Orchid Salad Bar??

[Oldguypops]

I have a cat that is addicted to eating plants.

He's like a heroin addict, always trying to get his next fix!! He literally has no self control!
And the worst part of it is that he can't stomach them; he always pukes! I watched him start eating a bonsai of mine, puke immediately, and start eating again! (He's not bulimic either, he hates puking.)

I'm sure he thinks that I set up the plant room as a personal salad bar for him.

I can't display my orchids anywhere below a six foot vertical jump for him, or he will devour them and deposit them on the carpet in a different location. (Usually on the BEST or WHITEST carpet!)

So I guess my question is.... does anyone know of a feline 12 step program??
Or maybe PA (Plants Anonymous) meetings for cats??

The only time I kept him away from a plant was when I made a spray from chili peppers and sprayed the plant. He still tried it... and hurled it, but only once! He hasn't touched that plant since. I'm a bit scared to spray my orchids with such a potent mixture though.

Any thoughts here??
(My wife won't let me eat him, so that's out!)


Chris

(Also posted in pets forum)

[Dorothy]

I answered here - Orchid Salad

[Ray]

Spray the plants with Hot Pepper Wax

[Oldguypops]

Hot Pepper Wax??

What is that Ray?

Chris

[sunny]

i thought i put this through, but i am a beginner. your cat is eating your plants IN ORDER TO HURL. that's what they do, but not usually that often. check with your vet. your cat may have a stomach problem if it's doing it often

carol

[CodiMN]

I shouldn't laugh, but Chris you are a great writter! Made me think of my two kitties... :giggle
Naughty kitty!

[Ray]

Hot pepper wax is a commercial product combining cayenne pepper extract and a paraffin wax product (Moisture Guard). It is a great repellent for some insects and animals. Unfortunaltely, according to one website I checked, it "Cannot be sold or shipped to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgina, Washington state, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada or International."

I make my own version by putting two or three jalapenos and a couple of garlic cloves in a blender , then filling it about half way with water, and emulsifying the hell out of it. Strain the solids out, and dilute the liquid to make a gallon of concentrate. Use 1/4 cup per gallon (4 tablespoons per quart) to make up the final spray.

[Oldguypops]

Thanks Ray.
I made some before with a handful of peppers and 1/2 cup water. Strained it and used it full strength on a fern. It didn't harm the fern and definately stopped the cat.
I will try diluting it with an 'experimental' orchid.

Thanks again,
Chris

[littlefrog]

Doesn't stop all cats... I had a cat who was a pepper head. She would chew those thai fire peppers right off the bush on the balcony and play with them until they were little mushy strips.

Bitter apple is supposed to be a good cat repellent as well.

[Ely]

Keep the cat out of your orchid room. Or, get a spray bottle with water and whenever in the act of devouring your prized plants, give him a couple of squirts of ice cold water. Should scare him away. Persistance is the key to lifelong training! Why my kitten still bites me, I have no idea, only scratches and bite marks. Battle wounds, as one might call them . Good Luck!