Why Is My Cat Eating My Palm Tree

Cats and palm trees are like peanut butter and jelly, they just go together perfectly. Unfortunately, the palm tree is not likely to survive its union with the average house cat, unless you intervene. Here are the five reasons your cat is eating your palm tree, and five things you can do to stop it.

Are Palm Trees Grass or Trees

As we will discuss in greater detail, cats require grass for many digestive issues and gut health. So why is your cat eating your palm tree? Is a palm tree a tree or a grass?

After much debate in the scientific community, it turns out that, yes, palm trees are grasses. While they share aspects of trees such as a central stalk with a canopy of leaves above, they lack fibrous heavy bark and the webbed veins of leaves.

Palms belong to the common flora classification monocotyledons, along with grasses, grains, lilies, orchids and bamboo.

Why Do Cats Eat Grass

While cats are carnivores, meaning meat eaters, they also regularly add grasses into their diets. Grass provides several important functions for cat digestion, yet most house cats are lacking in fresh greens, to supplement their store bought diets.

Benefits of Grass for Cats

• Cats ingest essential nutrients from grass
• Grass helps aid in cat digestion
• Greens are a natural laxative
• Eating grass helps move hairballs out the digestive tract
• To relieve stomach upset

Nutrients Cats Get From Grass

By eating fresh grass, cats ingest folic acid, starches and proteins. Additionally, grass contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and sulphur, as well as trace elements of copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, cobalt, and manganese.

If your cat is eating kibble or canned cat food, kitty is probably missing out on many of these nutrients, and craving more in her diet. Cats living in the wild, will eat the contents of their prey’s stomach. Here they find grains, seeds and plant matter to ingest. Adding grass to your cat’s diet is an important part of keeping her healthy.

Grass Aids in Cat Digestion

Just like a salad and fresh greens aid in human digestion, adding roughage via grass helps to cleanse the cat’s digestive tract. It also works as a laxative, to cure or prevent kitty constipation.

Additionally, grasses are rich in prebiotics. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in kitty’s digestive system and aid in overall gut health.

Grass And Cat Hairballs

Cats are particularly attracted to grass when they have a hairball build-up that is not wanting to pass. Grass frequently makes cats with large hairballs throw up, not only the grass, but also the hairball itself. That brings immediate relief to a kitty with an upset tummy. If the hairball is smaller, the grass will help sweep the hair mass through the digestive tract.

Why Cats Eat Palm Trees

Aside from palm trees being a delicious source of much needed nutrients, they look like giant feather-wand toys. Playing with palms alleviates housecat boredom. If you have ceiling fans or house fans generating an air current around the plant, it is going to be irresistible for your cat to want to “catch” the fronds and chew on them.

Is Cat Eating Palm Tree Fronds Toxic

Generally speaking no, palm trees are not poisonous to cats. However there is one notable exception, the Sago Palm. The sago palm looks like a pineapple base with palm fronds coming out of the top of it. All parts of this plant are poisonous to cats and dogs, and are best not taken home.

House Plants That Are Toxic When Eaten By Cats

Here is a list of common house plants you don’t want to bring home to a plant eating kitty. Toxicity from these plants for cats can range from stomach upset to liver failure and death.

House Plants Toxic to Cats

5 Ways to Stop Your Cat From Eating Your Palm Tree

There are several tricks you can try to keep your kitty from eating your palm tree. If you want to save your potted houseplant, try all of these tricks in combination with each other. After all, pretty palms can be pricey.

1. Purchase Cat Grass Kits

Cat wheat grass kits are inexpensive and easy to place around the house where your kitty likes to frequent, such as window sills and kitchen and bathroom counters. Some of the newer cat grass kits come with attractive containers, so they can add to the décor. Allow the root system in the grass kit to mature before giving it to your kitty, or you will have a mess of seedlings on the counter and floor.

2. Placement of Palm Tress: Why Cats Are Eating Palm Trees

As noted earlier, palm fronds just look like a fun toy to cats. Placing the palm away from any air vents will keep the fronds from waving in the air, attracting your cat’s attention.

Also avoid placing it near tables or window ledges, where kitty can have an advantage in playing with the upper fronds. If it is a smaller species of palm, consider a plant stand to elevate it from kitty’s reach.

3. Place Aluminum Foil Over the Potting Soil

Lightly covering the soil with aluminum foil, while allowing for air to circulate under the foil, will accomplish two things. Cats don’t like the feeling of aluminum foil under their feet, so it will discourage the cat from stepping into the planter, to attack the fronds, or worse, to pee and poop in the potting soil. Cats eliminating in the soil will kill the plant faster than nibbling on the leaves will.

4. Mist The Palm Fronds With Cayenne Pepper and Water

If your kitty is stubborn about wanting to eat your palm tree, consider getting a spray bottle and mixing up a solution of one teaspoon cayenne pepper and 2 cups water. Lightly mist the palm fronds to make them unpalatable for kitty. The cayenne will not kill the plant, but it does work as a natural pest control.

5. Add Interactive Toys to Occupy Your Cat

Cats will always be attracted to the most responsive stimulus in the house. Laser toys, mouse toys that squeak when batted and anything that moves on the floor will help keep you cat’s attention off of the palm tree and put it onto the toy. These highly rated toys are motion activated and will keep your kitty busy while you are asleep or at work.

Top Interactive Cat Toys Cats Will Use

• Potaroma Cat Toys 3in1 Automatic Interactive Kitten Toy (Entertains for up to 4 hours while you are at work).
• Potaroma Interactive Cat Toys, Fast Rolling Ball in Play Mat, Automatic Motion Activated Moving Ball Hide and Seek Game for Indoor Exercise Kicker
• Laser Cat Toys for Indoor Cats, Random Trajectory Motion Activated

In Conclusion

Cats eat palm trees, because they are simply irresistible. The best you can do is try to redirect their needs for grasses to a proper alternative (cat grass kits) for better gut health. And try to alleviate their boredom, by introducing new interactive toys and devices. Your kitty and your plants will thank you for it!