Sometimes cats show a habit of urinating on the carpet, and this will certainly irritate the owner. The smell of cat urine is very strong and often spreads throughout the house. Cat urine is also very difficult to remove from carpet linings and fibers, so the smell persists. In addition, this habit of urinating indiscriminately is quite difficult to stop because cats tend to urinate again in places that have a urine smell. There are many things that cause your cat to urinate outside the litter box, including urinary tract and bladder problems, using the wrong type of cat litter and problems with other pets. Read this article to find out more about how to stop your cat from pooping on the carpet.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Preventing Cats from Urinating on the Carpet
Step 1. Take your cat to the vet
Health issues, such as a urinary tract infection, can cause your cat to urinate more often on the carpet than in the litter box. Before you resort to other ways of dealing with the situation, first take your cat to the vet to find out and treat the health problems that are driving your cat's habit of open urination. It's important to get your cat checked out right away to keep him healthy and fit, and to prevent him from hating or avoiding using the litter box for a long period of time.
Some signs of a urinary tract or bladder problem or infection in a cat are squatting for a long time, blood in the urine, frequent urination and meowing when trying to urinate. These health problems can cause cats to be reluctant to use the litter box. Apart from this, these signs can signal a urinary tract obstruction which can be life threatening for your cat. Only a veterinarian can tell the difference between your cat's health problems, so it's important to take your cat to the vet for treatment and care
Step 2. Clean the area exposed to urine with an enzymatic cleaning product
By immediately cleaning up the urine after your cat has urinated, you can prevent it from urinating in the same place. When cleaning urine, use an enzymatic cleaning product (not an ammonia-based product). Ammonia-based cleaning products can encourage your cat to urinate in the same place more often because the smell of ammonia can be perceived as other cat's urine, so your cat will need to cover it with its own urine.
- If it's too dirty, try hiring a professional carpet cleaning service to clean your carpet.
- If not treated and cleaned immediately, cleaning alone may not be enough to clean your carpet and remove the smell of urine that sticks out. If your carpet has been stained with urine too often, it's a good idea to throw it away.
Step 3. Place the litter box in an area on the carpet where your cat pees frequently
If your cat is getting used to urinating on the carpet, place the litter box on top of the area he used to urinate to encourage him to urinate in the box. After he's used to using the box for a month, move the box about 2 or 3 centimeters per day until it reaches its proper place.
Step 4. Turn your carpet, including the carpet runner (long carpet used to decorate the hallway or corridor)
Your cat may like certain carpets (eg because of the texture of the surface), so he uses them as a place to urinate. By turning the rug over, the visible surface texture will change so your cat may be reluctant to urinate on the rug.
Step 5. Adhere double-sided adhesive tape to the sides of the carpet
The adhesive tape can prevent the cat from urinating on the carpet because the sticky 'feel' produced by the adhesive tape will make the cat uncomfortable when stepping on it. Try applying double-sided tape to the sides of the rug, as well as to areas your cat usually uses to urinate.
Step 6. Play with your cat near the litter box
The habit of urinating on the carpet may be due to a negative association with the use of a litter box. This association can be removed by, for example, playing with your cat near the litter box. Try playing with it (within a few feet of the litter box) several times a day to help create positive thoughts or feelings about the box in your cat.
- Don't immediately give him a treat as a gift because you want to use his litter box. Cats don't like to be disturbed when they're peeing.
- You can put his favorite treats and toys near his litter box. However, food and drink should not be placed near the box. Cats don't like to eat too close to the box or area they use to urinate.
Step 7. If nothing changes, see your vet again to discuss the matter
It takes a lot of time and effort to get your cat to go to the litter box. However, these efforts are not always successful. There are veterinarians who undergo special training to help pet owners deal with problems such as open defecation in their pets. If your cat shows no positive changes, try discussing the matter with a certified veterinary behaviorist or certified veterinarian.
Method 2 of 3: Understanding Common Litter Box Problems
Step 1. Think about how often your cat's litter box is cleaned
Cats don't like to use a dirty litter box and will start to defecate elsewhere if the litter box gets dirty before using it. If you don't clean your cat's litter box every day, there's a good chance it's causing your cat to pee on the carpet.
- In addition to removing the dirt in the litter box, you also need to remove the cat litter and clean the box with warm water and unscented soap or baking soda, once a week. When finished, dry the box and put in a new cat litter.
- Try using a litter box with an automatic cleaner to make it easier for you to keep the litter box clean.
Step 2. Make sure there are enough litter boxes in your home
It is important that you provide a litter box, one more than the number of cats you keep. For example, if you have three cats, prepare four litter boxes. If there are not enough litter boxes provided (eg there are only two boxes for three cats), this may be the cause of your cat's habit of littering on the carpet.
Step 3. Find out if your cat can use or easily access the litter box
If your cat has to walk long distances to use the litter box, or if your cat is having a hard time getting in and out of the box, there's a good chance that this may encourage your cat to litter, especially on carpets. Position the box in an easily accessible place when your cat needs to go to the bathroom (eg one on the ground floor and one on the upper floor).
