How to Keep Cats Out of the House

Using Smells

Reapply or renew your chosen smell regularly to keep deterring cats. While smells will keep cats away, most of them need to be reapplied frequently. You may need to renew them as often as every day or once a week.

Try citrus. Most cats do not like the smell of citrus. You can either spray lemon juice around your door or try scattering citrus peels near the doorway. Another option is using a few drops of a citrus essential oil dissolved in water. You can also try other essential oils dissolved in water, such as lavender, citronella, or eucalyptus. Citronella may also cut down on bugs in the area.

Use a predator urine. You can use the urine of animals like mountain lions, coyotes, or foxes from online retailers. Basically, you spray the urine, creating a border around your property. It's better to use these sprays to create a border around your yard rather than your entryway. The smell of these types of urine are going to be very strong, which is why you should only use them around the yard. You shouldn't spray these urine right by your door, as it will be unpleasant when you're going in and out. Even when you spray them in the yard, you're going to be able to smell them.

Try certain plants. Cats don't like the smell of certain plants. Therefore, if you keep those plants near your door, the cats will likely stay away. For instance, you can plant lavender, rue, or penny royal. Lemon thyme is also an option.

Add a dash of pepper. Hot peppers such as cayenne and crushed red pepper irritate most cats. Therefore, you can try sprinkling them around your door to deter cats. You can also try mixing some hot sauce with water and spraying it in the area.

Sprinkle coffee or pipe tobacco. Two other smells that cats don't like are coffee and pipe tobacco. You can use old coffee grounds or what's leftover in a pipe after smoking (or fresh tobacco). Just drop some of the leftovers on the ground near your entrance to keep cats away.

Try a commercial cat repellent. These repellents contain smells cats don't like, and you use them the same as homemade sprays. Spray them near your entrances and around the yard to keep cats away. You can find these sprays at pet stores.

Keeping Unwanted Cats Away From Doors

Try an electronic pet door. These types of doors involve your pet having an electronic signal of some sort that opens the door for them. The signal can come from a tag on the pet's collar, but some pet doors also use the microchip that many pet owners embed in the pet for identification purposes. When an unwanted cat approaches, she won't have the appropriate signal, so the door will not open for her.

Try an ultrasonic devices. These devices use ultrasonic sound to keep cats away from certain areas. They're generally used to keep cats out of yards, but you can also use them near your door. They are triggered by motion when a cat (or you!) walk by. They make a sound that cats don't like. You won't be able to hear it, but the cats will.

Use water. If the cat is still outside, you can try spraying the cat with your hose. Most cats do not like water and will run off. It may take a few tries, but most cats will get the idea after awhile. If your pets aren't in the area, but you're trying to deter outdoor cats, you can get a motion activated sprinklers that goes off when outdoor cats enters your yard. If the cat is too close to your house, you could try a spray bottle filled with water instead.

Add bottles with water. Water shimmering in the sunlight will cause most cats to turn tail and run. They just aren't sure what to make of the phenomenon. Therefore, you can fill up bottles, such as green wine bottles, and place them in the sunlight near your entrances. It will help deter cats from the area.

Watching the Area When Entering the House

Look for cats. When you're entering your home, survey the area to look for cats. Check under bushes and other items near your door. Cats are good at hiding, so make sure to check all the small crevices.

Scare any cats off. If you have a spray bottle handy, you can scare them off by spraying it at them. If you don't, you can try walking towards them and clapping your hands. Often cats will run off.

Don't pet strays. If you give attention to affectionate strays, they'll likely hang around. Therefore, try not to pet your neighborhood strays, no matter how tempting it is.

Don't feed strays. Similarly, if you feed cats, they will hang around. If you really want to feed strays, do it in an area away from your entrance, and create a barrier with scent around your door. That way, the cats will stay in their area and not in your home.

Making Other Areas More Attractive

Try catnip. If your main goal is to keep the cat out of the house, try making a part of your garden attractive to cats. For instance, you could plant catnip or cat mint, both plants that cats love. Pick a corner that's out of the way. Be aware, though, that this method could draw more strays to your yard. Honeysuckle is also a cat-friendly option.

Spread out sand. Cats also like sleeping on sand, so you could make a bed of sand near the catnip. Cats will be drawn over to take a nap. Some cats may see this area as an opportunity to use the bathroom, so you may find yourself cleaning up after them.

Move bird feeders out into the yard. It's no secret that cats like to watch birds. Therefore, if you have your bird feeder up near the house, you're likely to have cats around. By moving the feeders out into the yard, you at least move them away from your door.