Easiest way is to put small inch sized rocks on top of the soil.

Aluminum foil works too, but isn't pretty.

I wonder if you could use something like cayanne(sp?)pepper on the soil, so it would be an unpleasant odor for CeCe. I've used red pepper flakes on the outside plants to deter squirrels.
Stones are a good idea.

The cayenne pepper is not something I'd want to use to repel a PET. It has the same effect on small animals as it does on humans, which can be painful. Cats would get the cayenne on their paws, then their mouth and eyes. Yikes.

I DO keep a canister of cayenne powder to sprinkle on container surfaces and my germinating flats to keep out the chipmunks and squirrels, though. It's not a 'bad smell' trick, it's a bad TASTE lesson.

I've heard of people using pine cones, sweetgum balls, foil, bitter apple spray, ornamental stones, etc., for cats and puppies.

The plant is a Dracaena marginata, by the way. Someone must have had it potted up in plain garden 'dirt', from the sounds of it....though I've heard that coir can get like that, too.

I had some of those large decorative balls in a container on my coffee table so I took them and stacked them in the planter...worked to keep my cat out.

I have read in many articles to put citrus peels on top of the soil, lemon and lime and orange the smell repels them, plus dried citrus peels are a nice potpourri.
If you have a location higher that cece could not get up to it too.

I think the small rocks sound like a good idea... I know a few years ago, I had an outside planter than the neighbor cats used as thier litter box..I sprinkled some moth balls, and they no longer were a problem..

My dog used to dig in all my indoor plants. I thwarted her by buying polished "river rocks" from a local pet store. Piled them on top of the dirt in the plants. Looks nice and lets water through. Good luck! And don't even think about punishing CeCe, it's what dogs do! And if cats are a problem, use citrus peels. Make a big batch of lemon-limeade and leave the peels near plants. Good luck.

This is CeCe! He really is a sweet boy..just always into something! lol No chance of putting the plant where he can't get to it! This is the sweet boy that got on top of my kitchen cabinets to check out my collection of teacups and teapots! He managed to knock one off and it broke into more pieces than I thought possible for a teacup! Then, he sat back looking all innocent!
I think I'm gonna try thr rocks! Thanks!

That sounds like a better choice than citrus peels. I have one cat who simply LOVES anything citrus--bothers me unmercifully anytime I eat anything citrus. That would just attract her--LOL!

Ok, sorry. I didn't think about how cats lick their paws, etc. Beautiful cat!

I made a fabric "tube" with a drawstring at the top. It looked nice and Mocha was unable to dig. To water, I open the drawstring and close it back up.

Place some chicken wire under the rocks. Keeps the cat out and the rocks on top. I've used chicken wire under bigger areas too. great to keep chickens out of flower beds.

I use pine cones in one of my planters... I do sometimes find a pine cone on my carpet, but not dirt. So that is good!

I have another potted plant and the cat will knock it completely over. Ugh! It is outside right now.

Good luck. hehe..

I was thinking along the lines of some screen material, possibly the stuff you put down to block weeds on top and maybe some rocks on top although he might still play with the rocks, IDK. Cats usually don't like the smell of vinegar so a little cup of vinegar in there would likely keep him away. Even a vinegar dampened rag would still keep some smell there and not smell around the room.

Another deterrent is a squirt gun, squirt bottle or a spray bottle set to stream and give a squirt when he goes near it. After a few times of getting wet, he probably will stay away from it, although if you leave for a while, he might just forget!

If you live in the south, someone has gum trees. And gum trees have gumballs. I've used gumballs on outside beds neighbor cat(s) were digging in/using as a litter box. If it works outside, it should work on a potted plant.

You could cover the top of the pot with screen wire leaving an opening just large enough for the plant. If the screen is lower in the center than the edges, water will stay in the pot when you water the plant. If the center is higher than the edges, water may bead and run over the edges.

At the gardening shops they have a granule in like a milk carton,spread around theyll stop.Its just for that,deer,mice,dogs,cats,rabbits.It smells like ammonia.

I've used aluminum foil on top. It works, but as some of the others said, it isn't very pretty. Rocks, pine cones, shells, anything of that nature would work, and can be decorative.

CeCe sounds just like Bud. Bud likes it, the higher the better. He surfs on top of the frig and the microwave cabinet, and the wall unit. Geesh.

You're lucky CeCe doesn't chew the plant. Dracaena marginatas, spider plants, palms.....anything grassy and my cats love to chew them. I gave mine all away and just keep the larger leaved ones.