A couple of years ago, Libby Kat, ate off my pepper seedlings, but they seemed to be reviving and in days sent out new leaves. Well, she took care of them, too. She never bothered the rest of the seedlings, but loved those peppers.

I can commiserate. I don't grow seedlings inside so do't have a problem there. I bought an indoor palm four years ago so I would have a nice splash of color and it fit nicely in an awkward spot in the house. Well, it doesn't sit there because of the cat. This stupid plant has to sit on a small table away from everything else so the cat doesn't eat it.

My kitty never went outside to the gardens and I never started zinnias inside, so there was never a problem. However, I did buy my zinnia seed by the pound at Wildseed Farms, so some losses from other critters never mattered.

My cat, when I first got him, tried eating my spotted squill house plant. I immediately purchased pet grass, then a kit to grow it. He loved it! Years later he's more particular....only eats June grass. We pick it for him outdoors and he plays a game where he acts like he's hunting the grass and jumps in the air when we hand it to him. What a nut!

I grow zinnias in deck pots. I plant them outdoors in late April & cover them. They bloom in early August. We LOVE Zinnias!

You know I want a dog.....DH won't give me permission.

I have seedlings and would be seriously PO’d if they were eaten. I keep mine under the house in a grow light/heat mat set up. One year apparently we had a mouse who decided to feast on them. Needless to say we set traps and not only caught one but several in the ‘family’.

I had a pot of catnip (Nepeta cataria) that I would bring in and out, as of November-ish. I decided I'd take cuttings and make each cat their own pot. So they're downstairs getting bigger and stronger. Enough to handle the punishment they give to the pot. They'll rip leaves off and knock it over, hug it, and smack each other over the top of the plant. I'm sure they'll fight over which pot they have next. Give it a month or so and they'll have them back. She must be in withdrawal ;)

We have small bushes of catnip growing outside. We lead him over, he can't find it on his own....and his rolls on it, bites it. It's only about half an inch tall right now...it over winters outdoors.

Rob, is it a particular zinnia? I'm interested in planting some if it draws in butterflies.

You have my empathy! So far, my male cat prefers the airplane plants (Chlorophytum comosum), maybe because of the grasslike foliage.

My friend puts her seedlings in the laundry room and closes the door to keep her cats out. She has a big window there, so it works. She has to move them to do laundry though :-)

Nora,

It's Zinnia elegans, and you'll see that doesn't narrow it down at all ;) They attract swallowtail, fritillary, skippers, azures, cabbages, and monarchs *and I think a question mark butterfly (if I am remembering correctly). There are probably more, but that's who I see frequent them when I'm home. They also really really like Tagates (Marigold) and I've heard T. patula is the more desired, but I've seen them on any variety. In my yard they also frequent Alyssum and Mexican heather (whose botanical name I don't remember). If you want the plants they chow down on, swallowtails love fennel. I've always grown bronze fennel, but I bet they'd eat either. Or parsley. They like those really well.

ETA: and if you want to see a Hawk Moth, grow tomatoes and Moonvine (Ipomoea alba). Or Snowberry clearwing? Buddleia (butterfly bush). Which hummingbirds also love.

Butterflies also love coneflowers, gaura, salvias, lantana (I see monarchs on my yellow lantana almost every year) and a lot of other perennials I can’t seem to think of right now. And many herbs are host plants for the larva as mentioned. If you can find it, grow asclepia/butterfly weed. Monarchs love it.

My late cat Honey used to love to chomp on leaves. My ex roommate had large tubs of pothos plants set up in the living, room, and I noticed teeth marks and parts of leaves missing. When I confronted Honey about this behavior after I caught her chomping, she looked at me and went, "Eh." A blatant denial. Soon afterwards he moved out and the plants went with him. I don't keep any live plants around the house anymore because mine tend to die. I prefer fakes.

My dear Phoebe who died last May was the only cat who loved to chew on plants. I don't grow seedlings but do have many houseplants. She also loved to stalk and kill betta fish until I covered their bowl and weighted it down. I did love that cat so much and miss her but not her antics.

