Can You Spray Your Houseplants With White Vinegar to Keep Cats From Eating Them?

Vinegar is a great cat deterrent. Unfortunately, it's also a great plant killer, so effective that it can kill weeds. Vinegar is acidic, and it can kill roots and keep the plant from absorbing water and nutrients. Spraying your plants with vinegar will prevent Kitty from eating the leaves -- but the leaves will be dead.

If you're dealing with a potted plant, one option is to spray the pot itself with vinegar. The smell could be strong enough to deter Kitty from approaching the plant.

If you have a big container, you can also add a few cotton balls dipped in vinegar to the soil. Make sure they're close to the edge of the pot, rather than against the plant itself.

If you can't use vinegar, what can you spray on your plants to keep cats away? Anything citrus will do. Cats dislike the smell of citrus, but it doesn't bother your plants. So mix citrus oil -- or fresh lemon juice -- with water, and add to a spray bottle. Or buy commercial citrus spray at a home-and-garden center.

Spray lightly and see how Kitty reacts. If he's still chewing, spray the plants some more.

Aside from spraying your plants, there are other ways to keep kitties away from them. One is to give them something better to chew on, such as a small container with grass. You can buy cat grass at pet stores -- it's usually organic, easy to grow and safer than houseplants, which sometimes are poisonous. You can also move your plants to areas that are hard to reach, such as the top of the fridge.