What can I safely spray on indoor plants to keep cats away?

Our question this week was:

Is there anything I can spray on my indoor plants that will not harm the cats or the plants? I have tried growing special “cat grass” for them, but they seem to enjoy my plants more. None of the plants are toxic but they get quite ugly from the grazing. I have had suggestions such as insecticidal soap or a hot pepper spray, but I would like a professional opinion.

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Lois Q.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote that your cat likes to chew on your plants and want to know if there is anything that you can spray on the plants to make them less appealing to your cat. The answer is yes – there is a product called Citrus Magic® that you can spray on plants that deters cats.

An article that might be helpful to you is Dealing with Cats that eat Plants. This article has additional tips for how to deal with this problem that might be useful. Another article that might be useful – 20 Common House Plants: Are They Dangerous to Your Cat?

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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