Smells That Cats Hate

How to Clean Your Cats Ears SafelyWhen you are thinking about animal noses and their sense of smell, you likely come to the conclusion that dogs are the champion of smelling. While dogs do take the cake when it comes to olfactory receptors, cats are nothing to ignore.

What Type of Smells do Cats Dislike?




Now that you know your cat’s sense of smell is pretty good, it is a good idea to get to know some of the most common smells that cats dislike. There are several reasons you should know this information:

  • You can avoid using any scent that may negatively affect or irrigate the cat’s health.
  • It provides you options for natural repellents.

Citrus Smells

Citrus fruits such as grapefruit, orange and lemon all have very strong smells. In some cases, these are an assault on the cat’s sensitive nose. Both the juice and peels can be deterrents. However, there are a few cats that like the taste of these items.

Menthol, Wintergreen and Mint

These smells are much more pungent. While these items have a cooling effect for people, they seem abrasive to cats. Even a small sniff of these items are going to make your cat run and hide until the foul smell is hidden.

Additionally, these items are toxic when ingested. As a result, you should avoid the items at all costs.

Related: 10 Popular Cat Names

Lavender, Cinnamon, Rue and Rosemary

These are often used as garden solutions; however, the spices and herbs are extremely disliked by cats. In addition, too much lavender can become fatal and cause liver damage in cats. The same is true for cinnamon oil, as well as any other type of aromatic or essential oil you may use.

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As you live with your cat, you are likely going to find a few other smells they dislike. While you can use some of these to keep them out of certain parts of the house, or away from certain items, you need to make sure the items you choose to use aren’t toxic or dangerous for your feline.

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12 Comments
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  7. Guest says

    I had a cat who loved the smell of mint. She’d even go in my handbag searching for mint sweets I had in there. And bleach.

  8. Libby says

    My cat loves mint and menthol smells! He wants to smell my face when I brush my teeth, and hunts through my daughter’s purse for her menthol cigarettes!

  9. Guest says

    If lavender is so bad, why do the put on cat calming collars?

  10. Guest says

    My cats like rosemary

  11. Tanja says

    Mint, to name only one of the abovementioned herbs, is part of almost all “catnip” mixes. Indeed, catnip is the same as catmint – Nepeta cataria. Smells like mint, cats love it…

  12. Lav says

    My cat hates citrus smell.

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