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Cats peeing on potted Trachy...what to do?


jfrye01@live.com

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I was examining my Trachy that I am intending to plant this spring, and I smelled a very strong cat urine smell, and all the dirt around my palm was SOAKED with cat urine...I have since put all the cats outside, but what can I do to save my palm, or is it too late? I'm going to be pretty ticked if my mom's annoying cats killed my $150 palm -.- Any tips appreciated...thanks!

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Soak the rootball in water. Urine is bad when it's concentrated, but when dilute it's a fertilizer.

Keith 

Palmetto, Florida (10a) and Tampa, Florida (9b/10a)

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Exactly what Zeeth said. The sooner the better too. If you can dilute it, the cats may be doing you a favor...besides the smell.

If you do see some leaf burn don't panic too much. The tree should recover. Provided you follow Zeeth's advice in a timely fashion.

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Is cat spraying from a distance or squatting in the pot? If it gets into the pot to pee, try placing sticks/stakes into the soil to discourage cat from getting in. If it sprays buy thin flat stakes (24" long or so) and make an impromptu wall/fort around the perimeter of the pot to deflect spray (but lay plastic beneath pot to prevent splashback from soaking carpet/floor). Also check into repellants to deter cat from getting too close. Hopefully, you can find something that doesn't repel people too.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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After the soaking, sprinkled some pure red pepper over the top. Look for a small jar of ground Cayenne at the grocery store. That will keep the cat out of it.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Dollar stores and sometimes grocery stores often sell plastic bottles of red/cayenne pepper for a $1 or so. Don't waste money on expensive name brand spices.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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Alright thanks guys! I literally soaked the dirt with water...I moved the Trachy outside since it's warm, hopefully the cats won't mess with it, especially since they have the whole outdoors to their disposal..

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I moved the Trachy outside, it is in a 15 gallon pot...I watered it so much that water is now seeping out of the bottom of the pot...did I overdo it? If so, how do I keep the roots from rotting? :/

El_Dorado.gif

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You did just the right thing. You might want to be sure the leaves are in the shade or partial shade to avoid any chance of sun burn especially when young.

Root rot should not be an issue. In fact, watering so it drains through the pot like you described is exactly the right thing to do regardless of the cat situation. This method keeps salts from building up in the soil. The rot is a concern if the palm sits in a puddle or if the potting mix become so wet and doesn't drain, thus simulating sitting in standing water.

When I want to be sure the pot drains faster and more thoroughly, I put something a couple inches thick under one side of the pot so it sits at an angle with a hole at the low point. Seems to help pull more water out.

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I sprinkled Cayenne pepper powder in the dirt around the trunk, stuck toothpicks in the dirt, and she STILL keeps peeing in it...any other ideas?:/

El_Dorado.gif

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Buy some chicken wire and wrap it around the pot to form a cage. I had to do that to keep the squirrels from chewing down my palms.

Los Angeles, CA and Myrtle Beach, SC.

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Haha I'll do that, but in the interim, I came up with another idea...spray bottle:) Kitty doesn't like it, and I think it's working:3

El_Dorado.gif

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Ugh! I'm about to lose my mind! Kitty keeps peeing in the same spot, every day! I pour water on the spot to dilute it every time, but as this happens multiple times a day, I'm afraid I'm gonna rot the roots of my palm!! >:(

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For some reason, I can't edit my above post, but I wrapped some chicken wire around it, she just climbed over it. She is bound and determined to get into the damn plant!! Also, it is much much too cold to take the palm outside and run water through the dirt like I did before, is my palm a goner?:/

El_Dorado.gif

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What are your temps outside? You can always rinse it in your bath tub. Do take care to keep water out of the crown of the palm.

Do you have any pictures you can share?

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I can't take any pictures right now, and the pot is too large to carry upstairs to the bathroom:/ The pot has holes in the bottom, and it is sitting in a large saucer to catch runoff, however, if I were to pour water into the dirt, it will sit in the basin and not drain...also, I'm afraid I've kept the dirt too wet the past few days because of the damned cat constantly peeing in it...

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I can't take any pictures right now, and the pot is too large to carry upstairs to the bathroom:/ The pot has holes in the bottom, and it is sitting in a large saucer to catch runoff, however, if I were to pour water into the dirt, it will sit in the basin and not drain...also, I'm afraid I've kept the dirt too wet the past few days because of the damned cat constantly peeing in it...

Trachies do very well in the Seattle area. Lots of rain there. So I wouldn't panic just yet. The most important thing is that it drains and the roots don't sit in standing water.

Where do you live? What is your USDA hardiness zone?

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Pee on it yourself.

That cat will find another palm to go pee on...

Brandon, FL

27.95°N 82.28°W (Elev. 62 ft)

Zone9 w/ canopy

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jfrye

You can also pee on the cats . . . (Hard to do, I realize.)

