7 Best Cat Repellent Products for Outdoor and Indoor Use 2024

Whether you want to keep your own pets away from your toxic plants or you’re hoping to deter neighborhood cats from peeing or pooping in your garden, there’s an effective animal repellent for every situation. And we’ve made a list of the best cat repellent out there that can give a bang for your buck.

Feral cats can cause several problems on your property and they may even hurt other animals, just like the innocent birds, that are lurking in your yard.

However, you also don’t want to resort to extraordinary and somewhat borderline coldhearted measures just to prevent them from simply asserting their behavior inside your property.

At the end of the day, chasing birds, scratching furniture, scavenging for leftover food inside the trash bags, and marking on plants, walls, and doors are all part of a cat’s behavior, especially those unwanted cats that are left in the community to fend for themselves.

If you want to stop cats from hanging around in your yard, you can start by removing attractants. You can avoid feeding cats, clean up your leftover food or drinks in your outdoor areas, remove trash, and so on.

But of course, you can only do so much; sometimes most cats would need a little extra measure to discourage them from doing something that they are already used to.

And the best solution to repel cats the safe way without having to resort to harmful chemicals, poisons, and traps, is by using a cat repellent, such as the ones listed below.

What to Look for in Cat Repellents?

Using cat repellent is the most humane way to prevent cats from doing what they normally do. Cat repellents shoo cats away and teach them that your lawn or property is off-limits for their behavior.

There are several types of cat repellents in the market that can address your specific concerns. And below are some considerations when shopping for one:

Location

One of the first few things that you need to consider when buying a cat repellent is whether you need an indoor or outdoor product – or one that you can use in both settings.

This is important as it can also affect the price of the product, and you would not want to buy something that you don’t need.

Also, some cat repellents can be readily used, some are battery operated, and still, some need to be plugged into an electric outlet.

Coverage Area

Are you trying to deter feral cats from using your lawn as their litter box?

Or are you simply trying to keep your pet cats or dogs from potentially eating your edible plants, getting hurt by the chicken wire in your garden, or making a mess from your waste containers?

Cat owners and non-cat owners have their reasons for wanting to use an animal repellent. You should figure out the answers to these questions because you can buy a cat repellent that works effectively in small areas up to three feet.

And there are also products that are designed to cover up outdoor and indoor areas up to 5,000 square feet or even more.

Behavior

Cat repellents can also be used to prevent cats from doing a certain behavior such as scratching furniture, chewing on houseplants, or sifting on garbage bins.

You may want to buy a certain product that is specific to your primary concern. For instance, you can buy a cat repellent spray with a foul taste that cats hate, or you can put sticky sheets on your furniture.

Also, it might not be a cat repellent, but you can also use scratchboard that can be attached to your sofa or other furniture so your cat will scratch on them instead of scratching on your sofa directly.

7 Best Cat Repellents in 2024

1. Pet MasterMind Cat Spray
2. PetSafe SSSCAT Motion-Activated Spray
3. Safer Brand Critter Ridder Animal Repellent Granules
4. Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler
5. Predatorguard PestAway Ultrasonic Repeller
6. Homarden Cat Mat Outdoor or Indoor Deterrent
7. Sticky Paws on a Roll

1. Pet MasterMind Claw Withdraw Spray

Are you having second thoughts of buying a new sofa or furniture out of fear that your beloved indoor cats will just scratch them just like what they are doing with your old couch?

Well, your hesitations are valid, but you can’t deprive yourself of the things that you love just because your cats are standing in the way.

Introducing Pet Mastermind Claw Withdraw Cat Spray – it’s a simple, safe, and proven natural solution to deter cats from scratching your valuable furniture, home décor, and other fancy and sentimental items inside your living area.

And the best thing is that this non-staining cat repellent spray is made using plant-based, non toxic, natural ingredients, such as jasmine, passionflower, and cat pheromones.

You just have to spray it directly on whatever item you want to be protected, and it will automatically create an invisible shield to prevent your cats from clawing your prized belongings.

This spray works best with a cat scratcher or cat post, so your feline buddy has somewhere else to redirect his energy and innate cat scratching behavior.

