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Cats find Ventrata tasty

I was wondering if it would be safe to mix up some cayan pepper and distilled water and coat my Nepenthes Ventrata with it to deter the cats from eating it. I would like to be able to take it out of my bedroom so it can get more light, but the cats then have access to it. It is surviving where it is, but not making any pitchers. Any room with good light also is accessible to the cats so I need to cat proof this plant. Any other suggestions are welcome.

Also, FYI I can't use a lamp with a CFL. I did that last winter and my dad didn't like it, and then later claimed that the spike in the electric bill was due to me while completely ignoring that my sister was home that month and had the space heater on all day in her room lol! So I can't provide lamp light as long as I live at home.
 
Outsmart him (your dad). Find how many watts were used the previous month, how many were used that month, and how many watts your lamp uses. Multiply your lamp's wattage by your photo period, then by thirty. Subtract that number from the difference of the previous month and the month in question. You should find (assuming the thing about your sister running a space heater is true - space heaters use TONS of energy), you should have a very major discrepancy.

Anywho, I can't know for sure, but my first reaction is that you probably shouldn't do it. Definitely wait for others to chime in, though.
 
Outsmart him (your dad). Find how many watts were used the previous month, how many were used that month, and how many watts your lamp uses. Multiply your lamp's wattage by your photo period, then by thirty. Subtract that number from the difference of the previous month and the month in question. You should find (assuming the thing about your sister running a space heater is true - space heaters use TONS of energy), you should have a very major discrepancy.

Anywho, I can't know for sure, but my first reaction is that you probably shouldn't do it. Definitely wait for others to chime in, though.

Yeah, I already tried that. He simply won't listen to reason, and he always disagreed with me giving my plants extra light with lamps as he thought it was not needed so he used the first excuse possible to make me stop. Enough about that though. The topic is cayan pepper and nepenthes.

A few pest deterrent sprays for plants outside contain cayan pepper. It is the kind of spray that stops deer and rabbits from eating your outside plants. I figured the same would work for cats inside, I just know carnivorous plants can be more finicky. Maybe I could test it on one leaf that the cats already bit pieces off of so it wouldn't be too big a loss.
 
I just know carnivorous plants can be more finicky.
Therein lies the issue. It seems to me it would burn a plant as delicate a CP, but I don't have experience with it, so I can't know for sure.
 
just get some catgrass from petsmart or petco or something and place it where the cat would be able to access it first over the nep...
my old cat ate my baby N. jacquelineae, and it drove me up the wall...
bought a few things of catgrass, cat never came to my neps again haha...was quite content with the grass
 
just get some catgrass from petsmart or petco or something and place it where the cat would be able to access it first over the nep...
my old cat ate my baby N. jacquelineae, and it drove me up the wall...
bought a few things of catgrass, cat never came to my neps again haha...was quite content with the grass
Now that's a clever fix, LOL.
 
I was going to say a Baseball Bat works great as a deterrent

When you see the cat go for the plant
Yell "NO" really load then smack it upside the head with the bat

But I was afraid that I might offend some people so I wont say it

{Just Kidding People}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GOOGLE

Cat repellent~
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...LC8Ag&ved=0CCwQvwUoAQ&q=cat+repellent&spell=1
OR
Homemade Cat Repellent~
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...&aql=f&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=f799d644c9cc206c

Good Luck
DC
 
Responsibility!

Tman,
I will respond to this here and also in a PM to you. I think it best that way....

I have used Habanero peppers cut apart, and wiped the inside of the pepper onto nep leaves, and have also used a variety of sprays like what you are talking about. (I use the peppers on electric wires, boxes... nearly anything except fabric, to avoid staining. Use reason however, as I wouldn't use it on something expensive and delicate, like my big screen TV!) But indeed I have used it on occasion, on a few Nep leaves to keep our cats at bay.
I would suggest a light application first, and perhaps test it on only one or two leaves, just in case. Like anything, results may vary!
You could also try applying it to a tiny piece of fabric and hang that amongst the plants leaves, (W/o touching the leaves) to act as a repellent. I have found that to work also, as they don't like the smell either. Just don't rub your eyes after using it, and do wash your hands... a few times!

You might also try putting the plant into a fish tank w/a lid or some other clear container, so the cats can't get to it... if it is small enough.

Dads logic doesn't seem to hold up from what I see, for unless you are using one of those high wattage CFL's used in greenhouses and etc ;) then the actual wattages are in fact rather low compared to incandescent bulbs. Hence why the recent push to "go green" and save energy by using CFL's to replace normal incandescent bulbs!

I use a couple of daylight 200w equivalent CFL bulbs in one of my set-ups with good results. They only use 40watts each! so 80 watts run for 2/3 of the day doesn't barely show on my electric bill.
In fact, you can look online to find an "electricity usage and cost calculator", to figure out about how much it will actually cost to run your bulbs.

Spraying the plants or putting them in a container to protect them may help solve one of the problems you seem to have. It is worth a try, but proceed cautiously. What works for me may not work for you with the same results.

Good luck... with everything.
 
Cats probably would not eat Nepenthes if they had a properly balanced diet and had other plants available to them, specifically cat grass like Kris mentioned. You can try the pepper route, but you might forget and end up with pepper in your eyes.

If I were you I would just spray the cats when you see them near the Nepenthes, in conjunction with giving them access to plants that they can eat.

