Cat Urination Problems

Visitor has Cat Urination Problems

I have five cats of various ages, four females and one male. All but one of the rooms in our house have either vinyl or wood on the floor.

A few months ago, we had the carpet and padding removed from the Master bedroom. We coated the cement floor with Kilz primer and had new Stain Master carpet and padding installed. A few days later, we noticed one of our cats had used the corner of the room for a litter box. We sprayed it with Lysol, but a few days later it happened again. We don’t know what to do.

Advice we've already been given:

• Our carpet guy says get rid of all the cats, which we don’t want as we treat them as our kids.
• We where told that there was a spray that would neutralize the scent, but we're not sure which one works the best or where we can get it.
• Remove the offending area and replace it with wood or vinyl, but if we do, how can we prevent this from happening in another area in the same room.
• Remove the entire carpet and pad and put down a wood floor.

I really need some help. Any thoughts, suggestions, tricks that have worked for others would be greatly appreciated and welcomed.

Thanks~~ Daniel

Expert Reply

Hi Daniel,

First, how many litter boxes do you keep available for that many cats, and how often do you clean them? Cats can be very picky about using a soiled litter box, and this can cause them to look for other areas to relieve themselves.

Second, Lysol doesn't do much for urine crystals imbedded in the carpet and padding. Your cats can still smell them, and will naturally return to the area to soil. I recommend soaking the area with a one to one mixture of white vinegar and warm water. Really saturate it, then soak up as much as possible, and let the carpet dry. You can also suck up the moisture with a carpet cleaner if you happen to have one handy.

You can also try a product called OutRight Odor Remover. This product contains enzymes that eat bacteria, and it should help kill the odor. You can find it at most of your larger pet supply stores or online.

Third, you can choose to limit your cats' access to the bedroom. This prevents them from having the opportunity to offend again.

Hope this advice helps~~ Kelly

Kidney Stones

I have two male cats. I will just call them "Black" and "Orange". It seems like if one isn't sick, the other is. Lately, Black has been urinating/spraying on the baseboard in my dining room. The urine does have a little blood color to it, and also I've noticed he has been licking himself a lot. I know it's probably from that crystallization or whatever that's called. He has been treated once for that before, and soon after he was treated, the other cat got it.

Now about six months later, Black is doing it again. I'm just wondering what is causing this. I switched from tap water to filtered water, and I feed them Purina's Naturals. I also give them canned food a few times throughout the week. I just can't figure out why I am having such bad luck with these cats. They did have a vomiting problem for a while, but the filtered water seemed to take care of that. Any ideas?

Thanks

~~Mike

Expert Reply

Hi Mike,

First, please take Black to the vet immediately. If he does indeed have kidney stones, this can be deadly if not treated. A male cat can get urethra poisoning rather quickly. Black has all the symptoms, and since he has had this problem before I'd say it's highly likely.

Second, I would switch the cats to a cat food specifically formulated to prevent kidney stones. Purina is probably not high quality since your cats are having problems with this. There are several different foods on the market aimed at preventing these problems. I would have a chat with the veterinarian, and find out what he or she thinks would work best with your cats. Be prepared to pay a little more for the food, but you'll save money in the long run on veterinary bills and through saving your baseboards and carpets.

Once his infection and/or kidney problems are treated, your cat will likely stop spraying. However, be sure you thoroughly clean the sprayed areas with a good enzymatic cleaner, or the cats will likely return there because of the smell. You can purchase these cleaners at your local pet supply store.

~~Lori

Removing Cat Spray

We have an outside cat that snuck into the house over the holiday while we were away. When we returned, his musk scent was everywhere. What is the best way to find where he sprayed? Should I use a black light and then remove the odor?

