I am passionate about living art, especially cats and plants. I have an ever-growing houseplant collection, however my cat collection is paused at just 2.
My biggest problem has been my Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree. It is now in a very large pot (50cm) which the cats, specially Elizabeth, loves to dig around in. And unfortunately, has used as a toilet a few too many times. It is natural for cats to want to go to the toilet in soil or dirt, so preventing this is vital for your plants health and the odor and cleanliness of your home.
When the Fig was in a smaller pot I put large pinecones on the top of the pot and that was enough of a deterrent. This still works well for me with small plants. Now that my fig tree is in a larger pot pinecones are not enough. I don’t like putting rocks because it blocks air flow and keeps in moisture which is something you do not want with houseplants. I tried using things like cut cardboard or bent up hangers. It would work for a little while but eventually get pushed off and it just didn’t look nice. So I needed to find a more permanent, effective solution.
I purchased a small roll of chicken wire and cut it to size. This is heavy-duty enough to stay in place and keep the cats off. It also lets air flow and is easy to water through the wire.
The finished result. This wire is so strong that a cat could stand on top of it and it still wouldn’t push fall down. Although the texture of the wire alone is enough to keep the cats away.
Some other ideas to keep your plants safe from cats:
Cat Scat Mats are specially designed to keep cats out of gardens. They allow the plant to grow through lets air and water run through easily. $24 for a set of 6.
Defender Spikes can be placed in the pot to deter cats from entering. $15 for a box of 20 strips.
These bird spikes are normally used to keep pigeons from nesting in unwanted areas. This was my first idea of what to use. You could angle them in ways to cover the surface of the pot.
How do you keep your cats out of your plants? Please share any other ideas in the comments. And for those of you who are plant lovers you can see more of my plants on Instagram.