Cats have a surprisingly powerful sense of smell. In fact, their sense of smell is considerably stronger than that of humans.
A domestic cat’s sense of smell is between 9 and 16 times more powerful than yours, so it is worth knowing what smells do cats hate.
There are quite a few garden plants’ smells that deter cats. The toxic herbs for cats include mint and lavender in oil form. They are also toxic as plants, and so is geranium.
If your cat loves jumping onto your kitchen cabinets (as mine does), the strategic location of citrus fruits could be enough to put them off.
This is because of the ripening agents in bananas – ethene, as their senses detect it as a dangerous object. However, don’t stress if you love bananas; their smell is not toxic to your furry friends.
They associate them with potential toxicity. So if you order a takeaway Indian meal, don’t be surprised if you see very little of your cat in the kitchen for a while!
A small hit of their scent will usually send a cat running. Ingesting wintergreen and menthol is toxic for cats and causes vomiting and diarrhea.
Due to their incredible sense of smell, the scent of their waste is very overwhelming. So to avoid them urinating on your carpet, bed, or sofa, it’s best to clean it up as soon as it gets full.