My Cats Want My House Plants !

About a 2 months ago I bought an indoor plant and put it in the computer room. Well both my cats have seem to taken to it quite well and are always trying to eat it and pull the leaves off. Of course, I don't allow them too. One, because I don't know what kind of effect it would have on them and two, because I don't want a ruined plant.

So I went out and bought some kitty grass just in case that's why they're always having a go at the plant. While they sometimes chew on the grass, to them, it's not far as interesting as the plant is.

I can easily distract them by playing with them or giving them attention, but the minute I stop they follow me back to the PC room and start all over again.

The problem is that I can't distract them 24 hours a day and I keep telling them no and take them away from it, but do they listen ? Of course not ! I'm looking for some suggestions on how to get them to stop :/

One way is to buy a few helium balloons and some double-sided tape. Take the strings off the balloons and stick the balloons on the side of the planter in as many places as you can without them touching (so they will move a bit) It usually works- though you do have the occassional brave and courageous kitty that wants to fight the Mylar Monster! LOL

When this happened in my house, I sprayed the plants with Bitter Apple. It took only a couple of nibbles for my cats to learn to avoid eating the plants.

Many house plants are POISONIOUS. Please be very careful as to the plants you bring into the house as most cats try to nibble. I'm including a list os some Dangerous plants.

maryllis
Apricot (pits) Asparagus (berries)
Avocado (pits) Azalea
Baneberries Bird of Paradise
Black Locust Black Nightshade
Bleeding Heart Box
Buckeye Buckthorn
Buttercup Caladium
Calla Cashew (leaves)
Century Plant Cherry
Christmas Cherry
Christmas Rose
Chrysanthemums
Crown of Thorns
Corn Lily
Daffodil
Daphne
Deadly Nightshade
Delphinium
Devil's Ivy
Dieffenbachia (Dumbcane)
Eggplant Leaves
Elderberry
Elephant's Ear
English Ivy
Flax
Four-O'Clock
Foxglove
Golden Chain
Tree Holly
Horsechestnuts
Hyacinth
Hydrangea
Indian Tobacco
Iris
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Jequirity Bean (Rosary Pea)
Jerusalem Cherry
Jimson Weed
Jonquil
Lantana (Red Sage)
Lily-of-the-Valley
Lobelia Lupine
Mistletoe


These plants are considered SAFE


African Violet
Air Fern
Aloe
Aluminum Plant
Araili, False Artillery Plant
Baby Tears
Bayberry
Beauty Bush
Begonia
Blood Leaf
Boston Fern
Bread Mold
Bridal Veil
Burros Tail
Cast Iron Plant
Chinese Evergreen
Chocolate Soldier
Christmas Begonia
Christmas Cactus
Christmas Cheers
Christmas Orchid
Christmas Palm
Christmas Pride
Coleus
Coral Bell
Creeping Charlie
Dandelion
Donkey Tail
Dracaena
Dwarf Orange
False Areola
Ficus
Benjamina Fittonia
Flowering Maple
Fuschia
Gardenia Gloxinia
Goldfish Plant
Grape Ivy
Green Pepper (seeds)
Hens and Chicken
Hoya
Impatiens
Jade Plant
Kinnikinnick
Lilac
Lipstick Plant
Marigold
Maternity Plant

Sorry so long! Hope this helps!

With the Holidays co close at hand please check the list before bringing any fresh cut wreaths or decorations into a home with pets or small children!

lol@hissy
My cats are too scared of balloons so I don't see them taking them on anytime soon.

I've got some good suggestions to go on there, although I'm a little confused about the bitter apple, lotsocats. Where can I get that ?

And wow DragonLady thanks for the good and long list ! I currently just have that one plant and don't intend to bring in anymore. I don't know of its name because it never came with a tag... but it looks kinda like palm hmmm

thanks for the suggestions everyone

I think you can get the bitter apple at a pet supply store, like PetsMart or PetCo. If you have tobasco sauce in your home, make a spray out of that, mixed with a little water, and spray that on the leaves. Same effect as the bitter apple - it doesn't harm the plant, but kitties sure don't like it!

I put all my plants on a sheet of foil, Cooper doesn't like the feeling of the foil underfoot...

She does'nt like to eat the plants, she like to drink the water (most of my plants are in large vats of water!

thanks for the tips everyone. I'm definitely going to try some of those and see which one works best. Hopefully my plant will live another day lol

our kitties just discovered the spider plant hanging in the dining room... They don't eat it, just bat it around... It's become their personal toy, I think.

As well as them chewing on the plant, I have that same problem Myste