~~Sam

Expert Reply

Hi Sam,

I'm so sorry that this happened to you. There is nothing worse than coming home to the smell of a cat having sprayed your house. You are absolutely correct that a black light is the best way to find the offending areas that need to be treated. However, you should also keep in mind that cats sometimes spray on walls and baseboards and that they will go behind furniture. To get rid of the smell, you will have to do a room by room check of every area the cat had access to. Once you've located the sprayed areas, you should use a good enzymatic cleaner to "eat" the odor. Once that has dried thoroughly, you may want to follow with a professional carpet cleaning. Be sure to tell the cleaner that you used an enzyme cleaner to rid the carpet of the odor. Some cleaners will cease to work if you clean over them too soon.

The good news is that you should able to get rid of the smell, especially with this being something more recent and not an older odor.

Good luck!

~~Lori

Cat Urinating on Mats After Move

Hello,

I've got big problems. I have a cat that is about four years old. Chloe was dumped on our doorstep when she was a kitten. I think she is part feral because of her multi-coloring. After we moved, some of the neighbor's dogs chased her and our other cat. The other cat never came back.

Ever since, she only comes out late at night. We have other cats too. When I had her and the other female spayed about twelve months ago, they began to play at night and attack our feet. This drove us insane! One of them, I think Chloe, also urinated and defecated on the bath mats. This settled down, but Chloe still only came out after everyone went to bed.

We have shifted several times since, and she has always been a hider. Since I have just shifted eight weeks ago, she has started urinating on the mats again. I just erected my water bed a week ago and she is also urinating on it. Is it mad cat syndrome? What do you suggest? I do not want to put her down. I am a mad lover of animals.

~~Kathleen

Expert Reply

Hi, Kathleen,

I'm sorry to hear that Chloe is urinating on your mats. Feral doesn't really have anything to do with coloring. It is whether the cat has been tamed by humans or raised in the wild.

Was Chloe untamed when she came to you? If so, she may have been feral. When you say bath mats, I'm assuming you mean rugs on the bathroom floor. The simple solution would be to remove these mats and instead put a towel down only when taking a shower. I would also clean the area thoroughly with an enzyme cleaner. You should be able to find this cleaner at your local pet supply store.

Some cats get more upset than others when moved from one place to another. It sounds like Chloe gets particularly upset. It is possible the trauma from the dogs chasing her has caused her to relate moving to a traumatic experience.

I would take several steps with her after you clean the area thoroughly and replace or remove the rugs altogether.

First, I would contain her in a small area with her litter box for a minimum of one week. This will serve two purposes. It will teach her where her litter box is and it will help her get used to her new surroundings on a small scale before she ventures into the bigger house. Also, you should have a separate box for each cat. Some cats are very picky about not sharing a litter box with other cats.

I hope these ideas help. If she has an accident when you allow her from the contained area, place her back in contained space immediately and repeat this process over and over until she finally gets the idea. Also, if you notice that she is using the box, praise her immediately afterward. Cats respond best to positive encouragement.

Good luck!

~~Lori

Cat Urinating Everywhere

Hi! I have two cats that are a couple of months apart and both are girls. The oldest one has this thing where she urinates and defecates every where and I don't know what to do. I purchased her at the Humane Society. They told me she does this because she was not fixed when I got her. When she goes "in heat" is when she has this problem. I had to purchase a new mattress. Should I get her fixed? Please help. I've tried just about everything and I don't want to have to give her up. Thanks.

~~Tenia

Expert Reply

Hi Tenia,

I'm really surprised that the Humane Society did not spay your cat. Most of the time they require this for adoption. There may be many different reasons she is behaving in this way, but getting her fixed will most certainly help and will also prevent unwanted kittens. I would phone the Humane Society and discuss this option with them. Many times, they work with local vets, and you can get a discounted rate on the surgery or they will do the spaying there. The spaying is usually included in the adoption fee in my area.

The next thing you need to do is to buy a good enzymatic cleaner and thoroughly clean any area where she has had an accident, and then confine her to a small area with her litter box. You'll find complete details on how to go about this in the article Urinating in Strange Places.

Thanks for your question.

~~ Lori