Question
I brought my very large and healthy hibiscus and corn plant (6 feet) into the house for the winter.  We were away for a weekend and it appears that our newest kitty (about 6 months old) found the dirt in the pots more desirable than the clean litter boxes in the basement.  The hibiscus is loosing leaves faster than the birch trees outside and the corn tree has many yellow leaves.  I have tried putting packing 'peanuts' styrofoam and tin foil over the dirt in order to discourage any futher "kitty watering".  Do you have any suggestions for better deterents and other than repotting (these things are really big) is there anything I can do to restore the health of the soil?  Thanks for any advice in advance.

Caren

Answer
Hi Caren
I remember my dad had this problem with his cat, Maggie.  I called him and asked what he did to stop her from using the plants as a litter box.  First of all, he replaced the top layer of soil, about 2" down but you may want to go further if you want to replace more soil,  with soil mixed with a bit of vinegar to counteract the urine smell.  You can also try watering with Vitamin B-1.  This helps to keep the roots from going into shock, which they may be doing.  
Hope this helps Caren and good luck!
Leslie