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Cats will never enter your garden if they smell 3 plants they 'loathe and find offensive'
Reach Daily Express | December 8, 2025 2:39 PM CST

Cats can make delightful companions, but their instincts and conduct can prove troublesome for those tending to their gardens. Annoyingly, felines can cause damage to plants by digging up the soil to use the area as a toilet, prompting many gardeners to regard them as pests.

Keeping cats out of your garden doesn't need to harm them at all, as there are lots of cat-friendly ways to keep curious felines out, one of which is by using plants to your advantage. There are plants that cats "hate" that guarantee they "stay far away from gardens for good", according to specialists at Sloane & Sons Garden Benches. The pros have shared three plants that are worth the best as a way to "kick them out" of your garden.

1. Curry herb plant

The curry herb plant might qualify as a weed, yet it stands as "one of the best plants to deter cats".

Like most flora that felines detest, the curry herb plant emits a "horrible odour when brushed against, which attacks their sense of smell".

Furthermore, this pungent plant possesses a rough texture that "cats will loathe". Given that the curry herb plant technically constitutes a weed, gardeners should grow it in pots throughout their outdoor space.

2. Penntroyal

Amongst one of the most typical scents that "cats hate" is mint, and pennyroyal delivers a delightful fragrance that fulfils this purpose.

Pennyroyal produces an intense spearmint aroma that will "draw you in and kick cats out".

3. Rue

Common rue deters cats due to them "finding it an offensive scent" they detect from it. The sharp is not nasty to humans, and an added benefit is that the plant's blue-green leaves are a stunning sight to behold.

Nevertheless, gardeners should be aware that rue foliage proves poisonous to both felines and humans when ingested in substantial quantities.

Therefore, whilst rue ranks amongst flora that cats despise, careful consideration of placement is essential when cultivating this plant.


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