I have 5 cats and they do pee sometimes where I don't want them to.

If the pepper doesn't work, you can put up some kind of barrier. Try crumpled paper, aluminum foil or sheet plastic that crunches when touched. Most cats hate that.

Moth crystals may also work. Go to a 99 cent store to get them. Don't spend a lot.

If push comes to real shove and nothing else works, put some food there. They won't pee where they eat. (Unless they hate the food, which most cats don't.) I did that once to the nastiest tomcat in the world and he stopped peeing and pooping in place. (The only problem with that is you have to provide food sometimes, hard to say how often.)

Trachies are tough, and they'll recover handily from damage.

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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That's a very good idea. Here's what the palm looks like as of about 5 minutes ago...still green, but lots more brown than should be:/ Sorry the picture is sideways...post-9451-0-82486900-1391046466_thumb.jp

El_Dorado.gif

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It looks pretty good to me, none the worse for a little cat pee.

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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That's a very good idea. Here's what the palm looks like as of about 5 minutes ago...still green, but lots more brown than should be:/ Sorry the picture is sideways...attachicon.gifphoto (7).JPG

Well, that is the problem right there. Palms grow very poorly when planted sideways. I am surprised the cat can even hang on long enough to pee in it.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Hahahaha! Thanks for the advice and laughs guys!! And I feel somewhat ridiculous I've been literally losing sleep over a tree, but I'm not gonna lie, I love that thing! :3 But it still looks healthy, spear is still green, so I'm assuming that's good news. It's probably having a difficult time adjusting to being indoors, I imagine once it's planted in the ground, it'll eventually perk up...hopefully. Lol

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Hahahaha! Thanks for the advice and laughs guys!! And I feel somewhat ridiculous I've been literally losing sleep over a tree, but I'm not gonna lie, I love that thing! :3 But it still looks healthy, spear is still green, so I'm assuming that's good news. It's probably having a difficult time adjusting to being indoors, I imagine once it's planted in the ground, it'll eventually perk up...hopefully. Lol

It should love it in the ground. Once again, Keith offers outstanding advice...don't plant sideways.

Jimhardy is the guy from Iowa. You should be able to find some good cold hardy threads by him. It will give you some good ideas and feed the obsession!

Start saving your pennies for that plot of land in Hawaii. That's where this addiction always ends up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am officially frustrated...nothing is working!! I keep trying to keep the cats out, but they keep coming back and peeing in and on my palm, and there's nothing I can do...I can't keep the cats outside because somebody always lets them in while I'm not at home, and I come home to find dug up roots, torn off fibers, and a trunk and dirt literally soaked with cat urine...Fortunately, the palm is not (yet) showing any signs of yellowing or browning, other than brown tips and a couple of dead fronds, but I have been told this is normal. Tonight, I took two gallons of water and covered the trunk and dirt, until water was draining out the bottom of the pot and into the large saucer under the pot...is this the right thing to do, or is there something else I should try? Thanks guys...I'm getting seriously frustrated...and I'm going to be somewhat loathing of cats if they kill my $150 prize...

El_Dorado.gif

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I tried that, she climbed over it...anyway, I guess I could rework it to where she couldn't climb over it...I'm worried about flushing the urine out of the dirt, as the palm is much too large to fit in the bathtub, and it's way too cold outside...

El_Dorado.gif

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Close the top of the wire around the trunk. Create a cone.

Do you have a walk in shower? Pour water on the soil don't use the shower head. Should be good to go.

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Is the cats litter box cleaned out often enough? Some cats are really sensative to that and look elsewhere to go if not. Also some are bothered by litter boxes not having enough privacy. The fact that the cat seems to like the soil around you palm makes me think its not happy with where it is suppose to go and probably less about the palm in general.

Zone 9b (formerly listed as Zone 9a); Sunset 14

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Yep, we replace her litter every other day. Usually, the cats stay outside, but since it's been so cold, we've been letting them in the house...and yes, I have a walk in shower, however, the palm is too large to get upstairs to it:/

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Get another pot and fill it with similar soil, but no palm. Put the palm in a closet for a day, or in a room with the door shut, out of reach of kitty. Maybe the cat will like the new pot. If the cat is usually an outdoor cat, she is probably expressing her irritation at being stuck indoors. It's a behavior modification puzzle, for sure.

Another idea: take a large square of cardboard, make a zig-zag cut from the edge to the center, then a circle in the center just large enough to fit tightly around the base of the palm trunk. Slipped onto the palm, it should be big enough to cover all the dirt and the entire pot. Tape it in place, if necessary. Hopefully that will deter access by your palm-crazy cat. Giving her an alternative pot of dirt nearby may then satisfy her urges.

Is there a type of surface or material you know she doesn't like to walk on? I had a cat who scrupulously avoided walking on a faux-fur blanket. Maybe bubble wrap, or double-stick tape on top of the cardboard idea would be a deterrent.

Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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