How to Keep Houseplants and Cats Together
Learn Your Cat’s Plant Personality Type and How to Keep Houseplants and Cat’s Together Under One Roof!
They say that plant lady is the new cat lady, but who says that it has to be one or the other? You most certainly can enjoy your indoor jungle alongside your beloved cat. It may require some adjustments, depending on your cat’s personality. Here we will discuss your cat’s plant personality type and some tips and solutions for having houseplants and cats together under one roof.
Personality #1: The Nibbler
Noticing tiny holes on your plant leaves and stems? You may have a nibbler in your household. You may have the elusive night nibbler or the brazen leaf munching that they boldly display in from of your very eyes. It might seem harmless, it can be incredibly dangerous. Many houseplants are toxic and can cause your nibbler illness, discomfort or even death. Even houseplants that have been deemed nontoxic by the ASPCA website may still induce vomiting, diarrhea, or skin irritation in your cat. The ASPCA website has a full detailed list of plant toxicity and is an important resource to consider before bringing any plant into a home with pets. Here’s a list of my top 10 pet-friendly houseplants if you’re looking for ideas!
Solution: Keep Plants out of Reach, Cat Grass, Cat Deterrents
So what do you do to keep your nibbler and your plants safe from harm? First, I’d suggest making sure any toxic plants are not accessible to your cat. You can read the full article on pets and plants here. A few tips for keeping plants out of reach from cats:
- Moving plants to a raised shelf,
- Hanging your plants,
- Using a cloche or terrarium
If the plant does not post an imminent danger to your nibbler, you can try bitter sprays (Bitter Apple is a good one). Make sure you test it first on a small leaf to ensure that it won’t damage your particular houseplant.
You can also buy cat grass from your local pet store or grocery stores to keep your nibbler distracted. You can designate them their own plants to nibble!
Personality #2: The Terminator
Sometimes if a Nibbler goes unchecked, things can escalate quickly. Some kitties just want to watch the world burn. You may find your beloved spider plant a heap of mulch one morning, nothing to be salvaged. And your kitty may be nearby with a smug look in his or her eye. You’ve got yourself a Terminator!
Solution: Protection Barrier, Keep Out Of Reach
Drastic times call for drastic measures! A barrier of protection is needed, and preferably a sturdy one! A cloche, a decorative bird cage, a terrarium may be some options, depending on the size of your plant.
Floating shelves, hanging planters and keeping the plant in an unreachable spot are also great ideas to keep the destruction at bay. If your Terminator also keeps coming back, as they do, you may need to get creative. Consider shelf crowding, building an unreachable ledge and even doubling up efforts (for example a cloche….on a high shelf!)
You may also want to consider having an inaccessible room designated for plants only.
Personality #3: The Boxer
Many different types of foliage embody your cat’s favourite toys. Bouncy leaves, droopy leaves, dangling foliage! These all make the perfect punching bag for your cat to swat at and play with. If your plant is on the losing side of a tiny, furry Rocky Balboa, it may suffer leaf damage or potentially be in for a “knockout” resulting in soil all over the floor. If this sounds like your curious and playful fur baby, then they are probably “The Boxer”!
Solution: Enrichment, Elevated Plant Stands
Cats are curious by nature, and your tiny boxer is no exception! Providing cats with enrichment in the form of toys and activities will not only contribute to your cat’s overall health and wellbeing, but can curb any unsavoury behaviour, because their essentials are met. Spending a good amount of time actively playing (simulating prey movement to engage their hunter instinct) with your cat will tire them out and will curb boredom and their desire to get into trouble.
A resource that I found incredibly helpful understanding the kitty psyche is Jackson Galaxy. This isn’t sponsored in any way, but I highly recommend his advice to all cat owners, not just Boxer roommates.
Another simple way to reduce temptation is plant stands! Elevated plant stands will remove your plants from the ground and safely away from you Boxer cat territory.
Personality #4: The Cuddler
Perhaps your kitty has a lot in common with you…you both share a love for plants so strong you could just cuddle them! Your cuddler cat will rub their face on your plants, do the kitty head-butt, stare lovingly into your plant’s beautiful foliage. Sounds pretty harmless, right? It can be, but there’s the risk that you could have a plant casualty if it gets knocked over with all of that lovin’, so you may want to take some precautions!
Solution: Sturdy Pots, Crowding, Scent Soakers
If your cuddler cat’s behaviour is causing you some tipped over plants, but is otherwise not causing your cat or plants any harm, your solution could be as simple as a heavy ceramic pot to weigh it down.
Another helpful trick is crowding shelves and tables to prevent access to more delicate plants, and keeping the hardier plants and pots around the perimeter for anti-cuddle protection.
One last thing to consider is that our cuddler may not actually be cuddling your plants, but using its glands to mark your plants with his or her scent. Keeping items like scratching posts, cat beds, and toys available in each room of your house will help with territorial insecurities that your cat may be dealing with. This will keep the “cuddling” at bay.
Personality #5: The Botanist
And last but not least, another “helpful” kitty gone horribly wrong. You may detect an unpleasant odour emanating from your larger house plants. You know, the magnificent fiddle leaf tree you’ve spent months researching and placed perfectly in optimum sunlight? Your little botanist may be giving it a little extra “fertilizer” while also reliving himself a the same time. Foul olfactory issues aside, the chemicals in your cats urine and feces can damage your plants. What is a plant parent to do?
Solution: Litter Boxes are Better!
If you’re dealing with a larger plant that you cannot simply move elsewhere, your mission is to make your plant pot a less appealing place for your cat to do their business. Then, make your household litter boxes a better alternative.
First, I’d recommend discarding the soil or potting media that has been contaminated and starting fresh. You want to remove the smell of urine or feces not just for yourself, but to make sure that your Botanist doesn’t return to their marked loo.
After that, there are many deterrents that you can use to make that plant soil unappealing. Cayenne Pepper and Citrus are unappealing to cats so you can sprinkle some cayenne pepper or citrus peels into you soil. This does, however, require some upkeep. It’s not an ideal solution because it could invite mould or other pests. You may want to consider using larger stones to cover the soil so your little botanist will not want to dig around. Avoid gravel or smaller stones as it may create the opposite effect and mimic their litter box.
Another helpful tip is to make sure that your cat has access to many litter boxes! If you plant is perched next to a window, it may be less about the opportunity to use the bathroom after all. Your cat could be marking that territory with his or her scent to ward off outdoor cats on the other side of that window. You may want to keep a litter box nearby this location to end this behaviour.
Once again, I will refer you to Jackson Galaxy if you want to learn more because he has an incredible library of expertise on this matter.
In Summary:
Whether you share your home with the boxer, the cuddler, or even the terminator, do not lose hope! You can keep plants and cats together by learning a bit more about your cat’s personality and habits and adjusting your indoor jungle accordingly. A lesson that we can all take from our kitties…where there’s a will there’s a way!
What type of planty personality is your kitty, and how do you deal with it? Let me know if you’d be interested in a part two for this article, because each cat is unique! Don’t forget to check out my Instagram @plantyquirkyblogger to follow my plant journey.
