Scheming Kittens & Vulnerable House Plants
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I’m dealing with scheming kittens today because I just brought my vulnerable house plants indoors. It turned cold overnight. I went outside, and the wind was blowing mightily across the front porch.
I had planned to spend a few hours repotting the plants in fresh soil before I brought them inside. But you know what they say about best laid plans. Something always seems to get my attention before I can accomplish this task.
So I had to improvise, get them indoors, and relocate them somewhere until I can repot them. I don’t think the cold wind would be good for bare roots during repotting.
Once I got them inside, I toted them from room to room, trying to find a decent place to put them for the time being. The kittens were curious. Of course they were. They are young, mischievous little devils who scheme morning till night.
Daisy, sweet, meek-mannered little Daisy, has recently begun to test me. Last week, I found her on the kitchen counter, looking as innocent as could be. Then she discovered that she could jump from there onto the top of the refrigerator.
Simon doesn’t seem to be aware of the countertop yet. Yesterday I saw him with something silver in the dining room. Daisy must have gotten up there and taken the aluminum foil off my chocolate brownies and knocked it to the floor.
Simon had it tucked under him like a prized mouse. He didn’t seem to know what to do with it, but he knew I wasn’t going to let him keep it. I grabbed it away from him, and the brownies covered with aluminum foil are now stored in the microwave.
Precocious Kittens & Silly Behavior:
Red and white curtain ties are now lying across the floor like dead snakes, because they do something with them all night. I can’t begin to know what. The many toys are forgotten for a time.
Kittens, even and maybe foremost, those that are just over a year old, have a certain way about them. They sneak into rooms when you’re busy doing something and scope out interesting things to do.
I’ve seen Simon toss the curtain ties up into the air and, practicing his acrobatic skills, jump up to catch them.
Ivy did the same thing when she was younger. She doesn’t do it as much now. Still, I occasionally see her try to perfect that act again.
Rhonda & Her Scary Cat Sound:
Simon and Daisy look so sweet, but they are little schemers. Sometimes I look at them and can almost see the wheels turning in their heads, coming up with new things to try my patience.
Rhonda has this way of making a noise that scares Simon half to death. It’s something like a loud “ackkk” that sends him scrambling. I can make the same sound when she isn’t here, and it isn’t as effective.
She said I might have to get the spray bottle of water and spray Daisy when she gets on the counter. I’ve read that’s cruel, I told her.
Rhonda said everything can appear cruel if you look at it a certain way. Rhonda is very pragmatic and no-nonsense. She can do carpentry work and fix things. We are obviously not cut from the same cloth.
Keeping an Eye on the Plants:
Three of the plants are in front of the window in the galvanized beverage stand. It was on the porch, but I cleaned it and brought it inside on Monday.
I’m trying to type and keep an eye on those two at the same time.
Simon is now in a favorite spot in the other window. I have a blanket folded up in there that he curls up on and watches the birds. He likes to nap there.
Daisy is somewhere and very quiet, so I probably need to get up and find her.
Pause…
“Akkk!”
I thought she’d be with Ivy, sleeping on my bed. But no, the kitchen counter is still a novelty and too enticing to her right now.
She was sitting next to the sink, listening to my footsteps and waiting for me to appear. Cats have a way of freezing for a moment, as though being very still will make them invisible.
Daisy jumped down, and Simon got up from his napping place. Probably to put their heads together and come up with another scheme to surprise me with.
When Ivy Was Their Age:
Ivy was like this when she was their age, but she’s seven years old now and considerably more settled down. Napping and eating are her main objectives each day—that and hissing at the kittens to keep them in line.
Greg says Ivy is a lot more active because she has to see what the kittens are up to and admonish them for it.
Daisy will stand up on her back feet and spar with her. I’ll see four paws, two ginger orange and two black and white, whipping through the air. But nothing comes of it. It seems to be all show and no substance.
Now Daisy is in Simon’s perch looking out the window at the birds. Would she even know what to do with a bird if she caught it? I know she delights in tormenting flying insects. Ivy used to do that, to my dog Charlie’s delight, because he feared flying bugs.
