If you have a cat, you'll know too well that these animals are intelligent and very curious, always wanting to explore the world around them. So owners must pay close attention to their behavior to keep them completely safe and free of hazards indoors.
It's important you watch them as much as possible, particularly by watching how your cat behaves in the garden because many plants are toxic to them and can be a risk to their health. Here are some tips in OneHowTo.com so you know how to keep cats from eating plants to ensure their safety.
Cats love playing with flowers and plants, whether they scrape the soil around them or simply chew or scratch them, but this can often be dangerous for them. If you have a cat at home, it is highly recommended you keep them away from apple and peach trees, poinsettias, eucalyptus, marijuana, tulips, azaleas, begonias etc; as they are highly toxic for cats. Moreover, any plants which may present a danger to your pet should be removed or moved to a more secluded spot in your garden, so as to avoid any accidents.
We tend to believe that nature knows best and that pets will only ever eat plants or foods that they know will benefit them. In reality, they don't always know the difference between a toxic plant and another that is not. It is important they get used to not eating or playing with garden plants from an early age.
When you go out to the garden with your cat, it is important you observe their behavior. If you see them looking closely at plants or playing with them, you need to gently move them away and say NO forcefully. This should be repeated every time you see this behavior. This way your pet will soon understand that they're not allowed to do this.
As you can't always stay on top of your cat's every move, there are other simple tricks that will dissuade your animal from playing with plants. First, place orange peel on the ground as this has an acidic smell which is very unpleasant to cats. As a result, they won't want to come close to the plants.
A cloth soaked well in clove oil and placed around plants in the soil is another good way of deterring your animal, because it has an unpleasant aroma. These two measures will prevent your cat from playing with the soil and biting your plants.
When it comes to taller foliage plants that are not planted in the ground, you can use another trick. This is a bitter apple spray sold in pet shops which leaves plants with a very unpleasant smell and taste to pets. This will help keep cats from eating plants.
Would you like your cat to be attracted to other things in your garden? You can plant Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip, and you'll see how your pet will never look at another plant. This herb is very stimulating for most cats, who are attracted to its smell and become highly sensitive to its effects. Nepeta is not dangerous for your animal. Even though it stimulates them and makes them turn around or get excited, there's no risk of harm to them. It's a good alternative for dissuading them from playing with other plants.
Educate your cat to keep them away from your plants, follow these recommendations and you'll always keep your curious and beloved animal safe.
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