{"id":4607,"date":"2009-12-14T09:00:32","date_gmt":"2009-12-14T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nybg.org\/wordpress\/?p=4607"},"modified":"2011-04-11T11:53:50","modified_gmt":"2011-04-11T15:53:50","slug":"tip-of-the-week-how-to-deter-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/2009\/12\/tip-of-the-week\/tip-of-the-week-how-to-deter-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"Tip of the Week: How to Deter Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nSonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education.<\/span><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

I was reading a magazine article recently that suggested placing tomato cages under bird feeders to keep cats away. It reminded me that I am often asked by homeowners how to keep their cats from eating their houseplants. Here are my suggestions.<\/p>\n

1. Cats hate the smell of citrus\u2014place an orange peel on top of the soil.<\/p>\n

2. Place gravel or pebbles as a mulch around your plants to stop cats from digging in the soil.<\/p>\n

3. Spray plant leaves with a homemade blend of water, a few drops of Tabasco sauce, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. <\/p>\n

4. Cats don\u2019t like getting wet. Keep a loaded spray bottle close to your plants and give the cat a quick spritz if it approaches restricted areas.<\/p>\n

5. Tape balloons to the sides of your plant pots\u2014the noise of a bursting balloon will scare away your cat and train it to avoid your plants.<\/p>\n

6. Give your cat plenty of toys to play with so it is not bored when alone in the home.<\/p>\n

7. Grow plants that have odors unappealing to cats such as citrus, mint, lavender, and rosemary.<\/p>\n

Of course, cats being cats, some of these suggestions might work and others will just encourage them to be even more menacing and destructive with your treasured houseplants. A trip to a pricey kitty psychologist may be in the cards.<\/p>\n

Some common houseplants that are either poisonous or can cause allergic reactions in cats include aloe (Aloe vera<\/em>), amaryllis (Amaryllis<\/em>), asparagus fern (Asparagus sprengeri<\/em>), avocado (Persea americana<\/em>), dumb cane (Dieffenbachia<\/em>), elephant ear, (Caladium<\/em>), kalanchoe (Kalanchoe<\/em>), peace lily (Spathiphyllum<\/em>), and swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa<\/em>). For a complete list, visit the ASPCA\u2019s Web site<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education. I was reading a magazine article recently that suggested placing tomato cages under bird feeders to keep cats away. It reminded me that I am often asked by homeowners how to keep their cats from eating their houseplants. Here are my suggestions. 1. Cats hate the smell of… <\/p>\n

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