My Plants!

[KittySoCrazy]

How can I get my 7 month old kitten to stay out of my plants? I have a table full of potted plants by the window so they can get their light and no matter what I do, she insists that that is the place for her! She even broke a pot with a plant in it the other night, jumping all over the place. I refuse to move my plants as I think the cat needs to learn to stay out of them. But how?

 

[LTS3]

Make sure your plants are pet-friendly as many are toxic if ingested or even just chewed on. Here's a list: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List - Cats

If you have a toxic plant or if you're unsure of in any way, take it outside the home to work , a friend's house, etc.

Is there another window nearby you can place something under so your kitten can look out the window? Cat window perches are great and don't take up much room.

Museum putty works great to keep items from being toppled over by an earthquake or just a cat.

You can try putting a Scat Mat or other training device on the table to shoo the cat away.

 

[KittySoCrazy]

I hear aluminum foil can be useful. I don't have money for a "scat mat". Hmm, I'll just have to be creative with the aluminum foil, I guess. Thanks!

There are 3 windows she jumps at and this is the smallest one where my plants are. Go figure, she has to be at that one!

 

[Letta]

Maybe she likes the plants actually, what about you buy her some wheatgrass for cats and put it next to another window and then buy her a window perch and put it on 1 of the windows so she can look out. Is the view different on that window? Maybe she sees more stuff out from that window.

 

[LTS3]

Some cats aren't deterred by aluminum foil. My previous cat loved to scratch at the piece of foil I had covering the crumbling wall around a light switch There was a small table under the light switch so he'd just sit on top and scratch away.

If your kitten is scratching at the dirt, you can cover the dirt with gravel. You can use the ones from gardening stores or ones from the pet store for squarium tanks. You want shomething quite sharp so that it doesn't feel good on paws.

 

[vyger]

Cactus with large thorns will keep them from digging in the pots. But the upper parts of the plants are still fun to play with.
I had a friend who lived in the country on a ranch. They had a lot of barn cats and they had a problem with all the cats lining up on the kitchen window sill. They solved the problem by putting pieces of prickly pear cactus there and the cats no longer gathered on that window.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I was just going to say... the only plant I keep in my house is a lone cactus.

 

[vyger]

I was just going to say... the only plant I keep in my house is a lone cactus.

Yep, however there are always those exceptions ---
cat and cactus - Google Search:

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

 

[artiemom]

The only plants I have in my house, are artificial, and they are in spots where my guy cannot get to them. I will not take any chances at all.

 

[DreamerRose]

I have the same problem, but it's because the cats want to get to the windowsill to look out the windows. I put a cat tree at one window, which Mingo loves. Another idea is a cat shelf that the cat can get to easily. Once she's found the perch, she will leave the plants alone. I have lots of houseplants, and the cats don't directly play with or eat the plants.

 

[pearl99]

I had the same problem, and got a bigger table top at the thrift store that I could screw onto my iron treadle sewing machine stand with enough room for both cat and plants. Now everyone is happy. If something like that is an option.

 

[danteshuman]

I would grow her some grass. Along with that the only sure fire way to keep her out of your plants? Make it so she can't reach them. You might try crowding the table so there is no place for her to jump up onto the table. Or you can try orange peels/orange oil once a week. Surrounding my rabbit fern with orange peels was how I kept one kitten from killing it. I would strongly suggest giving her a sunny perch & her own grass so she has no reason to go there. She is in her teen phase. I assume she is spayed? If not she is probably in heat and is looking for tomcats/a way out.