How do you protect your plants from your cats?

[Beholder]

I just got this from Amazon today and thought I'd make a post to share. It's not so much of a cat specific product but I got it to help with my cat/plant issues. My apartment management recently told us we can't keep any plants outside our doors (it has kinda a motel layout) because of safety hazards or whatever. I really love my plants though but can't keep them inside because 1) Many need a lot of light (pepper/tomato plants) and 2) My cats will eat them. I've tried getting them cat grass in hopes they would eat that instead but my cat Po will go through great lengths to eat my tomato plant. So this is the concoction I came up with. A "greenhouse" with a cover and some far too expensive plant lights. I know it sounds silly but I love my plants so much that I couldn't bare to just throw them out, so I spent nearly 300 on this whole set up. The "greenhouse" was super cheap, but the lighting was the tough part. As you can see in the picture, Po like to lay there now staring at them but knowing he has no access. Anyway, just curious if anyone else here has gone through great lengths to keep there plants from their cats?

 

[Remi&RiRi]

Great idea! I was just wondering about this myself the other day. I have a houseplant that my cats have been trying to chew on as well. Hopefully Po doesn't get clever and somehow manage to get to the plants. I've just about had to move my plant to every different location in my house haha! The video linked below seems to have some good information that may be worth a try, especially the training technique at the end. I've seen several others talk about this method too where you don't spray your cat but mist the plant when they are near it and they then learn to associate the sound and mist with going by the plant. She also talks about using citrus to deter your cats away along with several other methods. I will have to try these soon because my cats are getting smarter by the minute lol. Hopefully the advice given may be beneficial to others too!

 

[di and bob]

Putting something nasty tasting on the leaves for a while would help, like lemon juice and water or even some water with a few hot pepper flakes soaked in. I'm sure they have a cat deterrent spray for plants out there too. I have kept them from digging in my plants by putting plum size rocks over the dirt. Look nice and you can water normally.

 

[Beholder]

Great idea! I was just wondering about this myself the other day. I have a houseplant that my cats have been trying to chew on as well. Hopefully Po doesn't get clever and somehow manage to get to the plants. I've just about had to move my plant to every different location in my house haha! The video linked below seems to have some good information that may be worth a try, especially the training technique at the end. I've seen several others talk about this method too where you don't spray your cat but mist the plant when they are near it and they then learn to associate the sound and mist with going by the plant. She also talks about using citrus to deter your cats away along with several other methods. I will have to try these soon because my cats are getting smarter by the minute lol. Hopefully the advice given may be beneficial to others too!

Oh I will have to check out that video! And I don't think Po will be able to get under the plastic, it's pretty sturdy. He may try to chew on it though so hopefully that doesn't happen. He's on a diet right now and lets me know whenever he's had enough of it by finding some plastic to chew on. The shelter I adopted him from actually named him "Tubby Wubby" because of this.

 

[LTS3]

You might find additional ideas on keeping plants out of reach from cats in this thread: Share Your Indoor Plant Pictures

 

[Beholder]

Putting something nasty tasting on the leaves for a while would help, like lemon juice and water or even some water with a few hot pepper flakes soaked in. I'm sure they have a cat deterrent spray for plants out there too. I have kept them from digging in my plants by putting plum size rocks over the dirt. Look nice and you can water normally.

And lemon juice wouldn't affect the plants? I have a couple that are really finicky.

The rocks are a pretty good idea, but luckily my cats don't dig they just eat/lay on top of them

 

[arr]

I’ve used a bitter apple spray on plants that the cats are prone to chewing. It hasn’t ruined any plants. I’ve also used a Ssscat can near any plants that they develop a fixation with and they quickly learn to leave it alone. Often I can just set a can temporarily near the plant without even turning it on and they see it and stay away.

 

[CatladyJan]

I’ve got plastic bottles in mine

 

[Katy Perkins]

Cover the ground with chicken wire. You can water the plants, but that naughty furbaby can’t go there to do her business. You might try misting the plants with a vinegar/water solution to the former. Cats don’t like that smell. If you would like to try something else, I suggest that you let your cat smell it. Their reaction should let you know if they stayed away!