Meet people with pets and plants

In our previous blog we talked about the dangers houseplants pose for our precious fur babies and even shared some tips on successfully coexisting with both. And today, we’re going to hear from Arsala, Laura and Marina, our teammates here at Treleaf, to see how they handle having pets and plants.

What pets do you have?

Arsala: 2 Persian cats who have a thousand names but their official names are Zozo and Toto!

Laura: We have 5 cats and a dog! Cleo, Stryker, Broomstick, Ghost, Cobweb and Phoenix. And they’re all full of so much personality.

Marina: I have a pretty hyper dog, Roxy. Our cat, Lokita. And a White Knee Tarantula named Mistolean.

Do you find it stressful having plants and pets?

Arsala: Yes, it can be stressful at times. My cats end up biting random plant leaves. They also mistake the planters as their litter box sometimes, which can be harmful for the plants.                                             

Laura: It’s not really that stressful since my pets have gotten used to the plants by this point. Cleo will occasionally get into the plants but for the most part, they leave them alone. The kids keep them pretty occupied.

Marina: It was for the first few months but eventually my pets got used to them and didn't pay them any mind. On occasion, my cat nibbles on some leaves. But, that’s mainly when I don’t feed her RIGHT when she wants to eat. Turning my guest room into a plant room helped a lot, too. It’s also where we house the tarantula. I like the vibe of having the live amongst the plants.                       

What are some tips you have for getting your pets to leave your plants alone? 

Arsala: I find relocating the plants temporarily is helpful. Pets can be adamant at times and keeping the plants off limits helps until I figure out a suitable diversion for them. Also, since cats aren’t fond of citrus, putting citrus rinds around the pot or spraying the leaves with diluted citrus juices helps ward them off.

Laura: When we first brought our puppy into the house, I made sure all the poisonous plants were put up in a place he couldn’t reach. And this is something I still do when we get poinsettias every year. They go straight on the mantle so no one can munch on them.

Marina: Training helped a lot! When we first got Roxy, she was very curious. So I spent a lot of time training her to leave them alone. My cat never really seemed to mind.

Here are some real life examples of planty people coexisting with plants and pets. Sometimes it can seem daunting, especially when you first start bringing plants into your house. But with time and some training, it’s definitely possible!