Cats have an acute sense of smell that is way better than humans do. Believe or not, cats have more than 200 million odor senses their nose while we humans only have just 5 million. This makes cats 14 times more sensitive to smell than us and how this enables them to survive in nature.
With such a high sensitivity to smell, there are some smells that our feline friends hate. Whether by instinct or individual taste, our cats knows (nose) the best. Below are the list compiled that can help cat owners know what kind of smells their cats hate.
Citrus fruits
Cats instinctively hate the smell of citrus because of their acidity and oil present in them. Lime, oranges, lemon, grapefruit are toxic to cats. If you have a garden or plants you wish to protect, you can use the peels to scatter around your garden to deter cats from coming near them.
Essential oils
We humans love the scent of essential oil for their soothing properties to be used as aromatherapy or setting the romantic mood in the bedroom or living room. Cats however, do not share the same sentiment as us.
Essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus pose a danger to cats as they are toxic. According to PetPoison Helpline, cats that inhale can essential oil can suffer from coughing, vomiting, panting, wheezing. If that happens to your cat, immediately bring them to well ventilated room for fresh air. If the symptoms persists, bring your cat to the vet immediately.
While oil diffusers are not safe for cats, pheromone diffusers are safe and helps to calm your cat.
Herbs, plants & spices
Common herbs, such as rosemary, rue, and thyme are repugnant to cats. While rosemary and thyme are typically harmless to cats, rue may cause a negative reaction to both humans and cats.
Plants such as marigolds, pennyroyal, coleus canina, and lemon thyme are also great natural deterrent against cats that you can use to plant alongside your garden.
Hot peppers contain a molecule known as capsaicin. It is commonly found in cat repellants and very effective in keeping cats away. It is however very toxic, therefore cats are known to instinctively stay away from them.
Vinegar is not toxic to cats but they can be used to keep cats away. Some cats will urinate on the same spot to mask the vinegar smell. If you have a cat that does that, you can try the other alternatives listed in this post.
Curry and cinnamon is non toxic to cats and another addition to their list of smells that they love to avoid.
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