There are many reasons why stray cats may be a nuisance to your garden or porch. They may defecate everywhere, or they may try to mark your porch as their territory by urinating or spraying.
Stray cats may also damage your precious flowers and plants – they don’t mean to cause harm but they can’t really help their curiosity! Always ensure that your ways of deterring cats only keep them away, and don’t harm their health in any way.
You will be glad to know that there are many natural, harmless, and effective ways of keeping stray cats away by making DIY cat repellents using household ingredients. One such ingredient that is very readily available in your kitchen cabinet is coffee grounds.
Read along as we find out how to use coffee grounds to keep stray cats away from your garden and porch.
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Why Does The Smell Of Coffee Repel Cats?
It does not take a coffee lover to identify the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Coffee has its own signature aroma and is as much appreciated for its smell as it is for its taste, especially by coffee aficionados.
What makes this smell so uniquely identifiable is its blend of chemical compounds that are volatile and add nuances to the aroma.
The chemical compounds in coffee that are responsible for its aroma are high in quantity and very volatile. This results in a very strong smell as compared to tea.
And cats, who have very sensitive noses, pick up on the aroma of coffee with much more intensity than a human nose would.
Interesting Read: Do Used Tea Bags Keep Cats Away?
Cats are known to dislike any kinds of strong smells – good or bad. They have a greater dislike towards the smell of coffee because of how strong the smell is.
The particular nuances of the aroma may have a role to play as well, but it is mostly the strong smell that repulses cats from coffee.
How Can You Use Coffee Grounds To Keep Cats Away From Your Garden?
Seeing how cats strongly dislike the smell of coffee, you can easily make use of coffee grounds to make your own DIY cat repellent.
There are 3 very easy steps that you need to follow to make your very own scent-based cat repellent using coffee grounds.
Step 1 – Gear Up! Collect The Equipment & Materials You’ll Need
This is the first step in any DIY endeavor. The materials that you will be needing for this particular DIY project are:
- Roasted coffee beans (preferably)
If you do not have coffee beans, you can work just as well with instant coffee. - Your coffee grinder
- A pair of gardening gloves
- A scoop
- A digging fork or any other tool that can be used to dig a thin layer of soil in the garden
Step 2 – Make Your Cat Repellent
In this step, you simply need to put the coffee beans into a coffee grinder and grind it until there’s a texture midway between coarse and fine grounds.
If you are using instant coffee, then simply crush it a little using a pestle or something equivalent to make it into a fine powder.
Step 3 – Apply The DIY Coffee Cat Repellent In Your Garden
Now, this is the step where things get a little messy and a whole lot fun – especially if you love gardening.
Simply use the digging fork to dig a thin layer of soil around the periphery of your garden and as you dig, keep adding the coffee grounds and mixing it well with the dug-up loose soil.
By the end of this step, you will have created a boundary of soil and coffee grounds around your garden. The smell of the coffee grounds will keep stray cats away from your garden.
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What Are The Advantages Of Using Coffee Grounds As Cat Repellent?
There are 3 major benefits to using coffee grounds to make your DIY cat repellent.
1 – Coffee grounds are as good as manure for your garden soil.
The coffee grounds that you put into the soil of your garden’s periphery actually act as manure for the soil. It decomposes over time and nourishes the soil.
2 – Coffee grounds make for one of the least risky scent-based cat repellents.
Since coffee grounds mix into the soil and don’t have any distinguishing appearance, the stray cats will not try to eat the grounds.
This is a great risk aversion because usually, especially with other scent-based repellent substances like eucalyptus and rosemary, some curious cats may try to lick or chew the plants.
This accidental ingestion can cause severe health problems for cats; it may even prove fatal.
This risk of accidental ingestion is prevented by using coffee grounds because they mix in with the soil well. Even curious stray cats have a very rare chance of ingesting coffee grounds.
3 – Coffee grounds are one of the easiest accessible ingredients to make your DIY cat repellent.
This is by far one of the biggest advantages of using coffee grounds to make your cat repellent.
Almost every household has either coffee beans or instant coffee available at all times in the kitchen cabinet. You don’t need to buy anything extra to make this cat repellent.
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What Are The Dangers Of Using Coffee Grounds As Cat Repellent?
The only single danger of using coffee grounds as cat repellent is that in the rare case that one odd cat accidentally ingests coffee, it can prove fatal.
Caffeine poisoning in cats leads to increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, nausea, and sometimes, even death.
However, this particular danger can be avoided by being mindful and thoroughly mixing coffee grounds with soil.
This is why it is advisable to dig up a thin layer of soil and mix coffee grounds with the soil instead of simply putting the coffee grounds on the periphery of the garden.
Also, check out Do Moth Balls Keep Cats Away?
What Are Some Alternatives To Using Coffee Grounds As Cat Repellent?
Some safer alternatives to using coffee grounds for making your DIY cat repellent are:
- Citrus peels
- Orange or lemon essential oils in an aroma diffuser
- Lavender shrubs
- Lavender oil in an aroma diffuser
- Motion-activated sprinklers
You should note that whenever you opt for any essential oil to keep the stray cats away, always put the oil in an aroma diffuser and only let the vapors spread the aroma. Do not put essential oil directly in a bowl or anywhere accessible to cats because accidental ingestion of essential oils can lead to poisoning in cats.
Also, check out Does Ammonia Keep Cats Away?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do coffee grounds attract rats?
No. Coffee grounds, in fact, repel rats too. So, using coffee grounds in your garden will keep away not only stray cats but also the more damaging rats from your garden.
Can coffee grounds be used to tackle urination and spraying inside the home by pet cats?
Yes, you can use coffee grounds in the house too, especially if your cat has been urinating or spraying around the house. Just remember to keep the coffee grounds in a closed can or jar with holes in the lid – this will let the aroma of the coffee act as a repellent for your pet while preventing it from accidentally ingesting any coffee grounds, as it can lead to caffeine poisoning.
Are coffee grounds expensive for making cat repellent?
No. As a matter of fact, you can get coffee grounds for free from many cafes. So, using coffee grounds, you can make your own DIY cat repellent which is practically free of cost.
Final Words
When making a cat repellent, always remember that the objective should only be to deter the cats from entering your premises – you should never harm the health of the stray cats. Coffee grounds are safe, cost-effective, and easily accessible for making your own cat repellent.
Remember to always mix the coffee grounds with the soil to prevent any accidental ingestion by stray cats. If you wish to use the coffee grounds inside your home to prevent your cat from going to some area, then keep it in a closed container with holes in the lid.
Never let any cat ingest coffee in any form – grounds, beans, powder, or liquid. It can cause caffeine poisoning and may even lead to death in some severe cases.
Interesting Read: Can Cats Drink Coffee? What Happens If A Cat Drinks Coffee?
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