How to keep a cat from scattering house plant dirt?

Question

My cat has a problem with eating houseplants.

He ate an entire succulent over a month time period while I was at work even with lemons near or aluminum foil on the windowsill.

I was thinking about going the pet grass option but he has another problem. He also likes to knock over plants and scatter the dirt around.

I had a small cactus with a red bulb on the end and he batted it around until I lost it (it is somewhere in or around my living room furniture) and spilled the dirt everywhere.

He also knocked over my other succulent (I had a nice desert plant arrangement too).

I believe this will be a problem when I go the pet grass route.

My question is, how would I keep him from playing with the pet grass dirt and spreading the dirt around my apartment?

Answer 1

I think it is important to offer cat grass (in austria it is even mentioned in the law as minimum requirement for having a cat indoors). I feel like my cats are a lot less interested in my plants since they have cat grass (that they got calmer after turning 3 helped as well). I placed it somewhere high where they can sit comfortable and placed my other plants somewhere high where it is uncomfortable for them.

Big stones in the pots on the earth were already mentioned. If you use big pots then they cannot knock it over. Maybe you have the opportunity to span a net over the most parts of the earth.

If your cat is bored it might help to offer different activities which can distract him from the plants. For example a box filled with crumpled papers or a rail cat toy.

Answer 2

The easiest, safest and best way is simple; don't let them get near it.

You can't teach a cat not to do something, you can only teach them to not do something while you are nearby.

Small example, our cats never walk on the dinner table when we are home, but if we happen to be outside in the garden or come home when they don't expect it, we might find them sitting or walking on the table.

As for plants, years of personal experience has taught me that plants and cats inside do not mix. Cats like to chew on plants and they will continue to do this. Cats also love to play with small moving objects (bugs) and there will be small tiny bugs on/in your plant eventually that will draw their attention.

Either place the plants where they cannot reach them or put large pointy stones in the pot. This might help prevent them from scratching out the dirt everywhere.

Keyword is "Might".

Answer 3

I am a cat person , but not a plant person. I say just don't have plants. Why bother?

But I do have family with cats and plants. Both are cat parents with indoor/outdoor cats. They don't bother much. I have been an indoor only cat person, never felt the need to have plants to know any info about it. But if indoor, that may be a wondrous place to frolic, why give it to them?

Indoor or outdoor, it's simple, don't have a plant. If you want to get one specifically for your cat, then get them the grass and see if it works for you or not.