Protecting indoor plants from pets

[TDolce]

It's that time of year again to think about bringing houseplants and some herbs back indoors after sitting them out for the summer. However, we have four very loved, very spoiled, very intelligent cats who are absolute demons around plants. What do you do to keep your pets out of your potted plants?

 

[Chuck]

It's that time of year again to think about bringing houseplants and some herbs back indoors after sitting them out for the summer. However, we have four very loved, very spoiled, very intelligent cats who are absolute demons around plants. What do you do to keep your pets out of your potted plants?

Mulch with pecan shells and sprinkle heavily with cayenne pepper

 

[Jewell]

Keep wheat grass (live plants) and catnip (dried) on hand for them. Lots of toys and climbing places to enrich their environment. They will be less inclined to get into the wrong things.

When young and mischievous I kept a squirt bottle with room temperature water handy for when they attempted to chew or climb on the wrong thing. (With wheat grass they will be less likely) We are well beyond that stage.

At one time I had a very large tree that one cat decided would make an excellent liter box. Several large decorative rocks at the base and an under planting of another plant made getting into the pot too difficult for him to use, solving the problem.

P.S. Wheat grass is just sprouted wheat seed. I grow some every summer in the garden and harvest the stalks not eaten by the dogs for winter house decorations. They fit in perfectly in place of fresh cut flowers. In the spring I replant some back out in the garden.

 

[TDolce]

Mulch with pecan shells and sprinkle heavily with cayenne pepper

Wow! That really works? It seems too easy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Keep wheat grass (live plants) and catnip (dried) on hand for them. Lots of toys and climbing places to enrich their environment. They will be less inclined to get into the wrong things.

When young and mischievous I kept a squirt bottle with room temperature water handy for when they attempted to chew or climb on the wrong thing. (With wheat grass they will be less likely) We are well beyond that stage.

At one time I had a very large tree that one cat decided would make an excellent liter box. Several large decorative rocks at the base and an under planting of another plant made getting into the pot too difficult for him to use, solving the problem.

P.S. Wheat grass is just sprouted wheat seed. I grow some every summer in the garden and harvest the stalks not eaten by the dogs for winter house decorations. They fit in perfectly in place of fresh cut flowers. In the spring I replant some back out in the garden.

Thank you. I've used the decorative rocks in a large fern before with good results and I already have some wheat grass seed to sprout.
]

 

[Chuck]

Wow! That really works? It seems too easy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thank you. I've used the decorative rocks in a large fern before with good results and I already have some wheat grass seed to sprout.
]

Yep, it works. Works on dogs in flower beds too. The sharp pecan shells hurt their feet and one sniff of cayenne is more than enough

 

[MindyT]

I have NEVER been able to keep houseplants inside because of my cats. Well, one of them is into everything. My avatar proves my point. I can't have pecans or pecan shells in the house because my son is highly allergic to them. Would the cayenne pepper work by itself? Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[Chuck]

I have NEVER been able to keep houseplants inside because of my cats. Well, one of them is into everything. My avatar proves my point. I can't have pecans or pecan shells in the house because my son is highly allergic to them. Would the cayenne pepper work by itself? Anyone else have any suggestions?

If your cat chews on the plants make up a batch of cayenne pepper tea and spray the plants. It sounds strange but cats do not like marbles. Mulch with marbles and spray the cayenne for good measure

 

[Pat]

Great ideas to keep cats out of the house plants, I would not have thought of marbles sprayed with cayenne as a good solution to sway the cats from the plants. Thanks for the information.

 

[Chuck]

Great ideas to keep cats out of the house plants, I would not have thought of marbles sprayed with cayenne as a good solution to sway the cats from the plants. Thanks for the information.

I wouldn't have thought it either. I have a friend that has a big ficus plant in a very large pot. His Siamese loved to do its business there and he tried everything to no avail. He had a rather large aquarium that had marbles instead of gravel in the bottom. One day something happened to all of his fish and instead of getting new fish he just dumped the whole thing into his ficus plant container. He said the cat jumped into the pot as usual and totally freaked out and hasn't been back in it since. Maybe it was just his cat but marbles are cheap and worth a try. And cayenne pepper works on just about anything including small children who have a habit of putting things into their mouth. Usually once is enough

 

[TDolce]

If your cat chews on the plants make up a batch of cayenne pepper tea and spray the plants. It sounds strange but cats do not like marbles. Mulch with marbles and spray the cayenne for good measure

Marbles would be beautiful mulch for houseplants. They wouldn't be as practical for some of the plants I plan to have in the house, but I love the idea for houseplants.

 

[TDolce]

Yep, it works. Works on dogs in flower beds too. The sharp pecan shells hurt their feet and one sniff of cayenne is more than enough

I knew that cayenne was a great insect pest deterrent. I may have even heard that deer didn't care for it, either. This is a great tip!

 

[helagumamela]

My cats love gnawing and eating the leaves of my mom's indoor bamboo. I don't know why they do that though because I was told that the only plant that cats love is catnip, and we don't have that.

What my mom does is to cover the bamboo with chicken wire. She would also tell the cats "NO!" and that dissuades them sometimes.

 

[sthrngypsy]

I wish "no" worked on my cats. I'm trying to work out a way I can keep the plants in one room and the cats in another.

 

[TDolce]

I wish "no" worked on my cats. I'm trying to work out a way I can keep the plants in one room and the cats in another.

That's the original plan. But, these cats are entirely too intelligent and stealthy! They can open doors and sneak in without being caught.

 

[Logan]

It's that time of year again to think about bringing houseplants and some herbs back indoors after sitting them out for the summer. However, we have four very loved, very spoiled, very intelligent cats who are absolute demons around plants. What do you do to keep your pets out of your potted plants?

I don't have house plants or cats. The plants that i grow are in conservatory and i have a stair gate so the goldies can't get in.