Edible Gardens for Cats

Someone came across my blog while searching for "Edible cat plants" and since it looks like I don't have a post on such a subject yet, I offer the following:

Catnip (Nepeta Cataria) and/or Cat Mint (Nepeta mussinii) are, of course, a must.  Each cat has her own preference. Some like catnip better, and others catnip.  Some cats, like mine, are even "catnip connoisseurs", preferring the taste and scent of one individual catnip plant over another of the same species.

Cat grass is essential for indoor kitties.  This can be grown from seed, or purchased in small containers in pet supply stores, already sprouted and ready to grow.  I found a small windowbox container in which I have sprouted a small "lawn" which my little orange boy keeps very evenly mowed.  This alone may be enough for some cats. If your cat goes outdoors, he may be happy to mow your back lawn for you, to the best of his ability.

(Source)

In my house, catnip, catmint, and cat grass do quite well on a sunny west or south facing windowsill with enough room for the kitty to sit and enjoy his plants.  If your windowsill is wide enough, I suggest adding a place to nap. After the Teflon coating began to flake off of one of my roasting pans, I lined it with a towel, and it now serves this purpose. The metal allows the bed to heat up when the sun shines directly through the window, and the cat loves curling up in it.  If you really love to spoil your kitty and there is an electrical outlet handy, consider the addition of a drinking fountain for pets.

Dr. Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont also recommends Cat Thyme (Teucrium marum)and Valerian (Valeriana officianalis), though he warns that rodents also enjoy Valerian. This may be fabulously entertaining to your kitty, but not so attractive to humans, especially if your feline herb garden is indoors!  He also suggests some interesting features to add to an outdoor cat garden to protect plants from overly-enthusiastic kitties, and to encourage play and frolicking.

I have also read that some cats enjoy parsley and sage.

Some cats also express interest in vegetables eaten by humans. Mine loves canned pumpkin (plain, not the sweetened pumpkin pie filling), which is a good treat for kitties according to Wellvet.com. Some cats also enjoy raw pumpkin:

My furry companion will also ask for lettuce on occasion which, according to the ASPCA, is safe to serve your cat.  An old college friend of mine has a cat that craves asparagus.  I have no idea if this is safe or not. Spinach is a bad idea though. I have read it can give kitties kidney stones. That can't be pretty.


Indoor plants not only provide nutrition and entertainment for your cat, they can also keep him from eating your ornamental specimens.

Speaking of ornamentals, it is important to note that some cats still do not confine themselves to plants intended for their use. The really determined ones may even attempt to nibble synthetic plants! If this is the case with yours, or if you are unsure, please keep plants not specifically recommended as feline edibles away from your cat.

As always, when in doubt, ask your vet!

New idea for old jars

I grow some herbs in containers on my back porch, but it would be very convenient to keep some in the kitchen.  Some need to be replanted after they are zapped by winter freezes or fried by our summer heat.

The problem is,  my cat is an indiscriminate eater of houseplants, and I want indoor herbs for human consumption. I needed to find ideas to help me keep them out of reach of my curious kitty.  The internet seemed the natural place to look for catproof indoor gardening methods.

I found this idea posted by Tammy at CraftAwl.com (Complete with instructions):

It's a floating herb garden!

I've totally got to try this. 

I'm thinking I might use those water-absorbent polymer crystals instead of just filling the jars with water. I think they'd be more attractive than soil, and probably more convenient, since I'm pretty terrible at remembering to water things.  I haven't found any information on whether those are safe to use for culinary plants, though.

Boston Ferns and your Cat

The Cat Fanciers association lists the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata--a.k.a. Sword Fern) as a non-toxic plant for cats.

Today, our little guy taught us differently by munching on my boston fern last night while we slept, and getting sick afterwards.

Non-toxic does not necessarily mean "edible". We all know what happens when cats eat things they aren't meant to swallow.
 

Yuck.

We took him to a veterinary ER, to make sure he would be OK.  Apparently Boston Fern can cause gastrointestinal upset, lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. We've seen all but the last one in our cat.

