Why cats don't like the smell of citrus

Surely every cat owner has noticed that their cat doesn't like the smell of citrus, and as soon as you start peeling tangerines and oranges, your pet immediately walks away from you. Let's figure out why cats don't like the smell of citrus, and what to do about it!

What smells cats and cats don't like

1. Citrus
Cats and cats' dislike extends to tangerines, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and so on. As soon as you peel a tangerine next to your furry cat, the pet is likely to retreat to another room. Even the most "resistant" four-legged animals will squint and look at the source of the smell with disapproval. By the way, this applies not only to fresh citrus, but to everything associated with it: citrus perfumes, essential oils, peels and so on.

2. Perfumes
Pet cats usually do not like any cosmetics with a strong scent, no matter if it is eau de toilette, cologne, perfume, shampoo, air freshener or soap. It's the perfume components that irritate the cat's sense of smell. And it's not just if you spray perfume around your pet. Chances are, the animal won't like it even if the scent is just coming from a human. Interestingly, the smell of sweat, on the other hand, attracts cats rather than irritating them.

Hairspray
This product we singled out separately: it is very irritating for pets. It is not a good idea to spray hair spray on the cat's face. Especially since hair products contain many different chemicals that can be dangerous for pets.

4. Nail polish
This product did not please the furries with the acrid smell of solvents, which are in the nail polishes. By the way, nail polish remover cats usually do not like either.

5. Paint and varnish remedies
The smells of paint or varnish that "reek" of chemistry are not liked even by us humans. Cats feel all odors much more acutely, so painting the floor or walls can be upsetting for the pet.

6. Naphthalene
If you're used to fighting moths with naphthalene powder or tablets, be prepared for a cat that won't approve. Naphthalene has a pungent odor that not only scares away the moths, but also the pet. It might not be such a bad thing, though: the cat will stop climbing into closets 🙂

Why animals don't like the smell of citrus fruit

Have you ever noticed that your cat or dog avoids citrus smells? You can find so many videos on social media of pets writhing and running away from cut lemons, but why do they react this way to this fruit?

As amusing as a pet's reaction to a lemon may be, veterinarians warn that teasing your pet in this way can be dangerous

It's all about the essential oils. First of all, dogs and cats have highly developed olfactory receptors. For them, the smell of citrus fruits is too pungent, precisely because of the high concentration of essential oil in the rind of the fruit. However, it is not just because the smell irritates the receptors that animals avoid. Essential oils are very toxic; they can even cause poisoning in humans.

If you use essential oils, you have noticed that sometimes they can irritate the skin and sometimes cause nausea or headaches. However, these are still "harmless" signs of intoxication. They often contain natural compounds known as endocrine disruptors, which can potentially negatively affect our hormones. In addition, it has been proven that in high doses, oils can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs and central nervous system. The metabolism of cats and dogs is more vulnerable to such compounds. Although scientists admit that the negative effects that oils can have on animals are poorly understood, there are documented cases of pets dying from them. Tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil are the most common causes of death in animals.

To date, the ASPCA (Animal Poison Control Center) has identified several of the most dangerous essential oils for cats:

Why don't cats (cats) like citrus?

When you peel an orange or tangerine, essential oils are released sharply into the air, under pressure on the skin. They have a pretty pungent smell and taste even for humans, and for cats even more so. Apparently, the house cat once had the indiscretion, purely out of curiosity, to poke his nose into an orange while peeling it and, having had a negative experience, does not do it anymore. My cat runs away at the sight of an orange.

She has the same reaction to dezies and air fresheners in aerosols. We noticed it not immediately, but in the 4th or 5th year of her life, which indicates that she, too, apparently had no such incidents before those years.

Citrus fruits are a source of vitamin C, which the cat's body produces on its own. Because of this physiological specificity, a cat simply does not need oranges and lemons in the wild. However, there is a big difference between "not eating" and "afraid", and our pets are often exactly frightened of citrus fruits. This savage dislike is caused by the structure of the fruit and not the cat: citrus peels are stuffed with essential oils and the animal's delicate sense of smell is unable to bear such distemper. If the cat is curious and has bitten the "stinker", then it will get its fill – have you ever had the juice of cracking citrus peels get into your eyes? So the poor thing's entire face, nose, lips, and eyes will be hit by the nuclear odorant juice. Cats also care very much about not smelling anything, so when the threads are gone, it will take a long time to tidy themselves up. After such an adventure, the reaction to a new encounter with citrus is understandable.

