My Cat Decided My Planter Was an Alternate Litter Box

Sticky Tape and Orange Peels Foiled Her Misbehavior

Opal deterrent system. It actually works.

I love pets but sometimes they can be a pain.

I’ve really appreciated my cat Opal while I’ve been dealing with cancer. On days when I’m feeling miserable from cancer treatments, or, more recently, shingles, she’s always near me. She’ll cuddle up to my side, close enough for me to pet her. She’s often purring, which is very comforting, and she’s also very soft. She’s super careful not to hurt me, as well.

However, recently she decided to start using my indoor planters as alternate litter boxes.

Obviously I was not pleased about this.

Telling her “no” firmly did not help, I guess because this is an instinctive behavior. When I’ve told her (and other cats) “no” about jumping on the dining room table or staying away from electric cords, it has worked for me. Occasionally I have to reinforce the “no” with a loud clap of my hands but for the most part that’s all that is generally needed.

However, it was not working for the poor planters. I lost some herbs after she decided to dig up the dirt to hide her “donations”.

So I found a solution that worked.