Cheap And Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Cats On Your Car
You know that small volcano that erupts inside your brain every time you find cat scratches on the surface of your car? Trust me, I understand just how annoying and frustrating it can be. But to be completely fair and honest, it is not entirely the cats fault. Those furry little creatures are naturally curious and for some reason find car surfaces super comfortable.
The trouble is when they have to come down as their natural instincts tell them to use their sharp claws to slide off safely good for the cats but horrible for your paintwork. So what do you do when your trucks hood or your salon cars roof becomes your cats favorite new napping spot? Below are 6 answers in the form of tips and guidelines on how to keep cats off your car.
Scatter Bags Of Mothballs On The Hood Roof And Wheels
The smell of mothballs doesnt only make you pinch your nose or hold your breath, but cats hate the scent too. However, mothballs can be toxic if a cat decides to eat one, precisely because of the massive amounts of poisonous insect repellent found in every mothball.
Instead of leaving loose mothballs on the hood of your car, place them in porous bags. Then, leave them in the wheel well, on the roof, beneath the car, and on the hood. A cat will be able to smell the mothballs when they hop onto your car to take a cat nap but wont have direct access to a lone mothball that they can accidentally mistake for food.
Keep Stray Cats Away From Your House With Repellent
One of the easiest ways to turn your property into a feline-free space is to make a homemade cat repellent spray to keep cats away. This spray has ingredients that repel cats and is easy to make with just a few supplies.
- Dish soap
Combine the vinegar and water in a spray bottle and swirl it. Squirt in some dish soap, place the cap on the bottle and shake to ensure mixing.
Spray around your property in areas where the cats go. This includes gardens, bird feeders or other food sources, or a sandbox, which is basically a big outdoor litter box.
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Indoor Use Only : Shock Training Mats
If youre trying to keep your own cat off your car and you always park your car in your garage or a weather and waterproof shed at night, shock training mats like the PetSafe Scat Mat that are battery operated and give a very safe, but highly annoying low voltage shock to your pet when he or she leaps onto the mat will probably work for you like a charm.
Not only can you train your cat to stay off the bonnet of your car using one of these, but theyre also excellent for training your cat to keep off counters, or to stop scratching up your sofa as well. Definitely are multiple uses for this kind of thing, but make sure youre only using these types of devices indoors, unless youve managed to find one that directly states its weatherproof and outdoor approved. I personally havent found an outdoor-use one myself to share, but if you do know of one, leave the name in the comments below.
Invest In A Car Alarm
A car alarm is an ideal solution. Cats touch your car, the alarm goes off, and they take off running from the noise, exactly how a car thief would, theoretically. Of course, unlike the ultrasonic option, the rub here is that you can also hear this noise. It could go off all night and keep waking you up.
There are sensitivity levels you can tweak on a car alarm to make sure its not being set off by the slightest touch. Then again, cats are light, and if its so sensitive to where a cat would set it off, then the wind blowing hard might also result in the same.
So this option all depends on how youre able to handle the noise. If its not a big deal to push the button every now and again to reset the alarm, its a fantastic way to keep cats away from your car.
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Different Cat Deterring Smells To Try
In terms of the deterrent, some cats really detest some smells, while other cats will be more or less okay with the exact same ones. Frustrating, I know, but since there are so many different smells you can try that cats normally detest, and a lot of them are really easy to obtain if you just head on over to your grocery store, it shouldnt be too hard or expensive to test out a slew of smells one at a time. You should hopefully find at least one smell your problem cat hates, but youre actually happy to sniff on the daily.
Here are a few scents you can give a try:
Personally, I dont think there are any commercially made cat deterrent sprays I would recommend, not at the moment at least. A lot have mixed reviews and I think its because of what Ive already mentioned not every cat finds every commonly disliked scent an assault on their olfactory glands.
The best thing you can do to guarantee youre going to end up with a deterrent smell a cat hates is to test by rubbing a fruit peel, a herb, or a spice all over a piece of cardboard, then placing it in the vicinity of your car to see if the cat in question avoids it. Then, if you find a smell the cat hates, get your hands on an essential oil made of that smell, to make your life a little easier with regularly re-applying that smell.
