Living with a furry friend is cute. However, living with a furry friend who likes to sample the plants in your home? Not. Cute. At. All. Learn how to keep your pets safe from your plants with our effective solutions. Trust us, your aloe vera plant will be safe.
Pets and plants can coexist, but I think my cats and dogs are not aware of that fact since my curious cats love to make a punching bag out of my plants and sleep on the pot even though they have comfortable and expensive beds. Meanwhile, my dogs would dig the soil out of the pot only to look confused that there's no hidden bone in it. Then they would look at me with such adorable eyes that I couldn't get mad at them.
One of the biggest problems of every fur & plant parent is not the sunlight or water, but it's the cute furry pets that are created to destroy your houseplants. I know because that's how my aloe vera died, and that's how I paid such a high bill at my pet's vet. There's nothing more frustrating and heartbreaking than having all the hard work you did for your houseplants to be ruined in seconds by your pets. If you want this problem to stop, follow these effective solutions on how to keep your pets and plants safe from each other. It's safe for kids, too!
1. Blood Meal
OK, I know it sounds gross, but it's an effective way to keep your pets safe from your plants. According to Gardening Know How, a blood meal is a nitrogen amendment that you can add to your plant's soil. Adding blood meal to garden soil will help raise the level of nitrogen and will help plants to grow more lush and green.
The nitrogen in blood meal can also help raise the acid level of your soil, which is beneficial to some kinds of plants that prefer soils with low pH (acidic soil). Be careful to closely follow the instructions on how to apply the blood meal that you have purchased, as it is a very concentrated form of nitrogen. Too much nitrogen in the soil can, at best, keep the plants from flowering or fruiting, and at worst, burn the plants and possibly kill them.
Blood meal is also used as a deterrent for some animals, such as moles, squirrels and deer. It is thought the smell of blood meal is not appealing to these animals.
Mix blood meal into your plant's soil. Your cats and dogs' sensitive noses will hate it and will keep their distance from the plants, but your plants will love it because blood meal is a great fertilizer for them.
2. Citrus & Coffee Grounds
Citrus peels such as grapefruit, lemon, lime, or orange can give off a strong smell that most pets hate. Yes, mostly because I tried this solution, but it's not effective with my dog. However, adding coffee grounds did the trick because it resulted in a much stronger odor, which will surely keep your pets safe from your plants. Plus, the smell reawakens every time I water my indoor plants, and it's also a fantastic fertilizer.
3. Give Your Pets Safe Toys
One of the reasons why your pets love to destroy your plants because it offers everything a toy does. It's some sort of boredom reliever. If this is the case with your furry friend, then it's best to buy them toys that they can bat at or a chew toy in which a treat can be hidden inside to occupy their time.
4. Keep Toxic Plants Out of Reach
One of the most important solutions on this list that will definitely keep your pets safe from your plants is to place your houseplants on a shelf or countertop out of his or her reach, especially if it's toxic. If you have a cat that loves to jump, it's best to move your plant outside.
5. Repellents Sprays
The next solution to keep your pets safe from your plants is to use spray repellents. You can also add citronella and marigolds to repel your cat and dog from your plants. If that doesn't work, try planting flowers with prickly thorns, such as roses.
6. Stones (for cats)
Adding stones will help repel cats from your plants, but this won't do much for your dogs. Your dog might choke on the stone or might play fetch with you just like mine. However, cats will leave your plants alone since they prefer sandy, smooth soil.
7. Use Positive Reinforcement With Your Pets
OK, I think we can all agree that this is the most effective solution to keep your pets safe from your plants. It's best if you can teach them properly to stay away from your plants by using positive reinforcement.
For example, give your pet a small treat whenever he or she is staying away from your plants. Keep on doing this until your pet learns that a small reward or treat will be given to him or her if he or she is away from the plant.
That's a wrap on how to keep your pets safe from your plants. Keep in mind that some plants can cause diarrhea, gastrointestinal irritation, or vomiting to your pets, so it's best to follow these solutions. Trust us, you won't have to worry the next time you leave your pets with your plants.
Grow your plant knowledge. Check out our Plant Care blog to learn more about different houseplants and tips on how to keep your plants alive and healthy.
