How to Stop A Cat From Peeing On Your Front Door

How To Stop a Cat From Peeing on Your Front Door

how to stop a cat from peeing on your front door

Use Scents That Cats Hate

One of the most efficient ways to stop a stray cat from peeing on your front door is through scents. Cats won’t come around if they smell something that’ll make them nauseous or sick.

Some scents include lavender, lemon, peppermint, and citrus smells. Although using scent as a deterrent is a good idea, it’s only to be used temporarily.

Using scents alone won’t discourage male or female cats entirely; however, it’ll give you time to figure out other options.

Citrus Peels

Citrus peels have a highly potent and alarming smell that won’t hurt cats – provided they don’t ingest any. You can keep a container of citrus peels such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and limes near your door to prevent cats from visiting the area.

Although the citrus peels may ward off cats for a while, eventually they’ll dry up and lose their scent. For that reason replacing peels weekly is best. However, if cats ingest peels, they can get citrus poisoning so it’s a good idea to put them in a container cats won’t get into if you can.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are a good deterrent. However, most oils are harmful to cats and make them sick if ingested, touched, or inhaled for too long. Some essential oils cats will stray from are:

  • Lemongrass
  • Rosemary
  • Lavender
  • Thyme
  • Eucalyptus
  • Pine or fores

Any of the above oils should not be ingested or sprayed if you have a cat. However, as a natural deterrent, you can mix a solution of oils and water to spray the front door.

Due to the potential danger they pose essential oils should be a temporary solution.

Cat Pheromone

Cat pheromones reside within a cat’s cheeks, paw pads, urine, skin, and anal glands. When cats rub on their owners or pee in a specific area, they claim their property.

A male cat may spray to keep other male cats away whereas a female cat may pee to tell male cats she’s open for business.

Local pet stores sell synthetic cat pheromone spray to help thwart neighborhood cats. It’s unlikely a stray cat will come around if they sense a cat already lives there.

Olbas Oil

Olbas Oil contains eucalyptus which will harm cats if ingested. The great thing about olbas oil is that tea bags can be soaked in it and put in a safe container to deter cats. To use olbas oil safely, add some water and with the oil and spray directly onto the front door.

Another way you can use olbas oil to stave off cats is by putting it in a tightly sealed container with holes in the lid. Let the wind carry the scent and it’ll be less likely that cats will come around.

Vinegar

Many people spray vinegar around their garden to ward off raccoons, rabbits, and other large or small rodents from eating their produce and flowers. The same can be done to stop neighborhood cats from peeing on your front door.

Although vinegar won’t physically harm cats, they generally don’t like the smell and will stay as far from it as possible. Vinegar can remove cat pee smell, deter fleas, and clean pet fountains or coffee machines.

Make the Area Around the Door Uncomfortable for Cats

Cats like places that resemble loose dirt, plants and produce, garbage, and trees or “jungle gym” areas. What becomes attractive to a cat is if there is a place to potty, shelter, warmth, and safety.

To prevent neighborhood cats from coming around you’ll want to make the front porch or door area less attractive. Some things you can try are:

  • Planting prickly trees or laying pine cones or pine needles down
  • Plant unwanted scents
  • Clean up your garbage
  • Make a rock garden

Combining less attractive areas with unwanted scents around the front door will help prevent stray cats from visiting.

Leave Out Treats or Food

While leaving treats, food, and water out may seem like a bad idea – considering you don’t want them coming around – it’s a sure way to keep cats from peeing on the front door.

Rarely will cats pee where there is food. If a cat sees that your house is not a threatening place it’ll likely become more friendly and less territorial.

Spay Your Female Cats

Male cats pee or spray places they know a female is to let the female cat know that they want to get frisky. It’s best to spay your female cat as it will reduce the ‘calls’ that female cats do when they are in heat.

Use Ultrasonic Cat Repellent Devices

Ultrasonic cat repellents release high-frequency sound invisible to humans but annoying to cats (and dogs or rodents). The high-frequency screech irritates a cat’s ear membranes which causes them to leave instantly.

Ultrasonic repellents can be heard through walls, doors, and windows, so plugging one in just behind the front door is usually enough to deter neighborhood cats.

How To Clean Cat Urine Off a Door

how to clean cat urine off a door

Once deterrents are in place and fewer stray cats are coming around there’s a chance the smell of cat pee will linger around the front door. To get rid of the smell you can do the following:

  • Mix water and laundry detergent together and spray on the surface.
  • Use vinegar and water to clean and wipe away the ammonia smell.
  • As a finishing touch, you can rinse the area with rubbing alcohol.

Why Do Cats Pee On Your Front Door?

why do cats pee on your front door

Cats pee on things – in this case, your front door – for many reasons. Males will pee to let female cats know they are around. Female cats will use urine to mark their territory.

In worst cases, cats may urinate inappropriately due to an illness or stress and anxiety relief.

Will Pine-Sol Keep Cats Away?

will pine sol keep cats away

Pine-sol doesn’t contain ammonia so it’s an efficient house product that will stop inappropriate urinating behaviors immediately. Anything resembling an ammonia smell will attract cats so stay away from products containing bleach or ammonia.

James Marshall

About the author

James is a business management professional and consultant with a former background in maintenance, repair, and hands-on projects. He enjoys DIY tasks and maintenance around the home as well as part-time writing. Read more »