Your favorite plants might be a big temptation to your feline friend because cats are naturally curious. Cats like to burrow in the soil around the plant and enjoy playing with and even eating plant leaves. Lilies are very dangerous to cats, therefore you should never keep them near your house in case they eat them. The cat’s activity, however, can harm or even destroy your plants, even if the plant is safe for the cat. Fortunately, there are actions you may take to lessen the harm. In this article we’ll show you how to stop your cat from eating plants.
Create Barriers to Stop Your Cat From Eating Plants
Set up an unpleasant surface all around the plant. Put tin foil or a plastic carpet protector with the knobby side up and down around the plant. It’s possible that your cat won’t venture across an uncomfortable surface to reach your plants. Make noise to scare your cat away. Gather and clean up empty cans, whether they are for soda or canned veggies. To create a wall, arrange them in rows around the edge of the table where your plants are kept. The commotion will knock them down as your cat leaps up and knocks them down, sending them flying. After being sufficiently alarmed, he’ll be reluctant to visit your plants.
Use a Spray to Stop Your Cat From Eating Plants
Spray some repellent on your plants. In the pet store, you can purchase sprays that will dissuade your cat from exploring your plant but won’t hurt it. Get Off is a fantastic illustration of a safe product, but always read the label before purchasing a deterrent item. Some of these sprays could end up damaging your plant. Additionally, you can produce your own deterrent spray at home. Spray the leaves of your plant with a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water. The stench is repulsive to cats, but it won’t harm your plant.
Put your Plants out of Reach to Stop your Cat from Eating Them
Your plants can be hung from the ceiling. Any home and garden store will sell hanging pots and hooks. Plants that hang are both beautiful and cat-proof!
You can also put your plants up high on a shelf. Barricading the lower shelves with books and other items will keep them from getting to the plants.
Use Lion Poop to Stop your Cat from Eating Plants
Add lion dung-based goods to the plant’s soil. Although it may seem strange, products like Silent Roar contain lion feces. Your cat will be able to smell it even though you can’t, and he’ll know that a strong stranger has already claimed the plant as part of his domain.
Train Your Cat to Not Eat Plants
Train your cat to stay away from plants. It is recommended to use “remote punishment” for this. The goal is to get the cat to associate going near the plant with unpleasant experiences, such getting water sprayed in the face. You don’t want the cat to connect the punishment with you, though. Your goal is to make your cat believe the punishment was unexpected.
Set up a motion-activated compressed air can nearby to serve as a booby trap for the plant. You may buy these training tools for pets online or at pet retailers. Your cat will experience a blast of compressed air as he reaches the plant. Although it doesn’t hurt him, he will be more cautious in the future if he approaches the plant.
Distract Your Cat to Stop Them From Eating Plants
Recognize the potential causes of plant-damaging behavior. Your cat might be so miserable from being caged up within your home. It should come as no surprise that your cat gravitates toward moving leaves if they are the closest thing to toys or prey in his surroundings. You must provide your cat healthier choices in order to best stop their behavior of harming plants. Your cat might sample a plant because they are drawn to its aroma. A plant that is moving in an air conditioner’s wind can appear to be engaging in intriguing prey play.
Engage in regular playtime with your cat. You’ll be the greatest judge of how much play your cat requires because certain breeds of cats are significantly more active than others. But generally speaking, it’s preferable to engage in 5–10 minutes of playtime with your cat at least twice daily.
Use interactive cat toys to get your cat moving. Don’t let your play sessions morph into snuggle sessions; your cat will enjoy the attention nonetheless. To stop your cat from chewing on your plants, you must make him anxious and exhausted. To make your cat race from one end of the room to the other while sparing yourself from exhaustion, use toys that are attached to a long string. Mazes and food puzzles are two more excellent ways to challenge your cat’s mind.
Place Bait Plants
Around your home, grow “bait” plants. You can benefit from your cat’s preference for particular plant species. For your cat, place trays of catnip or grass throughout your house. He’ll be able to satiate his want to chew while being diverted from your valuable plants by munching on these plants.
Choose Plants Your Cat Won’t Eat
Pay attention to your cat’s preferences. Pay notice to the plants that catch his eye, then stay away from those in the future. For instance, your cat might adore dangling, airy leaves that blow in the wind. If so, choose plants with bulky, hefty leaves that don’t appear to be as entertaining to play with.
Don’t purchase plants that attract cats. For instance, yucca plants seem to be especially alluring, and your cat will mercilessly nibble on them. Other examples of “cat magnet” plants that you ought to stay away from include zinnias and marigolds. If you already own an enticing plant, keep it up high and out of the cat’s reach. Make sure the shelf is out of the way so your agile cat can’t just leap up there.
Purchase plants that your cat detests. Additionally, several plant species seem to be off-limits to cats. They frequently have a strong aroma like citrus, lavender, or rosemary plants. Although these plants have a pleasant scent, your cat won’t want to eat them because of the fragrance. You might also purchase tiny trees or other plants with very high leaves that cats can’t access.
