Learn How To Keep Cats Off Cars And Keep Them Away

You will be happy to know that there are solutions for keeping cats off cars. Read on to find 13 methods to keep cats away from your car.

If you are uncertain about the safety of a method or product, always get veterinary advice before using.

13 Methods to Keep Cats Off Cars

Put a stop to dusty or dirty cat footprints or worse, scratches in the paintwork from claws, or a torn soft top on your car.

We do encourage the cat to keep off the car, in a way that shows we are sane, care about the welfare of cats and doesn’t involve any shouting or waving arms around.

You may think about keeping your own cat indoors, but often it’s the neighbor’s cat or stray cats, doing the damage to the car’s surface.

Here are the 13 different ideas to help you keep cats off your car.

Some of the products suggested to keep cats off cars, may already be in your home and used for other purposes.

Go down the DIY route and make your own cat repellent.

We have discussed some of the most popular types of cat repellents. See below:

1. Cat Deterrent Sprays

There are many cat deterrent sprays.  Some are for indoor use or primarily for use on furniture.  

This spray, whilst not designed particularly for paintwork on cars, but can be used indoors and outdoors, has been successful with keeping cats away, using these modifications. 

It is safe for cats and kittens.

1. Spray onto the bumper area of the car (do a test first) and also around the edges of the car, spraying onto the ground/road. Reapply as often as necessary, until the cat learns to stay away. This particular spray bottle has a sturdy large trigger spray that makes spraying around the car a quick job. I couldn’t imagine doing this with a product that has a small nozzle.  It would quickly become tedious.
   
2. Do a test on a non conspicuous part of the car, where there is paintwork, for example, under the bonnet. The product does not state that it can be sprayed directly onto the car, so this is something that you would do at your own risk. Remember also, that the heat from UV rays can have an adverse effect with any product that may be sprayed directly onto the car. 
    
3. Another option is to spray small pieces of cloth with the product and leave the pieces of cloth on the car, e.g. under the wipers, on the roof or the bonnet secured with a small weighted object.  A little bit of organization and experimentation initially, but then easy to implement and worth the success.

2. Make Your Own Cat Repellent

If you’re a long-time cat owner, you know how picky cats can be with their food. They’re just as picky with smells, too, so some everyday household items can be used or mixed to make a potent feline repellent.

Cats typically don’t like the smell of citrus, so you can pick an orange or lemon, juice it, then add some lavender or peppermint essential oils along with dry herbs like rue, garlic, cayenne, pepper, rosemary, or thyme.

Mix your solution with 2-3 times as much water, and you’ll have an excellent homemade feline repellent.

Some orange (citrus) cleaners are very strong. The scent would be a good deterrent. However, check before spraying near paintwork that it will not damage the finish on the car.

A word of caution using essential oils. Some can be toxic for cats. Best to play it safe with essential oils and cats.

3. Using Cayenne Pepper

Some people like to use Cayenne pepper or black pepper sprinkled on or near the car as a cat deterrent. Cats hate pepper.

It is the capsaicin in the pepper that is an irritant to the cat. Depending on how much is ingested, it can irritate the mouth, stomach, and eyes.

Pepper on the cat’s fur will be ingested when the cat is grooming.

It is not toxic and it is commonly used, but I am not a fan.

The main reason I am not a fan is that there is no control over how much is used, and whilst a small sprinkle may suffice without causing distress, dumping a larger quantity is not desirable and would cause distress.

4. Using Mothballs

Maybe you have some mothballs lying around the house for pest control. If not, they’re a cheap way to deter cats who don’t like the smell.

The mothballs I have linked to are already in individual packets.

For convenience, get a couple of small bags and put a handful of moth balls in each.

Leave small openings (or holes) in the bags and place them around your car. Focus primarily on the feline’s hotspots.

Do not use mothballs that are not in a protective bag or packet.

5. Motion-Activated Sprinklers

We all know that water, is the arch nemesis of most cats. Perhaps this is what first came to mind when you were thinking of how to keep cats off cars. 

A motion sensor sprinkler can get the job done nicely. This sprinkler won’t drench your driveway, spraying just enough, two to three cups of water, to keep the cats away.

This motion activated sprinkler is specifically designed to keep animals away. We are talking about keeping cats off cars, but this sprinkler will deter any animal that comes too close.
If your car is parked in your driveway, this is an excellent solution.

Don’t forget to turn it off before heading for your car. 

6. Ultrasonic (High-Pitched) Alarm System

An ultrasonic alarm uses sensors to detect motion, and if they do detect motion from a cat, they go off to spook any intruders.

These alarms are designed to specifically keep animals away.

But don’t worry about the noise!

Ultrasound systems produce a sound so high in pitch that it’s above the human hearing range, so the human ear will not detect the sound, but it is well within the range of many animals like cats.

7. get a Car Cover

A car cover is an obvious good solution. You can purchase a car cover, or if that is not an option, ask a family member if they have a tarp they are not using.

A tarp can be used as a car cover.

Throw the tarp or cover over the car when you’re home and you won’t have to worry about paw prints or cat scratches on your car’s paint job. 

Car covers get bonus points for also protecting your car from dust and the weather in general.

The downside is that putting on a car cover or a tarp is not something you may feel like doing at the end of the day.

8. Get Rid of Food Scraps

Maybe you dropped a sandwich wrapper in your car after eating. Do you have snacks lying around in the car or garage?

If that’s the case, the scents can easily attract cats to your car, so getting rid of food remnants can help alleviate the problem.

9. Motion Sensor Light

Install a motion sensor light if it is practical to do so. A motion sensor light not only beefs up your home security but may also scare away any cat that is sizing up the car hood as a desirable place to be, particularly if the hood is still warm.

10. The power of Ammonia

Cats hate the smell of ammonia.

I can’t say I blame the cat in this instance.

Mix up some ammonia with water and spray on the ground/paving/road around the circumference of the car.

This will need to be repeated. It is a very cheap method to try.