2. PetSafe SSSCAT Motion-Activated Spray

Most cats would have to be deterred from getting a specific area in your house using several methods or cat repellent products.

If you want to protect certain things and specific areas in your house from your cat’s potentially destructive behaviors, you can use PetSafe Motion-Activated Spray along with other products such as the PetMastermind Claw Withdraw Cat Spray mentioned earlier.

This cat repellent uses motion activated infra red sensors to detect movement up to three feet away. When it detects your cat entering an off-limit area in your house, it releases a safe and odorless formula to discourage him from taking a step further.

And since it automatically sprays each time it detects movement nearby, it can save you time and effort from spraying the area manually just as you would with a cat spray.

This product is one of the safest, and easiest ways to set boundaries for your cat. And to top it all, the motion sensor is reliable and it also comes in an affordable replacement can so you don’t have to buy a new unit when the bottle runs out. Each bottle can release around 80 to 100 sprays.

3. Safer Brand Critter Ridder Animal Repellent Granules

Cats are wise creatures and they can be stubborn at times, too. Hence, using a repellent with dual-action formula by targeting their sense of taste and scent can be really helpful.

And animal repellent granules such as Safer 5929 Brand Critter Ridder is your top choice if you want to head in that direction.

This cat repellent comes in a shaker container, which you can simply empty out to the areas that you want to be off-limits from your cats and your neighborhood cats.

To evenly distribute the content to your plants, or garden, it’s best to use a lawn spreader. Or if you would prefer to apply it by hand, don’t forget to wear gloves and apply the granules evenly in your desired locations, or in indoor or outdoor areas where you notice nuisance animal activities.

Safer 5929 Brand Critter Ridder Animal Repellent is also effective in deterring other animals from your property such as dogs, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, and chipmunks.

Each application of the granules can cover up to 300 square feet and it can protect the space for up to 30 days.

Additionally, this product uses highly potent, yet simple, natural ingredients that are not just safe for the animals, but also effective and fast-acting in delivering the desired results.

In particular, this repellent uses oil of black pepper, piperine, and capsaicin. This repellent is potent when dry, but after watering or a good rain, you have to reapply it.

4. Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler

One of the common problems with other motion-activated sprinklers is that it can exert its action whenever it detects movement surrounding its scope. So, yes, they can sprinkler water at your unexpected visitors during the day.

The good news is that Orbit Yard Enforcer features three detection modes that allow you to control the time when it should only do what it needs to do – which is to deter animals and pets from your prized landscapes and garden.

You can set the sprinkler to protect your garden only during the day, at night, or all-day round (24/7) – it’s up to you.

And its powerful infra red sensors can detect cats and other animals up to 40 feet away, with a viewing angle of 120 degrees. So, that’s a total of 1600 square feet of protective coverage from just a single unit.

5. Predatorguard PestAway Ultrasonic Repeller

PREDATORGUARD Ultrasonic Pest Repeller is one of the best ultrasonic devices to scare away cats and other wild animals from your yard or garden.

This motion-activated ultrasonic repellent instantly scares animals by releasing high pitched sound and strobe of lights once it detects movements for up to 12 meters from where it is situated.

And don’t worry about the noise, because it is only audible to animals. Hence, it won’t bother you or cause complaints from your neighbors. The device is also water resistant, so it is safe when you water your garden or when it rains.

The best part is that you can see instant results, and you don’t have to worry about getting wet from sprinklers, or from potentially harming these animals by using hazardous traps, chemicals, and electric fences.

PREDATORGUARD Ultrasonic Pest Repeller is safe, fast-acting, easy to install, environmentally friendly, and long-lasting.

6. Homarden Cat Mat Outdoor or Indoor Deterrent

We love our cats and dogs, but sometimes they just need a little discouragement to teach them that there are areas that are off-limits from them.

And though most of the time, these deterrents are there to safeguard our prized furniture and items, there are also instances when these deterrents can keep them safe from potential dangers.

Homearden Cat Mat Deterrent for indoor and outdoor areas can be easily and safely used to prevent your feline and canine companions from scratching your posts, and furniture, and from digging your garden and lawns.

You can place this cat mat on top of your couch, or dining table to prevent your cats from jumping on them and marking their territory.

