The Iowa Gardener: Cat-proof your houseplants

Houseplants add a welcome touch of nature to indoor spaces, but for cat owners, the challenge lies in creating a green haven without tempting feline curiosity. Cats are notorious for their inquisitive nature and their tendency to nibble on plants or dig in the pots. That can ruin a plant, and worse, be toxic for a cat. But you can, in most cases, have at least a few houseplants that will thrive without hurting kitty.

Know your cat

Every cat is different. Kittens, it seems, will get into everything while older cats are less inclined to play with plants — or anything else. Our gray striped cat, Prim, is a fiend for anything firm she can bite or with an edge she can rub her face on, like any larger succulent. Our black cat, Pepper, can’t resist anything on a string, so we need to keep him far away from, say, the babies on a spider plant or the long stems of a fine, trailing ivy.

Position is everything

Get creative in finding places for your plants that are less attractive to your cats. In our house, if we put a houseplant on our kitchen table or the south-facing end table where they love to lounge in the sun, we’re asking for trouble. Weirdly, they leave plants on the kitchen counter alone — perhaps because there are far better things to nibble on.

They also seem to completely avoid any plants I put on my home office desk or the storage cabinet in my home office, or a dresser in a hall. Mysteriously, they don’t (usually) bother plants I put on a small living room table — maybe because it’s too wobbly for them to feel secure on.

Consider places that would be difficult for any cat to get to, like hanging from a wall or ceiling or on the high sill of a window.

Houseplant toxicity

Nearly every houseplant, if ingested in large enough quantities, will be toxic to cats. In some cases, that means they’ll simply throw up whatever they ate or be lethargic for a day or two, but in some cases, plants can be highly toxic and make your cat extremely ill or they can even be fatal. This includes any pollen, as with lilies, that might rub off on cats that they then lick and ingest.

A quick online search for each plant’s toxicity for cats (it’s different for dogs and other pets) will help you assess the risk. Some of the most toxic plants are lilies (including Easter lilies), philodendrons, pothos, dieffenbachia, aloe vera, snake plant, dracaena, ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), jade plant, and sago palm.

Plants that are considered generally safe for cats are spider plant, most palms that are not sago palms, Boston ferns, African violets, air plant, peperomia, prayer plant, rubber tree plant and orchids.

Modify behaviors

If a cat is bothering a plant, depending on the cat, you can train it somewhat by clapping your hands loudly if they start messing with the plant, or using a spray bottle to deter the cat. You also can put plants that are safe for cats, like catmint and cat grass, nearby or place a favorite toy nearby to distract the cat. The success of each method depends on the personality of the cat.

Prevent dirt digging

Some cats leave the actual plants alone, but can’t resist the dirt they are planted in. There are a number of ways to deal with this, including topping the soil with decorative stones, inserting bamboo skewers that protrude an inch or so out of the soil, or putting a fine mesh on top of or just beneath the soil to make it less attractive for digging.

Water on the sly

Many cats are mesmerized by water. Depending on your cat, that means that when you water your plants in front of them, you are making the plants more interesting for your feline friends. The favorite part of any day for our old cat, Bean, was when I watered the two English ivies on a sideboard in the living room. When he saw me carry in a watering can, he would cry out with joy and leap over to the sideboard to plunge his face into the ivies. Try to water when your cats aren’t around so that you don’t make the plants even more alluring.

Consult a veterinarian

Of course, if you have any concerns about specific houseplants or if your cat ingested part of a plant that concerns you, consult your veterinarian for advice. They can provide immediate medical attention if needed.

Veronica Lorson Fowler is co-publisher of the Iowa Gardener website at www.theiowagardener.com.