Your cat is a carnivore, so why is he eating your plants? Plant eating is a normal cat behavior, but almost every pet owner is annoyed by it.
In the wild, cats probably eat plants as a source of fiber. In most cases, owners must either accept the behavior, remove the plants from the home, or try to redirect the behavior to a different source (such as cat grass).
However, if the plant in your home is poisonous, you must remove the plant from your home or place it in a location where the cannot cannot chew it. If your cat has eaten a poisonous plant, you should take him to see a veterinarian. Toxic plants can cause some serious health issues for your cat!
Is your cat eating his food? If your cat does not like his food, he may be eating your plants as a food source.
Cats eat plants because the plant either tastes good, or feels good on their mouth while they are eating it. Some plants, like catnip, also produce a pleasurable effect. Cats don’t know which plants are safe plants and which plants are hazardous plants.
How can you stop your cat from eating plants?
Training your cat to stop eating your plants is very difficult. Most likely, you will end up getting rid of your plants, or choosing safe plants and accepting the ‘chewed up’ appearance of your plant!
However, if you’d like to keep your plants, here’s some things that you can try:
- Place your plants in cat-proof places, or places that are difficult for your cat to access
- Provide your cat with cat grass in order to redirect the issue to an appropriate plant
- Place mothballs to the plant’s soil
- Spray the plant a scent or product that will keep your cat away from the plant
- Attempt to train your cat that he cannot chew the plant (use a water squirter or air horn when your cat bites the plant)
What should you do if your cat eats a plant?
If your cat eats a plant, you should contact your veterinarian. If your cat has eaten a poisonous plant, your cat needs to see a veterinarian as soon as possible. You should also bring the plant with you when you go to see the veterinarian so they can determine the type of plant. Different plants can affect cats in different ways. Some plants may simply cause your cat to have an upset stomach and diarrhea, while other plants can be toxic and sometimes fatal to cats.
Get to know more about your cat’s behavior at Makati Dog and Cat Hospital
Thanks:
http://whydoesmycat.com/articles/108
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