Does Lemon Deter Cats?

You know that cats can become a nuisance if they enter your garden and begin pooping there. You will see all your hard work going down the drain as cats ruin flower beds and make a mess of things. So let’s consider one of the most discussed repellents and whether lemons deter cats or not:

Yes, lemon is an effective way to deter cats from your garden. You can create a lemon spray for cats or you can use lemon peels.

Cats are not big fans of citrus scents. You can use lemon in your garden to ensure that no cats enter and spoil it. You can use lemon in multiple ways in your garden. The important thing to remember is to ensure the lemon’s scent is strong in whichever way you use it.

Cats have a strong odour sense and will smell the lemon from afar.

How to Use Lemon to Deter Cats

You can use lemon in more than one way to deter cats from your garden. We’ve explained a few options you have below:

Make a Spray

A straightforward method you can use to deter cats is to mix lemon juice in water or vinegar. By doing so, you will create a spray for your garden. You can spray the mixture in areas where cats come and litter the most.

If they come through a gap in the fence or climb over the same area of the fence then douse this area in your spray. If you notice that cats use the same route through your garden then also ensure you spray these areas liberally.

Soak Tea Bags

If you do not wish to make a lemon spray, you can adopt another technique. You can soak tea bags in lemon juice and place them inside an empty plastic bottle.

Next, make holes in the plastic bottle to ensure that the air picks up the lemon scent. You will be creating a sort of lemon-scented air freshener. When the cats catch a whiff of lemon in the air, they will be sure to stay out of your garden.

Do not worry if you think that the smell will not be strong. Cats have a strong sense of smell, and for them, the smell will be enough.

Does Citronella Deter Cats?

Perhaps the easiest way to incorporate lemon in your plan to deter cats is using citronella. Citronella is an essential oil, which is made from the leaves of lemongrass. Due to citronella’s strong smell, cats do not like it.

As aforementioned, cats do not like strong scents, and their sense of smell is much stronger than humans. If citronella is strong for humans, imagine how strong cats will find it.

The great thing about citronella is that it has no toxic properties. You can use this oil in your garden without worrying about harming any cat and preventing them from trespassing at the same time.

How to Use Citronella to Deter Cats

To use citronella, you will only need to mix it with some water and make a spray. You must shake the spray bottle well and spray it in your garden, focusing on spots where cats come and relieve themselves.

It is safe to spray citronella on plants and flowers. The strong smell is enough to keep cats away but if it has rained then you may need to reapply the spray.

Do Lemon Peels Deter Cats?

Why let lemon peels go to waste when you can use them to deter cats? Fortunately, you can use lemons to deter cats in any form if you do not get rid of the scent.

To make an effective lemon peel deterrent for the cats visiting your garden, you need one ingredient: A whole lot of lemon peel!

How much lemon peel you require depends on how big your garden is. Once you obtain the lemon peel, you can chop it into small pieces. The lemon peel pieces should be small enough, so you can sprinkle them in your garden easily.

The smell that lemon peel will release will be strong enough for the cats to detect from a distance and avoid entering your garden.

Using lemon peel is easy and effective. You do not need to go out of your way and spend money specifically for a cat deterrent. Lemon peel will only be the by-product of the lemons you utilize.

Another way you can use lemon peel to deter cats is to cut it into one-inch pieces and place them inside flowerpots and beds. You can place the lemon peel in places where cats visit the most.

Using the peels one time is not enough. Once the lemon peels lose their scent or decompose, you will need to repeat the process to ensure that no cats enter your garden.

Do Other Citrus Fruits Repel Cats

Lemon is not the only citrus fruit that cats do not like. Other citrus fruits repel cats, too, because of their aromatic smell. The smell, although enjoyed by humans, is too strong and potent for cats.

All citrus fruits make great cat deterrents!

Citrus fruits like lemons and limes have a high content of citrus acid. Other citrus fruits also have a good amount of citrus acid, although not as much as lemons and limes. These citrus fruits include oranges and grapefruit.

Therefore, if you do not find any lemons or limes around in your home, try using another citrus fruit to repel the cat in your garden.

Summary

If you want to prevent cats from entering and littering in your garden, you can use lemon. Lemon is an effective and easy way to deter cats. However, cats do not like lemons or any lemon-scented product because of their aroma and strong smell.

You can use lemons by squeezing them in water and making a spray. Or you can dip tea bags and make an air freshener by placing them in plastic bottles with holes. You can also make use of lemon peels in your garden to deter cats.

Citronella is an essential oil made from lemongrass leaves which is effective in deterring cats. You can also create a spray by mixing this essential oil with water and spraying it in your garden.

Other citrus fruits also deter cats, such as oranges and grapefruits.

Anna Peckering

Anna is a keen organic gardener, avoiding any forms of chemicals when growing both flowers and vegetables meaning she has extensive knowledge on how to deal with pests naturally