You may wonder why there will ever be a need to repel a cat, but if you’re a cat owner, you might understand. My cat, Lilo, gets into everything – including plants she knocks over and gardens she chews up, along with everything else in my home! The best cat deterrent can help keep your cat away easily and more importantly, protect and keep your cat safe.
Types of Cat Repellent & How Each Type Works
Whether you love your cat and you just need to keep them out of the garden, or you’re looking after a cat for a friend and don’t want them breaking that nice vase, there are different types of deterrents that can help. Before you buy, consider indoor and outdoor repellents, along with the different types available.
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Stay Away: Indoor Repellents
Indoor ones are either ultrasonic or physical, and work to restrict your cat’s movement indoors. Popular options are physical barriers, like some sort of sticky tape that’ll stop your cat from getting close to a vase. Ultrasonic options are also climbing the popularity chart, especially since they’re easy to use indoors and out. Simply set up the little device and it’ll emit a noise frequency cats can’t stand when they get too close. Eventually, they’ll learn to avoid the area entirely.
Not the Garden: Outdoor Cat Deterrents
Repellents meant for outdoor use are for larger ranges, so they can either be ultrasonic, water spray, or powders. More people tend to go ultrasonic based on price considerations, although if you have water available, sprays work great too. Sprays are also preferable for cats with hearing issues. Powders tend to be the least effective thanks to air dispersal and chemical issues, but if you’re gardening, they’re quick and easy to set down.
Best Indoor Cat Repellents
The best options on the market are sometimes difficult to find, but if you’ve decided on indoors vs. outdoors, you’re already halfway there! Once you look at the specific products, you’ll be all set to make sure indoor and outdoor life with your cat runs smoothly.
Yard Sentential Ultrasonic
When it comes to outdoor ones, Yard Sentential certainly is one of the best deterrents to use in your yard. It covers up to 5000 square feet, can be powered by batteries or extension, and even has different options for sensing your troublemaker! It not only protects against your cat, but against other critters too without any chemicals.
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Pros:
- It can be done with batteries, electricity, for 24 hours, or at specific times
- It can sense animals as far as 25 feet away and repels cats and dogs well
- The range is adjustable depending on your needs
- There are different settings for different animals so you can pick which one you want to use it for
Cons:
- When it’s too windy, the sensor can get really sensitive to trees
- The rubber casing isn’t entirely waterproof
- It’s more effective over an open area
Lumapest
The weatherproof Lumapest gets rid of all critters who might threaten your outside world with 3 ultrasonic frequency settings, along with sensors and strobe lights. All you have to do is stick it into the ground and turn it on. Whether it’s raining or sunny, you’ll have your cat staying away.
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Pros:
- The unit works up to 30 feet and has great sensitivity
- You can charge it either through the sun, or inside with its chord
- It’s built very well with solid construction
- Humane and eco-friendly
- Easy to install
- Excellent quality. This holds well indoors or outdoors.
Cons:
- It’s reported to not work on a large amount of animals even on close range
Hoont
While Hoont’s deterrent works great outside, you can stick it indoors too to keep your cat from getting into the wrong things. Just turn it on and choose your settings with thankfully easy installation. Covering up to 5000 square feet and working up to 800 with motion, even attics or garages are perfect for it.
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Pros:
- It’s a good size, extremely durable unit
- The solar panel works well, and people report easy use with just a button
- It’s simple to set it to different functions
- Weather proof and water resistant
- Choose from different modes: ultrasonic, sonic, strobe flashing
Cons:
- The garden spike doesn’t anchor very well into the soil so make sure you push it hard!
- Some people say it stops being as effective after a few months
Catstop
It says it right in the title: Catstop stops your cat. Anywhere outside that you can think to put it, Catstop will do the trick. It’ll work all day and night, all season, without any sort of chemicals or barriers. Working specifically on cats, you can be sure that if your cat can hear, they’ll hear this! Monitors up to 300 sq. ft.
