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Keeping stray cats away from catmint

15 years ago

I was hoping to get some advice on how to keep the neighborhood strays away from some catmint plants my mother is planning on giving to me. 2 years ago, she gave me a small catmint plant, which I put in a pot outside. After about a week, the plant had been completely dug up and killed. I assumed the culprit was a stray cat that had found the plant in my yard. I'd like to grow this plant again to give to my indoor cat, who loves eating and playing with the dried leaves. But I don't know how to stop outdoor cats from finding and destroying it. Any ideas?

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Comments (6)

noinwi
15 years ago
You could plant it in a hanging basket, or you could plant regular Catnip in an area away from your Catmint. It has a stronger scent than Catmint and would attract the cats first. However, Catnip is sometimes called Catmint, so you need to determine if what you have is really Catmint. Catmint will indeed have a more minty scent, whereas Catnip will have an almost skunky odor. Find some Catnip(that maybe a friend or neighbor has) or go to a nursery that has both and do a scent comparison.HTH
oldroser
15 years ago
Putting chickrn wire over the plant will deter cats.
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ksrogers
15 years ago
Cats hate things that are prickly to their paws. Try this..

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardeners Supply
saintpaulia
15 years ago
I just bought cheap wrought iron plant stands for my catnips and the neighbor cats avoid them. I'd say at least 2 foot tall.
gardenkitteh
15 years ago
Unless the plant is in flower, it really holds no "special" attraction to cats. It doesn't produce the chemical they like so much. Cats mostly leave it alone.

Now most cats I know, do love to eat plants--and the more you like the plant, the more likey the cat is to eat it. small plants are especially tasty.

I say make a cage of chicken wire and put it over the plant to keep animals away.
Lisa Morgan
2 years ago
This has not been my experience. For the last two springs, my catmint starts out great and healthy. Then, the neighborhood Tom get it, leaving his white hair behind And leaving nothing worth harvesting for my indoor cats.

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