Outdoors, you can position this in your garden or wrap it on trees or bird feeders to keep feral cats and other wild animals from invading these areas.

7. Sticky Paws on a Roll

Most cats hate the sensation of something sticky on their claws and paws, and that’s exactly what they will experience when they touch the surface of your couch, the legs of your new furniture, or any item where the Sticky Paws Strips are applied

When your cat touched these medical-grade adhesive strips on your furniture, they will be discouraged to set their claws again next time.

The strips are also transparent, so, they won’t destroy the aesthetic appeal of your furniture. And they are also easy to apply and remove when the time to replace them comes, which is usually every few months. 

Useful Tips on How to Safely Deter Cats from Your Yard

Whether you want to stop your neighborhood cats from leaving cat feces all around your lawn or you want to keep your own feline companion away from your houseplants, below are some useful and practical tips that you can try today:

1. Remove Attractants

A cat’s sense of smell is extraordinary, and it’s also one of the primary reasons why a male or female cat can be attracted or discouraged in rummaging your place.

The smell of food, the smell and sound of fresh flowing water, and the scent of cats in your area can lure other cats from checking out and eventually hanging out on your property regularly.

That’s why it is important to get rid of these attractants first, so, you can eventually discourage unwanted cats inside your yard or garden.

To remove attractants, simply follow these easy steps the sooner the better:

• Secure garbage bins, and remove trash that is loitering in your area.
• Remove leftover food and drinks, and clean the space to get rid of the inviting smell of food and water.
• Avoid feeding cats, birds, and other wild animals in your area.
• Remove sources of standing or flowing water in your outdoor areas.
• Clean up cat feces and urine around your yard, as the smell of these wastes can invite other cats from visiting your place.
• Address your problems with rodents, as this can also invite cats from hunting in your yard.

2. Identify Areas of Damage

As mentioned earlier, cat repellent products may work differently, and that’s why you must first find out the areas of concern to ensure that you choose the right repelling method that is most effective with your problem.

Below are common problem areas or behavior that cats may exhibit on your property:

• Leaving cat feces or urine on your lawn
• Chasing other cats in your yard
• Mating or yowling in your yard
• Sifting garbage bins
• Preying on birds
• Scratching on tree barks and furniture
• Spraying/Marking on vertical surfaces
• Nesting on secured areas like your porch
• Sheltering under your pergola or other structures

3. Choose a Cat Repellent

With a cat’s habitual nature, it’s not unlikely that you may have to use a mixture of cat repellent products to successfully repel them from your areas of concern.

There are three common types of repellents used: liquid spray, granular, and electronic repellents. Sprays can be applied directly on surfaces and are best used for garbage bins, grass, trees, soils, plants, and so on.

Choose a liquid spray with peppermint oil or that contains pepper-based ingredients because cats hate the taste and scent of this spice.

To keep cats from going to certain areas, you can apply granular repellents. By simply sprinkling these into the perimeters of indoor and outdoor spaces, you can prevent cats from setting their paws on these locations.

Common areas where you can apply granular repellents are your pathways, porches, yards, flowerbeds, garages, and houses.

Sudden noise, movement, or burst of water can scare cats from a particular area. And most cats hate water, so, one of best electronic repellents that you can use is a motion-activated sprinkler.

You can place these repellents in any area, such as your koi ponds, pool areas, yards, vegetable gardens, entryways, structures, flowerbeds, and so on.

How to Make a Natural Cat Repellent at Home?

There are a lot of cat repellent indoor or outdoor products that you can choose from today, but if you want to make your own at home using safe and natural ingredients, there are also several formulas that you can try.

Natural deterrents usually include ingredients that cats hate, such as cayenne pepper, citrus peels, rosemary, and vinegar.

Most cats also hate the scent of cedarwood, peppermint oil, citronella oil, and lavender. You can place these oils near the entrance of the areas that you want your cats to stay away from.

You can mix rosemary with water, and spray it outdoors where your neighborhood cats usually hang out to seek shelter, to nest, or to dig and scratch. You can also plant rosemary in your garden, as cats can’t stand the scent of these plants.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, to increase the success of your cat repelling plans, you might have to resort to a mixture of these products.