House plants are great for adding color to a space, providing fresh air throughout your home, and bringing a little nature inside. Your cat might also fancy your plants because they remind them of their natural, outdoor surroundings and can provide a little excitement during a day indoors. If your cat has taken their relationship with your potted plants to the next level, and started peeing in them, fear not… we’re here to help! This article will review:
- Why cats like to use your potted plants for peeing
- How you can stop your cat from urinating in your indoor plants
- What other pet parents are asking about cats peeing in indoor plants
Why does your cat like to use your potted plants for peeing?
If your cat is litter trained, and suddenly starts using your indoor plants to urinate, there could be an underlying medical problem and you should consult your vet.
If your cat has started urinating in your house plants, and your vet has confirmed there’s no underlying medical condition, it’s likely that they’ve developed a substrate preference for soil. In other words, they just like going to the bathroom with the feeling of dirt under their feet.
How can you stop your cat from urinating in your indoor plants?
There are a few things you can do to stop your cat from urinating in your indoor plants:
- Limit access to your plants. When it comes to plants, this might be changing their location in your home to make them less accessible or even trying hanging plants as opposed to table plants.
- Make the ground around your plants uncomfortable. Cover the ground around your plants with plastic wrap, sand paper, or even sticky tape to make the area uncomfortable. Have a litter box alternative close by.
- Add stones to the flower pots. Put larger stones/rocks (large enough so they can't be ingested) in your plant pots to cover the potting soil.
- Put potting soil in their litter box. You'll need to experiment with the amount of necessary soil, but start by adding a thin layer of soil to the top of their litter box and increasing the quantity based on their reaction. For example, a thin layer may do the trick or they may need a more substantial amount to resume using the litter box.
Frequently asked questions about cats peeing in indoor plants
Is cat urine harmful to plants?
Cat urine, in large amounts, can kill house plants. This is because cat urine contains ammonia.
Why did this behavior just suddenly start in my litter box trained cat?
Changes in litter box behavior can be a sign of a medical problem and you should consult a vet. If your vet confirms your cat is healthy, they may just like the feeling of dirt under their feet while they go to the bathroom.
