Yes, you can have the best of both worlds! You can be both a plant and a pet parent. The two can coexist but in a couple of conditions!
First of all, it’s a good thing that you’re here wanting to learn more about how to keep both your plants and pets safe and make this co-habiting situation doable. If you don’t know what you’re doing, your pets can tear up your lovely plants, or worse, they can chew on a toxic one and either get sick or die!
Pets, specifically dogs and cats, can be wonderful companions but they are also notorious for chewing on plants. So, how do you make it work? Below are some tips to help keep your plants safe from pets and vice versa:
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Choose Non-Toxic Plants
to keep the pet you have, and your favourite plants safe, your best bet is by purchasing non-toxic, pet-friendly plants. When choosing which sections of your garden should be filled with your favourite trees, flowers, and shrubs, it might be a good idea to also check if they are toxic or not.
Cute Akita Inu dog on rocking chair in room with houseplants
Some plants that are safe for your pets include; Rattlesnake plant, Spider plant, Parlor palm, Calathea orbifolia, Ponytail palm, African violet, and certain succulents, among others. While you can always try and keep your pets away from toxic plants if you have them, it’s better to just avoid having them in the first place.
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Blood Meal
Blood meal is an organic fertilizer that has the consistency of fine-grain sand. Animals find its scent repulsive and when used as mulch around flowers and shrubbery, they can offer protection for both your pet and harmful plants. The good thing about blood meal is that not only does it serve as a deterrent to your pets from your plants, it also adds nitrogen to the soil from which your plants feed on. It adds to the plant’s overall health.
Just make sure not to apply too much blood meal or else you’ll burn your prized plants.
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Citrus And Coffee Grounds
Cats are not fond of the smell of citrus fruit, which makes it perfect to use so they would leave your plants alone. All you have to do is spread orange peels around the plant or rub some lemon or grapefruit juice on its leaves and branches. Placing a few dried coffee beans in planters also keeps cats from digging your tree.
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Give Your Pets Safe Toys
Prevent boredom by giving pets toys that can’t be chewed up easily. Toys made out of rubber are best since they’re too tough even for hard-biting dogs like Pit bulls and Rottweilers. Sturdy ropes with knots at both ends make great chew-proof dog toys. The idea is to make sure they’re busy playing with toys you approve of, that they don’t have to resort to playing with your plants due to boredom.
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Keep Your Toxic Plants Out Of Reach
It isn’t unusual for cats and dogs to eat objects that might be harmful to them, like dirt, stones, and rocks. If they’re left within their reach, your house plants could also be eaten. Make sure poisonous or potentially dangerous plants aren’t easy pickings by keeping them in high areas where pets can’t jump to.
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Add Stones (Only If You Have A Cat)
Your cat enjoys playing on relatively smooth soil. If your plant beds or pots have this type of soil then your cats are most likely going to have a field day each and every day!
To deter them, consider putting some stones on the soils surrounding your plants. while this might work with cats, you should note that it could either do nothing with dogs or just become choking hazards if they try to swallow the pebbles while playing.
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Create A Safe Zone For Pets
Your pet knows its territory, but it’s still important that you put up boundaries so they don’t roam into certain areas that may contain deadly-poisonous plants. It will take a bit of training but eventually, these boundaries will stick and you’ll have an area where your dangerous plants are out of bounds. Though it’s not completely a foolproof way to make sure your pets don’t get in contact with your most poisonous plants, it does do the job to an extent!
You can increase your chances of succeeding by using the method of ‘incentivizing obedience’ from your pets. You do this by offering treats every time they respect the boundaries and stay away from your plants.
Conclusion
Taking care of both your pets and your plants can be a hassle, even more so when you have toxic plants. You can help them thrive with one another by implementing ways to keep them away from each other. With the tips given in this article, both could live safely!