Cats keep eating plants!

[PoleDriver]

And it's driving me mad!
My two cats are obsessed with eating plants!
On the patio they eat the flowers, and are then sick. Indoors they attack all of the house plants (they've completely killed the Aloe Vera) and what they don't kill they knock over!

Are they lacking something in their diet, or is it just curiosity/mischievousness?

Are there any easy ways to keep them away from plants?

And no, shooting the cats is NOT an option!

[gd49]

I'd be surprised if they're missing anything in their diet, mine's on a complete diet and does the same thing.

I'd suspect it's boredom/hunger (mine'd eat all day if she could), do your cats have food available 24/7? If not it might be worth making the daily ration a bit more difficult to obtain eg feeding balls/toys.

[Simpo Two]

Cats normally eat grass but none I've known have eaten other plants (apart fom cat mint). Eating grass to be sick is quite normal.

[RealSquirrels]

my cat eats grass (we grow some for her to munch on).

also spider plants, broccoli, any plants with grassy sort of leaves really.

[PoleDriver]

HMMmmmm! I have a spare litter tray, maybe I'll grow some grass in it as a distraction.

[ali_kat]

Chilli, Bast & Pepi were/have never been interested in plants, only grass - although Roses would be sniffed a lot.

Beauty eats the leaves on my Chilli plant. I've had to move it so she doesn't eat a chilli!

Although, to be fair, Beauty tries to eat EVERYTHING!

They have food 24/7

[Simpo Two]

PoleDriver said:

HMMmmmm! I have a spare litter tray, maybe I'll grow some grass in it as a distraction.

No grass outside?

[PoleDriver]

Simpo Two said:

PoleDriver said:

HMMmmmm! I have a spare litter tray, maybe I'll grow some grass in it as a distraction.

No grass outside?

They are house cats! When they come out on the patio (no grass) they eat the plants!

[PoleDriver]

Having done a bit of research I'm trying to decide between planting grass around the bottom of each plant to satisfy their cravings or lemon grass to keep them away!

[Simpo Two]

They need to eat something so if there is no grass they will continue to eat the plants. It helps their digestion. Real cats need a good barf now and again

If you have to keep cats in a house all day perhaps the 'litter box lawn' is worth trying.

[RealSquirrels]

litter box lawn is essentially what we have and works well.

at a previous house our cat ate our neighbour's entire front garden.

[Simpo Two]

RealSquirrels said:

at a previous house our cat ate our neighbour's entire front garden.

Are you sure it wasn't a goat?

[RealSquirrels]

nope, definitely a garden.