I have my first brugs coming, 2 dogs and 2 cats in residence. Do I have to keep the brugs inaccessible so the animals don't poison themselves if they nibble? or do they seem smart enough to leave them alone? or are the brugs not really that toxic? The animals are adults but they do sometimes taste things.
Pets and brugs
Personally, I wouldn't make it easy for them to nibble, but otherwise wouldn't worry too much about it. Animals seem to sense what is good for them and what isn't. My cats sniff my cuttings new leaves all the time but have never munched once. Wish I could say that about my other plants.. they chew on THEM all the time!
Dogs, now.. that may be a different story.
Barb
I have two dogs and two cats also. My cats have never been plant nibblers. Last summer, our two year old dog never touched my brugs that were all at ground level. BUT, I acquired a pup last fall that chews everything in site; have lost a few different plants to her already. The Brugs I have over wintered in the house are up high, so there has been no trouble, but this summer, I will have to be careful to have them out of reach. Hopefully she will be close to growing out of that "chewing phase" by then.
Don
They taste awful, according to my goats, and few things with any sense at all will eat them. One of my cats that eats zinnias like they are candy won't touch the brug leaves, while my brothers cat loves them!! They are much more concerned about protecting the brug (they only have two) than they are the cat, which has munched down repeatedly without ill effects, other than those dished out by brother and his wife ;)
My dog loves iris with a passion but I have never caught her eating anything else. I dug some iris to move them and left them lying under a shade tree and when I went back to get them she had made a feast off of them and was still eating them like there was no tomorrow. There almost wasn't a tomorrow for her. But that wouldn't have brought the iris back.
This message was edited Mar 4, 2006 8:34 PM
I have one cat who will chew on almost anything - makes himself sick all the time (usually in the middle of the night right by the side of the bed). So far, he has sniffed the brug cuttings and walked away.
LOL Sharon! That is the pitts, for sure. My Buffy loves to chew on the French Tarragon and never fails to urp it up either right next to the bed where I get up or ON the bed, if I don't wake up and shoo her off in time. I've learned to react to that sound in my sleep..... >:-[
My neighborhood rabbit had 5 babies on Thursday. Today, i found one of them in the brugs bed dead. I'm wondering if the plant caused this.
Shekin, oh my, how sad, my doggie doesn't eat any plants except grass sometimes, that is so sad. By the way my brother and his family lives in Brentwood, my niece just graduated from the highschool there! Clemen
Its been a very emotional day. Im not an animal lover, except rabbits; so, I felt honored when my yard was chosen as the delivery suite. By day 3, only one baby and mom were still around. this morning i couldnt find any of the family. tonight i came across the baby in the flower bed. I couldnt deal with it...... Im surprised how quickly i became attached. I spent hours calling for help to dispose of her. Finally my yardman came to the rescue. Im exhausted.
Congrats to your niece!