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Since at least March 2020, your plants have been your babies. You carefully chose them, picked out the pots that would fit their size and needs, and watched as they thrived in your new lockdown-hellhole-turned-greenhouse.
Enter: your cat, who also spent all of lockdown with you and, like your plants, continues to live in your home. You’ve done your research to make sure your plant children are not toxic to your cat child, and that’s a good thing because your kitty cannot stop nibbling on the peromia plant in your windowsill.
Facepalm forever.
Why Does My Cat Eat My Plants?
The answer may be unsatisfyingly simple. Wild felines regularly ingest plants, and it seems to be a behavior that our domestic cats have inherited form their ancestors. Many cats eat plants because they enjoy the taste. Others consume plants because they are bored, stressed, or attracted by the movement of the plants.
Related article 8 Pet-Safe Plants Your Cat Can Veg Out On Cats love the crunch of a houseplant. These will do them no harm.
Young cats are more prone to plant-eating than older cats, which suggests that their playfulness and attempts to entertain themselves may be a part of the plant-eating puzzle. There is some evidence that cats — carnivores though they are — take an interest in plants when they need a little help with their digestion. Eating plants is not a way to expel fur balls, though many people have suggested that it is.
Can My Houseplants Be Saved From My Cat?
You’re spending so much time and effort trying to sneak kale into your morning smoothie and get your daily intake of vitamins and greens. Sadly, the only one who’s truly on board is the lone individual who shouldn’t be eating green things — the cat. Your houseplants are suffering from this feline fetish with flowers (and leaves and stems). You want to make sure your cat is safe, first and foremost, and also protect your plants.
What Can Be Done About It?
Behavior change always poses a challenge, and it’s almost always easier with a combination of approaches — some prevention and management, some allowing them to do what comes naturally to them in a safe way, and some active behavioral modification.
Related article 10 Plants Toxic to Cats Beautiful but deadly to feline foragers.
Cats can’t chew on plants they can’t reach, so making your treasured potted plants inaccessible is one part of the plan for harmony in the home. Strategically placing hanging baskets can keep those dangling leaves out of reach — for example — and so can floating shelves. In the case of plants that are truly dangerous to cats, I advise putting them in rooms the cats don’t have access to or even gifting them to cat-free friends for the safety of all. Common toxic houseplants include lilies, philodendrons, English ivy, pothos, snake plants, and dieffenbachia.
Cats find plants appealing, but if we can make them unappealing, the chewing behavior ceases. Many cats don’t care for citrus, so you can put water with lemon, lime, or orange juice in low concentration n a spray bottle and spritz it on house plants. You can also put aluminum foil around the base of the plant; a lot of cats find stepping on foil unpleasant.
Give Them Another Option
Sometimes, the best way to avoid behavioral problems is to offer an acceptable alternative. Create a garden for your cats full of things they can consume like goblins. So, instead of telling your cat not to chew plants at all, you are giving the instruction, “Chew these plants, not those plants.” Catnip, silver vine, cat thyme, and rosemary are all cat-friendly plants to consider, though it’s always wise to check with your veterinarian to find out which options are best for your particular cat.
Related article Sweet Greens: Cat Grass Grow Kits Not to be confused with catnip (or other buds).
Boredom is the enemy of a well-behaved cat, so make it easy for your cat to leave the plants alone by making plenty of other options for entertainment available. Enrichment options include catios and cat trees, boxes to use as tunnels, and food puzzles. Playful cats often love the motion of the leaves and vines of houseplants, so offering opportunities to play in other ways — either with you or with toys on their own — often results in saving the plants.
Basically, in order to save your sweet, fragile plant babies, you just need to put in a little effort to appease your cat. Truly, what’s new?
By Stacia Friedman
Nibbling on grass is a natural behavior for all cats. If you have an outdoor cat, chances are it’s part of your kitty’s daily routine. But if your pet spends all of its time indoors (like most domestic cats), you may want to consider growing cat grass in your home.
Why Do Cats Eat Grass?
“Research has not yet shown why cats eat grass, but we have several ideas,” said Carlo Siracusa, animal behaviorist of University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “In the wild, cats eat grass after they have eaten their prey. In many cases, the grass causes the cat to vomit. We believe this is nature’s way of helping the cat expel the parts of their prey that are indigestible.”
Even if your indoor cat has never caught a mouse or bird, she will instinctively be attracted to cat grass. Why? “It’s a behavioral instinct,” Siracusa says. “Grass is also a form of fiber that helps cats either throw up hairballs or digest them by acting as a laxative.”
Another theory is that cats may eat grass for some trace minerals and the vitamins A and D. Grass also contains chlorophyll, which, before the discovery of antibiotics, was a remedy for pain, infection, ulcers, skin diseases and anemia. Grass also contains folic acid, which helps with the production of hemoglobin, the protein that moves oxygen into the blood to help kitty’s circulation. Plus, there’s the benefit of breath cleansing chlorophyll.
What is Cat Grass?
Not to be confused with catnip, which is a member of the mint family, cat grass is typically grown from rye, barley, oat or wheat seeds. You will find a variety of kitty grass kits at your local pet store, which contain everything you need, including seeds, soil and a potting container. All you’ll need to provide is water and sunlight, and within one week, your cat will have her very own organic garden for safe, healthy nibbling.
“Cat grass is safer than outdoor grass which may have been chemically treated with pesticides,” Siracusa said. “It also gives your cat a healthy alternative to nibbling on houseplants and flowers, many of which are toxic to cats.”
Talk to your veterinarian before you bring any flowers or plants, including cat grass kits, into your home.
Is Cat Grass Safe?
Cat grass is a safe alternative to outdoor grass, which can be treated with weed killers or other pesticides, and to certain houseplants, which can be toxic. It provides your cat with an opportunity to engage in a natural behavior. For outdoor cats, an indoor garden provides a healthy alternative to nibbling on the neighbors’ possibly pesticide-laced lawn. For indoor cats, it offers a delicious taste of the outdoors.
How to Grow Cat Grass
Your cat grass kit will likely come with easy-to-follow directions, but here are some basic tips for caring for and growing cat grass:
Before sprouting, seeds should be kept damp but never soaked. Once sprouts appear, use less water.
Allow three to seven days for seeds to sprout.
The grass will be ready for your cat to eat in 10 to 14 days after sprouting, or once it has reached a height of four inches, and will last one to three weeks.
Continue to keep it in natural light and water daily with a spray bottle.
Do not over water, as this causes mold.
Allow your cat to eat directly from the container.
When the grass starts to wilt or turn color, plant a new container.
Image: Veera / Shutterstock
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