Top Tricks to Prevent Cats from Destroying Your Plants
If you have cats in your home, there is probably more than one plant that has suffered the consequences. We don’t know why, but cats are drawn to them. The problem is that if they bite them, and these plants are poisonous to them, they can cause solemn problems. If so, how about a few tricks to prevent cats from destroying your plants?
By applying what we are going to tell you, you will minimize the risk of your cats destroying your plants, eating them or destroying them. Do you want to know how to do it?
animal repellents
One of the first tricks to prevent cats from breaking plants is “chemicals”. In the sense that you will find a selection of pet training fluids on the market. These are actually products that give off a fairly mighty smell to prevent animals from urinating or defecating where they shouldn’t.
For cats, it is used by throwing it on or around plants to prevent the cat from getting close. And before you start wondering: no, this product does not stink, or at least humans typically cannot detect the smell (unlike animals).
Place citrus trees in pots
You can cut the lemon in half and put it in a pot, or grate the peel and throw it into the soil around the plant.
The goal is for citrus fruits (not just lemon but also orange) to act as a barrier for cats, since cats generally don’t like their smell.
Apart from, It has another advantage, in this case for your plants, because the grated peel can be used as fertilizer for your plants.in addition to the lovely decoration at the base of the pot.
bitter apple spray
This option is another way to prevent cats from destroying your plants. You can find them in stores, but if they are not available in stores, you can also make them yourself at home.
Once you have it, spray it all over the plant. It will leave a strange smell and if the cat comes up and smells it or even tastes it, it will run away because it does not like it at all.
Plants that keep cats away
It is a fact that cats are attracted to plants. But not for any plant. And that’s what you can utilize to your advantage.
You see, there are plants like lavender, thyme, basil… that cats can’t stand. That way, if you put them where your cat’s obsessed plants are, they won’t come near them.
The smell, as well as the presence of those he hates, will be enough to keep him away from the others.
Pepper
You probably have black pepper in your kitchen, ground or whole. Boil water and add two tablespoons of black pepper. When it cools, pour the water into a spray bottle and spray it on your plants and soil. The scent that cats emit, sometimes impossible for humans to detect, will deter cats from approaching that place.
Another option, especially with whole black pepper, is to place it in the ground. If possible, because this is more effective, crush it a little to release the scent; otherwise it will be harder for it to work quickly.
Exploit coffee and tea bags
If you drink tea bags, you definitely throw them away after drinking. If you make coffee in a coffee maker (other than capsules), you will also have leftovers, which are great for plants because it is an organic fertilizer and cats are desperate for it.
In fact, it is not normal for a cat to approach you when you are drinking coffee or making it because the smell of it scares them away. Of course there are exceptions.
However, if you have a cat that doesn’t like the smell of tea or coffee, you can try leaving tea or coffee leaves on the ground to act as a barrier.
Tobacco
In this case, you may have an ashtray with water in it where you throw the cigarette butts and ashes, but if you also throw in one or two cigarettes, If you wait a few days for it to rest, this liquid can be perfect as a natural insecticide for your plants (you will avoid pests).
Moreover, this is one of the methods you can utilize to keep cats away from your plants, since cats do not like the smell of tobacco at all.
Clove oil
We continue with more tricks to prevent cats from destroying plants. In this case, he hit the nail on the head. Or, to be more precise, clove oil. And that’s it, If you take a cotton ball, soak it in this oil and put it on the plants, your cat will not want to go near them.
If you have plants with enormous and statuesque leaves, you can also rub the leaves with cotton wool to prevent the cat from thinking about jumping on them (instead of the base).
Metal net
We know that for houseplants, putting a metal mesh or fabric or something similar is not the best solution, because it makes the corner ugly. However, this can be considered a fleeting situation. Sometimes cats, for a change, approach plants, sniff them, bite them… because for them it is something engaging.
However, over time they become accustomed to the location and as long as they are not attracted to the plants, the netting can aid educate the cats and keep the plants protected.
If they come close and you are close, it is best to have a spray bottle of water handy to teach them that they do not belong there.
And if nothing works…
It may happen that despite all the tricks to prevent cats from destroying your plants, the cat will ignore them and continue doing its thing. In such a situation, the only solution is to remove the plants and move them to a place where the cat cannot access. We know it’s complicated, but this is the only option you have to enjoy your plants without endangering your cat’s health.
Do you know any more tricks to aid keep cats from destroying your plants?