How to Stop Cats From Urinating on the Carpet
Cats naturally prefer to cover up their messes after they urinate, so if they start to go on the carpet instead of the litter box, it is often a sign of an emotional or medical problem. Cats tend to be very sensitive animals, so the slightest problem can be enough to cause a cat to urinate on carpet. As long as you know what the cause of the problem is, the process to treat the problem takes little work.
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Instructions
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Take the cat to the veterinarian as urinating outside of a litter box can sometimes be a sign of a bladder infection or other type of illness. If the doctor finds any medical problems, then medicine will likely be prescribed. If no medical problems are present, the cat is likely unhappy with something in your home.
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Dump all litter out of the litter box and discard it. Scrub the litter box with a sponge in hot soapy water and let it air dry. Sometimes a strong smell in the litter box is enough to repel a cat from using it.
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Pour 2 inches litter in the clean litter box. If your cat started urinating on the carpet after you changed the type of litter, then switch back to the old brand of litter. Use a non-scented litter as cats often do not like the smell of perfumes in litter.
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Put the litter box in a private, but convenient location for the cat. Cats need personal space, but may not use a litter box if it is hard to reach. Also, keep the box away from appliances, such as heaters or washing machines as the sounds from these machines may frighten the cat.
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Add a second litter box in your home, especially if you have more than one cat. As a general rule, each cat in a home should have at least one litter box of their own. Some cats prefer to use one box for urination and a separate box for defecation.
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Remove waste from the litter box at least once per day, but preferably twice. Some cats are quite picky and will only use a clean litter box.
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Play with your cat for at least 30 minutes per day. Like humans, cats can get depressed if they don't feel loved. In some cases, this emotional problem can result in poor litter habits.
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Provide hiding spots for the cats where they feel safe. Cat trees, cat tunnels or even cardboard boxes work well for this. Any type of insecurity can cause the cat to urinate outside of the litter box.
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Clean the carpet with a steam vacuum cleaner to remove the urine smell. If a cat smells urine in the carpet, they are more likely to urinate in that same spot again. Steam vacuum cleaners are often available for rent from hardware stores.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not yell or punish the cat for their bad urination habits. It's possible they won't understand what the punishment is for, or it may even make the problem worse.
You may also be able to wash old urine out of carpet with a solution of 1 part vinegar to 8 parts water. Pour the solution on the carpet, lay towels over it and put a heavy object on top, such as a book. Let the towels sit until the floor dries.
References
- Photo Credit the cat image by Milena Kowalska from Fotolia.com
