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heartlostangel

My cat chewed my palm.. is that why?

Heartlostangel
10 years ago

She's getting brown fronds?

I bought Bella(parlor palm) last week and brought her home. She started to look dried out on a few fronds and her soil was compacted and not holding water at all, so I loosened it and repotted her in an effort to keep her properly hydrated(Only pot I had was the spa she's in). Before I repotted, she was sitting where she's at now and I thought maybe the grow bulb was too much light, so I put her down on a stand about 5 feet below the top of the cabinet. 3 minutes later I heard my cat chewing and turned around to find him munching on her. She was moved back up to save her from Chester the Molester's attention.

Is this normal? How do I remove the dried fronds properly(where should I snip?)- The stems are dried and brittle on some of the drier fronds, but not on all of the damaged ones.

Yes, it's dry winter air in here and a solid 70 degrees, I take Bella and the scheff to shower with me and leave them in the warm humid air for a half hour before they come back out to the lamp. Phil, Vi(olet), and the sansas all seem to be doing fine, as is Peter(my spider plant- I'm not terribly original with names LOL) with our normal late winter regimen.

Any more troubleshooting I should take? I've checked for spider mites and other bugs and found none. Should I rig up a plastic bag to increase the humidity around her? Isolate her? My bathroom light is usually on, but it's a normal florescent bulb in a frosted shade and there are no windows at all, should she be taking a vacation in there for a while?

Thanks.

Comments (12)

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago

    Hi Heart.

    Kitty-cats are known to damage plants, but Chester isn't the problem.

    The soil looks dry. The root-ball needs total saturation. Water until it seeps from holes.
    Hopefully, the pot has drainage holes????

    How often does Bella shower?

    Investing in a humidifier helps tropical plants, pets AND humans.

    Instead of the lamp, can you place Bella in a window? Does the bulb emit heat? If so, that's one problem.
    Palms prefer cooler, 'not cold' areas.
    Can you use a squiggly bulb instead of incandescent? Or a Gro-bulb?

    Toni

    Dry air

  • Jasdip
    10 years ago

    Hi Toni!
    I can't have any plants that are grassy-looking at all. I love Bella palms, but they're a magnet for Bud to go and chew the leaves. He never ever horks a fur-ball, unlike my other two cats. The only time he leaves a "gift" is when he's been chewing leaves and there are bits of green.

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago

    Hi Jasdip...Maybe you should give Bud cat plants..Pet stores sell these plants, but I'm sure seeds are available..

    Bird seed greens are healthy for cats and germinate fast.
    Would you happen to have bird seed?

    My guy, Halloween, 'RIP' used to gobble bird seedlings.

    Maybe Bud will get his fill on greens and ignore your plants..It's a tossup..some cats who eat greens won't bother our plants, others don't know the difference. lol.

    Fur balls are a pain and dangerous.
    Years ago, pet and other stores sold a treatment for fur balls..You rubbed a little on kitty's nose..he/she licked the gel..darn, can't recall the name. It smelled like peanut butter.
    After the product was no longer available, I'd place a teeny dab of vaseline on cats nose. The oil in vaseline caused cats to vomit fur balls.
    Safe and effective.

    Do you like palms? Perhaps, Japanese Palm trees will do?

  • Heartlostangel
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    She's in a plant spa, I soaked her yesterday and drained all standing water off after an hour. This apartment sucks, I've got northern exposure and only a single window in the back that gets full sun all day. But that's my 4 year old's room, and he's worse than the cat ;) Odd side note- they removed the gutters from our roof and put a "lip" that's supposed to direct the water away when it rains/melts. But it doesn't work. So the windows are covered with an inch of ice on the outside and it's very chilly close to them.
    The bulb in the lamp is supposed to be a grow bulb. It puts off a little heat, but only close. Sitting a thermometer out of the direct circle of light thrown from the shade gets a constant 68 degrees.
    I've only had her for a week or so, and she's been in the bathroom for 3 showers. I left her in there today on the counter, figured I'd keep an eye on her and see if she likes it in there more than out here. I was in the plant department where I got her and saw the one that was right next to her, it's getting ALL brown and scriggly looking, so I'm hopeful it might just be some shock- it's still very cold here and they're starting to get in the spring stock. I can't seem to help myself- grabbed a yellow edged ivy and a fittonia too. Lol.

