How do I keep my cat from chewing or peeing on my plants?

He loves to chew on the plants %26amp; go in the dirt and make his business. I had to throw out alot of plants because of his crazy little behind. He's 4 yrs old.



I thought about buying fake plants but they arent the same as real plants, real plants are better.



Anyone have any advice on how to keep my cat from damaging my plants?

How do I keep my cat from chewing or peeing on my plants?
well we have this big plant spray bottle we got in the gardening area at walmart and it shoots really far so when our cat claws the carpet or couch we shoot her w/ water, but at night we can't catch her so I have sprayed the pet away where she normally scratches and it helps....the smell is bad, but it's better that having a hole in my couch.



as far as the plants we sprinkle them w/ red pepper....for some reason dogs nor cats don't like it, but you have to re-sprinkle after rain or after several days.



Good Luck!!
Reply:About the furniture clawing.... take a look at the scratching posts. Are they tall enough for your cat to stretch his body completely? Are they made of a material that the cat can dig his claws into? If the answer to one or both questions is no, your cat may have decided that the furniture (which likely meets both requirements) is more satisfactory.



If you see him scratching furniture that isn't "his", redirect him to what he's supposed to scratch on. Every time you catch him scratching the right things, praise him! Cats are very sensitive to the tone of your voice, if you praise him when he does it right, he will probably repeat the action.
Reply:Put a towel in the plant to keep the cat out of the soil. I did this and it solved my problemo. The after 2 months I took out towle and the cat forgot all about it. Good LUck!
Reply:I agree with you about not having your cat declawed. It is a terrible procedure.

I keep a spray bottle filled with water and when our cat begins to scratch furniture she get sprayed. She has her own scratch pole for that. Furniture is not to be scratched.

As for the plants spray whenever she eats them or defecates in them. You could also sprinkle cayenne pepper on the soil. She won't like that.
Reply:Cats are frequently fascinated with houseplants. However, you may not appreciate the attention, which can range from chewing on the plant leaves to digging or peeing in the plant soil.



For chewing, try spraying Grannicks Bitter Apple (there are formulations specifically for use on plants) on the leaves. Dusting cayenne pepper on them may also help, but is not as long-lasting. You may wish to grow some grass or catnip for them as an alternative; plants do provide them with needed nutrients (the absence of which may be causing their grazing).



For digging or urinating, cover the dirt with aluminum foil or gravel. You can also use Sticky Paws for Plants. If the plant needs it, add some vinegar to the soil to counteract the ammonia in the urine.





about carpet



Scratching is a territorial instinct by which cats place their mark and establish their turf. Through scratching, cats mark their domains with more than just visible signs of claw marks. Cat's paws also have scent glands that leave their own special scent on their territory.



And this is why they mark the most visible portions of your house. It's Kitty's way of adding her own personal touch to your (and her) home. Her version of interior decorating.



Remember that an important part of scratching is the cat's desire to mark a territory, so a scratching post should be in an area that's used by the family, not hidden in a back corner. After a time you can move the post away to the periphery of the room, but you'll need to do this gradually.



Initially, put the post where your cat goes to scratch. This may be by a sofa, a chair or wherever Kitty has chosen as her territiory, and you may need more than one post to cover her favorite spots. Security is a major factor in making the post appealing to your cat. If it topples or shakes, she won't use it. It should either be secured to the floor or have a base wide enough and heavy enough to keep it stable.



Encourage Kitty to use her post with clever enticements. Feed her and play with her by the post. Rub dried catnip leaves or powder into it. Make all the asssociations with the post pleasurable. Reward her with a favorite treat when she uses it. Have her chase a string or a toy around the post or attach toys to it, which will result in her digging her claws into it. Eventually she will learn to love it and regard it as her own. It's also a good idea to put a post where Kitty sleeps. Cats like to scratch when they awaken, especially in the morning and the middle of the night. If space permits, a scratching post in every room of the house is a cat's delight. The most important place is the area of the house in which you and Kitty spend the most time. I have many sisal posts in my house, yet often in the morning my cats line up to use the one in the living room.



If at first Kitty is reluctant to give up her old scratching areas, there are means you can use to discourage her. Covering the area with aluminum foil or double-sided tape is a great deterrent. These surfaces don't have a texture that feels good to scratch.



Remember too that Kitty has marked her favorite spots with her scent as well as her claws. You may need to remove her scent from the areas you want to distract her away from. You will find pet odor removers in pet stores and many supermarkets as well.



Cats have an aversion to citrus odors. Use lemon-scented sprays or a potpourri of lemon and orange peels to make her former scratching sites less agreeable to her.



