It's no problem - happens in the garden all the time. Deer, cats, dogs, racoon, armadillos, skunks, bunnies. etc. Just an extra dose of nitrogen. ;)

Rinse the plant off in case it got on the leaves and put something there to keep the cat out of the box - mulch, a tomato cage, sticks, etc.

Dave

I would just hose them off well and water them well to dilute the urine in the soil. Then put up a barrier, maybe chicken wire, to keep the cat from doing it again, removing the barrier when the plants are larger and/or the cat has lost interest.

LOL! I guess that cat told YOU what he thinks of your tomato plants!

My garden is in the back yard. So are the dogs. My DH's chocolate decided the first summer here that tomato plants were the IDEAL place to 'mark his turf'. (NOT the numerous trees, fence, etc) up went a 2 strand hot wire fence about knee high. I have to confess that the next morning, the time of his 'usual rounds', I spied on him from the kitchen. It only took one and he was a believer. Now 3yrs later, the fence has been down all winter and he still won't go close.

Cats are another matter. Did it 'pee' or is it a male cat and 'spray'? Because I think the chicken wire is a good idea but it won't protect against spraying unless you get it tall enough the cat won't jump it and set back far enough to get your precious plants 'out of spray range' ...........Just a thought.......

Those tomatoes may have a distinct flavor!

Sorry, could not resist!

Be careful. Bugs and birds will do it too!

D

Just water the area. No problem.

I did an experiment a couple yrs. ago. I had several of the same variety tomato in a row alongside fence. I selected two of them and peed on those two every couple days for a week or so. Result: Those two plants I peed on grew noticeably taller than the rest. No notiecable odor or flavor difference though.

was the foliage greener and bushier from the nitrogen?

triple_b - not that ive noticed yet. i went ahead and transplanted them because the smell was just... getting pretty powerful.

Cat spray/urine can kill your plants, it also gets in the soil and can spread a long list of diseases. Good cat owners don't let their pets roam like that. Set traps and try your garden again good luck.

Oh, good grief! Urine is sterile, meaning no bacteria or viruses. Yes, the high concentration of nitrogen can be detrimental to plants. And yes, cat owners should keep their pets indoors, if possible. But, that is because of the high predation of song birds and native rodents. Gardeners have nothing to worry about re cats, at least no more than other natural critters who might piss on their plants. Cats don't preferentially pee on garden plants, so the chance of them causing dramatic damage is small. If you are really concerned, put a litter box out in your garden.

Martha