Cats are primarily carnivores, but they also chew on plants in the wild for added nutrients or fiber. In the home, cats often eat houseplants out of boredom or because they’re playing with them until their leaves fall off. To keep them away from plants, you can use simple household items like laying a barrier on top of the soil and placing citrus peels around.
Training your cat to stay away from plants is possible with a clean spray bottle and regular tap water. Here are some tips to keep cats away from plants:
Keep toxic houseplants off: Bird cages or fish tanks can be used to keep plants safe from cats. Bird cages or fish tanks can be used for smaller plants. Mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water and spray directly on the leaves of your plant.
Spray plants with products to stop cats from eating them: Mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water and spray directly on the leaves of your plant. For larger pots, cover the top of the soil around the plant with good-sized rocks. The smell of vinegar will keep your cat away and break her habit of eating or playing in the plants.
Remove toxic plants: Invest in cat grass and use chili powder to prevent cats from eating house plants. Adopting a cat and using cat products can help maintain a healthy environment for both cats and humans.
📹 Try these to STOP a CAT from CHEWING PLANTS
STOP A CAT from EATING PLANTS shouldn’t be a tough endeavor. Using the incorrect tactics can lead to: Your cat hurting …
Does vinegar stop cats from eating plants?
To deter scent-detecting cats, a solution of equal parts vinegar and water can be prepared in a spray bottle. Subsequently, add Castile soap to the mixture in order to facilitate its binding. The resulting solution can then be sprayed down the plant’s pot or lightly misted onto the leaves.
Can I spray vinegar on plants?
Vinegar, a chemical compound, can be used as an herbicide, primarily in white vinegar, which is about 5 acetic acid. It effectively burns the tops of plants but not their roots, allowing larger weeds to survive. However, 20 acetic acid is faster and works faster but has the same problem as 5 acetic acid. It is also dangerous for the average person, as a small whiff can cause permanent injury.
Vinegar can also be used as a disease control, but it has never proven to be particularly effective at controlling plant diseases. It is not suitable as a fertilizer, as acetic acid only contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which plants can obtain from the air. The other ingredients in vinegar may be beneficial for plants, but it is an expensive method of applying an unknown amount of nutrition.
How to train cats not to eat plants?
To keep your cat from causing harm to a non-toxic plant, sprinkle chili powder on its leaves. This will make the plant less attractive to your cat. Water the plants from the bottom to prevent the spice from washing off. Additionally, place aluminum foil around potted plants to prevent cats from feeling under their feet. This content is provided by pet wellness experts at Hartz, who understand the importance of adopting a pet and strive to help pet parents feel confident and become the best possible pet parent.
How to stop a cat from chewing on plants?
Cats can be repelled by the scent of citrus, so adding lemon peels or cayenne pepper to plant soil can help. Avoid using concentrated citrus oils as they can be toxic. Additionally, research is being conducted to advance veterinary stem cell therapy, with white papers available on the use of stem cells for treating veterinary diseases. Clinical trials and approval processes are also being reviewed.
How do you keep cats from eating your indoor plants?
A repellent spray can be created using vinegar, which is an aversive substance to cats. The mixture of vinegar and water can be augmented with the addition of essential oils, such as lemongrass or peppermint, to enhance the repellent properties. The olfactory stimulus is undetectable by humans, yet the feline will refrain from approaching the plants. Furthermore, the repellent spray will prevent aphids from entering the jar.
How to get a cat to stop destroying a plant?
Plants can be a fun and entertaining addition to a cat’s home, but owners often overlook their potential dangers. Wise cat owners can prevent their cat from eating or digging in plants by applying moistened black pepper to the leaves and placing stones on the dirt. However, some cats destroy plants, attacking them in spurts and leaving them alone until they are restored. They can climb up, sit, lay in, eat the leaves, or even rip them off.
To keep plants safe, owners should ensure that no plants in the house are poisonous. They can refer to a list of Hazardous Plants to learn which plants can be toxic to cats, such as Easter lilies. It is important to avoid having plants that may inadvertently harm your cat by avoiding plants that can be toxic to them.
In summary, it is essential to ensure that plants are not poisonous and that no plants in the house are poisonous. By doing so, you can prevent your cat from destroying plants and ensuring a safe environment for them.
How do I stop my cat from attacking my house plants?
To keep cats out of house plants, you can use citrus peels, lemon juice spray, pine cones, and aluminum foil. Cats are curious and often investigate indoor plants, especially those with unusual textures or smells. Large fronds or leaves can be enticing for them to play with. They may also eat, dig, or knock over plants due to curiosity, boredom, or playful feelings. To repel cats, use lemon peels around the plant base, mix lemon juice spray with pine cones, and use aluminum foil for repellent.
How do I keep cats out of my potted indoor plants?
To keep your cat from digging in your greenery, use landscape fabric or burlap spritzed with citrus to deter them. Or, use rind slices around the pot, but monitor your cat to ensure the scent doesn’t cause them to avoid the room. Cover the soil with aluminum foil, as cats dislike the sound and feel of it on their paws. This can be used during the holidays to keep your cat out of your Christmas tree.
