{"id":19607,"date":"2022-10-31T12:44:16","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T16:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/great-big-greenhouse-gardening-blog\/?p=19607"},"modified":"2022-10-31T12:44:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T16:44:16","slug":"cats-and-your-houseplants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/great-big-greenhouse-gardening-blog\/cats-and-your-houseplants\/","title":{"rendered":"Cats and Your Houseplants"},"content":{"rendered":"

This past Saturday, October 29th, was National Cat Day. National Cat Day was established in 2005 and is sponsored by The Animal Miracle Foundation. I\u2019m lucky enough to have several cats. I\u2019m also someone who has had many cats since I adopted my first when I was 15.<\/p>\n

I also adopted my first plant when I was a teenager, so I have years of experience dealing with both greenery and kitties. Here is what I\u2019ve learned:<\/p>\n

Cats and Houseplants<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Do some research ahead of time to be sure you\u2019re not bringing home a toxic plant.<\/li>\n
  2. To keep them from nibbling on \u201csafe\u201d plants, get a mister bottle, and don\u2019t be afraid to use it! When you bring a plant home, allow your cat to \u201cinvestigate\u201d but if they even look like they\u2019re thinking of tasting it, give them a sharp spray from the bottle.<\/li>\n
  3. Dust leaves liberally with cayenne pepper. Cats likely won\u2019t even try to taste it\u2014the smell will likely deter them. There is also a repellent spray called Hot Pepper Wax. A spritz of fresh lemon juice on the leaves can help, as can a product available at most pet stores called Bitter Apple. (Even if a plant is non-toxic, we don\u2019t want chewed-on leaves.)<\/li>\n
  4. There is a product called SSScat, which is a battery-operated canister that shoots a sharp spray of air when something triggers it. It covers about a three-foot square area so is fine indoors.<\/li>\n
  5. To keep kitties from using the pots as a litter box, top the soil with small pine cones or gumballs. Easy, cheap, and effective!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Do not use most essential oils on plants\u2014cats lack the necessary enzymes to metabolize these safely, and it can cause liver damage. As a matter of fact, don\u2019t even use essential oil diffusers because they can collect on their fur and they\u2019ll ingest it when they clean themselves.<\/p>\n

    Remember that a pet may still have an allergic reaction to non-toxic plants, so it\u2019s best to discourage them from nibbling. Check your local pet store for other suitable repellents. Be sure to provide acceptable nibbles for cats, such as cat grass and catnip. If your pet has ingested a questionable plant or substance, seek professional help immediately.<\/p>\n

    My cats are now fairly well-behaved around plants\u2014but if I bring one home with long, thin, grass-like foliage, all bets are off. So I place my palm on a stand that lifts it out of their reach and hang my spider plant in front of a window\u2014out of their reach. Most palms are non-toxic but with their long-grassy looking foliage all bets are off as to whether or not they\u2019ll eat them. Keep them out of reach or you\u2019ll have a non-toxic but mostly chewed on plant.<\/p>\n

    By the way, most of these suggestions will help with dogs, too.<\/p>\n

    Animal Poison Control Center<\/h4>\n

    The ASPCA\u2019s Animal Poison Control Center<\/a> is a hotline providing 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week telephone assistance to veterinarians and animal owners. There is a consultation fee.\u00a0 Animal Poison Control Center 1-888-426-4435<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

    To read more posts from Bonnie, visit our blog<\/a><\/p>\n

    Return to the Great Big Greenhouse homepage<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    This past Saturday, October 29th, was National Cat Day. National Cat Day was established in 2005 and is sponsored by The Animal Miracle Foundation. I\u2019m lucky enough to have several cats. I\u2019m also someone who has had many cats since I adopted my first when I was 15. I also adopted my first plant when … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bonnies-garden","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCats and Your Houseplants - The Great Big Greenhouse Gardening Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This past Saturday, October 29th, was National Cat Day. 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