How Can I Keep Stray Cats Off My Car
We have a lot of stray cats in my neighborhood and they possess an uncanny ability to know when a car has been cleaned for them to sit on and enjoy.
Needless to say, the dirty, dusty paw marks they leave behind is a hassle to clean.
The ideal solution would be to use a car cover, but to use it on a daily driver is highly impractical.
Are there any proven cat-repellent products that are specifically designed for cars? The last thing I want to do is apply some generic household product and damage the paintwork.
A quick Google search reveals that some products and techniques do exist, but they are either impractical, provide limited protection or difficult to get hold of.
I’m open to humane suggestions. No ethylene glycol. No spiked tuna, etc.
Place a cardboard box next to your car. If science has told us anything, it is “if they fits, then they sits”.
Just as it is common for people to hang plastic owls in trees to scare off birds, you must scare away the cats with a natural fear.
As a popular YouTube video illustrates, cats have a very real fear of Cucumbers.
Now I’m not suggesting that Cucumbers are a natural enemy of cats, or that you place cucumbers all over your car. Extrapolating the color and shape of the cucumber to a real animal seems to point to a snake.
A little easier to do than building your own. This should keep them away, just remember not to set it off yourself when you leave for work.
I think the real problem is them getting in it
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Ultrasonic Animal Repellent Motion Sensor Sound Devices
These new ultrasonic sound devices turn on whenever motion is sensed. These devices emit a high-frequency sound which cats are susceptible to and make it unpleasant to hang around in the area. These devices drive away from most cats in the area and only operate when some kind of motion is detected.
The frequency of the sound is beyond the level of human hearing and does not bother you or the neighbors. These really cheap ultrasonic animal repellent units can be purchased online or at your local pet store.
How To Keep Cats Off Your Car
It goes without saying that cars can be expensive, and thus you want to keep them in good working order to avoid the costs associated with repairs. However, most car owners also want to keep their cars finishes looking great, bereft of scratches and dings in the paint. This is why many auto owners want to keep cats off their cars.
Cats climbing onto cars is a much more common problem than you may think. While there may not be any universities out there compiling studies to quantify the numbers, the fact is that many automobile owners have to deal with scratches and other damages accrued via cats walking on their cars.
Weve all seen stray cats strutting up and down the block at night. Well, when youre indoors, these cats love to climb around, looking for food and playing with other cats. Far too often, they like to use your car as their own personal playground.
You can definitely get this to stop!
Here are some great tips and tricks you can use to keep cats from crawling all over your automobile.
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Repel Cats With A Training Mat
Training mats that provide static noise beeps, and some consumers are using even shocks at various levels. According to reviews, these mats do an excellent job of keeping cats away from specific areas. The mats are powered by a battery and could be placed on your carâs hood to keep the cats away.
Another advantage is the mat can be used indoors if there are areas your pet needs to stay away from, e.g., countertops. Catâs like to sit on cars, with a really cheap training mat you car avoid cat scratches from the paint on your car. This will block the access for any cat or rodent that tries to get near your new vehicle.
Why Do Cats Keep Coming In My Garden
To help prevent cats from coming in to our yard or property, we can look at why they keep entering in the first place. Cats are very active animals. While they are also territorial, they are always on the move within this territory. On any given day, they can travel several miles to hunt, exercise or simply meet their curiosity. Feral cats often don’t have much human intervention in their lives, meaning they are unlikely to be sterilized. Male cats looking for a cat in heat will often push the boundaries and travel far and wide to meet their needs.
Stray cats may come to your house spontaneously or have taken advantage of your garden to use as a breeding space. If you have a nice idyllic garden, it is very possible a cat will see it as a nice place for refuge. This is particularly so if you are not on your property during the day. They may also be rooting through your trash to find some food to eat. Your garden may attract other animals such as birds and squirrels, making it a heady hunting ground for cats. If the cat is from a neighbour’s home, then your property’s zoning permit may not hold much water in the feline community. They may mark your garden as their territory and come and go as they please.
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Make Apple Cider Vinegar Spray
How to keep a cat off furniture? Try apple cider vinegar. The smell of cider vinegar mixed in water may prevent cats from jumping on your couch, bed, or even your window sill. Add some apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz the areas you want your cat to avoid. Another plus to using the cider vinegar and water combination is that it can also act as a deodorizer to combat pet odor .
