CompuServe Messages

This cat doesn't do much chewing on leaves. He likes to play with the plants, leaping at them (hiding under the bed after breaking a pot) and batting the leaves around. Of course, when he lands splat on top of something delicate, that's that. He goes insane when I water them; that's when he likes to dig in the soil. (He adores water in general, anyway — sinks, toilet flushing, tub,etc.) Finally, he figured out that he can have a toy to drag around the apartment if he bites off a stem. I tried putting plastic collars around the plants to keep him from digging, and he loved the challenge. This is a high I.Q. cat. For a while, I thought he was going after the plants to bug me and/or get my attention, but it's clear he'll go after them when I'm not around. He's big enough now (about 10 months old) to get on top of everything but the refrigerator, where the last few plants are languishing. He can't get enough of a running start to get up there. I've had plenty of cats, but this is the first time I've had one in an apartment. I've had cats that took an occasional nibble, but nothing on this scale! He's a bright, funny little guy, but I don't want to have to choose between him and a plantless life. This looks like a lovely forum, by the way. I hope I can solve this, reintroduce the green kingdom into my life, and ask lots of questions here as I do so. This place doesn't feel like home without lots of plants around. It wouldn't feel like home without this furry frenzy, either.