bitter apple spray on plants?

lis

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Messages
8
Purraise
0
Location
Horseheads, NY
Hello. I was wondering if using bitter apple spray on my houseplants will also make my kitty avoid the cat grass I bought her? Is it just the taste that is repellant, or is it also the smell? My situation is such that the plants, incuding the cat grass, are all on the same window shelf, and I don't have any place else to move them to. Sophie loves sitting on the window shelf with the plants (her own personal jungle) so I don't want to use something that will make her avoid the shelf as well as the plants. Does anyone know if the bitter apple spray will be okay, or of anything else I could try?

Thanks!
~Lis
 

lotsocats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
May 30, 2001
Messages
5,481
Purraise
17
Location
Out Yonder in Kentucky
The thing cats hate about this spray is the taste. You might want to cover the cat grass each time you spray to make sure none of the Bitter Apple lands on it. Make sure the spray has time to dry before your cat jumps on the shelf so the spray doesn't get on her fur. It won't hurt her, but the taste will make grooming impossible.
 

dragonlady

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
3,502
Purraise
2
Location
Citrus Heights, CA
I would sprinkle catnip on the catgrass to encourage her to eat it and the bitter apple will discourage her from eating them.
Welcome! you are about to become one of us... this place is so addictive! LOL
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

lis

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Messages
8
Purraise
0
Location
Horseheads, NY
I finally got a chance to try out the spray today. I didn't get the bitter apple as it had alcohol in it, which I didn't think would be too good for some of my more delicate plants. Petco had an alcohol free bitter spray, so I got that instead. I took the plants outside to spray, so no worries there. Sophie was on the shelf when I put them back and immediately started sniffing them. She licked one, decided it didn't taste very good anymore, and promptly got down from the shelf. I put cat nip in the cat grass, and she got back up on the shelf to munch on it. And I do mean munch! It had gotten rather bushy, but that certainly isn't the case now.


I'll have to keep an eye on her and see if it works long term. One of the plants is an ivy, so up until now I've only let her in the room where the plants are when I am there to supervise.

You are right about this place being addictive. I ended up reading back postings for hours the last few times I've been on.

Thanks!
~Lis
 
Top