Cats are naturally curious, so your favorite plants could be a huge temptation for your little friend. Cats enjoy playing with the leaves and can even eat them, as well as burrowing into the soil around the plant. You should never keep plants in your home that are toxic to them if ingested - lilies, for example, are extremely poisonous to these animals. But even if the plants are harmless, your pet's behavior can harm or kill them. Thankfully, certain steps can be taken to minimize the damage.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Discourage Harmful Behaviors for Plants
Step 1. Hang the plants from the ceiling
You can purchase hanging pots and hooks at any home and garden store. Hanging plants are both an elegant piece of furniture and a cat-proof solution.
Step 2. Spray a repellent spray on the plants
In pet shops you can find spray bollards, such as "Get Off", which discourage cats from snooping around plants without harming them. However, always check the label before purchasing a repellent product, as some of these sprays could actually damage the plant you intend to use them on.
You can also make a repellent spray at home. Mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water, then sprinkle the mixture on the leaves. It won't hurt the plant, but the cat will hate the smell and stay away
Step 3. Teach the cat to leave the plants alone
The best way to do this is to use "long range" free kicks. The idea is to get the cat to associate approaching the plant with something negative, such as getting a splash of water in the face, without however connecting the punishment to you: it must think it comes from nowhere.
- Place a trap in the plant using a can of compressed air that is activated by a nearby motion sensor. You can find these pet training devices at pet stores or online.
- When the cat approaches the plant, it will receive a blast of compressed air. He won't get hurt, but he'll think twice before approaching again.
Step 4. Don't punish him personally
For example, if you sprayed him with water or yelled at him, he would associate the punishment with you. At that point he may even stop eating the plant while you are around, but he will likely continue to do what he wants when you are out of the room. Punishing him yourself would only make him more devious. They may also start to be afraid of you, and this is not the right relationship to have with your pet.
Step 5. Surround the plant with an unsightly surface
Place aluminum foil or plastic carpet cover around the pot with the uneven side facing up. The cat may not want to walk on such a surface to reach the plants.
Step 6. Use noise to discourage it
Collect and wash empty cans, be it soda or canned food. Line them up along the edge of the shelf where you keep the plants, then add more rows on top of the first to form a wall. When the cat bumps into you trying to climb up, the din will make it splash away. He will no longer be so eager to get close to plants after collecting enough scares.
Step 7. Sprinkle the soil with a product containing lion droppings
It may sound bizarre, but there are cat repellents, such as Silent Roar, which contain lion feces. You may not be able to smell it, but the cat will, and will receive the message that a stronger animal has already claimed the plant as part of its territory.
Part 2 of 3: Offer him alternatives to play with
Step 1. Find out why cats tend to damage plants
He may just be bored to death indoors - if moving foliage is the closest thing to a toy or prey he can find in the environment he lives in, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he's attracted to it. The best way to contain harmful behaviors for plants is to provide your cat with more valid and safe alternatives.
Step 2. Play regularly with him
Some cat breeds are more active than others, so it's up to you to judge how much your feline companion needs to play. In general, however, it is advisable to do game sessions of 5-10 minutes, at least twice a day.
Step 3. Use toys that make him move
He will love to receive attention anyway, but don't let the play sessions turn into moments of pampering: to prevent him from starting to devour the plants again you have to let him have fun until he gets tired.
- Try toys attached to the end of a long string so that the cat can run from one end of the room to the other without getting tired.
- Not all cats react to laser pointers, but if yours does, you're in luck! You can get comfortable on the sofa and nibble on something while the cat runs around trying to catch the dot of red light.
Step 4. Give him some toys when you need to go out
The cat can get even more bored if there is no one to keep him company; having toys on his paw when he is alone, he will be able to let off steam in a more constructive way rather than chewing the plants.
- Change toys regularly to keep them from getting tired of playing with the same things every day. If he knows a toy too well, he will end up ignoring it.
- However, if the game in question reappears after some time, he will be thrilled again.
Part 3 of 3: Choosing the Right Plants
Step 1. Observe your cat's preferences
Pay attention to what types of plants attract her attention, so avoid keeping them indoors in the future.
- For example, he may be attracted to the threadlike leaves that sway in the wind.
- If so, buy plants with larger, heavier foliage so your cat is less interested in playing with them.
Step 2. Avoid buying plants that particularly attract cats
It seems that yucca, for example, is particularly irresistible: your cat will probably devour it mercilessly. Other plants that attract cats like a magnet and which should be avoided are zinnias and marigolds.
If you already have such a plant in your home, keep it on a high shelf out of the cat's reach. Make sure it's really impossible for him to reach that point, or else, nimble as he is, he might just get there with a jump
Step 3. Place "bait" plants in the house
You can use the cat's attraction to certain plant species to your advantage. Place trays of catnip or regular grass around the house for him to eat - they will satisfy his need to chew and hopefully distract him from the more prized plants.
Step 4. Buy plants they don't like
There are also some plant species that cats cannot bear; often these are those that give off a strong scent, such as lavender, rosemary or citrus fruits. Their fragrance will be pleasant for you and at the same time prevent the cat from eating them.
You can also buy plants whose foliage is too high for the cat to reach, such as small trees
Warnings
- Never spray plants or soil with a substance that is harmful to the cat, such as hot sauce. As much as it can deter the animal, it could get into the fur or eyes and cause serious damage, even blindness.
- For your cat's safety, use only veterinarian-approved products. Also, before spraying them all over the plant, test them on a small area to make sure they don't damage it.
- Get a list of poisonous plants (you can search online) and make sure you don't have any in your home, even if kept away from your pet. Cats have the ability to jump into places that seem unreachable and to slip into very tight spaces that you would not believe it was possible to pass. Don't run the risk of accidentally poisoning him by keeping toxic plants indoors.
- It is also possible to keep the cat at a distance by placing mothballs in the jars; however, mothballs are toxic: the animal could become seriously ill or even die if it ingests the chemicals it is made of. If you decide to use it, put it in a perforated container, so that the smell is released without the cat having access to the balls.
