How to Keep Raccoons Out of a Cat Door

Cat doors are convenient for outdoor cats and their owners alike, allowing a cat to come and go from the house as it pleases. However, just as easily as your cat can come into your home through its cat door, so can a less desirable critter, such as a raccoon. In addition to eating your pet’s food and causing a general nuisance, raccoons have also been known to carry diseases that you will not want inside your home. If you are experiencing a problem with raccoons utilizing your cat door, there are steps that can be taken to stop it.

Motion-sensing lights
Cardboard or plywood
Cayenne pepper
Pet door lock

Instructions

- 1
  Install motion-sensing lights above the area containing the cat door. If raccoons come near your cat door at night, a sudden, bright light may act as a deterrent.
- 2
  Place any pet food that is attracting the raccoons up on a counter or tabletop. While your cats can jump high and will still be able to access the food, raccoons cannot. Once the raccoons realize there is no food to be found in your home, they should stop coming around.
- 3
  Lay a sheet of cardboard or a piece of thin plywood flat on the ground in front of the cat door at night. Sprinkle a generous amount of cayenne pepper over the cardboard or plywood; raccoons have a very strong sense of smell and dislike the odor of cayenne pepper, making it an effective natural repellent.
- 4
  Keep your cats indoors at night if the raccoon problem is particularly bad and secure a lock on the cat door to keep raccoons out.

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