How to Keep Cats Off Your Car? 10 Expert best Tips

Cats are curious by nature and will jump into the very highest vantage point available, and this certainly includes vehicles.

If you could ever understand, cats are drawn to cars, whether it’s the warmth after a drive or the comfortable elevated position on top of the roof.

Although their presence may not appear menacing, a number of problems could develop from them in your vehicle, as well as for the cats themselves.

If you need to find ways to keep cats off your car also for safety reasons, this post will talk about some effective ways to do it while making sure your cats stay safe. Let’s see how to keep cats off your car.

Why Do Cats Like Cars?

The reason why cats love to lounge on cars is one of the main reasons. The heat retained by a car engine left parked will be a cosy spot for cats to nap. It’s especially strong in colder months when warmth is actually even more precious.

In addition, cats are natural climbers and with a cat on high ground they feel safer and like they are in control.

The appeal comes from the fact that they aren’t festering there out of morbidity or poverty, but they can perch on the car roof or even the hood, allowing them to survey their boundaries with full view of everything.

Also, cats are territorial animals. Nothing new, but if you park your vehicle regularly in the same spot, it may begin to feel like an extension of their domain.

They might also be drawn to the scent of other cats or animals in the area and may just want to take charge of that area.

The Risks of Cats on Your Car

Although it may seem as harmless as allowing one cat to hang around your car, it can cause a string of problems.

The most common form of problem is damage to the vehicle. Scoring the paint with cat claws is bad enough but the final straw would be the scratches that are left from this.

Also, they might damage the windshield wipers, the antenna or other fragile parts of the car.

And from a safety point of view, cats can be themselves dangerous, as well. Such a cat hiding under the car hood or inside the engine compartment can get hurt as soon as the car starts.

The engine and belts can seriously hurt the cat if they move. Additionally, cats up on the car roof or hood can fall off the top of the car while it is moving, causing great harm.

Methods Involved in the Use of Physical Barriers to Keep Cats Away

Using physical barriers is one of the best methods people use to avoid cats in automobiles. Protection of the car from cats can be a very practical solution in the form of car covers.

These are easy covers to use: they can be folded away when not in use, and they’re intended to keep the car safe from the elements and, more importantly, from those paws that have access to the vehicle.

A good car cover can also break up the comfortable spot that mealtime for a cat on the hood of a car provides.

If you’ve always had a particular area of your street where you’ve parked your car in, you could even install a physical barrier around that parking space.

We can set up a fence or we can plant something big that’s acting as a deterrent. Limit your cat’s access to the car to keep them from getting on top or stowing away underneath the vehicle.

Scent Deterrents: How Smells Can Repel Cats

Cats have wonderful noses, and there are some smells that cats just hate. Take advantage of this and put some (natural or commercial) repellents on to keep them away from your car.

Although cats love scents like lavender, citrus flowers are known to repel them, regardless of whether you go for lemon, orange, or lime, these are strong enough to drive them away.

MIX: you can also mix a few drops of essential oil such as lemon, lavender or eucalyptus with water to make your own.

Spray this mixture around your parking area or on your car’s exterior it will smell very unappealing to cats.

Alternatively, you can buy commercial cat repellents made with scents that cats hate. Most of these solutions are easy to apply and often last longer than the DIY mixtures.

Also read: Can cats see ghosts? Vet-Approved Signs to Watch

Motion-Activated Devices: Keeping Cats at Bay

If you’re looking for a high tech solution, motion activated devices will do the trick. Sprinklers and ultrasonic devices emit a high pitch sound to deter movement are a few of these.

These devices work because cats don’t like sudden things, water or loud noises.

If you have a garden or an open driveway, these are going to be very useful motion activated sprinklers. Starting the cattle will cause a sudden burst of water that will startle him and he will learn to associate the area with discomfort.

Instead using ultrasonic devices which emit an unpleasant but inaudible to humans sound to cats. They can be placed all around the edge of your parking space to keep cats from getting close to your car.

Also read: How to Keep Cats From Jumping the Fence? 5 Vet Tips

Keeping Cats Away with Sound

Another great tool in keeping cats off your car is sound. Ultrasonic devices work well, but there’s enough other noise to get the idea.

For instance, if you use wind chimes around your parking space, your car will be making noise that cats will find annoying.

You could also use motion activated alarms or just a loud radio to keep the cats away from the area.

however a caveat to what I just said, that sound should not disrupt the senses of human beings and all those in the neighbourhood.

Without needing to disturb the cat too much, it is more likely to train the cat to stay away if you make the noise a subtle but persistent one.

Also read: How to Keep Cats Out of the Garage? 10 Vet-Approved

Landscaping a Cat Free Zone

Another way you can deter cats from your car is by the way you arrange your outdoor space. To make your yard or driveway less attractive to felines, you might be able to change the way you lay it out.

For instance, cats don’t like walking on rough or uncomfortable surfaces, so gravel or thorny plants such as holly bushes might keep your car from being scratched.

Another great option is to designate a ‘cat-free zone’ in your yard. Dense shrubbery or plants a cat does not like (rue, lavender, pennyroyal) will discourage cats from using your car as a toilet.

You can create a cat rehelling natural barrier to keep away from your vehicle with the proper landscaping.

Also read: How to Keep Cats Out of Garbage? Vet’s Guide to Success

The techniques include Training and Positive Reinforcement.

Whether or not training a cat to go near your car is even possible will depend on how much patience you have. It’s positive reinforcement.

So whenever a cat is near your car you can say a firm ‘no’ and/or clap (which also startles cats), then reward it with a treat when it moves away from your car.

Repeatedly being locked in a car with your cat, or being only allowed outside in your car, will eventually cause the cat to associate your car with negative reinforcement, and will learn to avoid it.

If you want to give it a try, you can also pair scents like citrus, mint or whatever the cat doesn’t like with a slight, non-harmful noise that will confirm the message to the cat.

Using training techniques requires consistency because cats need to be able to understand the boundaries in time.

Also read: Can Cats Produce Milk for Other Kittens? 5 Vet best Answer

When to Call Professional Help (contact Animal Control)

Although you will do everything you can to stop a cat from being a problem, in certain situations it will remain one.

However, if you’ve already tried a few deterrents and the problem is still happening, it may be time to give animal control or a professional a call.

Feral cats causing problems can be moved by animal control services, or other more effective options can be suggested by them.

Additional solutions they offer include humane traps to catch and move the animal safely, says pest control services.

These people know more, and they know more ways to handle it if other things don’t work.

wrap up on How to Keep Cats Off Your Car

Cats being kept off your car should be a combination of physical deterrents, scent barriers, sound devices, and training. Motion activated sprinklers, citrus sprays, or landscaping tricks can all help fight the feline visitors to your car, so long as you’re consistent.

The good news is that you can protect your car from scratches and damage, as well as local cats, by taking the time to implement these strategies.

The solution that will work best for your situation isn’t too far away if you have a little bit of patience and persistence; your vehicle will come out unharmed from unwanted feline guests.

Also read: Can Cats Drink Milk? Cats Idea – Best Vet Answer

FAQ: How to Keep Cats Off Your Car