Kitten proofing plants

"There is no more intrepid explorer than a kitten."
~ Jules Champfleury

I am re-learning that nothing is safe in my house and all of my secrets will be soon be discovered. Merlin is the first kitten I've had in my home for over 15 years. My previous cat companion, Lancelot, was well beyond his kitten behavior for so many years, that I've forgotten how inquisitive a kitten can be. After all my decorating efforts to make my home reflect my personality, Merlin has made sure his presence is known, and he's the master of it as well.

I've put away my delicate crystal and china trinkets and purchased a new batch of earthquake hold for other items. A friend stated it's just like baby proofing a home, however I must partially disagree.  As far as I know, babies don't move at 90 miles an hour from one point to another, nor do they leap from the floor to the top shelf of the bookcase in one smooth move. It never ceases to amaze me how Merlin can surefootedly walk across the smallest ledge and disturb nothing. Then decide that he must get into the 1/2" space between a vase and the wall, sending the vase toppling to the floor.  One such vase was the home of one of my Chinese fortune plants filled with water which fortunately (?) landed in my open briefcase and not all over the carpet. 

My home is filled with both homeopathic and decorative plants. I love the living greening inside, and now so does Merlin. With over 300 plants toxic to cats , I made sure that none of these were inside my home. Many smaller plants were moved to higher locations. (When I did this, I had a memory lapse about cats ability to jump). Merlin seems to like to chomp on certain leaves and dig in the soil. When I took him to the Vet after rescuing him, the vet stated Merlin appeared to have been on the street for a while. So using dirt as his bathroom would be something he was previously used to and I certainly don't want him to mistake any of these plants for a litter box. 

Many people use spray bottles and loud noises to startle a cat and attempt to train their behavior. There are several deterrent products on the marketplace as well. Although these methods may work, I wanted something more natural and loving. I started by placing little stakes in the plant's pots, making a vertical type of fence. Merlin chewed on the stakes and let himself through. Then I took clear packaging tape and put it sticky side out. That has kept him from climbing on most of the larger pots, and it's sooo attractive to my decor. and several times I've caught my clothing on it as I pass by. 

A friend suggested orange peels and coffee grounds.  Allegedly, cats don't like the smell of citrus.  And it appears Merlin is one of those cats.  Although I don't drink coffee, my neighbor is glad to give me her used coffee grounds ands since I eat oranges every day, this is any easy fix. I placed the orange peels around the outer edge of the pot, and zested some of the peel into water and sprayed the leaves. The coffee grounds are sprinkled over the top of the soil. Coffee grounds are also a natural air freshener, so that is an added bonus. another friend suggested aquarium gravel, as cats don't like the feel of the uneven edges under their paws. So for those plants with a larger soil surface area, I added natural gravel as well.

So far, after only a week, Merlin has moved onto other investigations around the house and my plants have been left alone to flourish.




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