Cats really don't like spray bottles.


And Dethcheez: Lol.
 
  • #10
I feel your pain there. My stupid cat just ate my D. filiformis that was going dormant on my windowsill. It started growing again, and my cat ate the damn shoots! Now it's pretty much dead.

I used the spray bottle vigilantly, but I'm not home all day - so she knows when to move in. I also tried putting a plastic cup on the corner of the tray the plants were in so the cat would knock it down if she tried to get to the plants and it would make a bunch of noise and scare her away. Yeah, that didn't work. I might try the cayenne thing myself.
 
  • #11
CAT GRASS IS THE PLANT SAVER! More people need to know about this. Buy the seed kits and not the already growing grass, the seed gives you 3-4 pots worth of grass compared to one shot with the ready-grown pots. Here's what I do:

Using a shallow undrained take along food container I put two or three handfuls of potting soil in it soak it real good (not quite mud but evenly moist). Then sprinkle seeds across the surface not too densely then another handful of dry potting soil just covering over the seeds and lightly press it down, the dry soil soaks up moisture around the seed. Then I set the pot ontop of the microwave where it's warm and dark. If I plant the seed on Sunday they are usually germinated by Tuesday, then I put them near the terrarium lights until Thursday or Friday when they are 2-3 inches tall which is when I let the cats have at it, and they both love it and leave the other plants alone. I water when the grass gets weepy and very lightweight food containers are clear so you can see how wet or dry they are. My cats don't like it if it's too tall so I keep it trimmed to 4" high or so.

Cats really don't like spray bottles.
I have a little tuxedo cat who loves to find a perch and give his "death glare" at the female calico just to hear her howl and give her groan. I can spray him until I've emptied the bottle - he doesn't care! "Eh it's only water - I've been wet before, it more fun to hear her wail!" :D
 
  • #12
Cats don't just chew on plants because they are hungry,
and the cat-grass may work... depends on how much they liked chewing on the Neps & Dews!

I never used pepper spray on dews, and I think that may be a problem for the dews.

Cats like chewing on things, and if you have a cat you know that anything that touches their mouth goes into it! Only comes back as a hairball!, vomit, or goes all the way thru!

Of the cats we have had, only one really liked "cat-grass", and for me it didn't stop the cat from chewing other stuff... just gave him more to choose from!

Good luck, as something will work...eventually! :-D
 
  • #13
*** Math Alert! ***

If I am not mistaken, all you need to do to calculate the cost of your single light is use this...

((xW/(1000W/Kw)) * yHours) * (z$/Kwh) = $
Where
x = lightbulb Watts
y = Hours per month
z = Cost per Kwh

This basically says take the WATTS your light bulb uses and divide 1000 to get you Kilowatts. Multiply that by how many hours a month you use it and then by the cost per kilowatt your power company charges. Average cost for residential is around $0.12 per Kilowatt hour according to google (california). Most states are probably dramatically lower than this. But this will give you a high estimate. I think my state is $0.08.


If my logic is correct... For a 100 Watt bulb used 12 hours a day for 30 days a month would cost...

= (100 /1000 * (30 * 12)) * (0.12/1)
= (100/1000 * 360) * 0.12
= (0.10 * 360) * 0.12
= 36 * 0.12
= $4.32

Now a 100W bulb is alot for flourescent. Most of my bulbs are 40-60W if I recall.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.
 
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  • #14
dash- did you post in the wrong thread or...? am i missing something here
 
  • #15
Won't my cats puke up that grass all over my nice new carpet?
And they also find albomarginatas tasty.. take it from me, I know. :censor:
 
  • #16
dash- did you post in the wrong thread or...? am i missing something here

No. I was responding to the comment that his dad is blaming his CFL light for high electric bills. I wanted to show how to calculate the cost of using his CFL. I like to use math, shows the 20K my parents spent went to good use. I don't use it much in my IT field other than i = i + 1... LOL.

Also, FYI I can't use a lamp with a CFL. I did that last winter and my dad didn't like it, and then later claimed that the spike in the electric bill was due to me while completely ignoring that my sister was home that month and had the space heater on all day in her room lol! So I can't provide lamp light as long as I live at home.
 
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  • #17
Won't my cats puke up that grass all over my nice new carpet?
Some may, especially if they have only ever had it once but mine rarely puke and they eat some grass everyday. I keep it by the balcony window where they can nibble the grass and watch the squirrels and birds in the feeders.

I don't think cats eat grass as a hunger thing at all just as a stomach settler and source of fiber. They don't really eat very much, just a few nibbles every day. My tuxedo likes to lick it more than eat it, he licks everything.
 
  • #18
No. I was responding to the comment that his dad is blaming his CFL light for high electric bills. I wanted to show how to calculate the cost of using his CFL. I like to use math, shows the 20K my parents spent went to good use. I don't use it much in my IT field other than i = i + 1... LOL.

ah i see that now haha...
 
  • #19
Cats don't just chew on plants because they are hungry,

:-D

Actually, yes, they eat plants because it is what dogs and cats occasionally do when their diet is out of balance. They do not just do it "for fun".
 
  • #20
I have had cats for over 30 years...
and in my experience,
they don't just chew on plants because they are hungry.

Here on the forum, right or wrong, everyone has their own opinion.
I am just giving my opinion based on the experience I have. ???
 
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