Because cats can’t stand certain smells 

Generally humans are guided by the sense of sight : visual stimuli dominate our lives, while the other senses are in the background. In animals, especially felines and cats, this is not the case .

For furry little ones, smells are of great importance, having a sense of smell that is fourteen times more developed than that of humans ; this is why, while certain smells attract them – such as that of catnip , mimosa or fennel – others instead keep them at a safe distance.

So if to make him happy you plant catnip in the garden, to make your sofa, curtain and furniture happy, maybe you can try some natural DIY repellent . Here are some small tips.

The smells cats hate the most

Taking into account that each cat is different and that a more general account is drawn up here, it can be said that among the smells that cats cannot tolerate , there are: 

> First of all, all those “new” and unknown smells , to which they are not used to; among these there may also be particular chemical odors, such as that of deodorant, or of particular products for domestic hygiene and house cleaning;

> the smell of onion , the reason for this is not well known, perhaps also due to the tear-producing power of this vegetable;

> the smell of vinegar , he hates it to the point of avoiding anything that comes into contact with it for a long time, which is why it is often used as a home remedy to remove the animal – and especially its nails – from furniture, chairs, curtains, carpets or sofas;

> the smell of citrus fruits , grapefruit, lemon, orange: cats can’t stand fruits and even the peels, even the essential oils that contain them; these too, like vinegar, are often included as an ingredient in natural repellents.

Read also The therapeutic power of cats >>

> Among the fruit that the cat does not like there is also the banana , its smell in some cases keeps them away;

> the smell of hot spices : the cat does not like pepper, chilli and curry, for example;

> eucalyptus , toxic to cats, is one of those plants that the little feline certainly does not come close to;

> the smell of other cats that have just arrived in their vicinity: it often takes time to “get to know each other” and make friends; it is not to be excluded that, once the introductions are made and once they get used to each other, two cats will also lick each other;

> surprisingly, the excess of human odor , in fact, is often licked to proceed to reduce it as soon as possible.

Curiosity: did you know that there are vegetable oils, essential oils or hydrolates that are ideal for cats and that there is also aromatherapy for cats? And finally, there are even special speakers on the market to make your pet happy.

Reference books

> “The Cat: All the Whys” by Desmond Morris;
> “Cat is beautiful” Giorgio Celli;
> “1001 things to know and do with your cat”, by Roberto Allegri;
> “Essential Oils for Cats” by The Blokehead.