As an avid cat lover and owner of countless dozens of them (sequentially during my lifetime - no more than 14 at one time!) I don't think using a pepper spray to keep the lil' darlings off your houseplants is cruel. Be warned tho - some cats are not deterred by hot peppersw. I read somewhere that a few mothballs scattered in the dirt around the plant my deter cats. Good luck! Peace, love and peppers Lorraine