Can cat urine kill a houseplant?

[GCP]

There's nothing in google about it, but I have (had) a beautiful little orange bush that used to grow happily in our house, and gave us crops of little oranges evry year.
Well, in winter I usually transfer it up into our bedroom as it's the only room with a good sunshine input for most of the day, and the bush has been fine up to this year.
One day I noticed that one of our cats has been using the pot as an emergency toilet as she was too damn lazy to get down to the cat tray in the basement. (Soil kicked around on the floor etc).
Now the plant is almost dead, all the leaves have dried up. I've re-potted it, and fed it and watered it, but the poor thing's almost gone.
Did the cat do it?

[trumad]

1. There's nothing in google about it, (snarf)

You owe me a dry cleaning bill on that one!

[GCP]

Sorry, I'm a bit slow today

I googled on it and got nothing.

[ohiosmith]

2. Cat urine killed the Sahara forest.

[DS1]

3. It's pretty acidic isn't it?

Perhaps it got into the roots and killed them off..

[GCP]

5. Maybe that's it

Our little beauty queen went and did it.

[DS1]

8. on the other hand, it could be crushed roots

[TEXASYANKEE]

4. Yes.

Cat urine is toxic to plants.

[Gman]

6. You betcha cats can kill plants

We also found out the hard way years ago. We wondered why the beautiful ivy plant we had died. The first thing the guy at the nursery asked was did we have a cat in the house.

Its bad enough that I'm allergic to them then that had to happen. Now its no cats in the house, period.

[hlthe2b]

7. Sure... high ammonia content in cat urine....

[geniph]

9. Urine breaks down into urea and ammonia

and concentrated ammonia can be highly corrosive to delicate roots.

[elperromagico]

10. Yes, and cat urine can gradually destroy your soul.