# Cats vs. Orange peel **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 21, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617 "2012-05-21T16:42:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bisected8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@Bisected8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bisected8)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/1 "2012-05-21T16:42:30Z")
I’ve found that orange peel and oranges in general seems to prevent my cats from interfering with empty food trays, or savaging unattended food. Is this some aversion unique to my cat or are cats in general not fans of citrus fruit? Also, is there something similar I can use which doesn’t involve leaving bits of orange all over the place? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/2 "2012-05-21T16:52:40Z")
I don’t know, but couldn’t you try orange oil, providing it has the same effect? At least one of our cats is happy digging through the trash, pulling out peels as he goes. I’ve never noticed any aversion. But that doesn’t mean that yours don’t hate orange, because cats is weird. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/3 "2012-05-21T16:58:12Z")
My kitty is quite fond of oranges, and will come running to get a piece of the action if she smells one being peeled. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/4 "2012-05-21T19:44:11Z")
Orange oil can also repel fleas. It’s not as effective as the commercial stuff, but it’s also a lot safer for mammals. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/5 "2012-05-21T21:28:01Z")
Putting orange peel amongst the flower beds is a traditional method for detering cats from shitting in your garden. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/6 "2012-05-22T03:58:33Z")
Orange and other citrus, as well as pine, contains terpenes, a category of fragrant chemicals that cats generally dislike. Intriguingly, cats like the smell of crude oil and various other petroleum products that retain that smell, such as asphalt. In both cases I think nobody knows why. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/7 "2012-05-22T04:59:01Z")
I am quite confident orange peel [will emerge triumphant](http://www.limestrong.com/images/cat_orange09_ali_1.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/8 "2012-05-22T13:17:29Z")
i’ve seen it stated a number of places and by professional animal people that cats tend not to like citrus, so it can be used as a repellent or deterrent. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/9 "2012-05-22T13:43:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Orange oil can also repel fleas. It’s not as effective as the commercial stuff, but it’s also a lot safer for mammals. I’ll have to disagree with this statement. I find that Orange Oil is similar in toxicity to Permethrin (with regard to mammals at least). I’d agree that orange oil is a little safer, but I wouldn’t consider it a LOT safer. LD50 of 5000mg/kg for Orange Oil LD50 of 2000-4000mg/kg for permethrin [http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/metiram-propoxur/permethrin-ext.html](http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/metiram-propoxur/permethrin-ext.html) [http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9926328](http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9926328) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/10 "2012-05-23T00:55:52Z")
You could try [this stuff,](http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=true+orange&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=4341594089&ref=pd_sl_9nb70h7p3z_e) it’s crystallized orange, lemon juice etc. Sold in supermarkets. ---
**Author:** ![Rampant\_Coypu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Rampant\_Coypu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rampant_Coypu)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-orange-peel/622617/11 "2012-05-23T05:44:49Z")
I have found that cats usually hate citrus. There are individual cats that may like it, cats are scent driven creatures and may take a liking to any kind of strong smell. I have found that he best scent based cat deterrent is based on soap and grapefruit extract. It’s called “Phooey”, cats hate it and it works even better on dogs.