How to Keep Cats Out of Indoor Plants

Indoor houseplants can become a source of torment for your indoor cat, which is the last thing a pet owner needs. From severing branch tip cuttings, pulling plant pots down, to even destroying leaves, indoor plants can become the ultimate source of amusement. Luckily, there is a way to curb this issue without harming the plants. It is possible to achieve peace between your cat and your household plants. Let’s discuss how to discourage your cat from meddling, which leads to the indoor plants becoming the collateral damage.

Assessing and Understanding the Core Issue:

There are many reasons why a cat would find satisfaction in vegetation; however, it is best to handle those cats delicately.

Curiosity: Evolution has hard-wired cats to become curious, so placing a plant in the vicinity may evoke this curiosity.

Necessity to Chew: Alternatively, some cats may chew on a plant for the sole purpose of cutting branches due to boredom.

Interest in the Soil: Indoor plants rely heavily on pots and soil for their development, which leads to cats feeling intrigued by soil and dirt.

Territorial Domination: Cats tend to be possessive and scratch or even flip existing pots just to be in absolute control and show dominance.

Satisfaction Derived from Violence: Cats require an outlet to show their energy, and if they find none, it will be directed towards your plants.

Gaining an understanding of these motivations could help adjust your approaches to prevent feline interference with your vegetation.

Tips and Tricks to Protect Your Plant From Cats:

Opt for Cat-Safe Plants

If you want to keep cats indoors and your cats have a habit of harming plants, you should get “safe” indoor plants for cats. Some of the commonly used cat-safe plants are:

• Bamboo Palm
• Areca Palm
• Calathea
• Spider Plant
• Boston Fern

However, you must avoid plants like:

• Philodendrons
• Pothos
• Lilies

These are harmful to your cats.

Limit Their Accessibility

Obstructions can be installed to make it hard for your cats to access the plants.

• Hanging Baskets: Avoid putting your plants within reach of your pet by utilizing high racks, hooks, and tall planters.
• Garden Fencing: Small fences surrounding the pots may prevent cats from reaching the dirt.
• Glass Enclosures: Keeping plants enclosed in terrariums allows the plants to be protected while enhancing the decor.

Add Scent Recoil

Animals, including house cats, have sensitive sniffers. Thus, if you want to keep them away from your plants:

• Citrus Peel: Scatter orange or lemon peels in the topsoil because cats do not enjoy the odor of anything citrus.
• Essential Oils: Essential oils like lavender and eucalyptus can be used as well to keep cats away. All you have to do is place a tiny bit of these cat-friendly essential oils around the areas of the plant roots (never directly on the plant).
• Vinegar: Using a diluted vinegar and water mixture can also be effective. Spraying it around the pots may work in preventing cats from approaching the plants.

Make the Soil Unappealing

To avoid your cat from scratching the soil cover, make it less attractive:

• Stones or Pebbles: Add a layer of decorative pebbles to the area above the soil.
• Pinecones: Throw pinecones throughout the plant’s base. It will make the soil less attractive to the cats.
• Use Chicken Wire: Use chicken wire over the soil if the cats have a digging tendency.

Give Other Options

Provide buffers such as cat grass to replace chewing options. Consider planting cat grass outdoors (wheat or oat grass). Also, provide adequate scratching posts and toys:

• Toys and Scratching Posts: Provide plenty of toys and scratching posts.
• Interactive Toys: Feather wands and puzzle boxes will entertain your cat.

Use Pet Repellents

Keep in mind humane and eco-friendly options:

• Use Ultrasound: There is some proof that emitting unfriendly ultrasound sounds is effective.
• Using Scented Spray: You can use sprays with scent to repel unwanted attention.
• Using Vinegar: Kitchen items like vinegar are good options since their strong scent acts as a pleasant barrier.

Train Your Cat

You have to train your cat to stop ruining your plants. This strategy has proven to be useful:

• Employ Positive Reinforcement: Whenever they stay away from your plants, give them a treat.
• Redirection: If your cat is eating the leaves, simply redirect their focus to a toy or a scratching post by gently taking them away.
• Consistency: Training takes effort and time, so make sure you put in the required time to reinforce good behavior.

