Keeping cats out of houseplants doesn’t have to be a constant battle. In this post, I will show you several methods you can use to stop cats from eating, digging, knocking over, or pooping in plants.
Let’s face it, sometimes cats and houseplants are not a good mix. I don’t know about you, but my kitties love my indoor plants. They think they have their own private jungle over here.
Keeping kitty out of your houseplants can be very frustrating. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve had cats almost as long as I’ve had indoor plants.
So I’ve had to deal with everything from my cats eating my plants, to digging in the soil, knocking them over, or occasionally pooping in houseplants.
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Why Is My Cat Eating My Plants?
There are lots of reasons why cats eat plants. It could be because they’re board and feeling mischievous, or simply because they like the flavor.
When I asked our veterinarian about it, she told me that sometimes they do it to try to sooth an upset stomach, or to make themselves vomit when they don’t feel well (ewe!).
It’s funny, because some cats seem to be obsessed with houseplants, while others could care less about them. I’ve had several kitties over the years, and only a couple of them actually ate my plants.
Heck, my latest kitten even thought it was fun to pull plants right out of their pots, ugh!
How To Keep Cats Out Of Houseplants
Over the years, I’ve learned many tricks to keep cats out of houseplants. These methods are easy to use, and they are all very effective.
So rest assured, you don’t need to get rid of your indoor plants (or your kitty, gasp!). Below are my best tips to cat-proof houseplants.
Related Post: 15 Pet Friendly Indoor House Plants
1. Train Your Cat To Stay Away From Plants
Believe it or not, you can train cats to stay away from your indoor plants. All you need is a clean spray bottle and some regular tap water.
Simply fill the spray bottle with water, and set it to the strongest stream. The next time your cat tries to get into your plants, give kitty a quick spray in the butt with water.
After the first few times, you probably won’t need to spray them anymore. Just the sound of me shaking the water in the spray bottle is enough to make my cats run away as fast as possible.
2. Cover The Pot To Keep Your Kitty Out
Creating a barrier over the pot is another effective way to keep cats out of houseplants. I use aluminum foil to cover the pots because my cats don’t like it. It’s ugly, but it works like a charm to deter them.
If that doesn’t work for you, then try some other barrier, like chicken wire or double sided tape. Be careful using tape though. I can’t use it because one of my cats tries to eat the tape (weirdo!).
3. Cover The Soil To Stop Cats From Digging In Plants
If you don’t like the idea of covering the whole pot, then try using a soil cover instead. This is a nice option because you can get creative with it, and use it to add a decorative touch to your indoor plants.
When my kitten was brand new, I used discarded wine corks to cover the soil on one of my larger plants. Not only did it stop her from digging in the soil, but she’s lost interest in the plant all together.
Other options for soil covers include decorative rock, marbles, vase filler pebbles, pine cones, or faux moss rocks. All of these work great to stop cats from digging in plants soil (and pooping in them).
Be careful what you choose to use here though. My kitten loved using the corks as toys, and I used to find them scattered around the house.
So be sure to use something that is safe, just in case your cat decides to make it a toy too.
4. Use Repellent Spray To Keep Cats Out Of Houseplants
Cat repellent spray is another option to try, and it works great to keep cats out of houseplants (it also prevents them from chewing on your shoes, but that’s a story for another day).
I use bitter apple spray, which is non-toxic, and has a pleasant odor. Cats hate the taste and smell of it though. So not only will they stay away, it will stop cats from eating plants as well.
I have used this spray on plants to keep cats away, and have never had any problems.
But, like any other type of spray, it’s best to test it on a few leaves before dousing the whole plant, to make sure there’s no damage.
5. Protect Indoor Plants From Your Fur Baby
Another method for keeping cats out of houseplants is to create a barrier around the entire plant. This option is perfect for protecting smaller plants from curious kitties.
Don’t worry, I’m not talking about wrapping your plants in aluminum foil or poultry netting here.
Try using a mini indoor greenhouse, a fun decorative birdcage, a beautiful glass cloche, or a cute wire plant cover.
Not only will it look nice, but it will keep cats from knocking over plants, chewing on them, and digging (or pooping!) in the dirt.
6. Put Your Plants Out Of Reach
Perhaps the most effective way to keep cats out of houseplants is to put plants somewhere that kitty can’t get to them.
If there are plants your cat loves best, then grow those in a room your fur babies aren’t allow in.
Another good place is up high where your cat can’t jump, like hanging from the ceiling, or set on top of your kitchen cabinets. The only problem with this is that it makes it harder for you to reach them too.