So now Simon is out of pocket, in some other room, doing I don’t know what. I’ll have to find a safer place for the plants, or I’m going to hear a loud crash and find soil scattered across my floors.
And I just cleaned house on Monday.
Cleaning House:
I got the bed linens changed and laundered, dusted the furniture, picked up the cat toys, and vacuumed.
While I cleaned, the kittens often hid, probably under one of the beds. A time or two, Simon came squealing out from another room, running fast from room to room.
He will make this squeaky noise and run like his tail has caught fire. I always wonder if there’s some spirit that moves him.
Are there ghosts in this over-a-century-old house, spirits he has picked up on? Cats have heightened senses. They can detect high-frequency sounds or very faint noises that are imperceptible to humans.
They’re also susceptible to movement, so that they might be tracking something as small as a bug or a change in air currents.
And, off-topic, I read that cats tend to like classical music because it provides a relaxing atmosphere. So if you have an overactive cat, you might try that.
Staring intently and then freezing is a classic “predator-prey” or “alert” stance. It’s their way of focusing their full attention on a potential threat or stimulus without giving away their position. Smart little devils, aren’t they?
Cats can see things that humans cannot, primarily because they have superior vision in low-light conditions. While humans cannot see UV light, cats can perceive it. This might be what they are looking at when they get very still and stare at “nothing”.
Daisy Attacks the Plants:
Simon is also a “talker.” He gets very excited and kind of barks or chirps, depending on how you perceive these sounds. Daisy makes a similar sound.
Well, Daisy is the first to attack the three plants in the window. They are all non-toxic to cats, but I don’t want her chomping on the leaves.
I just moved two plants to higher ground. However, that won’t deter them for long, and I can’t see through the walls to watch them.
Once I finish writing this, I will seek a better arrangement for the plants. Because once the kittens become fixated on something, nothing will deter them. I could scream, and they would continue on their mission and ignore me.
I’ve probably put them off as long as I can. I will either find a safe place for these plants or they’ll have to go back on the porch.
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Two of my three grandcats favorite place is the kitchen sink. They love laying in the cool stainless steel and peeking over the counter edge.
This was such a fun post to read! I love hearing about your cats! They are the cutest little mischief makers ever, lol. Picturing Ivy and Daisy in a boxing match made me giggle! You can probably put your plants into a room and close the door to keep the cats away. I don’t think the water bottle is cruel. I like the misting idea. Cats just don’t like getting wet, but you’re not hurting them. Misting is a good idea. I can see if a stream hit them in the face, that wouldn’t be nice I guess, but I wouldn’t aim at their face. We had a cat growing up that always jumped up on our dining room table. It never bothered us kids, but it drove my grandmother crazy! She didn’t like the idea of the cat using the litter box and jumping on the table we ate at. You can always wipe the table or counter tops with the Lysol or Clorox wipes to disinfect them. Thank you for writing about your kitties. That always brings me such joy!
Love that last picture of the kitties … they look like twins in that pose. And it looks like they obviously love and enjoy each other. So sweet.
Love this post! Wondering though, do the kitties bother with the Sansevieria plant on your coffee table? We had a beautiful one but I had to give it away when our new kitten started poking at it, as they are quite toxic to cats.
OK, so this is my experience. I guess I have the opposing opinion about spraying a cat with water simply because… it’s just water. When my kitty Elli jumped on the kitchen counter for the first time I said “no” in a firm voice. I didn’t yell, just said no and misted her with water. It wasn’t a full-on stream of water though, just a light mist. She only jumped up there one more time after that. Cats aren’t dumb, I didn’t have to use the sprayer on a continual daily basis, All I ever had to do after that was pull that bottle out of the cabinet and off she skeedaddled! Heck, saying no in a low tone is what works now, no visual of the bottle necessary. I’ve probably used it 3 times total in the 3 years I’ve had her. Elli is a real Velcro cat, she’s not been traumatized. I would never swat or scream at her, and felt the mist was pretty ingenious, not cruel. But that’s only my opinion. I know my cat and when she’s truly frightened, She’s not actually scared of the water, she just finds it annoying!
Sounds like the kitties are keeping you busy. I have three they are always on the counter especially my Maine coon. I just spray with Lysol when they jump down. Easy clean up. I would never spray them.
