As much as I love cats, I will be the first to affirm that they can cause some awful problems in the garden.
Destructive cats are a common complaint between neighbors.
It can be difficult to think loving thoughts when a cat has shredded your patio furniture, knocked over your flowerpots, and taunted your own housecats through a screen door. I have done a lot of research on the subject of having a thriving garden and co-existing with cats at the same time. While I don't claim to have all the answers, I think I've uncovered quite a few things that gardeners can try. Same thing with cinnamon. Certainly, if an animal gets a whiff of hot pepper up it's nose it will run away.