Have you ever noticed that your plant's leaves have little bites taken out of them? Perhaps you have found dirty paw prints tracked all over the floor, or have smelled urine in a plant's soil.
This cat behaviour problem has been experienced by almost every pet owner, and can be quite bothersome to those with a green thumb.
In addition, many plants can be poisonous if ingested by a cat, which is why it is very important inform yourself about the plants in your home.
Luckily, this plant-eating behaviour can be easily solved if you are able to take the right precautions to keep kitty away from your plants.
Hide the Plants The best deterrent for saving your plants is to keep them out of your kitty's sight.
Keep the plants in a room with the door closed, or invest in shelves or hanging baskets to keep the plants out of your cat's reach.
Get Rid of Old Smells If you have been unfortunate enough to experience the cat behaviour problem of urinating in a plant's soil, you are likely frustrated with the overpowering scent leftover in the plant.
To get rid of this unwanted smell, simply add vinegar to the soil.
When the vinegar is thoroughly mixed into the dirt, the leftover scent of cat urine should be gone and will no longer attract your kitty to the plant.
Spray a Bitter Flavour on the Leaves Chewing on plants can actually be quite dangerous as many plants are poisonous for cats.
The ASPCA has provided a list of plants that are poisonous to cats, which can be found here: http://www.
aspca.
org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-cats.
If your kitty has been nibbling on a plant's leaves the best deterrent is bitter apple or orange spray.
One bite of a leaf that has been spritzed with this flavour will keep your cat away from the plant for good.
Although the deterrents are not dangerous to ingest, be sure not to spray your kitty with them, as they can be harmful to his eyes, nose, and skin.
Scent the Soil Cats are very sensitive to scents, and have a strong distaste for many fragrances including citrus fruits and eucalyptus.
To keep your feline out of the soil, bury fresh citrus rinds in the soil, or mix a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil into the dirt.
Your kitty will definitely not want to dig in this smelly soil.
Add Texture to the Dirt A feline can be very finicky when it comes to walking on strange textures.
Placing pinecones or gravel into the dirt will make your cat think twice before he decides to walk or dig in a plant's soil.
Remember, your feline friend is not trying to frustrate you by demonstrating this cat behaviour problem.
Often this behaviour is due to curiosity and an affinity for the outdoors.
Understanding why cats are attracted to plants and taking the precautions suggested in this article will keep your kitty away from any plants in your home.
This will also assure you that both your plants and your cat are safely living together in your home.
This cat behaviour problem has been experienced by almost every pet owner, and can be quite bothersome to those with a green thumb.
In addition, many plants can be poisonous if ingested by a cat, which is why it is very important inform yourself about the plants in your home.
Luckily, this plant-eating behaviour can be easily solved if you are able to take the right precautions to keep kitty away from your plants.
Hide the Plants The best deterrent for saving your plants is to keep them out of your kitty's sight.
Keep the plants in a room with the door closed, or invest in shelves or hanging baskets to keep the plants out of your cat's reach.
Get Rid of Old Smells If you have been unfortunate enough to experience the cat behaviour problem of urinating in a plant's soil, you are likely frustrated with the overpowering scent leftover in the plant.
To get rid of this unwanted smell, simply add vinegar to the soil.
When the vinegar is thoroughly mixed into the dirt, the leftover scent of cat urine should be gone and will no longer attract your kitty to the plant.
Spray a Bitter Flavour on the Leaves Chewing on plants can actually be quite dangerous as many plants are poisonous for cats.
The ASPCA has provided a list of plants that are poisonous to cats, which can be found here: http://www.
aspca.
org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-cats.
If your kitty has been nibbling on a plant's leaves the best deterrent is bitter apple or orange spray.
One bite of a leaf that has been spritzed with this flavour will keep your cat away from the plant for good.
Although the deterrents are not dangerous to ingest, be sure not to spray your kitty with them, as they can be harmful to his eyes, nose, and skin.
Scent the Soil Cats are very sensitive to scents, and have a strong distaste for many fragrances including citrus fruits and eucalyptus.
To keep your feline out of the soil, bury fresh citrus rinds in the soil, or mix a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil into the dirt.
Your kitty will definitely not want to dig in this smelly soil.
Add Texture to the Dirt A feline can be very finicky when it comes to walking on strange textures.
Placing pinecones or gravel into the dirt will make your cat think twice before he decides to walk or dig in a plant's soil.
Remember, your feline friend is not trying to frustrate you by demonstrating this cat behaviour problem.
Often this behaviour is due to curiosity and an affinity for the outdoors.
Understanding why cats are attracted to plants and taking the precautions suggested in this article will keep your kitty away from any plants in your home.
This will also assure you that both your plants and your cat are safely living together in your home.
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