Secure Your Pots and Planters

In some cases, cats kick pots over either for fun or to get attention. To ensure that this does not happen:

• Weighted Pots: Buy hefty pots so that they are difficult to lift.
• Double Potting: For better balance, put small pots inside larger, heavier pots.
• Sticky Tape: Stick double-sided sticky tape around the rim of the flower pots as they are averse to it.

Set Up a Zone Where They Cannot Enter

Try your best to make at least one room in your residence a field of plants. Also, take the necessary measures to prevent your cat from entering this area, such as using baby gates or closed doors.

Monitoring and Adjusting:

Make sure to keep track of your cat’s behavior, and if necessary, make changes to your strategy. Although some cats respond aggressively to certain deterrents, other cats are calmer, so keep trying different ones.

DIY Projects to Protect Plants From Cats:

DIY Citrus Spray

• Ingredients: Peels of lemon or orange, followed by water and a spray bottle.
• Instructions: Boil the citrus peels in water for 15 minutes and allow them to cool. Afterward, pour the solution into a spray container. Spray the mixture around the plant base to repel cats.

DIY Pebble Layer

• Materials: Decorative stones or pebbles.
• Instructions: Clean the pebbles by washing off dirt. Spread a layer of the pebbles over the soil in your pots. Ensure that the layer is thick enough to discourage animals or pets from digging.

DIY Chicken Wire Cover

• Materials: Chicken wire and wire cutters.
• Instructions: Begin by measuring the required chicken wire for the pot and cut the wire accordingly. Next, bend the edges, place the cut wire over the soil, and secure it. Remove the wire when watering.

Cat-Proof Arrangements

• Vertical Gardens: Cat-proof plant arrangements can be done by using vertical gardens. Wall-mounted planters or vertical garden systems can keep plants out of reach.
• Hanging Planter: Use ceiling hooks and a hanging planter for both decor and a cat-proofing measure.
• Plant Cabinet: To stop cats from getting to the plants, keep them inside a glass-front cupboard.

Long-Term Solutions

In the effort of achieving long-term harmony between your cats and your indoor plants, consider the following in-depth approaches toward lasting solutions:

Routine Training: Continue rewarding desirable behavior. If a plant is ignored by your cat, cheer and reward them. Over time, this training allows your cat to understand what the limitations are.

Enrich the Cat’s Environment: A bored cat will entertain itself with your plants, so get them interactive toys, climbing towers, and window perches. Switching the toys now and then will also help preserve their interest.

Maintain Alternative Options: Frequently supply cat-safe pieces, such as catnip plants and cat grass. This is ideal since your regular plants will attract less of your cat’s attention.

Adapt Your Setup Over Time: As your cat changes and develops, your plants will have to be moved around and have different levels of protection. For example, put commonly sought plants in spaces where the cats cannot easily reach, or test different forms of deterrents.

Monitor Health and Behavior: If the challenges persist where the plants are targeted and ignored despite all the tips provided, contact a veterinarian as there may be a lack of necessary nutrients for the cat. A qualified medical professional can assist you with this.

Regular Maintenance of Deterrents: Natural deterrents such as citrus peels or essential oil sprays will eventually become ineffective over time. Therefore, these barriers should be replaced frequently to enhance their repelling qualities.

By incorporating these techniques into your day-to-day activities, you will create an environment in which your plants and your cat can co-exist in a friendly manner. For long-term success, patience, consistency, and constant change are needed.

Conclusion

With the right strategies, cat enthusiasts can avoid conflicts with their indoor plants. By understanding your cat’s behavior, creating barriers, and providing substitutes, you can ensure that your cat doesn’t go near your plants. We suggest you try out the techniques offered in this guide. By knowing all the options, you will find one suitable for your house. With a little effort, you will be able to make your home more cat-friendly, entertaining your cat while allowing enough space for your plants to grow.