Keeping cats off of plants

I just got a pony tail palm and my cat (who has never gone after my plants before) wants nothing more than to eat it. How can I keep her from eating my sweet , sweet plant?

Try growing your cat some "kitty grass." Cats and dogs do like to eat grass and some plants resemble (and apparently taste like) grass so they will eat it. Usually if you offer them their own grass, they will leave your plants alone. You can find it in pet stores and Wal Mart sometimes carries it.

Msmissa: I have four kitties in my family and one of them loves to eat my African Violets and one likes to chew on other house plants! I have found with having had many cats over the years, they seem to be VERY attracted to anything that has long thin foliage ... like the pony tail palm, spider plants, etc. So many plants are poisonous to pets so it is important to try to re-focus their attention away from plant chewing! I used to have a spray bottle of water and one of the kitties (when she was a kitten) I would spray with water every time she went near a plant to chew on it. Well ... this particular cat thought it was a game! The water didn't seem to bother her at all ... she would walk over to a plant and I would spray her, she would turn and start to walk away, then go back towards the plant and stand and look at me and squint her eyes "waiting for" that spray of water ... when I sprayed her she would run away and within 30 seconds she was back again to play the game! Alas, the water trick never worked on her. I have many, many plants and just have to watch them closely. Luckily the two that like to taste house plants are getting older and sleep most of the day now so it's not a huge problem any more.I do still on occasion find a leaf that has been chewed and know one of them has been tasting.

The idea of the kitty grass is a great one. My cats all love it. They also LOVE Catnip! I buy catmint/catnip plants in the produce section of my grocery store whenever they have it, which is quite often. I have to put the plants on a high shelf on the deck that the cat's can't get to or they would devour the entire plant in a short while! I pinch of a leaf for each cat and they have fun rolling around on it on the floor. One cat will eat her leaf right away!

I have also found the cat-mint (Nepeta) the best way to distract the cat from eating the plants, I buy the plants from the garden store a few at a time, set one out beside my plants and the cats just loves it, I believe it is like giving your kids a treat AND harmless and some kind of tonic for the cats digestive system, while this plant is being eaten, the others are growing, after a while, I just swap them around so that way, the cat always has the cat mint on tap whenever they want a chew, I have had the same plants for a few years now and as they dont get nibbled to death because I alternate them, it is cheaper than loosing your favourite plants, has worked every time, the cat ignores the house plants, I also have it out in the garden and the cat loves to roll around in it, the plant recovers no problem, but it was a mature state when planted outside. good luck, WeeNel.

Thanks for the advice, I will certainly look for some of the kitty grass. I believe I have seen it at my local Meijer store. I have wanted a pony tail palm for year so I am super happy to know that there are alternatives that do not involve chemicals or wierd remedies.

YEAH!

Your kitty may still be attracted to your pony tail palm even if you offer it a live cat grass plant or cat nip plant to chew on. I think cats are just naturally attracted to long thin leaved plants. Your cat may still try to play with your pony tail palm, and play sometimes leads to chewing on them.

Maybe try the product called "Bitter Apple". It requires frequent re-spraying, but it does work. I have had some success also with putting chunks of cut up highly perfumed candles in the pot.

Msmissa: You might enjoy reading this article written by another DG subscriber, regarding cats eating plants and trying to re-focus them towards the kitty greens:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/831/

Another thought on this subject: if you haven't already, boost the height of your plant by putting it up on some type of plant stand where it will be less accessible to your cat. Also, pony tail palms naturally shed their lower leaves as they grow (I've had one for 25 years now) so the damaged leaves will eventually be dropped anyway. Hopefully, in time, kitty won't be able to reach the leaves anymore.

Thanks, I am glad to hear that cats are in to this specific type of plant. Once it gets warm enough here I certainly plan on putting it up out of Calamity's reach. Unfortunately, it is still too cold here to move the plants out from under the growing lamps I really appreciate the info. Kitty grass here I come

We have been in the mid 80's here and tomorrow is supposed to be near 90! But, we have a cold front coming through on Monday and it's supposed to get a bit cooler!

Yep ... kitties love plants with long skinny and thin leaves! Mine adore spider plants ... I had to take mine out and hang it in a tree to keep them away from it!

Don't be surprised if the kitty grass doesn't do the trick. I have containers that I plant with wheat grass especially for them.

They love to chew on this, but it doesn't stop them from chewing thin grasslike leaved plants anyway. I've just learned to put them out of their reach, or not have them.

But don't let me discourage you; it may work! I may just have incredibly stubborn/spoiled cats. ("If it's a plant, it's mine to chew...now feed me!" LOL)

Marsha.

I am very pleased o report that my apartment is now worm enough to accomodate tropic plants in more than just one room and the plant has been safely put out of Calamity's reach.

Yay! A question I can help with! My kitties love eating my houseplants too. I don't like spraying them with unknown chemicals etc. Cat grass works well but if I let the grass get short, for even a day, my kitties start to eat the plants again. The best thing I've found is cayenne pepper in water. Not too much! just a little sprinkle in a spray bottle full of water and lightly mist the soil and the bottom leaves (the ones kitty chews on). This keeps them away after the first chomp. My older cat has now learned to stay away for good but the kitten still has to try a bite once-in-a-while. Just be careful not to spray in your eyes or directly on or around the kitties.

A bag of rubber bands should do the trick. Whenever you see her creeping towards the plant, aim one at her fuzzy little butt and fire. She won't know where the heck it came from, but eventually she will get the picture that something unpleasant happens whenever she goes near that plant.

Ok, ok, all you cat lovers, I was just kidding. I have a cat myself, I would never be so cruel.

Some plants are just too attractive to cats. I gave up the fight, I just don't have those plants anymore, or I keep them out of the kittys reach.

By the way, the rubber band idea is not original. I actually had a boyfriend many years ago when my judgement was wacked, who bought ME a bag of rubber bands at Christmas, the idiot even wrapped them... and when I was looking at them like "What the....???" he grabbed them out of my hand and said they were for him to have a little fun with the kitty. This was not my first clue that I was dealing with a real idiot, but it was certainly one of the last straws.