My Naughty Kitty!!

[Rosyrain]

I think this topic would fit in this discussion area... I have a problem that I wanted to discuss here. I can't keep live plants in my home right now because my cat always chews them up when I do. I wake up in the morning and she has chewed through the leaves on them. She is an older cat so it is not a teething issue. Is there something I can do to prevent her from chewing my plants?

 

[Chuck]

I think this topic would fit in this discussion area... I have a problem that I wanted to discuss here. I can't keep live plants in my home right now because my cat always chews them up when I do. I wake up in the morning and she has chewed through the leaves on them. She is an older cat so it is not a teething issue. Is there something I can do to prevent her from chewing my plants?

Hot pepper spray will stop her and will not hurt the plants. She probably won't even try to bite a leaf when she smells it, but if she does she will probably do it only once. Get a couple of the hottest peppers they have at the grocery store, preferably habeneros or really hot japalenos. Put them in a blender with a cup of water and liquify the peppers. Let it sit for an hour and strain the mixture thru a paper coffee filter, pour it into a spray bottle and fill up with water.

 

[Jewell]

Have you thought of growing some grass and alfalfa seed in a pots for her? Maybe if she had her own plants that are more to her liking she'd be less likely to bother other house plants.

 

[Rosyrain]

Those are great ideas, thank you so much! I will try both and let you all know what works with her. It has been so depressing not having any plants in my new home because of her. I love my cat and would never get rid of her, but at the same time I want some green in my home! I had a bamboo and a rose plant in my old place and she just chewed them to bits. I hope this works!

 

[gata montes]

Rosyrain - the best solution to your problem would be to provide your cat with her very own Catnip plant - which the majority of cats (and hopefully yours is one of them) find so totally irresistible that they leave other plants alone.

Catnip can be bought from most reputable garden store or grown from seed and as we have quite a few threads on this topic I have included one of them here

https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/chia-plants-cat-grass.1771/#post-20696

which as it contains a lot of useful information - I hope you will find helpful

As I know that plant eating cats can be a real problem when trying to keep your home decorated with indoor plants - as the two don't always mix and although having catnip readily available does help solve the problem - its always best to check that none of the plants that you have in home would be harmful to them - especially as there are many plants that are toxic to cats and particularly any of those from the lily family.

 

[Chuck]

Rosyrain - the best solution to your problem would be to provide your cat with her very own Catnip plant - which the majority of cats (and hopefully yours is one of them) find so totally irresistible that they leave other plants alone.

Catnip can be bought from most reputable garden store or grown from seed and as we have quite a few threads on this topic I have included one of them here

https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/chia-plants-cat-grass.1771/#post-20696

which as it contains a lot of useful information - I hope you will find helpful

As I know that plant eating cats can be a real problem when trying to keep your home decorated with indoor plants - as the two don't always mix and although having catnip readily available does help solve the problem - its always best to check that none of the plants that you have in home would be harmful to them - especially as there are many plants that are toxic to cats and particularly any of those from the lily family.

Funny story but true. My cousin had an inside cat that liked to do its business in the plant pots so she brought home a catnip plant hoping it might go there. Cat went bonkers, running a full speed through the house, knocking over nicknacs, jumping over the furniture, all kinds of things. Cat never did stop going where it wasn't supposed to but did calm down and loved that catnip plant

 

[LindaKay]

Bad kitty! Mine does the same thing. Well, he used to when he was a kitten. He is a lot better now.

 

[Micheleteresa]

There is a Bitter Apple spray that can be bought at pet supply store , and possible garden supply stores, that wont harm plants and will stop kitty from eating plants. Many plants are toxic to cats....https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list