I didn't know that zinnias attract butterflies, I will try some this year.

I grow grasses in tubs on the back deck and yes, the cats eat the leaves., actually they shred them.

ah, but be careful blfenton, it might attract my cat to you! She'll happily chomp them up for you.

Thats heartbreaking, rob! Ive got some seedlings only a few weeks along. It will be a miracle if they survive these kittens of ours.

Butterflies love zinnias and other flowers. Look up 'flowers that attract butterflies'. I plant my flower beds to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. I usually have at least two or three butterflies flying around my yard in summer.

I feel for you! Here it's not the cats; it's the wild critters in the garden who drive me crazy. Last fall they dug up newly sowed seeds. Then after a replant they dug up emerging seedlings.

I direct seed zinnias. Like Lucille, I buy seeds from Wildseed Farms.

If you decide to grow milkweed, make sure it's from a nursery that doesn't use pesticides. It's also easy to grow from seed. Just toss it on the ground and keep watered until germination. https://www.outsidepride.com/seed/flower-seed/butterfly-weed/bloodflower-wildflower-seed.html

Rob-try spraying the leaves with something hot(as in hot pepper juice) and put orange peels around the base of the plant-see if that deters cat

Most of the cats I have had liked lemon grass both the oriental and seeded kinds. I do not know where you live but your cat may be telling you it is much too early to start your zinnias. In many areas if they are more than about 6-8 inches tall they just stay at that height until late summer then grow. Shorter than that they seem to reach full height and start blooming quicker.

I started looking at other zinnia sources. I may order some from Johnny's. Love the Queen Red Lime!

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/flowers/zinnias/

Elmer, pretty sure Rob was talking about indoor plants she's starting.

Great! Sorry if I misunderstood or read too fast.

My cat Biggers liked sit on my african violets. I put them in the window and one day i looked over and she was sitting on the small little pot like a cushion. I moved pot over so cat could sit on the shelf instead and i look over and she is back to sitting on the african violet...she eventually sat it to death.

I'll plant out cold loving plants on March 10 our so, and everything else April 15th or later.

She's a 100% indoor cat. She lived the first couple of years of her life on the streets, and has no compunction about heading back in that ever again. Happy to be indoors! The first year I had her, when the food came out she'd skid into the wall from running too fast. Every time.

These particular Zinnas are minis, Magellan Scarlets. I looked and the big ones are winter sown. I didn't direct sow anything this year because I'm about to add a couple of inches of soil on top. I've just finished creating the back and south facing beds a couple of months ago.

I just got my seeds from Johnny seeds, and what I got was Matthiola incana, Iron Blue and Iron Purple. Sweet Pea, Nimbus and Nigella papilosa 'Delft Blue'. The last two go with some Phlox drummondii sugar stars. That's promising to be an amazing combo. Check it out.

Last year our whole neighborhood was treated to Painted Lady butterflies, and they just covered the zinnias, regardless which kind. It was a rare treat, and very unusual.

Zinnias are a butterfly (and other pollinator) magnet, without question.

My cats love plants of any type. Any house plant I have is up high so they can't get them. I made the mistake of making herb pots on time. Basil, Parsley etc. They ate the whole plants! So now I make them romaine and Kale bouquets when I go to the store. I cut the ends off so the leaves are loose put them in a tall glass vase and the cats munch on them for days. Sometimes when I am at the store and they have Basil and Parsley on sale for $2.00 a plant I will buy them the biggest ones I can find and put it down for them to eat.

They love cat grass too and my son is making me a 3x5 foot box and lining it to make it water proof so we can make them a cat garden in the front room in front of the window. I am going to plant lots of different cat grasses and herbs there for them to munch on. Even though they get their own they still wont leave the house plants alone sigh. My poor lucky bamboo it too months for the tips of the leaves to grow back because they would munch just the tips off of it.

I don't have the enthusiasm to plant flowers like I used to because of our lack of rain. Our water bills are huge. I envy those of you who can plant whatever you want!