How to Get Your Cat to Stop Peeing on Your Potted Plants

Do you have a cat that insists on using your favorite potted plant as his personal litter box? As frustrating as it is, don't throw the cat out yet! Once you understand why he's doing this, it's easier to find a solution that works for both of you.

First, is your cat eliminating in OTHER inappropriate locations, or just the plants? Is this a new development? If so, you should take your cat to the vet as soon as possible and rule out illness. If the vets give your cat a clean bill of health, you can explore other options.

Is your cat spraying--in other words, marking his territory? If he's intact, you should get him neutered. The vast majority of male cats stop spraying within a few months of being neutered. Intact female cats should also be spayed to stop this unwanted behavior. (Yes, female cats can spray, too!)

If your cat was once an outdoor cat, or if he's used to going outside occasionally, he may like the way the dirt feels under his paws. He's simply accustomed to burying his poop in loose soil.

The first step is to either keep the plants out of reach, or at least make them as unappealing as possible. If hanging your plants from ceiling hooks isn't an option, cover the soil with garden netting or large rocks. Also, be sure to change the plant's soil completely, because the urine smell will keep luring your cat back.

The next step is to make the litter box more appealing. You can try mixing soil with your cat's regular litter for a while. As gets accustomed to using the box, gradually decrease the amount of soil you mix in.

However, using soil as kitty litter can be very messy. You probably don't want little paw-shaped dirt tracks on your carpet. Instead, you could switch to a softer, more sandy litter instead. If you prefer your cat to use a clumping clay-based litter, you can follow a similar strategy: Mix some clay litter with the sandy litter, and then gradually increase the amount of clay litter until your cat makes a complete switch.

published 3 years ago

catkin

191 points