Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Any idea how we can dissuade the cat from munching on our houseplants? We have a tonne of them, because my boyfriend inherited them when his parents passed away so they are pretty meaningful to him. We have a plant "forest" set up where we get the most light, which is also Puddy's favourite spot. I'm hoping maybe since she's been in a shelter for a year that she's just excited about "nature", but I feel bad as she munches away because it's really saddening my boyfriend.

Any tips?

Something that has worked for me is to get cat grass, I think it is actually oats. Anyway, you can buy the grass or the seeds at most pet stores. My cats go crazy for it. I just put a little pot of it out and redirect the cat to it. They prefer it to other plants so there is not much effort involved.

The life span of the grass is short. My cat Wolfie (may he rest in peace) used to sit next to the dead cat grass and stare at me if I had not replaced it yet.

Oh, awesome! I didn't even know such a thing existed. Thanks!

Keep Puddy from chomping on those plants. Some could be poisonous to her!

so, is it pronounced like pudding or putting (on a golf course)? :-)

i keep pronouncing it like putting because of elaine's boyfriend.

We actually know which ones are poisonous and evidently, so does she. She stays away from them!

I'm excited to try this cat grass stuff.

sc, we pronounce it Puddy like Pudding (which is apparently what the person who surrendered her as a kitten to the SPCA called her). But I don't like the Tweety Bird connection. However, it's kind of of sticking. She is a very sweet girl and seems so happy to have a home to run around in.

You can spray the plants with bitter spray, like Bitter Yuck. She may or may not care though.

Yay! I'm so happy to hear that Puddy's making herself at home.

Mrs. Fuzzbutt likes to chomp on houseplants too, and like Butternut mentioned, putting out cat grass seems to help. I believe you can buy it already sprouting, but it grows really fast from seed too. We've got a row of cat grass on the window sill and the 'Butt happily noms that every time she goes into the kitchen.

Edit: My bf just suggested actually putting several pots of cat grass around the house in different places, and at different heights, to make it more interesting for her than the other plants.

that means you can never get a tattoo of her. :-)

I'm pretty excited about this cat grass. Leia's favorite spot is in the bay window, and I bet it would grow nicely there. She can soak up the sun and nosh on grass.

I never really have to advice about keeping pets out of houseplants as all indoor plants come to me to die. Lots of outdoor plants, too. I've killed several mint plants...that takes talent. I hope you get Puddy straightened out.

Cat grass is awesome. Kaylee eats it like I eat a huge bowl of mixed salad. It also keeps her from munching on the tips of the aloe vera leaves, which apparently are delicious. (But of course it doesn't mean that my older cat Neko stays away from them as well, since she usually only stares at cat grass as if I've deliberately insulted her by getting it. Ah well. Kittycats.)

i actually made a really cute cat garden last year, but jack was mostly interested in ripping out the plants and eating the dirt, so it didn't last very long and i haven't tried again. maybe when he's a bit older*.

anyway, these are cat-friendly and make a cute little inside garden: catnip (obvs), persian catmint, valerian, lemongrass (!), cat grass, other grasses like blue fescue, purple fountain grass, sweet grass, ribbon grass, calamint, cat thyme, and silver vine**. i found seeds for pretty much everything online. cat grass i found at target or something really easy like that.

*he also ate a HUGE pot of succulents. ate them. cactii. such an expensive jerk.

**all of these (plus the idea for a cat garden in general) came out of you grow girl

Awesome! I will totally get started on something like that. Lady Puddington is not at all interested in catnip, remarkably, but maybe if I actually grow it she'll be into it.

I wish you luck, but as a warning...all four of my cats eat plants and they stop for nothing. Cat grass and cat nip are sampled, then they move right on to the other plants. Of course, Puddy sounds more on the ball if she skips the poisonous ones. Chloe ate baby's breath, barfed 5 times, then tried to eat more (I thought I'd picked them all out of a bouquet, but she managed to find and eat the only poisonous plants in a huge bouquet).

We bought a tray of wheatgrass today and she has been mowing down on it so happily. The good thing is, she's not really eating it, just chewing the stalks. So hopefully she won't puke, and won't eat the others.

Thanks for the advice, guys!

If she continues to eat the houseplants you dont want her to eat, try getting some all-natural sprays to keep animals off of stuff

we have a problem with another cat getting in our yard, so i bought some spray at the pet store and spray it all over the edge of the yard. Cats and dogs hate it, but it is only herbal stuff and is harmless to them (and to the plants!)

We call it B!tch-be-gone spray. and it works pretty well.

good luck.

wheat grass is a lifesaver! Or at least a plant-saver. Thanks for the tips everyone.

CUTE.

Sorry I had to get it out.

I think the idea of a cat nomming on something is forking cute.