  • Heartlostangel
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    She's in a plant spa, I soaked her yesterday and drained all standing water off after an hour. This apartment sucks, I've got northern exposure and only a single window in the back that gets full sun all day. But that's my 4 year old's room, and he's worse than the cat ;) Odd side note- they removed the gutters from our roof and put a "lip" that's supposed to direct the water away when it rains/melts. But it doesn't work. So the windows are covered with an inch of ice on the outside and it's very chilly close to them.
    The bulb in the lamp is supposed to be a grow bulb. It puts off a little heat, but only close. Sitting a thermometer out of the direct circle of light thrown from the shade gets a constant 68 degrees.
    I've only had her for a week or so, and she's been in the bathroom for 3 showers. I left her in there today on the counter, figured I'd keep an eye on her and see if she likes it in there more than out here. I was in the plant department where I got her and saw the one that was right next to her, it's getting ALL brown and scriggly looking, so I'm hopeful it might just be some shock- it's still very cold here and they're starting to get in the spring stock. I can't seem to help myself- grabbed a yellow edged ivy and a fittonia too. Lol.

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago

    Heart,

    Plant spa??

    I had to laugh when you said your 4-year old is worse than the cat. lol.

    Your windows are covered with ice? Don't you love 'new and improved?'

    Do you have plants in your child's room or only using the north windows?

    Our 'newer' windows leak air. So many plants froze. About 3-years ago, I bought a roll of plastic..cost 8.00 or so.
    I now tape plastic on window trim. Area with locks and where windows shut.

    68F is fine..as long as it's not too dry.

    Ivy and Fittonia. Both are difficult plants..Beware of mites, especially the ivy.

    Both are attractive plants though. I understand why they followed you home. lol.
    Yellow edge ivy sounds pretty. I see white edge, but never yellow..Have a photo to post?? Toni

  • Dixie_Woman
    10 years ago

    My cats have always enjoyed chewing plants with narrow blade-like leaves that remind them of grass. Palms and Dracaena marginatas beware!

    When I've had very dry plants, IâÂÂve immersed the pot (which had drain holes) in a bucket partially filled with water. (Allow for water level to rise significantly when pot is added) After 10-15 minutes, I removed the potted plant and let drain a bit, before restoring the plant to its normal location. Really dry soil will not absorb water; it will just run off or run out the drain holes.
    This process may be a bit messy depending on the size of the pot, consider doing this outdoors, in an unfinished basement, or in a bath tub.

  • Dixie_Woman
    10 years ago

    Maybe Bud will get his fill on greens and ignore your plants...It's a tossup.some cats who eat greens won't bother our plants.

    Caution: Read between the lines 1) Cats love eating grass-like plants 2) After eating grass-like plants cats will regurgitate, usually on carpets, in places where you won't notice until several days afterwards 3)Regurgitation may "bring up" cat hairballs which interfere with cat-digestion 4) Feeding cats "greens" is good for cat digestion, and bad for carpets.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hairball Remedy for Cats

  • aviolet6
    10 years ago

    My cats eat my spider plant. I gave it to them after they kept knocking it down trying to bite off its leaves.

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago

    Morning,

    Jasdip, I hope you're following this thread.

    While reading the posts, it just occurred to me who you are. lol.
    So, HELLO!!!!! My God, it's been a long time.
    Hope you and yours are well.

    Dixie you got that right..Always on the carpet. Never a floor...lol

    Aviolet..Have you tried cat greens?
    Perhaps you shouldn't have given in to your kitty-cats.

  • Jasdip
    10 years ago

    Hi Toni!!!!
    I'm noodling around here, waiting for my bread to cool on the racks :)

    Everytime I see a thread about a cat chewing plants, I remember when I posted the same thing as well a few years ago. Boy, the kinds of plants I can have is limited to "would Bud chew this".

    So I currently have peace lillies, shcefflera's, both the Hawaiaan and the umbrella (my favourite style). I couldn't resist buying a 10" pot that was on sale for $4. It's a large spiky thing, (a dracaena?) but alas, Bud thought the tips looked tempting. So I have it in the spare room on top of a pail of kitty litter on the table in front of the window! Hopefully out of Bud's reach. I thought the plant was immune to his taste buds, but he was crunching on it the same day I bought it when it was on the livingroom floor, which is where I had imagined it being.

    Upon looking at the peace lily I see that he's found it! Note the chewed tips.

    A friend gave me some spider plant babies, so I had them rooting on the kitchen sill. Bud doesn't go up there, so they were safe. They were, until I planted them in some small pots, and one was upside down in the sink. I now have them hanging in the window, and 2 are i the bathroom on top of the over the toilet cabinet.

    Smudge was rubbing his face on the pineapple top that I have growing. Silly boy! I was afraid he'd poke his eye on the spikes! If I see him doing it again (I admonished him) the pineapple will go out in the trash.

  • Jasdip
    10 years ago

    My peace-lily with some tattered leaves

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