So you just returned home only to find out that your furry feline friend treated itself to your prized spider plant. What now? Will your spider plant grow back if a cat eats it?
Spider plants tend to grow back even after they’ve taken a fair bit of damage. So as long as the plant wasn’t shredded down to its roots, there is a decent chance of recovery. The recovery process is time-consuming and can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
In the remainder of this article, we’ll talk more about whether or not your spider plant will grow back if it’s been eaten by a cat, what you can do to speed up the recovery process, and precautionary steps you can take to prevent something similar from happening in the future. Stick around to learn more.
Will Your Spider Plant Grow Back?
As you might expect, this largely depends on the extent of damage done. For example, if you have a fully grown spider plant (they can grow up to 15 inches or 38.1 centimeters in height), your cat probably won’t be able to do irreversible damage to the plant, even if it tried.
On the other hand, if your spider plant is still in its earlier stages of growth, or if you have a smaller variety, such as a curly spider plant, you might have some problems.
Speaking of which, did you know that curly spider plants and spider plants are two separate plants with very distinct features? Here’s a detailed comparison of the two so that you can know which one suits you best: Curly Spider Plant Vs. Spider Plant: 6 Differences
Smaller spider plants are rather vulnerable to being damaged by cats. Just a little bit of nibbling and clawing can leave visible damage.
Another factor that determines whether or not your spider plant will be able to grow back is the health of the root system. Even the most beat-up plants can make a gradual return if their root system remains unharmed.
Once you’ve looked at these two factors, you’ll probably have a good idea of whether or not it’s worth the effort to try and save your spider plant. And in most cases, it is worth the effort because cats seldom do enough damage to warrant uprooting and removing the plant entirely.
How to Fix a Spider Plant with Minor to Moderate Damage
Torn leaves, some visible roots, a roughed-up plant are examples of minor damage. The good news is that this kind of damage will heal on its own with time. This means that while you don’t have to do anything in particular, there are some steps you can take to improve and speed up recovery.
- Prune or cut off the damaged leaves. Whether or not this is necessary depends upon the extent of damage done. Half-eaten leaves can look untidy and unaesthetic. If you find the look to be displeasing, feel free to cut off the damaged parts of the spider plant for a cleaner look during recovery.
- Cover visible roots with soil. This helps stave off any root damage and helps get the nutrient-gathering systems back up and running. The sooner you do this, the better.
- Provide good care. It goes without saying that establishing good fundamental care practices is beneficial whether or not your spider plant is damaged. But your damaged spider plant needs extra care to make a successful recovery.
- Focus on these factors. Stick to an appropriate watering routine, use some fertilizer to speed up growth, and eliminate any damaging environmental factors such as excessive or too little sunlight, extreme temperatures, or pests.
- If growing indoors in a pot, consider getting a humidifier. We humans tend to dislike high humidity. Spider plants, on the other hand, absolutely love it.
- Make sure it doesn’t happen again. Take measures to ensure your spider plant won’t suffer any more damage at the hands of your cat.
Simple enough, right? In essence, you just need to take good care of the plant by paying extra attention to factors such as water, sunlight, fertilization, etc. Optimal conditions will help the plant regenerate lost matter faster.
Pruning isn’t necessary. If the look of the plant doesn’t displease you, you don’t have to go for it.
Depending on the damage, recovery can take anywhere from a week to a few months.
How to Fix a Spider Plant with Severe Damage
If your cat really messed up your spider plant, most of the leaves have been ripped to shreds, and the plant has been uprooted almost entirely. This is most likely the case if you have a curly or smaller spider plant. So, where do you go from here?
As you can imagine, a successful recovery is less likely in this scenario. But there are steps you can take to give your struggling spider plant better odds of survival.
- Quickly replant the spider plant in soil or potting mix. Spider plants can last outside the soil for some time, but replanting soon is essential to allow the roots to reestablish themself in the soil.
- Trim back dead foliage. In this case, cutting back any dead or dying leaves is important. Doing so ensures that your spider plant doesn’t waste any more resources on trying to preserve said leaves but focuses on growing new ones instead.
- Care and attention. Once you’ve taken the steps above, the rest ultimately comes down to care and attention. Be sure to give your plant the right amount of water, humidity, and sunlight. The better you can manage these decisive factors, the faster your spider plant will grow back.
- More sun. Greater exposure to sunlight becomes particularly important during recovery, as dead leaves cannot aid in photosynthesis, reducing the extent to which your spider plant will be able to utilize the sunlight it gets.
You can expect to wait a month or two before your spider plant recovers fully. The plant will most likely recover as long as it has even a few live roots remaining after the attack.
Another factor that plays a role in determining whether or not recovery will be successful is how healthy the plant was before the attack.
Fully grown, healthy spider plants, with their higher nutrients and energy reserves, can better regenerate and repair roots. Smaller and younger spider plants don’t have these same reserves, so root damage tends to be harder to repair.
If, despite your best efforts, you don’t see any new growth in the following weeks, your plant might be beyond recovery. This is rare, though. Again, most spider plants will brush off an attack from a cat and make a full recovery. Only baby spider plants are at practical risk of dying after being chomped on by a cat.
Will Your Cat Be Okay After Eating a Spider Plant?
Thankfully, you probably don’t have much to worry about regarding your cat if it eats a spider plant. Spider plants aren’t harmful to cats.
Your cat may have minor digestive issues if it ate too much of the spider plant, but it should otherwise be fine. If you do see any symptoms of severe distress, such as troubled breathing, get in touch with your veterinarian immediately. It’s always better to be safe than sorry..
Why Do Cats Like Spider Plants So Much?
Cats are particularly drawn to spider plants because spider plants release a chemical that cats are attracted to. The chemical can be rather addicting and appealing to cats.
While the chemical in spider plants may make your cat behave in odd ways, it’s not dangerous for your cat. The problem is that once your cat has tried spider plants, it’s more likely to go back for seconds.
This makes taking preventative measures all the more important.
How To Get Your Cat To Stop Eating Your Spider Plant
Here are some practical suggestions to get your cat to stop eating spider plants (or any other plant, for that matter).
- Use attractive plants that are good for cats. Safe plants that cats are attracted to are cat grass and catnip. You can grow them as a sacrificial substitute to protect other, more important plants in your house.
- Use peppers. Cats have a strong sense of smell, making them more sensitive to unpleasant smells. Spicy and bitter foods give off aromas that are too much for cats to handle. Add a small amount of household peppers or spices near your spider plant. Alternatively, use lemon or citrus peels.
- Place the spider plant outdoors. Unless you own a variety vulnerable to overheating and/or sun damage, placing spider plants outdoors in partial shade should be fine.
- Hang the spider plant. If you would rather not place your spider plant outdoors, put it in a place that’s difficult for your cat to get to it. Hanging plants are often harder for cats to get into. It’s probably not the best idea if your cat likes jumping to reach high surfaces, though.
Final Thoughts
Spider plants are resilient little creatures that will, in most cases, make it out alive if a cat attacks them. You’ll need to put the roots back in the soil and provide extra care for the following few weeks for your spider plant to recover faster.
Baby spider plants or smaller varieties are in more danger. It can be helpful to use preventative measures, such as peppers or lemon, to discourage your cat from approaching the spider plant. You can also consider placing the spider plant outdoors (in partial shade) or hanging it from the ceiling in a practical spot.