However, if aluminum foil doesn’t appeal to your cat, use small decorative rocks instead. Switch to larger pebbles with more weight if necessary. Consider adding stones at the base for a more aesthetic look.
What can you spray on plants to keep cats from eating them?
Cats are not fond of citrus, so misting leaves with lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit oil can turn them off. Use 16oz of water with 20 drops of these oils and spray your plants 1-2 times per week. Ensure the oils are organic and don’t over-saturate the solution. Citrus peels can also be used, but be careful not to oversaturate the solution. Bitter Apple Spray is non-aromatic, non-toxic, and safe for plants, but it may leave a bad taste in your cat’s mouth.
How do I stop my cat from digging in my houseplants?
To prevent cats from digging in houseplants, use smooth river stones as a deterrent. If cats eat plants, be aware of which ones are dangerous and move them out of their reach. Provide healthy cat grass, such as wheat grass, which is easy to grow or found pre-grown at pet supply stores. Trim hanging plants to avoid tempting tendrils and spray leaves with a harmless but deterrent spray.
Play with your cat twice a day using interactive toys and leave toys out for them to enjoy. Provide entertainment while you are away. Keep in mind that some plants can be poisonous, so if your cat shows interest in such plants, remove them. Signs of plant poisoning can include excessive salivation, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, breathing difficulty, fever, abdominal pain, depression, collapse, trembling, irregular heartbeat, mouth and throat ulcers, and even death. Treatment depends on the plant, so contact your vet immediately.
How do you cat proof indoor plants?
To keep cats out of potted plants, use rocks, orange peels, and sticky materials to keep them away. Cats often play with plants to keep their hunting skills sharp, and using their paws to nudge them off the counter is a way to keep their attention. Cover the plants up, provide a distraction, and provide a variety of plants to choose from. Cats may also be just messing with you, so be prepared to deal with their mischievous side and keep your plants safe.
📹 How to Keep Cats from Destroying Your House plants l 7 Tips & Strategies
I will be sharing 7 tips I use to stop my cat from eating my plants using simple home design and reinforced cat behavior training.
These articles are really helpful, thank you! I recently adopted a cat and she has grown very fond of me. But she is also very shy and scared, and also difficult to train because food does not tempt her (even the creamy snack). So I eagerly wait for new article, I wish to give her the best life I can provide ❤️😺
I would really love to know how to make my kitten stop pouncing on the bed when I move! I have to kick him every night out before sleeping because he would jump on me at any tiny movement I make!! Also, I LOVEEEEEE your articles and thanks for sharing all your tips and tricks, really appreciate them 😀
My fake flowers were viciously attacked when she was waiting for breakfast! She had been sleepy after a difficult walking session, where she just basically sat there. She stopped acting sleepy when I finally took off her halter. So, yeah, lack of burning off energy, but we had started playing and she still did it, coming back over and over again. She ignored my no, so I physically removed her from the area, with her returning. Power struggle. So, vinegar? On fake plants, humn.🙃
I just watched another article that warned against using peppermint essential oils. It can cause a type of pneumonia in the cats. So I would highly suggest to not use peppermint. Another cat owner tried her own mix to keep cats away from plants and even if they get near it it can cause that sickness. So be cautious ❤
Although cats are primarily carnivores, in the wild they also nibble on plants, for added nutrients or fiber, or perhaps just because they like the taste. … In the home, cats sometimes eat houseplants out of boredom, or because they’re attracted to the leaves fluttering in the air currents that’s why cats try to eat plants.
You mention cat grass as a safe plant for cats to eat to get rid of hair balls, but I work as a veterinary nurse, and we get quite a lot of cats that have a blade of grass stuck in their throat/nose area from eating grass and puking it up. Those cats can’t get rid if the piece of grass due to the texture of the grass that makes it want to go further up the nose instead of back down. So we have to put those cats under anesthesia to remove the grass… We advise cat owners to not provide cat grass but instead brush the cat to prevent too much intake of hair and thus hairball development. And we advise owners to give their cat hair ball paste if they need to get rid of hair balls. (sorry if I wrote some stuff wrong, English is not my first language).
It would be nice to have a article on how to outsmart a cat who is determined to break out the windows and go outside. As soon as we took him outside on his leash this year he began letting himself out forcing us to keep his window double locked because if the kids just lock the bottom lock then he unlocks it opens the window and pushes out or tears holes in the screens. We got clips to hold the screens and replaced the screens with pet resistant screens and everything just makes him more determined….. So much so since we now double latched it out of desperation he even broke the handle off the length of the window. He is naughty but also funny very smart and likes to play fetch.
