A rider emailed us in February with a problem we've heard before. Stray cats kept crawling up under a tight cover in a carport, settling on the seat and tank, and peeing on the motor and exhaust. Their words: "just a nightmare." Cat pee on a hot exhaust bakes on, and you smell it every ride after that. We'll get to what we told them. First, the ways to keep cats off your motorbike, and which ones don't do much.
Quick answer
✓ Clean off the old scent first with an enzyme cleaner, or the cats keep coming back
✓ A motion-activated sprinkler is the best hands-off option
✓ A textured or mesh seat cover makes the seat no fun to nap on
✓ Citrus helps a little on the tires and ground, but rain washes it away
✓ A loose cover can make things worse, because cats sleep under it
✓ The long-term fix is an enclosed shelter with the bottom edges sealed
Why Cats Love Your Motorcycle
A parked bike is warm, high up, and easy to hide under. Work out which of these your visitors are after and you'll know where to start.
A Warm Seat and Engine
An engine stays warm long after you park, and a black seat soaks up sun all afternoon. On a cold night your bike may be the warmest thing on the block. Cats figure that out fast, and they'll be back tomorrow night for the same spot.
A High Lookout
Cats like to rest where they can watch the yard. A padded seat, off the ground and out of a dog's reach, is hard to beat.
A Ready-Made Hideout
This one surprises people. A cover that reaches the ground makes a dark, dry tent. Cats go in at the bottom and climb up onto the seat, even when the cover fits tight, so a covered bike can end up worse off than a bare one.
Territory to Mark
Tires, wheels, and engine cases sit right at spraying height. Once a spot smells like "mine," that cat comes back, and other cats come to check it out.
A cover down to the ground is a cat tent with a free bed inside.
What Cats Can Do to Your Bike
One nap won't hurt anything. A nightly visitor will. Claws puncture vinyl and leather seats. Paws leave dusty prints and fine scratches on the tank and fenders. Urine is the worst of it: on a hot engine or exhaust it bakes on and stinks every time you ride, and left to sit, it can stain paint and chrome.
9 Humane Ways to Keep Cats Off Your Motorcycle
None of these works on every cat. Start with the cheap ones and use two or three at once.
A motion-activated sprinkler is harmless, and cats take the hint.
01
Erase the Scent First
Cats return to spots that smell like them, so nothing else works well until the smell is gone. With the engine cool, clean the seat, the tires, and anywhere a cat has sprayed, using an enzyme cleaner made for pet odors. Skip ammonia cleaners. To a cat they smell like urine, and you may get more marking.
02
Make the Seat Uncomfortable
Cats want soft and smooth. A textured or mesh seat cover ruins that, and so does a cheap plastic carpet runner laid nub side up. Pull it off before you ride.
03
Use Smells Cats Hate
Most cats steer clear of citrus, though not all of them. Set out orange or lemon peels, or wipe the tires, side panels, and ground with a citrus-scented cleaner. Keep it off the seat. Rain washes it away, so plan on redoing it. Don't use concentrated essential oils, which can be toxic to cats.
04
Add a Motion-Activated Sprinkler
Of the cheap fixes, this is the one we'd buy. Aim it at your parking spot and a burst of water does the rest. It's harmless, and most cats learn fast. The catch: it needs a hose, it's no use once the hose freezes, and it will get you too if you forget to switch it off.
05
Take Away the Attractions
Pet food, bird feeders, and open trash bring cats around. Feed pets indoors and move feeders away from where you park.
06
Give Them a Better Spot
If it's your own cat or a regular community cat, put a covered bed or an insulated outdoor cat house in a sunny corner, well away from the bike. It won't work on every cat, but at least the cat gets something out of the deal.
07
Talk to the Neighbors
If it's a neighbor's cat, a friendly chat beats a feud. For strays, look up a local trap-neuter-return (TNR) program, since fixed cats tend to roam and spray less. That won't help this week, but it can by next season.
08
Fix or Ditch the Loose Cover
A cover that reaches the ground invites cats underneath. Strap it snug under the bike so there's no gap at the bottom. Even that may not do it: the rider who emailed us had a tight cover, and the cats still got in.
09
Lock It in a Motorcycle Shelter
An enclosed, lockable shelter puts a wall between the cat and your seat, tank, and paint. You still have to seal the bottom edges with a wooden base or sandbags, and it's the most money and work on this list. More on that below.
