Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
We have an older indoor cat. She usually uses the litter box. She seems to keep peeing in the same area on a rug in the dining room. I keep smelling that urine odor and have to treat that carpet area. Any ideas on how to break her of peeing there?
By Annette from Cocoa Beach, FL
You probably still have cat urine in the carpet or the underpadding that isn't coming out. Cat urine is strong and the odor lingers too.
I had a cat that was peeing outside the box. I found a cat litter called "Attract", you can get it at pet stores, comes in a red bag, a little pricey, but it did the trick. The cat never peed outside the box again. I also used Walmart's "Out" products (in the pet department) for getting rid of the smell. So far so good.
Hope this helps.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I have a big problem. In the past I had cats and they urinated on the carpet. Now we have 2 kittens and they are going to those spots and using the bathroom. Does anyone know how to stop them? How to get the smell out? My son plays on the floor. He doesn't play where it is, but I still can't stand him doing so until I can get the smell out.
By starmidnite710 from Mobile, AL
You might also, after cleaning it well, place the litter box in this area to help train them. You can move it later, after they learn. (06/18/2010)
By Dedeswrkshop
Nicole41819 from West Milford, NJ
My cat was doing the same thing. I took him to the vet and he had a bladder infection and was constipated. The vet put him on antibiotics and CatLax for the other problem. It really did the trick. I give him the CatLax (which is very inexpensive) 2-3 times a week for preventative purposes. (02/07/2005)
By CatWoz
Regardless of the reason, (or the sixth sense!), once the smell is there she will return to the same spot. You either have to remove the smell completely or make the spot so repellent she won't go back there. Enzyme type detergent may help remove traces of the urine or some sort of preparation from the vet is often mentioned by the US contributors.
I feel if this was a health problem there would be more peeing indoors rather than the one spot, (but I'm not a vet!). Is she otherwise well? Can you pinpoint the time she first used the spot? Was she locked in? Was the litter tray dirty? If so its almost certainly behavioral rather than ill health. If behavioral you need to make this spot unattractive, firstly by removing as much smell as possible but, as their sense of smell is so sensitive, this may not work.
The area can be made unattractive by sprinkling a bit of dried pepper there. Her fine sense of smell will make her avoid the area before she actually "gets a nose full" so to speak. Another method is to watch her until you catch her "in the act" and then spray her with a short sharp burst from a water pistol. This won't hurt her, but she will get a fright which she remembers when she goes near the spot again. You must do it at the exact time she is having a wee though so the connection is made.
Regards.
(02/07/2005)
By Jo
You really need to use a product especially made to take away the urine smell, water and soap will not do it. Actually, often soap makes it worst (same for the bed).
Now, once you have used the product, I would also put something on the actual spot she uses, either sticking paper (like the one used to cover books) or pepper, or something she likes to sleep on. Like paper (if the case) or a plastic bag. Anything to take her mind off of the fact that she/he pees there.
But first and foremost you "need" to get a pee analysis from the vet, that will tell you if she/he has an infection, and yes, some cats with infection will pee in the same spot over and over again.
For anyone's whose cat is using a place or something to do their clawing, just cover that area with sticky paper, like I stated above, no cat will do their claws on this. It will look kind of weird for awhile, but then it should be okay. There is also some kind of repellent product, but I've never used them.
If none of this works, try speaking to your vet, they might have good ideas.
Let us know how this turns out.
(08/06/2007)
By NeeNoon
You can also put a sheet of aluminum foil on the floor in the spot. Cats don't like to pee on aluminum foil. It's shiny and noisy. Maybe her reflection in the foil would shame her into putting her pee in the box! (07/23/2008)
By Kristin
I know this sound strange, but Oxiclean really works! It will cut the smell. Mix it in warm water and saturate the rug/floor, wait a while (couple of hours) then soak it up with paper towels, you can throw away. For older cats, look at the back claws, sometimes they will be thick. This is a sign of hyperthyroidism in older cats, if so don't get pills from the vet, get "cream" in a tube and put it on the inside of the ear (watch to not get on your hands, use a glove). (11/18/2008)
By Cindy
Cats do not like peeing on newspaper. My cat use to pee on my carpet, in the same spot under my end table in my living room. I had the carpet cleaned then I spread news paper on that area. I then focused on keeping the litter box extra clean because they hate a smelly box. The newspaper, not a good look, but she went back to using her litter box. (11/22/2009)
By lina111
