My Cat Won’t Stop Eating My House Plants–What To Do?
I adore my cats. So very much. However, I'm also pretty fond of my house plants and would prefer they not be devoured by aforementioned beloved cats. Remember when I was telling you about Jasper, the tomato-devouring cat? Well, he's also fond of strawberries, olives, and apparently, my house plants. Oy vey.
He hops onto the kitchen island (which is already forbidden) and, while I'm asleep or out of the house, take little nibbles of leaf until the plant looks as if it went and got a really bad hair cut. It drives me crazy. Not to mention, some plants can be harmful to our little friends. Thus, I've had to do a little research.
If your cat has this tendency, here's some ideas from Petcentral.com on what you (and I) need to do:
Keep it out of reach if possible. Obviously cats are quite mobile creatures and heights rarely deter these little athletes. However, as much as is possible, consider placing the plants as "out of reach" as possible.
Make the plant less attractive. OH, this one may absolutely work for Jasper. As much as he adores tomatoes and strawberries, I've noticed he is utterly repelled by the smell of citrus. So, the idea of mixing citrus juice with water and spraying it on the leaves may be the perfect solution to keep cats away without harming them or the plant. (I'll let you know how it goes.)
Get nibble-worthy greens made for cats to enjoy. I've heard that cats crave minerals and nutrients in grasses. This was initially surprising to me, but I've noticed my other cat, who has outdoor access, offer snacks on certain kinds of grasses in the flower bed. Catnip is always a favorite, of course, but you may also look into pet grass. See some available options here.
So there we have it. Wish me luck--same to you, if you have this struggle. I can practically hear my house plants breathing a sigh a relief already. That's good. That means more oxygen is being released into the air, and that's always helpful to humans--and cats. ;)
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