If your kitty's using your potted plants as a litter box, your house or patio probably stinks of urine and your plants are likely dying. By covering up the tempting soil inside the pots, you'll naturally deter your cat from doing his business inside them.
Step 1
Clean all contaminated pots and the floor beneath them. Replace the dirt inside the pots or dilute the urine in the soil by watering thoroughly several times. If your kitty can smell urine, he'll keep using the pots as a litter box.
Step 2
Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the soil in your pots. Cats dislike the feel of it on their paws and most refuse to walk on it. Plus, your kitty won't be able to dig through it to cover his urine.
Step 3
Place small pine cones, prickly mulch or large stones over the soil to keep Kitty out of your pots. These are more decorative than aluminum foil and work just as well, but they are more difficult to clean if your cat decides to pee on them.
Step 4
Sprinkle citrus peels around the inside of the pot. Most cats dislike the smell of citrus, according to Alley Cat Allies. You can also try a citrus or citronella spray.
Step 5
Hang your plants from the ceiling or from trees around your patio. If your kitty can't reach the pots, he can't urinate inside them.
Step 6
Fill a squirt bottle with cold water and spray your cat every time he goes near your potted plants. It takes just a few squirts to deter most cats.
Step 7
Add an extra litter box to your household if you have more than one cat. Generally, there should be a litter box on every floor of your house and at least one per cat. This prevents inappropriate urination due to an occupied, gross or out-of-reach box.
Step 8
Replace the litter in your boxes frequently to cut down on odor and make the box more inviting to your kitty.
References
Tips
- Note the amount of urine in your potted plants. If there is little urine or if the urine is splattered all over the pots and surrounding area, your kitty is spraying and not urinating. Neutering your cat may calm down this behavior.
Writer Bio
Sandra Ketcham has nearly two decades of experience writing and editing for major websites and magazines. Her work appears in numerous web and print publications, including "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "The Tampa Bay Times," Visit Florida, "USA Today," AOL's Gadling and "Kraze Magazine."