How to protect indoor plants from a cat?

Most often, cats are interested in a plant either for play purposes or as a treat. Interestingly, the reasons why a pet behaves in one way or another are completely different. Therefore, the methods of dealing with a bad cat habit are also different. How to understand what is missing in a cat?

If a cat plays with a plant

An animal can choose any plant as a game object – from homemade basil seedlings to ferns and even aloe. The cat is attracted by its bizarre shapes, swaying leaves and even such an interesting earth in a pot.

Most often, a pet starts playing with a plant either from boredom or from a lack of education. Therefore, first of all, you should pay attention to the lifestyle of the pet.

If the cat nibbles on the leaves

When it comes to eating disorders, the problem is most likely in the cat’s diet. The pet lacks rough, hard food, which helps his digestion. Therefore, if you notice that a cat is staring at your favorite flower, try to take measures to save it as soon as possible.

The trouble is that many houseplants are poisonous. and even deadly for pets. Therefore, the owner should know which plants need to be isolated from the pet.

How to protect flowers?

1. If the pet just loves to play with the potty, first you need to think about his upbringing. But you can’t punish, scream, and even more so beat a cat. Most likely, this will only aggravate the situation, especially if the pet is touchy. Cats do not respond well to negative reinforcement.

2. Try to spend more time with the cat, play with it more often, run around the house, hunt for a toy – in a word, exhaust it so that the thought of forbidden entertainment does not even visit it.

3. If your cat uses a plant pot as a litter box, you should litter train your pet. This will require patience and strength from the owner, but this is a necessary skill.

4. The easiest method to protect flowers is to limit the cat’s access to them. Hang your favorite plants, perhaps then the pet will stop terrorizing them. True, there is a certain risk in this: suddenly the cat will be even more interested in falling leaves.

5. You can also restrict access to plants using an iron mesh on the windowsill. If the cat is addicted to earth in pots, stones or shells that can be placed inside will help.

6. One of the most effective methods against eating leaves is to grow grass that you can give to your pet. Pet stores sell special plant seeds for pets that need to be germinated at home. These include catnip, yarrow, parsley, and, of course, cereals, including oats, wheat, and barley.

7. A rather radical method of protection is repellent. You can buy it at the pet store or make your own. Spray directly on the flowers. As a rule, it contains citrus essential oils and other odors that repel animals.

Starting the fight against the bad habits of a cat, remember: the first step is to establish the cause of unwanted behavior. If your pet is deficient in vitamins and nutrients, consult your veterinarian about the diet. If the pet is just bored, you may be giving him little time. More games, attention and affection, and then the cat is unlikely to play pranks.

April 2 2018

Updated: April 12, 2018