Cats are renowned for being territorial, and they frequently like to mark their territory by urinating in the same place.
We will talk about the smells that stop cats from urinating on the carpet plus how you can use this information to your advantage.
What Smells Deter Cats from Peeing On carpet?
Cats Don’t Like…
1. Cats Don’t Like Citrus Smells
One smell that deters cats from peeing on carpet is the smell of citrus. Cats don’t like the smell of citrus. They won’t go near anything that smells citrusy.
Important: The following advice regarding citrus peels should be disregarded if you also own a dog. If you can cover the peels reliably to stop your dog from eating them, that would be an alternative suggestion. Citrus peel can be difficult to digest. Take a common sense approach. Dogs, however, can be mightily determined, especially if they are home alone and bored.
How To Use Citrus To deter Cats from peeing On The Carpet
In the case of dog free households, get some lemon or orange peel or a mixture of both. The citrus peel can be dried or fresh. Place the peels in an area on the carpet where your cat has been peeing.
Even if your cat has not been peeing on the carpet, this method using citrus, can be used as a preventative measure. Place a small amount of citrus peel in small containers. A small container could include a small laundry bag with a zip or drawstring closure.
If the closure is drawstring make sure that it is secured well so that the contents do not spill out. You could also use a small sock however the sock maybe more difficult to keep closed.
Place whatever container or pouch you have chosen, in your home’s carpeted areas.
Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, and grapefruits all contain a substance called limonene, which gives them their characteristic sharp scent. This same substance is also found in many household cleaners and detergents.
Cat owners often use citrus scented products to keep their pets away from certain areas of the house.
However, it’s worth noting that not all cats are affected by limonene in a negative way.
What is Limonene?
Limonene is an organic compound. It is derived from the peel of citrus fruits and, as such, has a strong citrusy smell. As well as being a fragrance component in cosmetics, limonene is also used as a cleaning agent and solvent. It is commonly used as an ingredient in food and beverages.
Some cats seem to find the scent of citrus quite pleasant, while others couldn’t care less.
You can also use a citrus scented cleaning product to clean the area and keep the cats away.
By The Way! Do You Know what cats should not eat?
2. Cats Don’t Like The Smell Of Vinegar
Another smell that deters cats from peeing on carpet is the smell of vinegar.
Vinegar is an acetic acid, and as cats have a strong sense of smell (about 14 times stronger than ours), the acetic acid may be overwhelming to them.
Cats generally do not like the smell of vinegar.
However, some cats may be less sensitive to smells than others, so there are always exceptions to the rule.
How To Use Vinegar To deter Cats from peeing On The Carpet
Mix equal parts water and vinegar together and spray it on the area where your cat has been peeing.
This can be a deterrent spray also. How do you find the smell of vinegar? Hopefully this would be a temporary deterrent so you wouldn’t be living with the smell of vinegar for ever.
The beauty of this method is that is is easy to do and I think 99% of us would have vinegar in the pantry.
Does Vinegar Work To get Rid of cat Urine Smells?
Read on for more information about vinegar …
3 Cats Don’t Like The Smell Of Lavender
Finally, another smell that deters cats from peeing on carpet is the smell of lavender. Lavender is a calming scent, and the scent will often deter cats from peeing in an area that smells like lavender.
Never give your cat (or dog) any essential oil to take internally or use in an undiluted fashion. I think that information is pretty widely disseminated on the internet. Here is an informative article on the subject written by Melissa Shelton DVM.
How To Use Lavender To deter Cats from peeing On The Carpet
Place one or two drops of lavender essential oil on a cloth. Place it in the area where you want to deter the cat or where your cat has been peeing. Rather than using essential oil, you can use dried lavender in exactly the same way.
Always make sure that the cat doesn’t have direct access to the lavender.
Maybe you have lavender in your garden. You can try drying it yourself.
Add a few drops to your carpet cleaner when you are cleaning an area that may have previously been affected by cat urine.
Add a few drops to the bag in your vacuum cleaner. This will make the house smell good to.
The laundry bags shown below would also be useful for dried lavender or citrus peel. Be mindful that whatever is placed on the carpet should not become a trip hazard.
If it is accidentally knocked it also needs to be light enough to move or be compressed without causing injury.
4. Bitter Repellent Spray for Cats
This is a commercially made product specifically for keeping cats away from all sorts of things in your home. It can be used in many different situations and indoors and outdoors.
Train your cat with bitter repellent spray to stay away from treated areas.
Keep cats and kittens from sitting, jumping, chewing, scratching furniture, carpet, wood flooring, and drapes.
Spray the bitter repellent on the target area, then reapply every 24 hours. Repeat until the habit of the cat peeing on the carpet, is broken.
