Question
I have a very large N. maxima hanging plant & an 8 month old kitten who likes to munch it's leaves. I've moved the Cat Tree as far from the plant as I can, but the kitten is huge & still gets at it. Is it safe for the Nepenthes for me to use a Bitter Apple spray on the leaves to discourage the kitten from eating them (non-aerosol, no alcohol)? It's in a east window, rainwater only, not sure what soil as I haven't transplanted it but I think spag moss, Fort Worth Texas. I mist the plant daily with rainwater as well. I should add that the plant has tons of foliage & several offshoots, I just don't want the kitten to think it's okay to eat my CP's! (telling him that HE is the meat has had no effect, perhaps because the pitchers are all dried up right now...)Anyway, thanks!

Answer
Hi Beth,

Yes, when I first got my two cats, they thought Nepenthes was the greatest cat toy on earth!  Fortunately these plants are not fatally poisonous.  My cats would throw up after munching on the leaves, but they usually throw up whenever they eat anything new.

Don't spray Bitter Apple on your plants.  It contains rubbing alcohol and will permanently damage your plant.  

The best deterrent I found was using clear packing tape and placing the tape, double-sided, on the lower portions of the plant where your cat would attack the plant.  When he does so, the tape will stick to him and find it very annoying.  After doing this a few times, he'll get the message that playing with the plant isn't fun.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin