How to Get Rid of Cats

Whether you're dealing with your own pet cat, a neighbor's feline, or a stray, there are various ways to safely keep them away from your property without harming them or the environment. You can create a less inviting space for cats quickly, naturally, and easily—whether they are pets or strays. Check out Step 1 for more details.

Cover the surfaces of items you want to keep cats away from with aluminum foil. If your cat tends to scratch the armchair or leave fur behind, an easy and effective trick is to place a layer of aluminum foil over the furniture. Cats dislike the sound and texture of foil and tend to avoid it. You can always remove the foil when you're using the chair or have guests over.

• Many cat owners also recommend sticking tape to the arm of the chair or the pillowcases. This creates a texture cats don't like, and whether the tape is facing outward or inward, it can be a helpful way to keep them away.
• Spraying scents that repel cats on a specific area or the foil itself is another great way to discourage them from coming close. These scents will be explored further in the next step.

Using scents to repel cats. Citrus-scented cleaning products are effective in keeping cats away from surfaces. You can apply citrus-scented cleaner to shelves, around appliances, and gently wipe it on wooden surfaces and other areas of your home where you don't want cats to approach.

• Lemongrass, lavender, and mint are other natural scents that repel cats. Place lavender flowers and citrus peels in a small bowl and set them on shelves next to fragile items or in areas you want to keep cats away from. If needed, you can add essential oils of the same scent to intensify the fragrance. Use fabric fresheners with lavender or citrus scents on carpets to prevent cats from entering certain rooms. You can also apply this on other soft surfaces in your home, such as curtains and bed linens, to deter cats from these places.
• Commercial cat repellents are often made from fox urine or the waste of other wild animals. These products are not suitable for indoor use, and we will discuss these kinds of repellents later on.

Using water. If your cat can't stop eyeing your fern or keeps climbing and scratching at your armchair, try splashing a little water on it. Prepare a small cup of water near the area you want to discourage your cat from, then dip your fingers into the water and flick a bit on your cat to discourage its behavior.

• It's a good idea to purchase a small toy water gun and hide it in strategic places around your home so that you always have your 'weapon' ready. When you use it, spray water at the cat's body, avoiding its face, as a strong water jet could harm its eyes or nose.
• Stay calm and avoid shouting. It's the water that will make your cat remember the area and the discomfort caused by the water, not your presence or voice.

Avoid using loud sounds to punish cats. Clanging spoons together, snapping fingers, or shouting are not effective ways to keep cats away from a surface or object. While you may get immediate results – the cat might flee to another spot – over time, your cat will associate these sounds with your behavior. It will become accustomed to these noises and act the same way whenever it hears them. Instead of training your cat to avoid specific surfaces, you will be inadvertently training it to ignore your commands, leading to misbehavior in the long run.

Provide a space for your cat. Have you ever wondered why your cat loves curling up on your cozy blanket for an afternoon nap? If you want your cat to stay away from your bed, you need to provide another comfortable and inviting space for it to rest. Not all cats enjoy sleeping on beds, but a place with soft, warm blankets will be quite attractive to them. Set up a box lined with your old blankets and scatter a little catnip inside to make the space more enticing.

• If your cat tends to scratch wooden furniture, you should get a scratching post and regularly trim its nails. Cats with long claws often like to scratch everything, so providing them with something they can dig into is essential.
• Making it difficult for your cat to access certain surfaces or objects is another good idea. Cats are agile and sneaky climbers, so this method can be tricky to implement, but try to eliminate surfaces that your cat could jump onto, as well as other objects that could serve as platforms, to keep the cat away from high areas or places it can't easily reach.

Eliminate food sources. If stray cats are frequently lingering around your yard, they may be searching for food, and they may have already found some nearby. If you have pets, make sure to keep their food indoors and place it in areas where the strays cannot reach it. Also, ensure that no food scraps are left scattered around your yard that could attract wild animals. Additionally, take care to prevent rodents from making nests near your porch or in the dirt under your house, as this may lead to even more strays showing up in your yard.

