Houseplants like Monstera Deliciosa are a great addition to any space, whether a home, an office or a public space. Houseplants can significantly brighten up their surroundings, purify the air, and instantly lift your mood. Unfortunately, cats seem to love houseplants as much as their owners and enjoy playing, or worse, chewing on them.
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How to Keep Cats Out of Your Monstera Deliciosa?
Luckily, there are several ways you can establish peace between your houseplants and pets. The best option is to place your Monstera Deliciosa away from your pets’ reach. You can also mist the plant with a citrus spray, which cats strongly dislike. Alternatively, you can cage your Monstera Deliciosa.
How is a Healthy Monstera Deliciosa Plant like?
The Monstera Deliciosa plant, widely known as the ‘Swiss Cheese Plant,’ is a prominent Monstera family member. This flowering species is native to Central America and the tropical forests of Southern Mexico and south of Panama.
A healthy Monstera Deliciosa has a beautiful, lush green color, with neat holes between the plant leaves. This beautiful species has gained popularity worldwide and is now commonly grown as an ornamental and decorative plant.
How Can Cats Damage Houseplants?
Cats are playful animals, and so they enjoy playing with things such as balls, decorations, and, unfortunately, plants.
While some houseplants are cat-friendly, others, including the Monstera Deliciosa, are highly toxic and should be kept far away from these feline friends.
Often cats chew or scratch their paws against houseplants; this leads to considerable damage, such as wrecked foliage, torn leaves, and ripped flowers. Some cats may even use the houseplants as litter boxes.
In such unpropitious events, instead of giving up on growing your beautiful houseplants, you can do several things to keep your cat away from the plants.
How Monstera Deliciosa Can Harm Cats?
Many plants are safe to keep around cats; however, this is not the case with the Monstera Deliciosa plant.
The Deliciosa plant can cause significant damage to cats. It contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which are highly toxic to cats. The poisoning symptoms include excessive drooling, burning of turn lips and mouth, and oral swelling and vomiting.
Ways to Keep Cats Away From Your Monstera Deliciosa Plant
A few handy tips to keep your cat from the Monstera Deliciosa plant are:
Unpleasant Odor
Like all beings, cats prefer to stay away from objects with unpleasant smells. Similarly, houseplants that have an offensive odor will discourage your cat from coming close to them.
The unpleasant smell does not necessarily have to be bad for the houseplant owners; there are a few smells that only cats dislike. One such odor is cayenne pepper; simply sprinkle some cayenne pepper around your Monstera Deliciosa plant’s leaves, and your cat will stay well away from it.
Similarly, you can use the strong smell of citrus fruits to your advantage. To deter your cat, put a few orange or lemon peels in your Deliciosa plant’s pot. The pungent aroma will drive away most cats.
Alternatively, you can mist your Monstera Deliciosa plant with some citrus fruit essential oils or diluted citrus fruit juices. However, please use animal-friendly essential oils only. The oils present in insecticides, dips, shampoos, etc., are dangerous for cats.
Different Textures
Generally, houseplants have smooth, plain textures that attract cats. In addition to playing with these plants, cats begin using them as litter boxes. This can turn your air cleaner plant into a source of discomfort.
If your cat likes using plants as litter boxes, I suggest buying houseplants with an exotic or rough texture. This highly discourages cats from littering on them, and they often go back to littering on their actual litter spots.
High Ground
Cats are pesky little animals; however, they are considerably smaller than an average Monstera Deliciosa plant and are unlikely to reach most of its upperparts.
If your Monstera Deliciosa is placed on the ground and your cat frequently nibbles or gnaws at it, you can put it at a higher level. Changing the plant’s location to higher ground may be a hassle; however, it is well worth the effort.
A Monstera Deliciosa plant that is well away from your cat’s reach is most likely safe from tears and littering.
Moreover, you can put tape or a breathable fabric over the Deliciosa plant’s pot so that, in addition to the leaves, the cat cannot touch the Monstera Deliciosa plant’s base.
Covered Plant
Another effective way is to cover your houseplant’s soil or base with some large, preferably rough, pebbles or stones. Digging up and removing stones is a difficult task for cats, which will help safeguard your houseplants.
Sharp stones or pebbles can be slightly risky for your furry friends. Some other options for covering your houseplant’s soil include pinecones and aluminum foil. Simply spread the pinecones or the aluminum foil evenly over the base to prevent your cat from digging the soil or messing with the vines.
Furthermore, you can cover your houseplant’s base with mesh, chicken wire, or some other breathable fabric. All these options offer excellent coverage and protect houseplants reasonably well.
However, please make sure that you do not tie or stick the fabric too tightly as you may suffocate the plant or interfere with its nutrient absorption and transport.
Closed Spaces
If you are having trouble keeping your cat away from your houseplant, try keeping your houseplant away from your cat. I recommend changing your Monstera Deliciosa plant’s location.
You can reserve a room in your house just for your valuable Monstera Deliciosa plant. However, since the plant requires adequate space and bright, dappled sunlight, the room must be reasonably spacious and receive plenty of filtered sunlight.
You can keep your Monstera Deliciosa plant in a sunroom or a sunny bedroom or bathroom. Keep the plant room’s door closed most of the day, or keep your cat well away from this area.
Caged Beauties
As attractive as the free Monstera Deliciosa plant may look, caging it may be a better option if you wish to keep it safe and sound. For a plant as gorgeous as the Monstera Deliciosa, you can buy a darkly colored fancy cage.
A brown or dull gold cage will form a striking contrast against the Deliciosa plant’s bright, lush green leaves, adding to its beauty. You can use wire shelving units or appropriately sized wooden decorative cages. Such a look will give you, as well as your pet, an excellent chance to admire the houseplant from afar.
Safe Plants for Cats
Some cats may love your Monstera Deliciosa plant just as much as you do and want to keep touching it. In such an unfortunate situation, you may have to bring in some safe, cat-friendly plants.
While keeping up your barriers for your Monstera Deliciosa plant’s protection, you can offer your cat some sturdy houseplants, such as Catnip and Lemon Balm.
Put the safe houseplants in unbreakable containers, such as plastic pots, and place these plants at various locations around the house. However, keep in mind that all pots should be kept well away from the main Monstera Deliciosa plant.
Such a setting is highly likely to keep your cat occupied with other plants and save your Monstera Deliciosa plant from uncalled disaster.
Frequently Asked Questions About Monstera Deliciosa and Cats
Is the Monstera Deliciosa plant animal-friendly?
The Monstera Deliciosa plant contains calcium oxalate crystals, which are highly toxic to animals, including cats. Therefore, please keep your pets away from it.
Is the Monstera Deliciosa plant edible?
Most Monstera Deliciosa houseplant and decorative plant types are inedible; therefore, please do not consume them. Please ask your local dealer if it is an edible form before purchasing it.
What are the symptoms of Monstera Deliciosa plant poisoning cats?
In the case of Monstera Deliciosa plant poisoning, your cat may experience severe oral cavity irritation and burning, excessive drooling, and vomiting.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.