Cats do not like the smell of citrus: exceptions

The question of why cats do not like the smell of citrus does not arise in all owners. Cats are individual and some of them treat citrus very warmly. Moreover, many do not mind eating the exotic fruit. It is difficult to say why some animals react negatively to citrus fruits, while others react positively or neutrally.

Cats do not like the smell of citrus because of the increased content of essential oils in the zest. Experts do not recommend raising animals in this way, as it is fraught with allergies and other unpleasant consequences.

What dangers other than allergies do cats have to citrus fruits?

If your pet gets too much citrus product in his or her system, the pet may suffer from GI problems, weakness, and other equally serious problems. If you overdo it and give your pet too much citrus, you run the risk of creating major health risks for your pet. This is because citrus fruits contain substances that affect your pet's liver and can damage it. If we talk about serious situations, such carelessness can end sadly for the pet.

If the pet has been poisoned by citrus fruits through the skin, the first thing to do is to wash the pet in warm water to completely eliminate the smell. After that, dry it off, and go to the vet as soon as possible for a treatment appointment. If your cat has eaten food that contained citrus fruits, then you need to go to the veterinarian immediately, because only he can prescribe the right treatment.

It is worth remembering that when treating a cat from citrus poisoning, as a rule, gastric lavage is performed and special medications are administered. Also, the body temperature is checked, and the whole body is carefully examined to identify what allergic reactions have manifested.

What smells do cats not like, scare them away?

The following folk remedies are used to wean an animal from tagging territory:

• Citrus fruits. Both fresh fruit and their essential oils are used. You can place slices and peels of lemons and grapefruits on areas marked by the animal, or spray the surface with freshly squeezed juice (only suitable for the floor, as it leaves traces on the walls and furniture).

• Essential oils. Scents of lavender, rosemary, geranium, fennel, eucalyptus and others deter cats. Dilute a few drops of oil in 1 liter of water and wipe the floor with this solution.

• Flowers in pots. This method is suitable if the pet starts to go to the toilet in pots with houseplants. It is necessary to put pots with lavender, rosemary, patchouli, geranium, coleus, oregano on a window sill – and the pet will stop going to the toilet in the wrong place.
• Spices. To prepare a spice repellent spray, mix 1 tsp. each of coriander, black pepper, cinnamon and dried rosemary, then pour 0.5 liters of boiling water over the mixture and let it stand for several hours. Next, you need to strain the liquid and spray it on the surfaces that the cat loves. For the best effect, you can add essential oil of any citrus to the infusion.

• Coffee and orange. It is necessary to crush the peel of a citrus fruit and mix it in equal proportions with coffee grounds. Then, it is necessary to make balls from the mixture and place them on the perimeter of the marked area.
• Calming herbs. In some cases, it is necessary not to scare away, but to calm the cat. If a pet has recently been stressed, its psychological state will recover faster if herbs with a calming effect – catnip, melissa, thyme, valerian, chamomile, St. John's wort and others – are placed around the apartment.
• Onions and garlic. The least pleasant method of control, as the smell of these plants will also irritate people. To prevent the pet from marking the territory, you need to place cut garlic and onion slices in the places he loves.

Why does the cat poop at home or does the cat have to pee wherever he goes?

If the cat is accustomed to the litter box, but suddenly began to pee the territory, it is associated with:

• Revenge. If a pet can be easily spanked in the house, always pick it up when it does not want to, allow children to treat it roughly, it begins to spoil the owners belongings. Flaunting its territory, the pet also indicates the lack of attention, so you should always find time to pet it and play with it.

• Stress. Changes in diet, harsh punishments, fights between family members, long separation from the owner, moving house – all this leads to emotional stress, and the pet begins to crap by the litter box. If owners have tried to accustom the pet to the litter box by shouting and using physical force, it might also occasionally poop on its territory. To eliminate the effects of stress, you need to provide the pet with a balanced diet, attention, and create a positive atmosphere in the home.
• Desire to establish its authority in the territory. When another pet arrives, the old-timer will try to leave his tags everywhere, so that the newcomer knows who is in charge here. Need to give the old pet enough attention that he did not feel disadvantaged.

• Sexual Hunting. By tagging, animals want to attract the attention of individuals of the opposite sex. If the pet is not planned to be used for breeding, it is better to neuter it.
• Improperly chosen litter box or litter box. A cat goes to the toilet in the wrong place if it is uncomfortable in the litter box, it is irritated by the smell of pellets, the container is located near food and water or in public view – cats prefer to go to the toilet by themselves. In this case, they crap directly near the tray or under the door of the room in which it is located.