Keeping cats out of houseplants can be challenging, and it may take some time to get the hang of. But try out a few of your favorite options, and see which one works the best. Soon you’ll find the perfect combination for cat-proofing houseplants.
If you want to learn all there is to know about maintaining healthy indoor plants, then you need my Houseplant Care eBook. It will show you everything you need to know about how to keep every plant in your home thriving. Download your copy now!
More About Houseplant Pests
- How To Get Rid Of Houseplant Bugs Naturally
- Where Do Houseplant Pests Come From?
- Natural Pest Control For Houseplants
- Fungus Gnats vs Fruit Flies: What’s The Difference?
Share your tips for keeping cats out of houseplants in the comments section below.
Chrissy says
My local plant expert says that spider plants are like catnip to cats. nothing works with those and my cats. If I leave the door open to where I have them down where the cats can reach them… they will eat the whole plant. They never bother my succulents so I’ve started embracing those more and more
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yep, cats do tend to favor certain plants, but at least yours likes one that’s is non-toxic, so that’s a relief! The bitter apple spray I linked to above works great to keep my cats from eating my plants. But your plan to embrace the ones they don’t like is a good one!
Roberta Campbell says
My cats literally pull the plant out of the pot scattering soil EVERYWHERE(the heavens for Dyson) bought “special spray ” they laughed & pulled plant out again soil EVERYWHERE Will try the vicks vapour rub Fingers crossed!!!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no! The spray works like a charm for my cats, they hate it! So definitely make sure you’re dousing the soil rather than just lightly spraying it. They also really hate aluminum foil, so try wrapping the top of the pots and the bottom stem of the plants with that, and see if it deters them. Good luck!
Devona says
I like to pick up shells and pretty rocks when I go to the beach, so I always have a stash of them around. Whenever I have a plant with a lot of bare dirt in the pot, I put a few of my shells and rocks in the pot. That usually deters the pooping and digging. It works really well for outdoor pots as well.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great idea! Cats don’t like to dig in things that are sharp, so I bet this works great! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Kimm says
I believe every cat I’ve adopted has, at some point, tried all the things you described. It can be frustrating, but I still love them.
Other things I have tried are covering the po with Press & Seal. This works well, looks better than tin foil, the light can get through & I can pull it back for watering and reseal it. I’ve also used Vicks Vapo Rub around the edge of the container. The cats do not like the smell. This works well for other things you want your cats to stay away from. Such as the Christmas tree. Rub around the stand and I also place cotton balls with Vicks in the branches. (I have an artificial tree).
Now if I can just get one of the cats to stay off the counters.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Haha, my cats too! That’s why I have so much experience with keeping them out of houseplants, LOL! Thanks for adding your ideas. I’ve never tried the vapor rub, but definitely will. My cats are obsessed with the Christmas tree!
April says
My plant eater eats tape too!! He’s the only one of my tribe to have any interest. He also loves beer. Anyway, he only has one eye, and can only see movement out of the other- so he can catch a fly in mid air but often runs with reckless abandon into door frames. He’s all but destroyed my beautiful money tree… poor thing only has 1 long shoot and some small ones trying to thrive at the base, but he keeps gnawing on the leaves or breaking the new growth- the pot is big, and the shoot, tall- so while I love all your ideas, nothing really fits my particular plant problem (he can’t see foil, the young shoots at the bottom are likely to have an adverse reaction to bitter Apple so new on the scene, and it’s just too big of a plant/pot to raise up to keep out of reach- any ideas you might have, knowing my struggle, are welcomed- I put forks in my ficus, but the root system in the money tree doesn’t allow for this “I dare you to hop in here” option (which was brilliant at getting another one of my cats to stop peeing in the ficus. I can’t bear to watch the carnage anymore, haha.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Haha, I have one plant eater (the stinker in the first picture), and one tape eater! Cats are so weird! The plant eater has caused all of the damage you see in the photos in this post. Most of the time, I think she just does it to get attention. She doesn’t destroy plants like she used to, but still likes to snack on a few of them, grrr! Anyway, the only thing that will keep my plant eater from snacking on her favorites is to lock the plants in a spare bedroom where the cats aren’t allowed. If you don’t have a room that you can close off, then I would try spraying the pot and soil with the bitter apple spray. I started using it on the things that my kitty loves to destroy, and just the smell of it makes her turn and run away. So, even if you don’t spray it directly on the leaves, the smell alone may deter your cat. Then I would get very strict with the spray bottle of water, and give her/him a quick shot (or threaten to) every time he/she goes near the plant. Hope one of these ideas will work!