If Kitty still persists in scratching the furniture, try squirting her with a water gun or a spray bottle set on stream. Another option is a loud whistle or other noise-maker. You must employ these deterrents while she is scratching for them to be effective. The point is to establish an aversion to the spot you don't want her to scratch.



1- Don't declaw!

2- Understand your cat's need to scratch.

3- Forget punishment--it doesn't work.

4- Provide a suitable place for your cat to scratch.

5- Make the scratching post attractive to Kitty-- i.e. use sisal posts.

6- Make the place she's been scratching unattractive--physical or scent related deterrents.

7- Whenever possible, start cats young.

8- You may want to trim your cat's claws.

9- For indoor cats, consider Soft Claws? as extra insurance, or an easy alternative



good luck!!!!!!
Reply:- Put a bunch of toothpicks in the soil or forks

- Put a screen over the soil (cut a hole for the plant obviously)

- Stinky but you could use "liquid deer fence"

- Sprinkle Milorganite in your pots

- Cover the soil with rocks or pebbles

- Cover the soil with astroturf (my cats hate the feeling of that stuff)

- Put double stick tape or the sticky side up around the pot (works with furnature too)

- Get rid of your plants! No fun but less hassle

- Use only hanging plants
Reply:what you need to do is to buy a plant that stinks and then he will learn to just stay away from it.
Reply:I know from experience (with my 2 kittens) that putting river rocks (you can buy them at Wal-Mart or Target in the candle/ decoration section for usually under $3) all over the soil (almost like you're tiling the dirt) really helps keep them out. Plus it makes the plant look very nice having the flat shiny rocks all inside the pot. :)

As for scratching, I haven't gotten that one figured out yet completely. I do know that anything I buy for my kittens, the less they use that item. They appreciate free things. I noticed the scratching is only at its worst after we clip their claws (sort of like they want to file them down to be smooth after being clipped), so maybe direct your cat to an area acceptable for clawing at that time... repeated use may help the cat form a bit of a habit in using whatever you want it to use, rather than a random and more valuable household item. Hope this helps!
Reply:For the plants make him a spot that is his own. Plant some catnip/cat grass in a small pot and stick it in a larger pot with sand or cat litter in it. I have never actually tried this so I don't know if it will work but I think it should.



As far as the furniture goes I suggest a spray bottle with water. This will not completely break him of it but it will help. Try this with the plants too. Also you might try spraying something on the furniture that he doesn't like but you do (all of my cats have learned to leave anything lavender scented alone).



Good luck.
Reply:you could probably give it a scratching post that might cut down its biting and for it doing its bisness in your plants scold it when ever it does and place it in its litter box and tell it do your bisness here and stuff so it might work
Reply:Two words. WATER BOTTLE!!
Reply:I tried the scratching post my cats just preferred my furniture and walls. I had to have their front claws removed. Try the towel thing for the plants and keep the cat litter box clean clean so they know it is a safe clean place to do their business. As far as eating the plants they need greens to help digest the fur balls they swallow when they clean themselves. You can go to most pet stores and buy grass for cats. It is grass designed just for them to eat. Also some cat foods are now designed for indoor cats have greens in them. Still they will want to chew the plants. Try the pet grass though and put it close to their food so they can see it is theirs. Hope that helps
Reply:to prevent your cat from dirtying your carpet or your plants you should give him better food or take him to a place where he loves to be. if you give him better food he will not damage your plant or your carpet. or last chance you can take him to a best veterinary doc.
Reply:For the chewing/biting on the plants or furniture Bitter Apple spray works wonders. it's non-toxic, won't harm most surfaces, and animals hate it's taste. You can cover the dirt with aluminum foil or try moving the plants to a higher area.

Also, cats hate sticky things on their paws, buy some double sided tape, and place it around the things you don't want your cat into, edges of planters, countertops, etc.

There are two ways to train a cat, punish them with water, or distract them with toys/a loud noise (pennies in a can). If you can keep the cat from developing a habit (or once you break their habits) you can take the tape and stuff down. Make sure your cat has plenty of approved things to play with so they are less likely to get bored and mess with the stuff that you don't want them to. also i would consider confining your cat to a safe room with no plants or anything else to get into (if possible) at night or while you are away from the house for very long, especially while you are trying to train the cat, this way they aren't able to "get away" with anything just cause u aren't there. Put food and water, and a litter box in the room along with some toys.

To get your cat to use the scrathing posts try some catnip, take dried catnip and rub it into the surface of the post and sprinkle it around the base of the post as well. Cats react differently to catnip so use sparingly at first until you know how your's will react. It makes some cats really hyper but will put others to sleep.

Bottom line is whatever approach you decide on be consistent and get everyone in your home on board with it. Cats are crafty and will learn who lets them get away with things. Good luck and i hope this helped