Houseplants and Cats Can Live in Harmony Together
Has your houseplant fallen prey to your hungry or mischievous feline friend? Is your precious little kitten tearing up your beautiful houseplants or using them as a litter box? Having a cat and house plants can be synonymous in your house! It may take a little work, but you can cat-proof your plants!
House Plants that Cats Avoid like the Plague
Choosing plants that cats hate is a great way to add greenery to your house without the messes that come when the kitty is attracted to it. Cats do not like a lot of plants due to the strong odors that are emitted. For example, most cats do not like rosemary because it is highly aromatic. The same goes for rue, lavender, and pennyroyal. The natural odor acts as a deterrent. It’s a light smell for humans but extremely strong for cats. Besides “smelly” plants, most cats do not like the feel of cactus, holly or thorny roses. They tend to only mess with them once due to the unpleasant injuries that can occur. Unless you have a stubborn cat, who just wants to get into your plants, planting any of these should deter your cats from the plants.
If Poop is the Problem
If you are finding urine or feces in your plants, try placing pebbles or stones on top of the soil. While this can add style to your plant at a low cost, it will deter your cat from pooping in the dirt. By placing the rock in a thin layer, water will still be able to pass between the rocks to be absorbed in the soil. You can also
do this with seashells and pinecones. The cats do not like the sharp feel of any of these on their feet, and they can’t dig any of these up very easily.
Additives to Add to Your Plants
It is a well-known fact that cats hate citrus. Oranges, lemons, and limes can become you and your plant’s best friend. Try and place any of the citrus peels throughout the potted plants to keep your carnivorous mammal away. Another option that you have is to use citrus essential oils to help discourage the kittens. You can spritz lemon, lime or orange oil mixed with water in the plant’s soil. You can also add a few drops of any of these to the water that you use when watering the plants. You may also want to rub a little bit of essential oil around the pot edges. Another additive you may want to consider is cayenne
pepper. If you sprinkle this on the leaves of your beautiful plants, your cat will think twice before making a meal out of it.
Fake as a final option
When you have exhausted all of your other options, sometimes the plastic options are the only way to achieve the look you are going for. You don’t have to have a green thumb, and your cat can’t kill it. Let's hope it doesn't go that far!
House Plants that Cats Avoid like the Plague
Choosing plants that cats hate is a great way to add greenery to your house without the messes that come when the kitty is attracted to it. Cats do not like a lot of plants due to the strong odors that are emitted. For example, most cats do not like rosemary because it is highly aromatic. The same goes for rue, lavender, and pennyroyal. The natural odor acts as a deterrent. It’s a light smell for humans but extremely strong for cats. Besides “smelly” plants, most cats do not like the feel of cactus, holly or thorny roses. They tend to only mess with them once due to the unpleasant injuries that can occur. Unless you have a stubborn cat, who just wants to get into your plants, planting any of these should deter your cats from the plants.
If Poop is the Problem
If you are finding urine or feces in your plants, try placing pebbles or stones on top of the soil. While this can add style to your plant at a low cost, it will deter your cat from pooping in the dirt. By placing the rock in a thin layer, water will still be able to pass between the rocks to be absorbed in the soil. You can also
do this with seashells and pinecones. The cats do not like the sharp feel of any of these on their feet, and they can’t dig any of these up very easily.
Additives to Add to Your Plants
It is a well-known fact that cats hate citrus. Oranges, lemons, and limes can become you and your plant’s best friend. Try and place any of the citrus peels throughout the potted plants to keep your carnivorous mammal away. Another option that you have is to use citrus essential oils to help discourage the kittens. You can spritz lemon, lime or orange oil mixed with water in the plant’s soil. You can also add a few drops of any of these to the water that you use when watering the plants. You may also want to rub a little bit of essential oil around the pot edges. Another additive you may want to consider is cayenne
pepper. If you sprinkle this on the leaves of your beautiful plants, your cat will think twice before making a meal out of it.
Fake as a final option
When you have exhausted all of your other options, sometimes the plastic options are the only way to achieve the look you are going for. You don’t have to have a green thumb, and your cat can’t kill it. Let's hope it doesn't go that far!
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