Clean Up Around Your Car
Believe it or not, nine times out of ten, cats are lurking around your home because theres some sort of food there. If youve ever heard that old adage about never feeding a stray cat because you wont be able to get rid of them, its very true. Theyll keep coming back if theres food.
Maybe you dont even realize it, but there could be some garbage out there, food wrappers in the driveway, or food actually inside of your car that they can smell. So take an hour or two when you get the time and go out there and thoroughly clean in and around your car.
This step by itself usually isnt going to act as a full deterrent against cats climbing onto your car, but it will help, especially when combined with other methods that you learn about from this piece.
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Why Cats Like To Climb
Before you can take steps to keep your cat off the counters, you should understand why they like to climb. Think of it this way: cats love to hunt birds, and most birds are found in trees. Meanwhile, small rodents and ground-based prey are easier to catch from above. Climbing also helps cats keep away from potential predators.
In your home, your cat will often seek out high spaces to act on these instincts. Tall bookshelves will give them the best vantage point in the room. If other pets or small humans spend a lot of time on the floor, your cat may seek out your counters to avoid interaction with them.
They may also find out that food scraps and crumbs are often left on your table and counter, leading to counter-surfing behavior.
Almost every cat will want to climb, so this is a matter of redirection, not stopping them completely.
Try Using A Car Cover
Although a cats claws might easily tear through a scrappy tarp, theyre unlikely to scratch through a car cover that you can zip up. While purchasing a car cover might be more expensive, it may be worth it considering new car prices and truck prices. The last thing you want is a cat with sharp claws tearing through the paint job on your brand new car.
One of the benefits of using a car cover over some other options is that it wont harm or scare the cat. While they still may spend all night sleeping on your car, there wont be any physical damage or evidence left behind. Besides keeping cats away, car covers can even protect your vehicle in poor weather conditions too.
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Why Do Cats Love To Sit On Cars
Felines love to lay on warm perches, particularly outdoor cats since they do not have much choice for warm places. The hood of your car seems the best place for them for basking since the hood of a car gets warm after a drive. This entices cats on a cold day, which is why they curl up on a car.
In fact, cats even love to lie inside the car, particularly if you have leather seats in your vehicle. In case, your cat has made your cars leather seat dirty, you can clean it easily by using one of the best leather cleaners in which case this guide will prove to be really helpful.
No matter whether it is your own cat, a stray kitty, or a neighborhood feline, seeing scratches or paw prints on your car can be really infuriating and exasperating. Even if you are a cat lover, youd not want your cat to jump on your car and leave its scratches everywhere, including the roof, hood, and on the pain.
This is especially when you have bought a new car. This is why you need to find a way to keep cats off your vehicle. You can use a natural or electronic car repellant in order to repel the cats from your car without hurting them. You can also opt for other ways to avoid cats from coming near or pouncing on top of your car.
Douse Them With Sprinklers
If you are a pet owner, you must know that cats hate water. And thats why it is used to train cats and to refrain from doing something or wandering to certain areas.
However, this may not work if you have to run to the car every time a cat ventures near it.
An automatic lawn sprinkler fitted with a motion sensor can work as a deterrent for feral or neighborhood cats that wanders to your car.
Invest in one and have it fitted facing the car Any movement and your sprinkler would go off dousing the cat. Since cats do not like water, they might not come back again.
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Surround The Car With Sprinkled Cayenne Pepper
If theres one thing cats hate, its spicy food and ingredients, such as cayenne pepper. The capsaicin in cayenne peppers is what gives your salsa that kick and leaves a gentle burning sensation on your skin when its added to body creams. Cayenne pepper is an overwhelming scent to the overly-sensitive feline nose, and touching it with their paws feels uncomfortable.
However, pure cayenne pepper sprinkled around your car may cause serious gastrointestinal upset if a cat were to lick it off of her paws later. Instead, dilute the cayenne pepper by combining 16 parts water to 1 part cayenne pepper, mix it into a bottle, and spray it around the perimeter of your car. You may have to respray the driveway every few days to keep the scent.
