How to Save a Plant From Cat Urine

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Save your potted plants from cat urine by making the pot unpleasant for your cat.

If you have noticed that cats have been using your houseplants as a place to relieve themselves, you will need to take precautions to save your plants. Cat urine can ruin the soil in your plants by altering the pH balance, and it leaves behind an unpleasant odor in your house. Save your plants by flushing the urine out with water, and restore the pH balance in the soil.

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Step 1

Take the plant outside. Use a garden hose to spray the plant to remove the cat urine. This will flush the urine off the plant and reduce the smell. If you have a small houseplant, take it to the kitchen and use the sink sprayer to water it until the water washes through the soil to remove the cat urine.

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Step 2

Allow the water to drain from the plant. Sit the plant back in its normal location on its drain tray. Allow it to receive adequate sunshine by placing it in a south facing window to help dry the soil. Do not water the plant until the soils dries, which can take anywhere from one to two weeks.

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Step 3

Combine 1 cup of baking soda with 2 cups of water. Stir the solution until the baking soda dissolves into the water, and then pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the plants with the baking soda solution. This will help to absorb any lingering odor.

Step 4

Trim off any dead leaves and stems with shears. The cat urine and over-watering may cause the plant to die. Trim the dead growth back to encourage new growth.

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Step 5

Repot the plant with new soil if the plant does not seem to be thriving after one to two weeks. Carefully remove the plant from the pot and throw out the soil. Clean the pot out thoroughly, and then add new soil to the pot. Make sure you use a pot with adequate drainage holes.

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