Keeping your Plants and Clothes and Other Things Safe.
- Cat Love
- Nov 6, 2017
- 4 min read
In this blog I am going to talk about a few simple solutions to keep your plants, furniture and clothing safe from your occasionally destructive cat. There are many causes of your cat using your possessions in the ways they see fit. It could be the fact that their wild instincts are kicking in, or maybe they are bored, or maybe their not able to meet their various need with the items you have provided. Cats are also very sensitive creature and are easily offended, and sometimes they can get a little malicious if their feelings are hurt. Below I am going to explain ways to protect your items as well as a short explanation as to why they may be targeting those areas.
First I am going to talk about plants..... cats love plants.
The first issue I will address is them using the pot of the plant as a litter-box. Essentially there are two reasons as to why cats are using the plant pot as a litter-box.
Their litter-box is dirty and smells. Cats do not like the smell of a litter-box because their wild instincts have taught them to hide their waste and smell to avoid attracting predators. Obviously your litter-box in your home is probably safe from predators but they don't understand that. Make sure you scoop the litter-box at least every other day, and everyday if you have a multi-kitty home.
The dirt is just an easy alternative to satisfy their bathroom needs. If this is the case then I recommend getting a plant cover. You can usually find them at places like Home Hardware and other Home and Garden stores
Next I will talk about cats damaging the plants themselves and tricks on how to stop them.
The first problem here is your cat is eating the plant. This is a very common problem but have no fear there are definitely solutions.
WARNING SOME PLANTS ARE TOXIC AND DEADLY MAKE SURE YOUR CATS ARE NOT EATING THESE PLANTS
Azalea
English Ivy
Aloe Vera
Lily
Dieffenbachia, also referred to as dumb cane
Philodendron, commonly known as the hurricane or Swiss cheese plant
Poinsettia and Mistletoe
Sago Palm
Hydrangea
Oleander
Now I will explain some ways to discourage your cat from eating your plants, and/or scratching at your plants.
There are sprays on the market which discourage your cat from licking, scratching, and attacking.
These products produce a smell which can only be detected by your cat and discourages eating and scratching etc.
The next option is to build or buy a wire mesh netting. Home Hardware and other similar places should have what you need.
The third option, is to use water as a deterrent. Hands Down it is the best way to train your cat. A simple $2.00 spray bottle from Dollarama will work great. Whenever the cat scratches, or performs unwanted behavior, simply spray 1 or two sprays from a slight distance. The key is you don't exactly want the cat to know it came from you, or they will just get sneaky and do things when you are not home.
Having your cat go after your clothes sucks, and almost every cat owner has thrown away 1 peed on pieve of clothing, so why do they do it and how do you stop it?
First I am going to say it again, YOUR CATS LITTER-BOX NEEDS TO BE CLEAN.
Ok so if you have a clean litter-box then here are some tips.
First off are there clothes scattered about? Do the make a good burying spot? If so then the first step is to get your clothes off the floor either hung up or in a laundry basket.
If you find your cat going in the clothes in the laundry basket you may want to think about getting a laundry basked with a closing lid like the one in the picture above. Again I would recommend a deterrent spray, sprayed on the exterior of your laundry basket.
If you still having issues with your cat going where they shouldn't especially if they are going in open areas it is a good idea to book an appointment with your local veterinarian.
Next I will talk a bit about furniture
Leather - Just Don't! Trust me on this one, there is no level of deterrent nor training that will keep your leather safe with cats, they will damage it, somewhere, somehow at some-point. They don't mean to they just will.
For other furniture, the squirt gun or deterrent spray tactics work best.
Try putting a cover on your couch/chair to ad an extra layer of fabric between the cat and the furniture. This will help to prevent normal cat wear and tear, if cats feel unsteady on a surface they will walk with their claws slightly extended for added security. Click on the picture to buy a cover now. (or click here)
For tables and kitchen chairs or anything else with wooden legs, they sell wrap around scratching posts.
Click on the picture to browse wrap around scratching posts (or click here)
That concludes my tips and tricks for the day. Thanks so much for reading my article. I hope you have found it helpful. If you have any feedback we would love to hear it. Contact us by email or Facebook.
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