Yummy.

Cat's not happy about it either, but he seems to be recovering, getting his appetite back late this afternoon. (Right after we got home from the vet hospital, of course.)

From now on, only "edible" plants in the house.

Good thing I live in a semi-tropical climate, because my ferns are about to be banished to the warm shadiness of my back porch, where they will probably be just as happy anyway.

For a longer list of plants poisonous to your cat, see this list from the Cat Fanciers Association.

"Aqua Globes"

I have to get really tired of watering before I go out and buy some gimmicky TV product.

But the two-pack was only 10 bucks at the drugstore, so I took a chance.

I like 'em.

Do they replace watering? No.

But my thirsty indoor ferns do not suffer quite as badly from my neglect. 

~~~~ Houseplants and your Cat

My hubby and I finally took the plunge and adopted a kitten. He typed the "~" symbols in title of this post by walking across my keyboard.

He is everything that kittens generally are, especially with respect to cuteness and curiosity.

Which means I have to make some decisions about my pothos vine and my poinsettias, both of which are toxic to kitties, should they be ingested.

A hanging basket will probably keep the pothos out of reach, as long as it does not drop leaves.

Not sure what to do with the poinsettias though. They may have to go outside. He doesn't seem interested in them now, but they drop leaves, and those might make tempting toys.

Cats should also be kept away from philodendrons, crotons, ivy, polka-dot plant, chrysanthemums, cyclamens, castoroil plant, cherry laurel, azalea, Lily-of-the-Valley and diffenbachia. Here is a list of other plants known to be toxic to cats, along with the symptoms they produce. Also, the University of Nebraska has a page with a list of many common indoor plants, with their toxicity noted. PetPlace.com has a useful list as well.

I will probably start an indoor herb and grass garden for my kitty so that he will have some safe plants to chew on. Hopefully making him less interested in the purely ornamental ones.

I find that daily applications of cat repellent (purchased at the pet store) work for keeping him away from dangerous places/objects until I can finish "cat-proofing" the house.

Here are some indoor plants that some people suggest as safer alternatives for homes with felines. It is still best to keep your kitty from chewing on your plants. It's still not the best thing for her to eat. Plus, it's not so great for the plant.


**Please Note: I am not an expert on this, I merely draw from other resources. When in doubt, talk to a vet or toxicologist for expert info.**

African Violet (Saintpaulia ionantha)
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Wandering Jew (Zebrina pendula)
Peperomias (multiple varieties)
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata, also known as Crassual argentea)
Swedish ivy (Plectranthus australis)
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
The Prayer plant (Maranta spp.)
Rattlesnake plant (Calathea insignis)
Grape ivy (Cissus rhombifolia)
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis spp.)
Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum)
Wax plant (Hoya carnosa and varieties).


Sources:
Brian's Garden
Suite101.com

Also: see CatTraining.com for info on training kitty to stay away from the houseplants.

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Update: While some websites lists plants that are not fatal to cats, that does not mean that you should let your cat munch on them.  Ours had a little too much fun with a boston fern, included on the "safer" list above, and while it did not do any permanent damage, it still made him quite ill for a little while.

Easy(er) Orchids for Houston

There is a good post over at The Lazy Gardener on this subject.

Basil in the Greenhouse

Apparently, basil can survive the winter (or at least, what winter we have had so far this year) if kept in a greenhouse or indoors.

The only trouble with the greenhouse strategy, it would appear, is that pests become more of a problem. Something has been nibbling at mine quite enthusiastically. When I had it outside in the summer and fall, it has almost no pest problems at all. There is still plenty left for us to eat, however.

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

Image Source: Wikipedia

Now that Christmas is over, I have two or more of these pretty plants hanging around my home.

Here are some links for those who would like to keep their plants alive for next year:

The Poinsettia Pages at University of Illinois Extension
Beginner-Gardening.com
Poinsettia Care in the Home
The Helpful Gardener