A tip for keeping the plant and cat alive

Cat eats houseplants, originally uploaded by dlangsen.

A colleague at the newspaper seems to have been slightly annoyed by her plant-eating cats.

Seriously, who wants half-eaten spider plants and succulents, especially in the dead of winter when indoor gardens are supposed to help chase away the cabin-fever blues?

Christie Campbell shares her thoughts about plants and their ability to brighten winter moods this month in her column for Living Washington County magazine, a by-monthly publication of the Observer-Reporter newspaper in Washington, Pa.

In it, she cites a Dutch study that concluded companies could increase productivity by placing one large plant beside two employees sitting beside computers. Somehow this trick has the ability to reduce stress and cold outbreaks at the office.

Campbell, whose infectious laugh can cheer up the entire workplace, goes on to offer a valuable tip she discovered for keeping her house cats from munching away her plants and destroying the natural environment they add to her home.

“If you are troubled by cats, soak orange peels in water overnight,” she instructs. “The next day remove the peels and pour the water into a spray bottle. Spray your plants with this water because cats aren’t fond of citrus odors.”

It's a good idea right now to water and check my plants. The cat that was here last week, temporarily orphaned when a neighbor fled after Stormageddon killed the power for five days, has gone back home. I hope it didn't get hungry here for the parsley growing in a jar on the kitchen windowsill.

Meanwhile, the lights have been flickering again here in Webster as another bad storm bears down on southwestern Pennsylvania. Two inches of fresh snow have already fallen tonight. Meanwhile, five buildings collapsed this week under the weight of the nearly 2 feet of snow that fell a week ago during a disastrous storm.

This is especially depressing because here is the latest storm warning from The Weather Channel online:

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect. A significant winter storm or hazardous winter weather is occurring, imminent, or likely, and is a threat to life and property. Stay vigilant for severe weather.