If you’re wondering how to stop your cat eating houseplants or indeed why cats eat houseplants, then you’re not alone! Although cats are carnivorous animals, they sometimes eat houseplants. There is limited research in this matter, however it is believed that they could need the nutrients found in the plants, they could be extremely bored, or maybe they simply like the flavour. The important thing is to remember that some cats do this and you must keep your plants out of their reach if your pet has a taste for them!
How to stop your cat eating houseplants? You can put your plants in places where the cat cannot reach them easily. You can try putting obstacles around the pots. You can try putting “uncomfortable” objects or deterrent substances inside the pots. Sometimes, keeping your cat exercised and entertained could solve the problem. It is important to select cat-friendly plants for your house, just in case everything else fails. If your cat persists eating plants, go to your veterinarian because the cat might be lacking some nutrients in its food or it might be unwell.
Here Are 10 Ways To Stop Your Cat Eating Your Houseplants
Try using Silk (Fake) Plants
I know, it’s not as good as the real thing but you could have one or two silk plants within the cats reach and keep the real houseplants where your furry friend can’t get to. The advantage of having fake plants instead is that they are obviously not toxic for the cat. Some cats will still chew them, but they will not be harmed. This could be a very simple solution to the problem, in many cases.
Put Plants Out of Your Cat’s Reach
One way to solve the problem is to keep your plants out of your cat’s reach. The best place to keep them at a safe distance from such a great climber is by hanging them from the ceiling (in a hanging basket). However, do not hang all of them because the house could look a little weird. Try this only with a few of them (the ones you care about the most).
Spray Deterrent Solutions
There are several deterrent solutions that keep the cat away from your plants. There are special sprays that won’t harm your plant, but will keep your cat away from them. you can find them in any pet store. Check first with your veterinarian if the chemicals of the spray won’t hurt your cat. If you prefer a home remedy, you can try spraying on the soil of the pots a mixture of 25% vinegar and 75% water.
In the garden, you can put some special motion activated sprinklers called scarecrows. They will activate and spray water as soon as our cat gets close to your plants. There are also motion activated sprays for indoor use. However, you may want to arrange your pots in groups so that you only buy a few of these indoor sprays.
Unpleasant Surfaces
Cats will stay away from your plants if the surfaces near the pots are unpleasant to step on. Heavy duty tin foil produces noises that your cat won’t stand. If you put a sheet of aluminium foil under each pot, the cat will stay away from your plants. You can remove it quickly when visits come over to your house.
Objects that are uncomfortable for that cat’s paws also keeps them away from your plants. Sandpaper. double sided tape, and sheet plastic work very well for this matter. Put a sheet of sandpaper or plastic under each pot or put double sided tape around the pots so that the cat stays away.
If your cat digs the dirt of the pots (or garden), cover it with pine cones, seashells, large river stones (not pebbles), or chicken wire. This works very well and your cat will not make a mess.
Put Deterrents on the Plants
If you put some sort of poking items in the plant soil cats will learn to stay away from them. Any strong stem or stick will work as a poking device. All you have to do is to put the object you select on the soil. It is important that these are not sharp because you don’t want to hurt the cat.
Unpleasant Odours
There are certain smells that cats hate. You can buy lion faeces in a pet store and put that in the pots to keep your cat away from them. You won’t smell it but your cat will. Cats also hate the smell and taste of citrus fruits (lemon, lime, and orange). Put one or two pieces of lemon or orange peel on the dirt of the plant pots. You can also put some drops of lemon essence oil on the plants. This should keep the cat away from the plants.
Noisy Objects
Noisy objects tend to scare cats. Put a group of objects around your pots so that they make noise when your cat approaches them. metallic objects like empty cans can work well. You can also put balloons on the pots. Once your cat pops a few it will stay away from them.
If you want a solution that does not alarm everybody, there are motion activated ultrasonic devices that repel cats. As soon as the cat gets near the pots, it will emit a high pitched noise that scares it. You will see your cat getting away from your plants without hearing anything.
Grow Special Plants for the Cat
Some people prefer to give their cat special plants that won’t harm it. In these cases there are special plants called Catnip and Cat Grass (among others). These plants are grown on special pots for the cat. These people expect the cat to have fun with its plants and leave the other ones alone.
Other people have plants that have odours which the cats hate as a way to deter them. Some of those plants are: rue, lavender, rosemary, and scaredy cat plant. You can have some of these plants scattered in different places in your house so that the cat cannot approach any pot comfortably.
Keep Your Cat Entertained
Some people believe that cats eat plants because they are bored. It may be a good strategy to have playing sessions that leave your cat entertained and tired. Try to look for toys that will keep your cat moving. Leave a special area of the house for your cat to play with its toys.
When you are out of your house, leave some toys for your cat to play with. Some good options are: food puzzles, cardboard boxes, and a scratching post. You can leave some toys in high or hidden places, so that your cat has fun when finding them. Build places for your cat to climb to keep it entertained and exercised. Cats enjoy seeing the outside world through the window and watching videos for cats on the TV. Keep it in places with the curtains opened and the TV on with interesting videos.
Choose Specific Houseplants
Some specific types of plants can attract cats more than others. Observe which ones your cat prefers and get rid of them. Although every cat has its preferences, they normally seem to like: catnip, valerian, cat thyme, and cat grass, among others.
It is important to consider that some plants are toxic to cats. Ivy, amaryllis, autumn crocus, azaleas, rhododendrons, daisies, cactus, and avocado are some of the plants to avoid having in your garden. Even if people say popularly that cats have seven lives (which means that they are strong survivors), it is important to take care of them, too.
You may prefer to have plants that won’t harm your cat’s health inside your house. One day your cat could get very sneaky and finally eat one of them. Bamboo, begonia, camelia, cornflower, Christmas cactus, bird’s nest fern, calathea rattlesnake, spider plant, parlor palm, money tree, cast iron plant, are several non-toxic plants for your cat.
Conclusion
It is not easy to keep cats from eating houseplants. You may have to try several of these tips together for better results. If nothing works with your cat, try separating them: plants in one area and cats in the other. If you want to keep both plants and cat, have cat-friendly plants.