- Make sure the box is placed in a position that allows your cat to see if people or other animals are coming, and run away easily. Cats don't like it when they feel cornered.
- Meet the needs of older cats by providing a short-walled litter box. This way, the cat can get in and out of the box with ease.
- Place the box near or over an area your cat usually uses to urinate.
Step 4. Find out if the type of cat litter used is causing your cat to be reluctant to use the litter box
The smell or texture of the cat litter used, as well as too deep a layer of litter can cause cats to be reluctant to use the litter box. The use of medium or fine textured litter with a short depth can be the right choice. However, you can also use different types of litter to find out what kind your cat prefers.
- Give your cat a choice of different types of cat litter by placing two litter boxes containing two different types of cat litter next to each other. After that, find out which type of cat litter your cat prefers and uses.
- Provide a layer of cat litter that is not too deep. Most cats prefer litter boxes with a layer of cat litter that is about 2.5 to 5 centimeters thick.
Step 5. Find out if the litter box used makes your cat uncomfortable
Some cats are reluctant to use their litter box because they don't like the size or shape. In addition, the plastic lining the bottom of the box can also make the cat feel uncomfortable, so he avoids the box. Try removing the plastic base and covering the top or roof of the box to see if these items discourage your cat from using the litter box.
Also consider the size of your cat's litter box. If it's too small, your cat may be reluctant to use it
Method 3 of 3: Considering Possible Health and Behavioral Issues
Step 1. Find out if your cat's open defecation is caused by stress
The presence of other pets, children, or a noisy environment can cause your cat to feel stressed and move away from the litter box. Make sure the box is placed in a slightly dark, quiet area away from crowds. If the box is placed in a crowded place, your cat may be reluctant to use it.
Try using a sedative blending device (eg Feliway) to calm your cat down. This product emits an odor that makes cats feel calm and comfortable
Step 2. Think about your cat's current and past health conditions
Your cat's medical history can show reasons that prompted him not to use his litter box. If you think your cat is sick, take her to the vet as soon as possible. Early treatment can help resolve open defecation problems, as well as relieve pain or discomfort in your cat. Urinary tract infections and inflammation of the bladder (interstitial cystitis) are diseases that commonly encourage your cat to defecate, including on carpets. (
- Urinary tract infections can encourage cats to avoid using the litter box, even after medical attention has been given. Your cat may still associate his litter box with pain, so he needs to avoid using it.
- Bladder inflammation is also another disease that generally discourages cats from using their litter box. Cats with this disease can urinate anywhere because they feel the need to urinate more often.
- Kidney stones or urinary tract blockages can also discourage cats from using the litter box. The resulting pain causes the cat to meow or squeal when using the box. In addition, the fear of pain that appears can also continue to appear, even after medical treatment is given.
- Keep in mind that medical care and treatment must be given immediately so that your cat is no longer reluctant to use the litter box.
Step 3. Find out if marking with urine discourages your cat from using the litter box
Marking occurs when a cat squirts a small amount of urine on the surface of furniture or other objects to mark the object as its territory. The amount of urine excreted is less than the amount of urine excreted when the cat urinates. If your cat exhibits this behavior, there are many suggestions in this article that you may find useful. In addition, there are several things you need to do to stop the tagging behavior in your cat.
- This behavior is most commonly shown by unsterilized male cats, although unsterilized female cats may also exhibit the same behavior. Therefore, it is important that you neutralize your cat.
- This behavior is also quite common in families with more than 10 cats. Therefore, reducing the number of cats in your household (make sure there are under 10) can help reduce the occurrence of this behavior.
Tips
- If your kitten is urinating on the carpet, make sure she doesn't feel threatened by older cats or other pets. Also, make sure the kitten knows how to get to the litter box and can get in and out of the box with ease.
- If you have more than one cat and don't know which cat has the habit of urinating, talk to your vet about using fluorescein to help identify which cat is exhibiting this habit. When exposed to ultraviolet light, all urine will glow. Fluorescein can give your urine a sharper color, so if you have more than one cat, using it can help you know more about which cat is exhibiting the habit of urinating indiscriminately.
- Always wear gloves when you handle the litter box and dispose of dirty cat litter. When finished, wash your hands with soap and warm water.
- Try installing a small door (specifically for your cat) if your cat roams around a lot in and out of the house. Having a small door can make it easier for your cat to go outside when he wants to go outside.
Warning
- If your cat is urinating on the carpet, try not to use a strong-smelling type of cat litter. Many cats are annoyed by strong smells and prefer odorless cat litter.
- Do not use ammonia or vinegar to clean carpets that have been exposed to cat urine. The smell of ammonia and vinegar is similar to that of cat urine, so your cat will pee again on the carpet she has peed on before.
- Never make sudden changes to the litter box or the area around it. For example, change the type of cat litter by gradually mixing the new type with the old type. If you need to move the litter box, don't move the old litter box and place a new one where you want it until your cat gets used to the new litter box.
- Don't punish your cat by sticking his nose in the urine area, putting him in a box, or keeping him in a small room. These steps will not solve the problem and, in fact, can make the situation worse because your cat will associate the litter box with negativity even more.
