I have a bad kitty. I used to have lots of indoor plants, but not anymore. Bad kitty chomps on them. The plants I do have indoors are now placed up high, out of his reach. Or they are plants he’s tried and learned he doesn’t like.

 He has one favorite that I’m constantly moving to keep out of his reach. Of course it is one of my oldest indoor plants, a Pachira aquatica bonsai. Last week he climbed on my desk in the middle of the night and ate each stem’s top leaf and apical bud. Yes, he topped my tree! Plus, he chomped on many other leaves. I did a bit of trimming and gave it some tlc. By this week, it was showing signs of recovery. Then, last night, kitty was out for the tree kill.

At about 5am I woke to a crash. Twinky (the cat) had climbed into the kitchen sink and pulled the bonsai down from the windowsill above. The container broke, but the tree was somewhat intact. Today I’ll be replanting it in a new container, which I have yet to purchase. (Maybe I can find something with 10′ tall legs.)

In addition to giving it fresh soil, I’ll give the tree a treatment of mycorrhizae to help it thru its various recovery needs.  And, I’ll be hiding the plant from him!

 Here is a list of plants that I’ve found my cat does not like:

• Jade (or anything Crassulaceae )
• Christmas cactus (tho he does chew on it sometimes)
• Orchids (so long as they aren’t blooming)
• Tomato (yes, I have an indoor tomato that fruits all winter)
• Sundew (or anything sticky)

Here’s a list of what he loves and has destroyed (besides my beloved bonsai):

• Begonia (doesn’t matter what kind. He loves to sink his teeth into the leaves)
• Spider plants
• Ferns
• Norfolk Pines
• Christmas trees
• Grasses

Yes, he is an indoor cat. And, yes, he does get fresh wheatgrass quite often. But, for him, there’s nothing like eating what he shouldn’t…and then chucking it up later in the day!

Oh, and you may ask if I have I considered buying Dumbcane to see what will happen? The thought has crossed my mind, briefly in moments of anger, but I wouldn’t dare!