How do I stop my cat from pissing on my $10,000 leather sofa set?

Question

I've used Boundry product, but he's still pissing away!!!

Answer 1

Hi there...you didn't mention if he is neutered or not. If he isn't and is over 5 months old he could be spraying. If he is neutered there's a chance he could have a urinary tract infection.

More on inappropriate house soiling by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

Urine Spraying
When your cat rubs against your leg with his face, or scratches his scratching post, he is also depositing his scent from the glands in his cheeks and paws. Another equally normal but less pleasant marking behavior is urine spraying--the deposition of small amounts of urine around a given area. Spraying announces a cat's presence, establishes or maintains territorial boundaries, and advertises sexual availability.

Cats usually spray on vertical surfaces, like the backs of chairs, or walls. They don't squat to spray (as they do to urinate), but the tail lifts and quivers, and small puddles of urine are left in several consistent locations. Cats that spray are usually unneutered males and, to a lesser extent, unspayed females, but 10% of neutered males and 5% of neutered females also spray. In households with more than seven cats, the likelihood of spraying is high.

Cats may spray when they perceive a threat to their territory, such as when a new cat enters the home, or when outside cats are nearby. New furniture and carpet smells can prompt spraying as well. Cats may also spray out of frustration resulting from factors—like restrictive diets, or insufficient playtime—often wrongly perceived by humans as revenge.

How can I stop my cat from spraying?
Because spraying is different than other types of house soiling, different tactics are necessary to manage it. First, because there are often hormonal components to spraying, any intact animal should be neutered or spayed. Next, identify the stimuli that cause your cat to spray. If outside cats are responsible, motion detectors that trigger sprinklers can be used to deter them from coming onto your property. Additionally, you can discourage your cat from looking outside by closing blinds or shades, or by placing double-sided tape or electronic mats that deliver mild shocks onto your windowsills.

Address possible sources of frustration that may be causing your cat to spray. For example, introduce a new diet gradually, or discontinue it until the spraying is under control. Increasing the amount of playtime for an under-stimulated cat may also help ease frustration.

Spraying can also result from territorial disputes between cats in the same household. They may need to be separated and reintroduced slowly, using food treats to reward and encourage peaceful behavior.

Applying odor neutralizers anywhere your cat has sprayed may prevent him from spraying there again. Another useful commercial product is Feliway®, a synthetic pheromone that, when applied to household surfaces, mimics the scent of cat cheek gland secretions. Many cats will not spray on areas that have this scent. (See the end of this [website's] brochure for information on where to purchase the above-mentioned products.)

...please see the website for full details.

Answer 2

Hey, you're not alone. And you can beat this problem. Declawing, as you said, is not an option. Sprays, tapes, & claw covers are really just band-aid solutions. I mean, you know that your cat really needs to scratch. I think your cats are vertical scratchers (they scratch UP) and also horizontal scratchers. For vertical scratchers, you need a tall sisal rope scratching post. It needs to be at least as tall as your sofa, and it wouldn't hurt to go a good bit taller. Most adult cats need a scratching post that is at least 24" tall with a good sized base. the base should be at least 14.5" (or 60% of the vertical measurement) square. This will provide adequate stability while scratching. Your sofa doesn't tip over while it is being scratched, and the same property should be built into the scratching post. If the base can't be in this proportion, then it needs to be extra heavy. And the rope should be 3/8" Brazilian sisal. My cats have preferred this material to every other thing over the years. A horizontally scratching cat will need a sturdy, wide sisal rope scratching platform. Those cardboard jobbies are just a MESS, and they don't last. My 2 cats have 3 flat scratchers which are at least 5 years old. They are wrapped in the Brazilian sisal rope,and these guys use them every day! I will include a link to a method for showing your cats their scratching posts. It doesn't involve intimidation, frightening, or anything other than simply devoting some playful time to your cats. It will be fun for all of you. I reject any solution which involves using your larger size to intimidate your cat. Also, squirting your cat with water is really not going to do anything except to make your cat fear you. You are better than that, and you can solve this problem with a little creativity and a lot of kindness. Reading your question, I can tell that you really care about these critters. I have a good feeling about you, and I predict that if you take some of the good advice you are reading in these answers, you'll achieve harmony and peace with your cats (and your poor leather furniture!).

Answer 3

There are many solutions.

A very final one could be: kill the cat. That way, you guarantee that it will never piss on your $10,000 leather sofa set or anyone else's $10,000 leather sofa set EVER AGAIN.

Or, you could get rid of your sofa.

Ask a cat specialist, vetenarian, or google.

Use any other products you haven't tried.

Restrict your cat to a certain area of the house or make him an "outdoors" cat.

Anytime you see the cat about to piss on your $10,000 leather sofa set, throw something at it/attack it/flamethrower it/shoot its foot.

Do a little research on cat psychology so you could set mental boundaries on him that stops him from pissing on your $10,000 leather sofa set due to irrational fear that you instilled in him, that you learned from your cat psychology research.

Peace and good luck!

Answer 4

Clean the spot with an enzyme product like Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution (takes the smell out that only the cat can smell). Have a spray bottle filled with water nearby. Try not to let the cat see that you have the bottle, but when he does that, squirt him with the water. He will associate the unpleasant squirt with the sofa. Is the cat neutered/spayed? Does it have a urinary tract infection? That could be 2 reasons.

Answer 5

Has he always done this or just since something changed, like a new baby in the house, or maybe, buying a new sofa? Is something causing him stress? Is he pissing anywhere else? Is he neutered?

Consider a vet check to rule out medical reasons. If it is behavioral, then something happened to trigger the behavior, and making another change could fix it. It could also be something as simple as he doesn't like the sound of the new clothes washer in the laundry room you keep his litterbox in.

Answer 6

I hated that stuff because for one, it was too expensive and two, it really didn't work. Then one day I ran out of air freshener spray in the house and I had company coming over, so I went to my car and got my car's air freshener out. It was a natural spray called Citrus Magic. I sprayed it in the air and my cat got lost, I mean, she literally did not want to be anywhere in the room. That's when I discovered that cats hate the smell of oranges. So... maybe you could try getting some inexpensive, but expensive-looking pillows for the couch and spray the pillows with either the citrus spray or have some orange peels nearby. Try it yourself, you'll be amazed how it works.

Answer 7

Be Asian and roll out your plastic over your sofa set.

Answer 8

Squirt bottle. You'll have to just spray the kitty until you train it to stop. I was told some Italian leathers are softened with urine, which makes cats think it's ok to piss on the leather. The bottle is the only that worked for me.

Answer 9

Apparently your cat doesn't share your taste in furniture. LOL!!!

Think about what that leather smells like to your cat. Some folks like the smell of leather, but to a cat, it smells like a barn, hides and all.

I wish you good luck...maybe you could set up a room where the cat could live away from your sofa. I really don't know what else to tell you.

Answer 10

CAts do not like orange, so try orange rinds or wipe down the leather with an orange-based cleaner

Answer 11

Only two sure fire ways. 1. Kill the Cat 2. Sell the sofa set. Either one will solve your problem 100% guarantee.....