My cats are urinating on the rugs, and some of the urine is soaking into the wood furniture.?

Question

I have two cats that for some reason just started urinating on the rug (right next to their litter box), and sometimes they urinate on towels that are on the floor. Their litter box is impeccable, and the rugs have no other animal scents on them. Also, where they are urinating by the litter box, their urine is getting on an antique dresser (wood) and I don't know how to fix it. (It's been moved since the problems started happening).

Could someone please give me some ideas-short of getting rid of my two cats? Please help.

Answer 1

Hi Velma... first consider the following possibilities:
- change of litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
- unspayed/unneutered cats

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that one or your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box 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.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

Answer 2

First, Take them r to the vet. They might have a urinary tract infection or something else. They need to be looked at ASAP! If they don't have any of that, then the problem is most likely emotional.

Clean, clean, clean. I used a product called petastic. http://www.petastic.com. There are some tips and a coupon on the website.

Next buy a product called Feliway (http://www.feliway.com) It puts out pheromones and will help your kitties with the situation. I used this when we moved and I use it when we take our cats on vacation. Both of these products work great, but they need a vet ASAP!! I cannot stress that enough. I have been through a similar situation and it isn't fun.

Also, I have a great litter that I use. It is good for animals and the environment http://www.swheatscoop.com. You should also keep about three inches of litter in the box at all times. Good Luck!

Answer 3

I had a similar problem. I went out and bought brand new littler boxes. I would also put the litter box on a smooth surface, not a rug, something that can be cleaned easily.

Answer 4

first thing to do is get them checked for infection or other problem,also with more than one cat it can be very helpful to have more than litter box, some cats just don't like to share,make sure the boxes are kept very clean, which it sounds like you are doing, and i would'nt keep them on rugs, they will be much easier to clean up,you can get special cleansers at the vet or pet store to remove the odor so they will stop marking over it,and last, please don't boot them outside, it's not fair to them and will dramatically reduce their life span and cause a host of other medical problems,with some patience you will be able to solve this problem. i hope this helps, good luck!!

Answer 5

your cats my not like sharing their litter box. so may be get 2 litter boxes. and they will keep going in the same spot if they still smell it so u have to get the smell out of the carpet or where ever they are going. good luck

Answer 6

Take them to the vet to get checked for urinal tract infection, its very common in male cats but females get it sometime too. That causes them to lose some control of their bladders. If that turns out to be the cause, they'll be put on antibiotics till its gone and then you'll have to feed them cat food specifically for cats that are prone to urinal tract infections. My cats have been on Purina urinal tract infection food for years because one of my cats is prone to those infections.

Answer 7

Please get your cats to the vet ASAP to get them checked for urinary infections or crystals - if urinating is painful for them, they could be associating that pain with using the box, and that will cause them to stop using their litterbox.

If they check out OK at the vet, please see the link below for info on getting cats to use their litterbox.

Answer 8

cats will do that if their litter box stinks get a new box .even cats dont like their potty dirty.

Answer 9

Ewwwww that is gross.... Anyway if it is just one spot that they urinate in then put some newspaper down and see if they go on that ... if not put a little kennel type thing and boot em outside till they stop urinating everywhere

Answer 10

THat, my friend, is why I will never let a cat live in the same house as me.