Whether you love cats or not, it can be very frustrating to spend a lot of money on new outdoor furniture only to have a cat decide the legs are a bed and the cushion is a scratching post. When that cat isn’t even your cat, it can be especially annoying. Even though it might be frustrating, you still want to protect the cat. Depending on how determined that cat is to hang out on your furniture, it might take a lot of trial and error to find safe and efficient solutions. But you’ll be pleased to learn that you have a variety of choices to consider. Continue reading to learn some secure but effective strategies if you’re unsure how to keep cats off your patio furniture.
Table of Contents
How to Keep Cats Off Outdoor Furniture
Natural Cat Repellent Spray
Cats dislike a variety of scents, including vinegar, peppermint, cinnamon, and lavender. Making a spray out of certain scents that cats dislike or even just a diluted vinegar spray can help keep cats off of your furniture without reducing its appeal to you. Keep in mind that cats have much better senses of smell than humans. Avoid using items like fruit juices that might attract insects or make things sticky. Never spray essential oils while your cat is nearby because some essential oils are harmful to cats inhaling.
Commercial Cat Repellent Spray
There are commercial cat repellent sprays available to buy if making your own isn’t your thing. Some of these products have unpleasant scents for cats, while others might contain pheromones or other signs of the presence of a larger, predatory animal. Some items, including those meant to prevent scratching and marking, may even completely prevent cats from accessing your furniture. These sprays might be sufficient to deter the cat from wandering onto your patio furniture and to keep it in different areas of your yard.
Cat Repellent Plants
Plants that deter cats might be a good choice for your patio area if you want to prevent your furniture from being sprayed with anything or having anything applied to it. The best thing about many of these plants is that they flower, which means that they will draw beneficial pollinators like butterflies, hummingbirds, and honeybees. To keep cats away from your patio area, consider planting lavender, pennyroyal, lemon thyme, geraniums, lemongrass, rue, citronella, and scaredy-cat plants. Other animals and insects, such as mosquitos, will be discouraged by some of these plants.
Citrus
Lemon thyme and lemongrass are effective cat repellents because cats dislike citrus. Cats can be kept away from your furniture and you can enjoy a pleasant scent by scattering citrus peels nearby or on it. You can even put out a pot of potpourri that is heavily scented with citrus if your furniture is in a well-covered area. Fresh citrus peels should be replaced every few days if you want them to remain effective and avoid developing the unpleasant smell of rotting citrus.
Double-Sided Tape
This is a tried-and-true method of preventing cats from getting onto furniture, though it isn’t the best option if you use your furniture frequently. Cats dislike the sticky feeling of the tape on their feet, and if they have ever used double-sided tape, they will usually give up on that area. Sometimes a cat only needs to see the tape once to become discouraged. Although there are double-sided tapes made specifically for this use, you can also use double-sided tape found in most homes. Make sure that whatever you use won’t hurt the cat, such as industrial tape or sticky pads.
Aluminum Foil
Aluminosil is not a favorite of cats. Similar to the double-sided tape, placing aluminum foil sheets on furniture cushions can deter cats because they don’t like the way it sounds, looks, or feels. It’s not the best option if you use your furniture frequently, but this is another option that works well in the winter. To prevent it from blowing away, you will probably need to fasten the foil to your furniture in some way.
Pet Repellent Furniture Pads
You can buy furniture pads that are pet-repellent and made of materials that bother animals. Usually made of plastic or a material similar to it, these have sharp edges that will scare off cats. Simply move the pad out of the way to use the furniture, then replace it when you’re done.
Mothballs
Mothballs are a good cat repellent, but you shouldn’t leave them around in case an animal accidentally eats them. You must place mothballs inside the cushions of your patio furniture for this to work. The smell of mothballs isn’t particularly pleasant, so while this will deter cats, it might make your time on the patio less pleasurable.
Make a Cat-Friendly Area
Creating an area that draws your cat can help keep it off of your furniture. Cat attractants like catnip, rosemary, bean sprouts, and marigolds should be placed throughout the area. Even better, think about making your cat a cozy napping area with a covered area. Sand or scratching posts are good additions as well as other toys and textures that your cat likes. If you want to let your cat spend time outside but don’t want them to have unrestricted access to the outdoors, enclosed catios are a fantastic option. If your cat only climbs on the furniture to be with you, you might think about just providing a comfortable place for it to relax.
Electronic Repellents
There are primarily two types of electronic cat deterrents. The initial step is to simply install sprinklers or motion-activated lights that will startle any neighborhood cats that approach your furniture too closely. The alternative is to use ultrasonic deterrent tools, which emit a high-pitched sound that is typically inaudible to human ears. Although uncomfortable for cats, this frequency is safe.
Training
Contrary to popular belief, cats can be trained. A great way to teach your cat which areas are appropriate for cats is to use positive reinforcement to steer it away from your patio furniture. It’s likely that this choice will also need to be combined with others. Your cat might not fully comprehend your intentions if you only train them to stay away from a certain area.
Putting Away Furniture Or Cushions
The simplest way to keep cats off your furniture is to make it inaccessible when it’s not in use. You can successfully preserve your fabric items’ integrity and cleanliness by keeping cushions and other comfier items out of cats’ reach. The best way to keep entire pieces of furniture safe from cats is to store them in a garage or shed when they aren’t in use, provided they aren’t too bulky.
Talk to the Owner
It won’t be very helpful to have a long conversation with yourself if you’re having a problem with your own cat climbing on your furniture. Talking to the cat’s owner about your problems, however, may be effective if you’re having problems with a neighbor’s cat. Since some people are more challenging than others, this won’t always work. There may be people who don’t give a damn or don’t even want to try to keep their cat on their own property. Nevertheless, if your neighbors are reasonable, they might be open to making adjustments to keep their cat out of your space.
Furniture Covers
Cats won’t stay off of your furniture with standard protective covers. But it can also maintain the cleanliness and safety of your furniture. When dealing with a cat that is spraying on your furniture, waterproof materials are a fantastic choice.
Close Note
To successfully deter cats from using your outdoor furniture, you probably need to combine these tips. You might run into a lot of resistance because cats can be very resistant. Remember that a cat will jump back onto your furniture when you turn your back if there is no effective deterrence or training. Depending on the cat or cats you’re dealing with, the owner, and your concerns for your furniture, you’ll need to find the best combination for your situation. Whatever your situation, using one of these 14 tried-and-true techniques will help keep cats off your outdoor furniture.