Cats are so sensitive with foods that humans are ok with. I one time cooked a whole chicken, probably 1.3 kg in a pot with around 1.5L of water seasoned with 2 slices of ginger and one chunk of leek, my elderly cats fell ill and vomited two days straight. I know we are talking about plants not vegetables, certain type of plant like suculent will send them way straight to pet clinic. What I’m trying to say, people say onion are bad for cats and they forget to mention that leeks are the same family although they look quite different. Chewing on raisins could be a mortal combat for cats . Even though looking unlikely, some foods sent living creatures directly to a different dimension either in short or long terms. En fin, hay que comer y hay que respirar, hay que ver.
when I took my kitten, I had only orchid and aloe vera and apparently both are toxic for cats. my kitty was sick the whole week and I just got rid of the plants. is it just poisonous for them to chew on the plants or even touch and sniff too? because I never saw my baby to chew on it and I was very surprised. on a separate note, I love your article and I am a big fan of Mia. My Aki is 4 months but thanks to your article she already knows few tricks 🙂
now you mention it it is true when I try to get my cat o play other toys to exercise, even his old fav cat wand take some time to build up. until now!! discovered his new fav toy such a game changer. A FRICKIN STRING LOL doesn’t matter if he just woke up or was half asleep if he see it he will chase after it. ANYWAYS back to the topic i am here to see how to stop him from chewing plants since we have a lot, including toxic ones we cant just chuck away. i tried other suggestion like give him his own plant and he doesn’t care about it, so to not waste it i cut cat grass finely sprinkle in his food. tried dish soap on leaves or sprits bottle but cant rellay be bothered to repeat that for a long term..
Thanks so much but please beware that : – ESSENTIAL OILS DO NOT DILUTE IN WATER !!! Even if you shake it hard : it only dilutes in fats, sugar or salt (not your plant’s best friends); – So if your cat gets one drop of the spray in their eye, it will be 100% pure molecules burning their cornea (if this happens – call emergency vet and – put some plain kitchen OIL on a tissue and swipe their eye to dilute it and make it go). – If you are a planet lover, just take note that it takes a HUGE amount of WATER to grow the plants/trees that provide the raw product + a HUGE amount of this raw product (leaves, seeds, flowers…) to distill and get one tiny bottle of essential oil. – For once, being lazy and using vinegar might be better for your cat, the planet, and your plant (with much shinier leaves by the way 😉
My cat likes to jump into my large plants and lie down. He knows both the words and the gestures for ‘get down’ and ‘no’, and usually obeys. But with the plant pots, he just stares at me as though he does not understand. I have protected the soil with plastic designed for that purpose. Any suggestions?
Sadly, I kill all house plants but when we want to keep the cats away from our Christmas tree I keep a tin can with coins in it handy. If they go near the tree and try to chew on it I shake the can and it scares the crap out of them lol. I try to make sure they don’t see me doing it so they think it will happen whether I’m there or not!
Hi Albert & Mia! I maybe have an idea for ‘how to prevent my cat from…’, namely: attacking the bubbles (my feet) in bed when I’m sleeping. For now it doesn’t hurt, but when I’ll change the winter bed sheets for the summer ones it will definitely be less nice for me and my feet. So when she does shows this behaviour right now, I gently pick her up en put her next to my bed because I don’t know what else I can do… oops!
Ok, I’ll list the options and update with every result! Water with lemon (not in the article) – Didn’t work ❌ 2-3 good plays and renewing toys – Worked with one of my cats, not with the other ❌ Clicker training – Didn’t try. Will do! Water with vinegar – Didn’t work, and the smell is too strong ❌ Water with essential oils – Didn’t try. Will do! Cayenne pepper – Too dangerous! ❌ Negative reinforcement – It was kind of hard to achieve and didn’t work at all ❌ Cat grass – It worked! ✅ The downside is its short duration; you have to replace it often. It’s not expensive, though Overall, I’ll stick with the cat grass and teach clicker training while spraying water with lavender essential oil to my plants 🙂 Thanks a bunch!
hi Albert (and Mia!), I was wondering, how do you know when your cat has learned a trick fully? for example, I taught my cat his name and to follow my finger but sometimes he doesn’t comply because he is playing/doing something more interesting to him haha. Does that mean I have to train more with him or should I just accept my cat not listening for the 20% of times I call his name/finger point to him?
Unless you have vaulted ceilings if a cat wants to jump in a potted plant they can do it. I have always seen my cats chewing grass and things outside. Cats are mainly carnivorous but also will chew on veggies or plants. My cat would eat an entire Catnip plant outside to the point I could never grow it, only for me to find out later that it can actually be toxic. Best to know poinsonus plants to your animal and get rid of them. If you aren’t home and come back to a dead baby how can it be excused. Snake plants are poisonous.
My cat (9 months old) munches on leaves but she also likes to kick the dirt out of the larger pots. I tried placing pebbles on top of the dirt, which made her play with the pebbles. I tried using double-sided sticky tape on top of the pot, but she still manages to squish her paws in there and it also makes watering more difficult. I think she just enjoys kicking the dirt and then playing with it. Any advice? 😀