroma of raw beef, chicken entrails, fish remains) or the presence of a sexual partner. Most cat scents that are attractive to humans are frightening or repulsive. Knowing the characteristics of a cat’s perception of odors, you can protect furniture, textiles, and carpets from the encroachments of a furry pet.

Least favorite smells. Cats don't like the smell:

• citrus fruits;
• fragrant rue;
• eucalyptus;
• myrtle tree;
• Schisandra chinensis;
• tobacco and shag;
• Coleus dog;
• mustard;
• cayenne pepper;
• ground coffee and pepper;
• vinegar;
• perfume and cologne;
• laundry and tar soap.