• Check all trash bins around your house to ensure the lids are tightly closed and that no leftover food is exposed in a way that cats can easily access it. Store garbage securely in a place where the scent of tuna cans or other attractants won’t draw in stray animals.
• Politely ask your neighbors if they are feeding stray cats. If someone is regularly putting food out for them, it will be more difficult for you to discourage the cats from staying. Moreover, this feeding may lead to overfeeding and can negatively affect the cats' health in the long run.

Install motion-activated sprinklers to deter cats. Cats, even wild ones, generally dislike water. You can install motion-activated sprinklers at key spots in your yard, particularly in areas where cats tend to appear. Position them near known entry points for the cats and in various locations throughout the yard to protect your property.

• After a few days, consider adjusting the sprinkler positions slightly to ensure they continue to startle the cats. This will prevent the cats from becoming accustomed to the sprinkler's placement, encouraging them to leave your yard.

Plant cat-repelling vegetation. There are many types of plants that can beautify your yard while also helping to keep cats away. Specifically, planting rue (Ruta graveolens) around your garden can deter cats. During the fall, you can harvest the rue and dry it for use in winter, or scatter it in your garden during spring to prevent cats from entering.

• Other plants known for their cat-repelling properties include lemongrass, eucalyptus, and lavender. While these plants emit pleasant scents for humans and are attractive additions to any garden, cats find them highly unpleasant.

Scatter deterrents in your yard. You can spread deterrents over your garden's surface and around plants, bird-feeding areas, or any other places where you want to keep cats away. Consider using orange peel, coffee grounds, or tobacco. These materials are known to repel cats and also serve as natural soil enrichers. They benefit the environment while keeping stray animals at bay.

Be more assertive. If you’re struggling with stray cats and you don’t have any pets yourself, you may need to be more assertive in your efforts. Consider investing in reliable, humane deterrents that will help you keep the cats away without harming them. Options include cat repellent sprays or sound devices designed to cause discomfort to animals.

• Try using commercially available cat repellent sprays. These products are typically made from synthetic or collected animal urine. A small amount of spray around the perimeter of your yard can help discourage cats and other animals from entering. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure the product is safe for the environment.
• Use an ultrasonic device designed specifically for repelling cats. These devices emit high-frequency sounds that humans and most animals can’t hear, which will encourage cats to leave the area. Avoid using this if you have pets of your own. If you choose to use one of these devices, you might want to talk to your neighbors to check if they have pets that could be disturbed.

Protect the items you want to keep your cat away from. If you have a garden with plants in bloom and wish to prevent cats and other pests from invading your vegetable and flower beds, consider building barriers that will physically prevent any animal from entering your garden. Block all access points to sheds, porches, or other areas where cats like to sleep or urinate. By removing their shelter, you may effectively encourage cats to stay away permanently.

• Place small stones in open areas to discourage cats from digging. You can also cut pieces of plastic carpet to cover rows of plants or exposed soil areas. Lay the spikes of the plastic carpet facing up and cover them with some dirt. The spikes won’t hurt the cat’s paws but will deter them from entering the area. These mats are available in most supermarkets or hardware stores, and though pricey, they can be used for many years once adjusted to your garden.
• Another inexpensive alternative is placing thin wire mesh between rows of plants. Secure the ends of the mesh with rocks or stakes and cover it lightly with soil.

Consider designating a specific spot in your yard for the cats. If you've made the usual areas that cats frequent less attractive, you should create a designated space within your yard to reduce the chances of them returning to these restricted areas. This method can be particularly helpful if you're trying to manage your own cat or want to keep visiting cats away from your vegetable garden.

• Plant catnip at a corner of your yard that you’ve set aside for the cats, letting it grow tall. Add a couple of old stools or a bench to form a resting spot for the cats, especially if there aren't any trees, fences, or elevated places nearby where they can observe their surroundings.
• You may also offer feral cats a litter box by digging a small area where they can use it, or simply adding sand to a spot. Regularly clean this area to encourage the cats to use it.

Consider trapping or neutering the feral cats in your area. Recently, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has implemented the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) policy as a method to control the reproduction of wild animals. If feral cats are a major issue in your area, consider participating in efforts to control their population and help maintain the health of other wildlife in your neighborhood by neutering these cats and returning them to the wild.

• Contact local animal control authorities if feral cats are causing a significant disturbance in your area. Different regions have varying laws and regulations on cat control.