I agree with some others, just clean behind them. this is a phase she will outgrow, and she’s not harming anything, including herself. the more you tell her no, the more stubbornly curious she will get. it’s just not a big deal. germs are everywhere and a natural part of life.
Hi Brenda,
Absolute love the blue pillow on the chair behind Ivy 🥰
Do you have a link to share?
Julie
Love hearing about the cats and seeing the pictures of them all. They have a wonderful home with you Brenda. I totally agree with you when you talked about spraying them with water or rather not doing it! I would not do anything that I felt they would not like.
You have a lovely home and with 3 cats makes it even better. They probably don’t know it but they are loved so much.
Your cats are adorable!
I have 2 young cats that keep me on my toes too. I had to send my house plants to my daughter’s house as they were chewing on them.
I love my cats much more than the plants for sure!
I enjoy your blog very much.
Brenda, I love reading about your cats. They sound like little rascals and so fun.
My dogs are always up to something. The little one likes to steel socks and felt dryer balls.
Have a great week, good luck with the plants.
The reason a squirt bottle is a good idea is that animals tend not to associate the bad outcome of the squirt bottle with a human – it’s owner. At some point all one needs to do is reach for it and a stream can go a long way without a cat (or dog) associating being sprayed, with you. So you are still the good guy, and it’s the bottle that is the bad guy.
It’s been windy in AZ and you get it if it was here first. Darn near blew me off the road today, so you’ll have another day of it. 😉
Be careful with certain plants, too. Many are toxic to cats. (You can google which ones you have.) One of my friends asked me the other day if I could over-winter her aloe vera plant in my house for her (she had it outside) because she has two cats and that plant is toxic.
With Simon liking the foil, you can make balls of foil for him to play with and bat around. My cats loved those.
And you are right – please don’t squirt your cats with water. That is indeed cruel. If you want to keep Daisy off the kitchen counter, line it with foil. Cats hate the crinkly sound of it when their feet touch it.
What a fun post to read. I do enjoy reading about the antics of your kittens and Ivy. Your love for your pets certainly does come through in these posts.
Take care and have a lovely evening.
I like hearing about your cat adventures. My living room had to be blocked off because I found the corner of a pillow chewed off. Libby the mini goldendoodle is the culprit because she did the same thing to my bed reading pillow. Kassim chews the plants on the porch, they are all dog friendly. Dogs also like listening to music. Libby will sometimes lay next to the piano bench but after awhile she will try to get on the bench with me. I asked her if she wanted a lesson. So you are starting to have cooler weather there too, in my opinion it is better than hot. Take care Brenda.
My other dog’s name is Kassie, this phone changes my words at times, very annoying!
Do you have a sunny room with a door? Might be the best place for your plants.
Love hearing about the cat’s shenanigans! I was 50 before I ever got a puppy and my friend said that puppies are like toddlers who never grow up. Ironically, today is our dog’s birthday. We lost her about 3 years ago but we were lucky to have her for over 12 years. She ran the house!!!
❤️🐾❤️
I’m so glad you got that time with her! I feel the same about all my pets.
My favorite question for misbehaving children and pets is (hands on hips),
” What have you done?!”
Kids and pets freeze in position until they figure out that you are not going to punish them. Then they skulk silently away, wondering what you will do next (which is truly nothing.) Gives them pause for thought!
YouTube has cat music videos that play relaxing music for cats. I leave one playing for my kitty whenever I go out of the house. One time she went missing and after searching over an hour found her on top of the kitchen cabinet laughing at me, the little stinker.
I didn’t know that. Thanks!
Aren’t our kitty cats fun?! I’m in DFW area with same colder temps as you plus strong winds today.
Brought in two outside spider plants with large purple wandering Jews in the same pots yesterday evening. Four inside cats circled the plants, and one spider plant is already well trimmed thanks to Spike.
Good luck with your lovely crew! Enjoy your posts and photos.
The kittens are so dang cute. When I saw Simon sitting in the couch staring at the plants I thought he will go after them. Or he is contemplating if he could jump that far and land in the planter! Good luck with those babies!
Oh, they’re a mess! But of course I love them dearly!