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We all love adding plants to our indoor and outdoor spaces… until we remember that we also have a playful and curious cat at home.
While some cats are not interested in plants at all, some of them love to use plant pots as litter boxes or nibble on fresh plant leaves. This can be harmful as many houseplants are toxic to them and can mean a trip to the vet. On the other hand, when your cat uses a potted plant as a litter box, it can also be harmful to the plant due to excessive ammonia found in cat urine.
Luckily, there are ways you can keep your cats safe and out of the plants, and your plants safe and out of your cats. If you’re a fur parent with a green thumb, below are some strategies you can do to help both your fur pet and plants to cohabit.
Here are some tips and tricks on how to cat-proof your houseplants
Make the plants inaccessible to cats
Strategically put your houseplants to places in your house where your cats can’t reach them. You can either mount the containers or put them on a high shelf. There’s also the option to place the plants in the off-limits rooms of your home such as bathrooms, bedrooms, or even sun rooms.
Hang the plants in containers
If placing your houseplants on high shelves or closed rooms does not deter your curious cat from pawing your plants, your next best option is to hang them from the ceiling. You can install hanging planters to keep your plants safe from your playful feline friend.
Cover the soil with rocks or wood pieces
Does your cat love digging in a houseplant’s soil or using them as a litter box? One good solution to stop them from doing so is by covering the soil with rocks. Make sure to use medium sized rocks as smaller ones might not do the trick since cats can just easily move them aside with their paws. If you think rocks are too heavy for the plant and not decorative, you can also use dried wood pieces.
Use cat repellent spray
Many cat owners swear by strewing peppercorns around a plant. Be sure that the repellent spray you will use is cat safe. If you’re worried that the spray will harm your plant or cat, you can also make a DIY spray. Just mix one part of lavender or lemon oil with three parts water and then place the mixture in a spray bottle. Spritz it around the pot to deter your cat from pawing and playing with plants.
In addition to these tricks, it also pays to know which plants are harmful to your cats and which are not. To help make choosing the right plants easier for you, we have listed down below cat-toxic and cat-safe plants.
Cat-toxic plants
- Aloe
- Crocus
- English Ivy
- Most Lilies
- Certain cacti
- Amaryllis
- Chrysanthemum
- Daisy
- Daffodils
- Narcissus
- Marijuana
- Oleander
- Sago Palm
- Tulips
Cat-safe plants
- Spider plants
- Kentia plants
- Olive trees
- Echeveria succulents
- Haworthia succulents
- Zamioculca
- Peperomia
- Ferns
- Calathea
- Tillandsia air plants
- Grasses
- Staghorn ferns
- Lemongrass
- Maranta
Final Thoughts
Once you’re all done safeguarding your greenery from your feline friend, why not take a few shots of the space and share them online? You might even get a chance to win exciting prizes. Just like when you join Frank Salt Real Estate’s #MyGreenCorner? Want know what’s up for grabs? Click on this link for more details.
