Need tips on how to get my cat to stop urinating on the floor...

[exer_cited]

Ugh...

So, I had this pile of Christmas wrapping paper down in the basement that needed to go up in the attic. I brought it up to the kitchen today along with the rest of the Christmas stuff that needed to go to the attic. The paper sat there for a few hours until DH had time to lug it all up. Anyway, while it was down in the basement, the cat must have peed on it... Now she keeps going back to that spot and peeing on the hardwood, twice so far...

The two times she's peed there, I cleaned it with Fantastic. But I just looked online and read something about using vinegar, so I just cleaned the spot again.

Any other tips on how to get the scent out of the hardwood? We can't smell it but I'm sure she can. Or, how to get her to stop going back to that same spot?!?!

TIA, everyone.

I'm feeling really sad about this. We adopted this cat and almost immediately, she decided to live in the basement. Which I wasn't too happy about, but it was her choice and we spend a good amount of time down there. Just recently she started coming back upstairs and inter-acting with the family, which makes me very happy. It was one thing when it was her choice to be down there. I'd hate to have to banish her to the basement now that she seems comfortable with being around us.

 

[Skyy2]

how about putting a litterbox in the exact spot that she keeps going to? Then when she starts to use the litterbox- every once in a while move the litterbox until you get it to the spot you want the box to stay.

skyy

 

[cats_meow_0911]

I'm a vet tech, and there are several reasons this may happen. First off, I would recommend taking her in for an exam and urinalyisis to rule out any medical conditions (like a urinary tract infection, idiopathic cystitis, renal problems, etc.).

You may want to experiment with different brands of litter, too. Sometimes cats are picky about litter, and litterboxes, too (like open vs. closed).

Those are a few suggestions. Cats may also do this due to stress, like the addition of another pet, having strange people over, etc. The first step is t rule out any medical conditions.

Good luck!

 

[GreenEyedLefty]

My cat did this around Thanksgiving. He started peeing at the bottom of the basement stairs (off to the side, though, so no one stepped in it, thankfully).

My friend who is a former vet tech told me that my cat was trying to tell me something and that I should take him to the vet.

I did, and it turned out there was absolutely nothing wrong with him physically... which meant that his peeing issue was behavioral.

The vet gave me some great advice. The first thing she said is to get the cat to use the litterbox again. To do that, she recommended putting him in an enclosed area with just a litterbox for 2 weeks. It seems harsh and barbaric, but it forces kitty to use the box. We gave up our half bathroom for this and either left the light on or used a night light so he could see. We let him out to eat and for supervised visits, keeping the basement door closed.

Within a day he was using his box again, but we kept him confined for 3 days just to be sure.

During this time we cleaned the pee area at the bottom of the stairs with enzymatic odor eliminator (I think it's called "Stink Free," we got it at PetSmart) and replaced the carpeting.

The box is still in the bathroom, and he can now go into the basement. He has been using the litterbox just fine, and has not returned to his old spot to pee.

The second thing she said is to find out if the cat has a location preference for his litterbox. Obviously, he likes the bathroom but there isn't enough room in there for both the box and people so we have to find another spot. That's our next mission.

The third thing the vet suggested is to keep the cat's litterbox scrupulously clean - scooped daily and 100% litter change once a week. She also said to wash the box periodically because the scent of urine can leach into the plastic, and cats don't like that.

The fourth, which we haven't had to do, is to figure out if the cat has a litter preference.

Anyway... that's our story. The vet said that peeing outside the box is the #1 reason why people either give up their pets or euthanize them.

You got some great advice to take kitty to the vet first. Hopefully your vet will give you the same advice mine did. Good luck to you!

 

[singinggoddess]

Feliway worked for us. We had a cat peeing on the couch because she was mad about the kitten we adopted. We tried spraying vinegar on it and putting a litter box near the couch, but nothing worked. We then had a vet tell us about Feliway. It comes in a spary bottle or a plug in diffuser. It is a little pricey, but it has worked for us. You might also want to put some double sticky tape on the area she is going on. Cats hate sticky tape. Hope it works out.

Susan

 

[exer_cited]

I appreciate everyone's input!!

We have never had a problem with her not using her litterbox. And I think the only reason she peed on the wrapping paper down in the basement in the first place is because her litter box was dirty. My fault, I know..

Hopefully the vinegar worked, but if not, I'm moving on to the sticky tape!!

Thanks again!!

 

[pzgirl]

Nature's Miracle

Try Nature's Miracle -- available at most pet stores -- to clean the sprayed area. It works great on rugs and clothing too. Mop up as much liquid as possible, saturate the area with NM and let it dry. On fabric it can take a few days to dry thoroughly and the smell to go away, but I've been using it for 20 years with my cats and it's a miracle!