What Not to Do
Some old tricks are dangerous for cats, kids, and other pets, and harming a cat breaks animal cruelty laws in every state. Don't use:
✗ Mothballs: they're toxic, and using them outdoors goes against their label
✗ Antifreeze, poison, or glue traps
✗ Cayenne or pepper sprays on the seat (they'll burn your skin too)
✗ Concentrated essential oils sprayed on or around the bike
✗ Anything that traps, injures, or terrifies the cat
Locked out. With the shelter closed, the seat, tank, and paint are out of reach.
The Long-Term Fix: An Enclosed Shelter, Sealed at the Bottom
Back to that rider. They were looking at one of our shelters and worried cats would still get in around the bottom. Fair point. A Speedway Shelter is a waterproof cover on a heavy-duty steel frame that never touches your bike, and it locks closed with the hardware welded to the frame. The frame lies flat when it's closed, but on bare concrete that doesn't make it sealed at ground level.
So here's what we told them. Some owners lay bricks or sandbags along the edges. The better answer is to set the shelter on a wooden base, which gives the frame a flat, solid edge to close against. Yes, it's an annoying extra step. A rubber floor inside also keeps ground moisture off the bike.
The neighborhood committee, staring down a closed shelter. Nothing left to nap on.
We can't promise it stops every cat in every yard. And look inside before you close up. Cats love a warm, dark space, and you don't want to lock one in with your bike.
Keep Mice and Other Critters Out, Too
Cats get the blame, but a mouse chewing through your wiring costs a lot more than a paw print. A bike that sits for a few weeks can draw a whole crew.
An open exhaust is a mouse's idea of a studio apartment. Plug it while the bike sits.
Mice and Rats
They nest in air boxes, exhausts, and under seats, and they chew wiring. Plug the exhaust and intake with exhaust plugs or steel wool, and leave yourself a note to pull them before you start the bike. Keep pet food and bird seed away.
Squirrels and Pack Rats
They chew wire insulation and stash nuts in hidden corners. If the bike has been sitting, look under the seat and side covers before you ride.
Birds
Droppings are acidic and can etch paint if they sit. Park away from trees and power lines if you can, and wash droppings off soon.
Raccoons, Spiders, and Wasps
Raccoons leave muddy prints and pull at anything loose. Spiders and wasps build in mirrors, bar ends, and exhausts, so take a quick look before every ride.
A closed shelter with sealed edges stops most of these, but mice can squeeze through very small gaps, and no outdoor cover is truly mouse-proof. Plug the openings on the bike too and check on it every few weeks. Our FAQ has more on keeping mice out of a stored motorcycle.
Cats and Motorcycles FAQ
What smell keeps cats off a motorcycle?
Citrus is the most common one. Orange or lemon peels, or a citrus-scented cleaner on the tires, side panels, and ground, keep many cats away. Keep it off the seat, redo it after rain, and skip concentrated essential oils, which can be toxic to cats.
Will a motorcycle cover keep cats off my bike?
Often not. Cats crawl up under a cover that reaches the ground, even a tight one, and sleep on the seat. Strap it snug under the bike, or store the bike in an enclosed shelter that locks closed.
How do I stop a cat from scratching my motorcycle seat?
Use a textured or mesh seat cover, or lay a plastic carpet runner over the seat nub side up while you're parked. Clean off scent marks so the cat stops coming back, and add a motion-activated sprinkler.
How do I get cat pee smell off a motorcycle?
Wait until the engine and exhaust are cool, then clean the area with an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine and rinse well. If the smell comes back when the engine warms up, do it again. Don't use ammonia cleaners, which can draw cats back to the spot.
Do ultrasonic cat repellers work?
Results are mixed. Some cats avoid them, and others ignore them or get used to the sound. We'd buy a motion-activated sprinkler first.
Can cats get inside a Speedway Shelter?
They can try. The steel frame lies flat and locks closed, so there's no open door, but the bottom edge isn't sealed by itself. Weigh the edges down with sandbags or bricks, or set the shelter on a wooden base. Look inside before you close it so no cat gets locked in.
Will a motorcycle shelter keep mice out?
It helps, but no outdoor cover is truly mouse-proof, because mice can squeeze through tiny gaps. Seal the bottom edges with a wooden base or weights, plug the bike's exhaust and intake (pull the plugs before you ride), keep pet food and bird seed away, and check the bike every few weeks.
No garage needed
Keep Cats, Rain, and Sun Off Your Bike
A lockable, waterproof shelter on a heavy-duty steel frame, in sizes for sport bikes, Harleys, and trikes. Ride in with hot pipes, roll the cover down, and lock it.
