Discover which smells cats don’t like, including the scent of oranges and lemons 

Although we are pretty good at sniffing out smells we love or hate, our sense of smell is nothing compared to that of a cat. Cats have a very good sense of smell. As their eyesight is not as strong as ours, they rely much more on scent and sounds to understand the world around them. But this sensitive sense of smell can lead them to dislike certain scents. 

What smells do cats hate?

Because cats have a very sensitive sense of smell, very strong scents can be too overpowering for them. Some strong-smelling items can act as household cat repellents. These are useful for if you want to deter your cat from a particular part of your home or garden. Or they can be used to repel other neighbourhood cats from your garden.

Household cat deterrents:

• citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes and oranges. The peel or juice can deter cats 
• cinnamon 
• bananas. The fruit or peel can be a cat deterrent 
• lion pee/dung. Some garden fertilisers contain essence of lion pee/dung. Cats associate this smell with predators so usually avoid it 
• chicken manure
• lavender plant
• rosemary plant
• mint plant, including peppermint and spearmint 
• paprika (only use a little)

There are many other scents that cats do not like, but they can be harmful to cats. Avoid using these as household cat deterrents:

• onion and garlic 
• coffee grounds
• cayenne pepper 
• black pepper
• white pepper
• vinegar 
• bleach 
• essential oils
• citronella oil or spray 
• pennyroyal plant (a type of mint)
• mustard powder

Find out more about what is poisonous to cats.

Does orange peel deter cats?

If you want to discourage your cat from using a particular area of your garden as a toilet, leave some orange peel among soil. This may help persuade your cat to stop digging up your flowers. The idea behind this is simple. The cat smells the fruit, dislikes it and wanders off. For cats who have come across this strong smell before, it is likely that they will have an even stronger reaction to citrus smells than normal.

Can cats eat oranges?

A cat’s natural aversion to strong, citrusy smells means that they tend to avoid eating citrus fruits. This is fortunate because eating citrus fruits is bad for cats. It can cause cats to experience gastrointestinal discomfort, vomiting and diarrhoea. But don’t panic if your cat does sample a segment or have a lick of your fingers after you have eaten a particularly juicy orange. Cats would need to eat an excessive amount to be in danger of any severe reactions.

Find out more about feeding your cat.

What smells do cats like? 

• Catnip
• Valerian 
• Silver vine 
• Honeysuckle
• Thyme 

All these plants are safe for cats. You could try planting them in your garden or in a pot in your home to create some interest for your feline friend. 

Why do cats like the smell of bleach?

Some cat owners may have seen their cat show an interest in the common household cleaning product bleach. The chlorine in bleach is believed to imitate the smell of certain cat pheromones. Pheromones are chemicals that cats naturally produce. Cats can smell them but we can’t. The chlorine in bleach can also smell like ammonia to a cat, a chemical compound found in cat pee. Both pheromones and pee are used by cats to communicate and mark their territory. When a cat smells bleach, they may confuse it with the smell of their own pee or pheromones and want to top it up to further reinforce their territory. This is why it’s not a good idea to clean up cat pee with cleaning products containing bleach. Your cat is likely to pee on the same spot again. 

Bleach is also highly toxic to cats. Always store bleach safely out of the reach of your cat. If your cat comes into contact with bleach, contact your vet straight away.

Why do cats open their mouth when they smell?

If you’ve ever seen a cat open their mouth but not make a sound, they could be doing something called the ‘Flehmen response’. It could be accompanied by them curling their upper lip, exposing their front teeth or holding their head high in the air. It can often look like a sneer or grimace. 

As well as being able to smell with their nose, cats also have a sensory organ on the roof of their mouths. This organ is called a vomeronasal organ, also known as Jacobson’s organ. By opening their mouth, they let the scent particles reach this organ, enhancing their ability to detect and interpret smells. The Flehmen response is usually used to process the smell of pheromones from other animals or other strong smells.