That stinks!
As a cat, many scents bother me. So, if you want to keep me away from something, add a smell that I hate, like lemon, lavender, or white vinegar. If you want to keep me from doing something… it’s easy to do with a few small adjustments.
As a cat, I have a much more sensitive sense of smell than you. While this is advantageous sometimes (like when I want to catch a mouse or a bird or find your secret stash of catnip) other times it can be quite bothersome!
What Smells Bother Me?
Certain smells really get on my nerves, and can even dissuade me from approaching the area. So, if there is somewhere you don’t want me to go (like the catnip stash in the corner of the closet), you can actually apply those scents around to keep me out! These are some of the smells that might keep me from getting into mischief.
- Citrus – I hate this acidic smell! Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are toxic to me, so I would actually find it quite offensive if you chose to use them.
- Vinegar – Even though this one isn’t toxic to me, I just don’t like it! I get so annoyed by it that if you clean up my urine with vinegar, I might just pee on top of it again to try to overpower the scent. Gotta fight fire with fire.
- Ground coffee – I don’t know what is with you humans and your bizarre obsession with caffeine, but once again, it’s toxic to me! Some people even use coffee grounds to keep us out of plants and gardens, but other options are usually safer, so that I don’t accidentally ingest the grounds while grooming myself.
- Hot peppers – These are a safer way to get me to stay away from any area you don’t want me to go. Capsaicin, the special molecule that gives chills peppers their spiciness, is actually found in many cat repellents because it is so effective!
Well, there ya have it! If you want to keep me from doing something, I just gave away my little secret!
