# UGH!!! Peeing in the pot of my Ficus Tree!!!



## betsy (Jun 18, 2005)

I've had my cats for over 2 years now and I just discovered that one of my cats has decided to start using the ficus tree pot as its litter box. :roll: They don't eat the leaves or do anything like that, but this peeing is awful. I have a couple of questions and I'm hoping someone will know the answers.

1) Is it hopeless for the ficus tree now? In other words, is death inevitable since cat urine is like amonia?  

2) If its salvagable, do they sell a type of cover or lid for the pot (with a cut out for the bark of the ficus tree)??? Don't know if this exists, but if it doesn't, I think I'll patent it! lol

3) If its salvagable but such a lid/cover does not exist, does anyone have any suggestions to avoid this from happening again???? 

4) Do I need to repot it??? 

The ficus tree has some sentimental value because a good friend of mine gave it to me when he moved to California. He said that ficus trees don't do well with moves. And he's had this tree since he was like 12 or something. I would hate to have it die on me and its not like I can just send it to him in California!

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

I can't answer about the effect of the urine on the tree, but I doubt it's good. Repotting might be a good idea. Remove as much of the soil as possible without damaging the main roots.

You can try what's usually recommended when cats dig in houseplants: put some rocks or marbles on top of the soil. Sticky Paws also makes sticky strips for plants, but that's expensive.

I've never heard of a lid with a cutout, but if you want to try that and it works, be sure to tell us!!


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## EricsMama_CatLuver (Nov 2, 2005)

My grandparents would always put some wire mesh stuff over their Rubber tree/plant the pot that they had when they found out their cats were peeing/pooping in the pot and it worked wonders! I'm not sure how to explain this because its been a while since they had to do it.......The cats that did it are both dead now and there are 2 other cats that i don't believe had done anything in the pot yet!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Yes, that's another good idea. You need a tin snips to cut it easily, but just cut it to fit with a slot on one side to slip around the trunk. Most hardware store will sell small pieces of wire mesh in various weights and mesh size. I think the actual name for it is "wire cloth." Even window screen would work, and it can be cut with a scissors.


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## betsy (Jun 18, 2005)

Thanks guys!! Rocks/marbles and wire cloth are great ideas!!! I may actually do both. Put rocks on top of the soil, and then wire cloth over the pot....just in case!

But I still plan on becoming rich and famous with my tree pot lid invention! :wink:


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## Nell (Apr 7, 2005)

I'd suggest repotting the tree. I use rocks in all my pots to keep the cats out and it works great. I use the 2" size landscape rocks that you can find at a garden center for pretty cheap. Anything smaller and they'll try to dig around them.


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## coco & little guy (Jan 5, 2004)

I can't say about a ficus tree, but when we still had our beaugenvilla <- sp?? bush one of our guys, Coco, would pee in it's container. He would only seem to do this if we were late in changing their litter box litter. By late I mean 1/2 day. Anyway, he finally killed the bush and we haven't had any other issues with any of our other house plants, although none of the others were that large either.

Just a couple of nights ago, our neighbors "donated" a ficus tree to us that had become too large and heavy for them to manage. It has been in the house now for about a week, and we haven't noticed any signs of it being used as a pee pee spot.......yet.

If these ideas work for you please post back. Oh and check their litter box too.

Cheers.


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