A catalyst for cleaning exhaust gas consisting essentially of a carrier and a coated layer applied onto the surface of the carrier, which coated layer consists essentially of an aluminum oxide, a cerium oxide, a zirconium oxide, a nickel oxide, an alkaline earth metal oxide and a noble metal catalytic component, said catalyst being prepared by the steps of coating the surface of a carrier with a slurry which consists essentially of active alumina, a cerium compound, a zirconium compound and a nickel compound, drying the coated carrier and then calcining the dried coated carrier to complete the carrier, then impregnating the completed carrier with a solution consisting essentially of a catalyst component of a noble metal, drying the impregnated carrier, then immersing the dried impregnated carrier in a solution of an alkaline earth metal compound, drying the immersed carrier and then calcining the dried immersed carrier.