9 Effective Ways to Keep Cats out of Indoor Plants

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If you grow indoor plants and have cats determined to make trouble, that’s a recipe for a disaster!

Having both cats and plants in the same house can cause a series of problems.

The first is that some cats like to chew on leaves, leading to damaged plants or sick kitties.

The second is the simple fact that some cats like to knock things over for the fun of it.

Some cats also like digging in the potted dirt and using it as their litter box. Aside from being unsanitary, this can harm your plants greatly.

So, what can you do to keep your cats out of your indoor plants?

Before you decide between your plants and your pets, try a few of my techniques below to help everyone get along!

1 – Try a Repellent Spray

There are plenty of repellent sprays on the market that can make your cat turn its nose when it gets too close to your plants. If you don’t want store-bought sprays, you can always make your own with household ingredients.

A mix of water and highly perfumed soap (like lavender or citrus) will do the trick. Or, you can use a puree of garlic in water for a similar but more powerful approach.

Some people recommend vinegar sprays because the potent smell is enough to keep the cats away, but I don’t encourage that.

Vinegar may be safe for you and your pets, but it’s still an acid, and it shouldn’t be anywhere near your plants.

2 – Add a Layer of Stone Mulch

Cats like to dig in loose soil and use it for littering, and we all know what houseplants have plenty of: loose soil!

To keep your cat away from your plant’s soil, try adding a layer of heavy pebbles to the surface near the roots.

As long as it’s not too tightly packed, it should still allow water to seep through to the soil underneath. It doesn’t have the same feel as a litter box, so it won’t be tempting for the cats.

You could also use large pieces of smooth glass, rough pine cones, seashells, or broken ceramics if you prefer a more decorative look.

3 – Alter the Placement of Your Plants

You may have to resort to just moving your plants so that your cats can’t reach them. However, that can prove tricky if you’re short on space or if you have determined cats that will still find a way to wreak havoc.

Hanging baskets can be a good idea if they’re not close to any furniture, and containers that mount directly to the wall (no shelf) will do the trick as well. If you don’t want to ruin your aesthetics, macrame plant hangers are a beautiful option to keep your potted plants out of reach.

4 – Create Unpleasant Surroundings

If all else fails to keep the cats away, you’ll have to create unpleasant surroundings to protect your plants. Having something loud and startling happen when the cats jump by can be enough to break the habit.

This works best with plants on a table or shelf where there is extra space around the pots to work with.

For example, you can use some loosely placed tin-foil plates. These will create a racket when knocked over, which will scare the cats awai.

Alternatively, you can create a sticky surface your cat won’t want to walk over.

Double-sided tape laid out between your plant pots can be excellent to create a barrier as long as you don’t allow enough space for jumping around between the tape.

5 – Clean the Litter Box

If your cats are constantly doing their business in your indoor plant pots, a dirty litter may be the cause. If you don’t clean the litter box enough, the cats will start looking for a new place, which is more often than not an innocent house plant.

Make sure the litter box is cleaned frequently, and put it in an easy-to-access place. If the cat keeps avoiding the box even when it’s clean, you may want to consider changing the litter type.

Cats sometimes get picky after years of using the same litter products, so don’t count this out as an issue just because things have long been “fine.”

6 – Provide Plants for Your Cats

If your cats absolutely adore your house plants, it may be time to get them some plants of their own.

A pot of catnip would probably be too loved, but you can keep a pot of mint, cat grass ( a mix of oat or barley grass) or thyme. Cats tend to like these, and they are perfectly safe to be chewed occasionally, so you won’t have to worry about the cats.

Use a couple of the other techniques for your “real” plants, and the new plants should grab the cats’ attention long enough.

7 – Put Orange Peels Nearby

Most animals dislike the citrusy smell of oranges and lemons, and cats are no exception. If the area around your plants constantly smells like oranges, there’s a high chance they’ll stop coming around it.

To achieve that, collect some orange peels and put them around the plant pots. That should keep your cats away for a while, but it’s worth noting that this isn’t a permanent solution.

For starters, you’ll have to replace the peels constantly. Plus, they may start attracting fruit flies, which are even more annoying than cats knocking plants around! So, only use this fix if you have something else in mind but are in a hurry.

8 – Use Physical Barriers

Though this isn’t my favorite solution, it’s sometimes the only option. 

You can keep cats away from your plants if you install some physical barriers, like chicken wire or wire cloches. Some cloche options are decorative enough for indoor plants, but it’s still not a nice look.

If you’re willing for a change, you can get terrarium plants instead. Aside from the great aesthetics, cats won’t be able to get inside the terrariums.

Watch for Toxic Plants

Until you are 100% positive your cats aren’t going to chew on your plants, you should be very cautious about toxicity. 

Several common houseplants are toxic to cats, and you should be aware of the associated risks.

Here are some plants to watch out for:

• Aloe vera
• Begonia
• English ivy
• Dumbcane
• Jade plant
• Lilies
• Chrysanthemum
• Coleus
• Pothos
• Pointsettia
• Tomato

These plants are only poisonous if chewed, so if your cat only digs into the soil or knocks the plant over, there’s no reason to worry.

However, I’m always against taking risks, so I’d advise against keeping these plants in a house that has a cat.

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