• Lack of cleanliness of the litter box. In this case the cat will also urinate near the tray, hinting that it's time to wash it. Faeces must be removed immediately, and the filler – depending on its type. Change wood pellets every 2-3 days, or lumpy material once every 7-10 days, periodically removing the lumps with a dustpan.

Why don't cats and cats want to eat citrus fruits?

Why do cats and cats do not want to eat citrus fruits, run away and hide when you give them a sniff of oranges, tangerines, etc.?

Cats are originally domesticated predators. Of course they can eat not only meat, but also, for example, porridge or vegetables, that is, carbohydrate foods and those that have fiber. They also know what kind of herbs they need to eat in order to cleanse their body. Citrus fruits are not useful to them and they scare the cats by their pungent odor which comes from the fact that citrus fruits have a lot of essential oils.

Almost all the owners of cats and cats are well aware that their pets hate the smell of citrus plants – their leaves, the pulp of their fruits, their peels and pips. My cats, for example, amusingly wrinkle their noses, curl their lips and try to run away if they smell citrus. What has that got to do with it?

Cats have a very good sense of smell, they are former hunters and therefore sensitive to strong odors. Citrus fruits contain essential oils with a very strong and pungent scent, which is often pleasant for humans, but not for cats. Naturally, cats try to avoid exposure to such smells.

It turns out that citrus fruits and leaves contain two substances with a very pronounced odor: D-limonene (hydrocarbon) and linalool (alcohol), which in certain doses are deadly for cats and can also cause serious disorders in their organs:

Cats subconsciously avoid these fruits. There are, however, some exceptions for cats with a reduced sensitivity threshold for odors. Under no circumstances should you give cats even the pulp of oranges and tangerines, even if they want to try it. And in case of poisoning, the cat should be taken immediately to the veterinarian.

A good sniff and a pungent smell

Everybody knows about the deep dislike of whiskers to citrus fruits – extracts of essential oils or infusion of these plant bark are recommended to treat those objects in the house, which should be protected from cat encroachment.

It is believed that the high concentration of essential oils in the peel is the reason why cats don't like the smell of citrus fruits. They are too acrid for delicate and sensitive noses.

Upon smelling citrus, the animal loses its sense of smell for a while and loses the ability to sense other odors – and this condition is extremely uncomfortable for small carnivores. Insecurity and fear are the natural consequences of such stress.

Round as a ball

The flesh of oranges, lemons and tangerines, already dried peels and still whole fruits do not release volatile substances as intensively. That is why extremely curious pets with poor sense of smell may be interested in them, especially that they are indistinguishable from balls.

Cat breeders have noticed that pets often show interest in citrus trees growing at home, but most often the reason is the same – the concentration of essential oils in the vapors of the leaves of these trees is low enough to arouse disgust in cats.

Correcting habits

At the same time, this dislike of citrus odors can be used to educate the pet, forcing him to avoid certain places, for example, to mark the territory, or to sharpen his claws. But it should be remembered that undesirable behavior doesn't just happen.

No cat will dirty the floor or spoil the furniture out of vengeance, resentment or malice, as it is sometimes thought, but there are serious reasons for it, which lie in the cat's psychology and which must be sorted out.

Every owner should give the cat an opportunity to satisfy its natural needs, by installing a special scratching post, choosing a comfortable litter box and a comfortable filler for the animal, and solving the question of tags with the help of sterilization.

Other harmful or even dangerous habits can include chewing on wires and cables, and it is better just to hide them, and the cat should buy special toys that can be chewed.

And yet sometimes there is a need to use additional ways to wean the cat from bad habits, especially when they are already firmly entrenched in the animal. This is where the unpleasant aroma of citrus fruits, such as lemon, can help. The smell of this fruit cats hate, as it is very pungent and intense.

You don't have to buy fresh orange, lemon or tangerine to wean your cat from the bad habit. Many cat owners use essential oils, which are sold in drugstores. The product is treated with wires, furniture and other places in the house. For the animal, the fragrance of the fruit is too pungent, but for humans it is rather pleasant and fresh.

A special case

However, there are no rules without exceptions. Some animals are quite indifferent to the aromas of citrus fruits, and there are those who do not mind eating a slice of orange or mandarin. Usually among such lovers are cats, whose sense of smell is less sensitive than that of cats.

The cat may also ignore the scent of citrus fruits if it has difficulty breathing due to an infectious disease or if it has problems with its sense of smell. If the cat has previously been indifferent to pungent smells, you should pay attention to this.