What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

House cats

My big fat lazy 'Garfield' cat, Oscar, never bothered my plants.  He's too big to get up on the kitchen counter so that windowsill is safe, and won't jump on a windowsill with something else on it, so my bay windowsill has been safe too.  I've been keeping most of my seedlings on my bay windowsill since it's the biggest in the house and gets the most sun.

Enter Chase, our 6-month old ball of mischief we brought home a few months ago.  I took advice and tried to train him with a squirtgun, but I think all I taught him is that it's only okay to be on the kitchen counter and braking things after I get into bed or leave for work.  I was mad when I found one of the leaves chewed off my Sundew on the kitchen windowsill one night after work; I was absolutely livid the next morning when I came down and found that same Sundew had been ripped out by the roots, chewed up, and dropped on the kitchen floor.
sad.gif


My two larger plants are safe since they're on stands.  So far Chase hasn't bothered my seedlings, but I think that's just because they're too small to make much of a meal.  I'm willing to bet he'll go after them somewhat soon here and, obviously, even the kitchen windowsill isn't safe.  I figured at least some of you must have cats.  How do you keep your plants safe from them?  Is there some form of training, a good way to keep them from getting on the counters, or maybe some kind of spray that makes the plants or area smell unappealing?  Just curious what others have found that works.  I'm just not ready to give up the plants or the cat.

Thanks.
 
Get some cat repellant and spray around the plants but not on them.

Cover them with a box, spray liberally, and wait 5 minutes then remove the box.
 
There is some stuff called apple bitters we use for your dog. Might work for cats.
 
Bitter apple is mostly alchohol so as long as alcohol won't hurt the plants, I guess its worth a try. OR cayenne pepper which I doubt would hurt plants.

Aren't pets the BEST? lol This is coming from the current caretaker of The Dog from He11.
 
Distract him with catnip and lemon grass. He'll love that way better than sundews (then hwarf it up on the carpet, but, hey), but thats not teaching the cat not to eat plants, just eat the tasty ones....

slap.gif
bad advice... hehe
 
With some cats, nothing will stop them, short of keeping plants in inaccessible places or inside or behind cat-proof enclosures. I had to do that for years. Or you could drown the cat.
 
Worst comes to worst you could always screen the plants off from the cat - stick them in a terrarium with a mesh cover, make a shelter out of chicken wire, or grow them inside a birdcage or the like.
~Joe
 
Hi there,

Had a problem with my cat going in the garbage - got something called a "skat cat mat." I got the one that's 4' x 2' (largest size). It's basically an electric fense - if they step on it, they get a shock.

The first time they jump up on whatever, and get that first shock, boy you wish you have your video camera!
laugh.gif
 
my mom left orange peels around her plants to ward off my half-sister's kitten. apparently cats really don't like citrus. (lemon might work well, too.) I think she said it worked, for a few weeks at least. After that, either the peels lost their smell, or the kitten just didn't care anymore..
 
  • #10
Our plant-eating cat was relentless.  A couple times she even jumped up to grab onto a hanging pot to get a couple chews before dropping off.  Bitter apple was useless, as was every other concoction I tried.  So, other than for the few plants she wouldn't touch (mostly the ones I don't like either), all plants had to either be shielded or otherwise inaccessible.  She died a year ago and I miss her, but not her evil ways.
 
  • #11
I wish I had a good remedy against cats.. My cat got hold of my tiny N. spectabilis over Thanksgiving weekend and destroyed it.
mad.gif
The only remedy that I have found effective so far is to keep them enclosed where she cant get to them.

doa.jpg
 
  • #12
Thanks, guys, for all the suggestions.



[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Bitter apple is mostly alchohol so as long as alcohol won't hurt the plants, I guess its worth a try.  OR cayenne pepper which I doubt would hurt plants.
I'll see if I can find this and give it a try.




[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Distract him with catnip and lemon grass. He'll love that way better than sundews (then hwarf it up on the carpet, but, hey), but thats not teaching the cat not to eat plants, just eat the tasty ones....
For some reason I just don't think it will work.  I have the feeling I'd find the catnip and my Drosera gone.  You know, kinda like how you'll go for that juicy steak, but have no problem nibbling on your salad beforehand.

We actually already have a rather large catnip/catmint garden in the back of our house, but it died off over a month ago now.




[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Worst comes to worst you could always screen the plants off from the cat
I really like having my plants in the bay window, and I really like being able to display them.  I can't build anything like this in that window, and I don't think I'd want a screened off area anywhere that they could be easily displayed.  But I guess if it comes down to it...
sad.gif





[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Had a problem with my cat going in the garbage - got something called a "skat cat mat."  I got the one that's 4' x 2' (largest size).  It's basically an electric fense - if they step on it, they get a shock.
That's absolutely hilarious, and would actually be really helpful for an unrelated problem with Oscar as well.  I'll definitely do a Google search for that.
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] (schloaty @ Dec. 13 2006,1:48)]Hi there,

Had a problem with my cat going in the garbage - got something called a "skat cat mat." I got the one that's 4' x 2' (largest size). It's basically an electric fense - if they step on it, they get a shock.

The first time they jump up on whatever, and get that first shock, boy you wish you have your video camera!
laugh.gif
Reminds me of the time my mom had me rig up my electric fence charger to keep her dog (a standard size dachshund) from hopping up on the dining table when nobody was around. Hooked the clips up to a couple pieces of metal door screen. Set one screen on a chair that was pulled out a convienient distance and another on the table with a donut (his favorite item to steal) just far enough from the edge that he had to put his paws on the screen to get it. She said that when she got home, he wouldn't even come over to the table to beg for scraps. That lasted about 3 months before he was at it again.
 
Back
Top