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Pros:
- It works well if you give it time to break cat habits
- The range is more than sufficient at around 20 feet
- The construction is solid, and the height keeps it raised above grass and some bushes
- Works well both day and night
- The ultrasonic sound is perfectly harmless and can only be heard by cats
Cons:
- It does not stop negative behavior quickly, and will require a little effort on your part
- It must be kept in a specific location constantly for the cat to listen
Catscram Indoor
When there’s motion, the Catscram detects it and makes a high squeal that your cat will run from. Dogs and humans can’t hear it, so don’t worry about an annoying noise every time they walk by! Turn it on, face it in the right direction and you won’t find your cat sleeping on the dining table anymore.
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Pros:
- Works quickly, on the first use for some owners
- Many owners report a great product that teaches their cat quickly to stay away
- Even with multiple cats, the product works
Cons:
- The small range is an issue for some people
- Kittens and older cats have been reported to have issues hearing
Eliminator
Even the most hardened pests will make a run from the aptly named Eliminator. Don’t worry, it won’t eliminate your cat, but it will get rid of indoor and outdoor trouble by sensing motion and keeping pests away. Turn it on and either plug it in or use the batteries, and you’ll have the perfect solution.
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Pros:
- It was easy to stake it into the ground, and did keep pets away
- This alarm is easy to put together and considered durable
- It works for dogs next door even to reduce barking
Cons:
- It may not work on all animals; mice have been reported to be a problem
- Animals get annoyed and restless if it’s kept on
- It does not change to the next setting as quickly as people would like, and may be too sensitive
Best Repellent Spray – SSSCat
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We live in a world where motion-activated unscented spray exists. SSSCat has perfected it, and when used as a training aid, your cat will learn to stay away. Both cats and dogs can learn from this easy to replace spray with only a couple batteries to get things going. Just make sure not to get sprayed yourself!
Pros:
- It’s so strong that just placing it in an area simply scares cats away after using it
- It works as advertised, by spraying your cat when they get too close
- Cats definitely stay off counters when you’re using this
Cons:
- Not all cats respond to it properly; there’s some individual variation
- Owners do often forget it’s there and end up spraying themselves
- The settings can be a little complicated, and the spray may not be effective long term
Tips:
Encourage a positive relationship among cats if you have more than one cat at home. If they get along very well, they are less likely to be competitive and territorial. Bond with your cats together and give them equal treatment. Let them eat and take naps together. A good sign that they are getting along well is when they groom each other.
Don’t mistake urine spraying with urinating. Cat’s urine spraying habit is normal and instinctive. This is their way of marking their territories. Both male and female cats have this behavior but is common in male felines especially those who have not been neutered. The splashing of pee on windows, furniture and different corners in your house is your feline’s way of recognizing their territory and also their way of covering other feline’s scent. Even though this is normal to them, this has to be counteracted so that your home will not stink.
Restrict them from having a view of the outdoors. When they see other cats, their common reaction will be to spray and mark their territory. Move furnitures far from windows and pull the curtains.
Do things routinely so cats don’t get anxious. Changes of any sort in your home can make them uneasy. For instance, new cats in the house, people new to them, or new decors. They don’t like change. They also need to be fed the same time every day or else they will get anxious. Don’t try to move their litter box and bed to another spot. When you have visitors, put your cats in a different room because you’ll never know if your visitors might have the smell of their cats or dogs.
When it can’t be prevented and your cat sprays, clean the spot immediately so the scent won’t stick. This will prevent them from spraying again on the same area. There are pet stain and odor remover products available that are especially made for cat sprays.
Sometimes you really can’t prevent your cats from spraying and marking your home as their territory. If it’s impossible to keep your cats from having a view outside and seeing other cats, or there’s just tension between other cats at home, then it will be hard to prevent cat spraying in your home. Cat spraying is a problem you don’t need to live with. Using cat repellents will be your best option.
Conclusion
It’s tough picking out a great cat deterrent for indoors or out, but that doesn’t mean you should deal with cats on counters or in your vegetable patch. With the most effective cat repellent, I no longer have to worry about my cat knocking over that vase I just bought! If you have a curious cat in your life too, these might just solve all your problems.
I keep my cats inside where it is safe and the plants in a no cat zone in the house. These are great products though that we will think about for our garden pests next year.
Keeping your plants in a no cat zone in the house is a great idea. These really are great products to have in your garden to keep garden pests away.