TOXICS
INFORMATION PROJECT (TIP)
P.O. Box 40572, Providence, RI 02940
Tel. 401-351-9193, E-Mail: TIP@toxicsinfo.org
Website:
www.toxicsinfo.org
(Lighting the Way to Less Toxic Living)
By Gina
Spadafori
Pet Columnist
Pet-Safe
Plants Enhance Indoors for Cats
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1647&S=0&SourceID=28
My friend Sonia recently
"stole" her uncle's cat for a couple of weeks while he was on
vacation. She decided the gregarious orange tabby was lonely in an empty
apartment and she took him into her own home for the duration of her uncle's
trip.
The cat settled in happily, but
Sonia worried, "My houseplants, what if they're poisonous?" After a
quick check on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Web site (www.aspca.org/apcc),
the apartment soon held fewer plants, but still one happy cat. Sonia then
started thinking of adding other plants that are safe for nibbling, just to
make the cat even happier. A good idea, I assured her, even in the short run.
For the indoor-only cat, plants
are an important part of an ideal environment that should also include a
variety of toys, cat trees and scratching posts, and screened porches or window
perches that allow the intriguing scents of the hazardous world outside safely
into a cat's life.
If your cat loves to nibble on
houseplants, make sure poisonous plants are not on the menu. In addition to the
Animal Poison Control Center's online reference, "The Cornell Book of
Cats" (Villard, $35) also lists those plants that have no place in a house
with cats. Among the most dangerous are dieffenbachia, lily of the valley and
philodendron. Various ivies and yews can be troublesome, too, and the bulbs of
plants popular for "forcing" into early indoor bloom -- such as
amaryllis, daffodils and tulips -- can cause problems for the cat who likes to
dig and chew.
The other problem with cats and
houseplants is strictly irritation -- not to the pet's system, but to the
owner's. Some cats are industrious destroyers of household greenery, while
others like to kick dirt around or even use larger pots as litter boxes. All of
which makes perfect sense to your cat, annoying as it may be to you.
Can people, cats and plants coexist? With an understanding of your cat's needs
and a consistent approach to the problem, you bet they can.
Understand that your cat needs
and wants plants in your home. Indulge your pet by keeping planters of
sprouting grasses growing in an accessible place for nibbling. Special blends
of seeds for cats are available in pet stores and specialty shops, or you can
purchase rye-grass seeds at the nursery.
Catnip, too, is something that's
always better when fresh, as is valerian. While not all cats react to the
pleasures of these plants, those who do will appreciate your keeping them
in-house, and using fresh cuttings to recharge cat posts and toys.
When your cat has his own plants,
you can work on keeping him away from yours. Plants on the floor or on low
tables are the easiest targets, so make your houseplants less accessible to the
bored and wandering cat. Put plants up high, or better yet, hang them.
For the plants you can't move out
of harm's way, make them less appealing by coating the greenery with something
your cat finds disagreeable. Cat-discouragers include Bitter Apple, a
nasty-tasting substance available at any pet-supply store, or Tabasco sauce
from any grocery store. Whenever you find what your cat doesn't like, keep
reapplying it to reinforce the point. You can also discourage your pet by
shooting him with the spray from a water bottle when you see him in the plants.
Pot your plants in heavy,
wide-bottomed containers, and cover the soil with rough, decorative rock to
discourage digging. Foil and waxed paper are also useful deterrents to diggers,
but I don't like to recommend those products because you're going to get tired
of looking at that foil. Decorative rock can stay in place forever.
Remember that resolving behavior
problems often takes time and involves a bit of compromise on your part. Give
your cats the greens he wants, protect him from the ones that might hurt him
and make the rest less attractive to him. And one day, a lush indoor garden
will be yours for both you and your cat to enjoy.