Great idea, Jim. But what do you do if your cat likes to gnaw on the plants, too? I've had to give up houseplants completely. None were safe from Zac (he's even been known to nibble on fake ones, silly beast). Maybe a nice cactus or two is in order.

Same situation here, Lisa. One trick I came up with is to cover my herb window box with tulle (the netting-type stuff that they use for ballet costumes--you can buy it by the yard at fabric stores). I put several stakes down the middle of the box and drape the tulle over it. You could put rocks around the edges of the box to hold the tulle down, but I've found that my plant-eating cat can't figure out how to get in there even without doing anything to hold the edges of the tulle down.

Great idea with the rocks. As far as Lisa's problem, I have the same problem with my cats eating everything. The only plant they don't eat thus far is succulents, especially Jade plants. Maybe your Zac won't like them either.

I am sorry to report that Carmel is a great lover of Aloe vera. She likes the tips fresh, but just to chew (and I'd heard they were bitter!).

--Jim