Echinacea – this is a colourful perennial that attracts butterflies and bees.This plant is poisonous to cats so it shouldn’t be planted if you have cats. They are a bold plant that are available in a wide variety of colours. Lupins – Lupins are border plants that flower brightly in summer.Lavender is toxic to cats so it tends to be an effective deterrent as the strong smell keeps cats away. Lavender – this popular, aromatic plant has beautiful purple/ blue colours so is a good alternative to the purple-blue catmint.If you have a cat, be careful with which plants you use as some of the ones listed are toxic so are best suited to pet-free homes. The beautiful plants listed below make excellent alternatives to catmint. Catmint Alternatives That Don’t Attract Cats Protecting your catmint for the first few days gives the plant the best chance.Īfter 4-5 days the aroma will have faded and cats won’t be as attracted to the area. This could simply be a case of covering the plant with a cut-off plastic bottle or using chicken wire to make the plant inaccessible. This aroma can attract cats over to the plant so it is a good idea to create a barrier that will keep cats away for at least the first few days. When you first plant catmint, nepetalactone is going to be released due to leaves or roots becoming damaged in the planting process. Create a barrier when planting the catmint to keep cats away.The catnip is far more appealing to cats and has a stronger aroma so it will help keep cats away from the catmint and the rest of the garden. Another thing you could do is plant catnip in another part of the garden.A good example of strategic catmint placement would be in a hanging basket. The best way to protect your catmint from cats is to position it in an area where cats cannot reach it. ![]() Here are 3 simple ways to protect catmint from cats: If you have catnip and catmint in your garden, you’ll probably find cats are attracted to the catnip and ignore the catmint.īoth of these plants are non-toxic and safe for cats to be around and consume in small amounts. The effects can last 10-30 minutes but not all cats react to catnip in this way. This greyish-green plant has a weedier appearance than catmint, it has large leaves and small white flowers.Ĭatnip grows taller and wider than catmint and it also grows quicker.Ĭats often want to eat catnip but the smell alone can also cause the euphoric feeling and the amusing behaviours that go with it (running around, rubbing, rolling, and being generally excited and playful). So if you have cats and you’ve planted catmint, there’s a good chance your catmint will be flat half the time.Ĭatmint is a beautiful plant, it has smaller leaves than catnip and blooms with bright purple-blue flowers in late spring to the middle of summer.Ĭatmint is also a natural insect repellent and is edible too, with a mild minty taste.Ĭatnip is preferred by cats thanks to its higher nepetalactone content.Ĭats will eat catnip, as well as roll around in it.įor most cats catnip is irresistible which is why they love catnip toys. Some cats seem indifferent to the plant, especially if there’s something more interesting nearby (such as catnip).Ĭats that do like catmint seem to enjoy playing and rolling in the plant rather than eating it. Some cats are attracted to catmint but it is nowhere near as appealing to them as catnip. ![]() How Does Catmint Differ From CatnipĬatmint and catnip are both from the same plant family but there are a few key differences, particularly in the way cats react to the plants:Ĭatmint is a herb but is considered an ornamental plant too thanks to its attractive appearance. Fortunately, catmint is a hardy plant and can continue to grow even with the occasional attention from cats. When cats show interest in catmint they tend to roll around in the leaves rather than eat them. ![]() There is not as much nepetalactone in catmint but it is enough to catch a cat’s attention as they walk past.ĭue to the low nepetalactone content, a cat has to be very close to the plant in order to be affected by it.
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