Cats and Houseplants
I came home a little while ago and found part of my creeping ficus lying on the floor. I immediately knew what happened and went to confront the furry culprit-my cat. For reasons unknown, some cats look at houseplants as a free kitty salad bar. While I make sure that any plants within the cat’s reach are non-toxic, I still don’t appreciate having them chewed up by him! Here are some things to try if you have a plant loving kitty:
Obviously, simply moving the plant out of the cat’s reach is the best, but if it’s not possible, try putting aluminium foil or contact paper (sticky side up) around your plants. Cats hate the feel of both on their paws and will stay away. You can also try spraying your plants with one of the sprays (such as Bitter Apple)made to keep pets from chewing on cords. You can make your own by blending up citrus fruits or hot peppers in a blender and then mixing the puree with water. Keep in a well labled spray bottle. The drawback to this is that it can make the leaves of your plants sticky and that will attract dust.
Another easy remedy is to buy your cat his own plant! Most pet stores sell pots of cat grass, or you can easily grow your own from seed, which can be found at most garden centers. Chances are if you give your cat his own plant, he won’t nibble on yours. By the way, it’s not known exactly why some cats are crazy about greens-the species as a whole are carnivores and can’t survive on a vegetarian diet, even if they wanted to!
gardening, cats, houseplants, pets
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