Woke up early one morning, suddenly found wet under my ass, and cursed “Damn, I should not have just gone to the toilet at Captain America’s house”. Fingers gently touch the wet place, smell, I immediately realized that it has nothing to do with the toilet of the captain’s house in my dream just now, it was my cat “Dameow” peeing in my bed!
-from the real story of my cat & I
Many cat owners and I have encountered the same problem of cats not peeing in litter box especially in seasons like now, when they are unexpectedly awakened by the strange feeling of wetness on a cold winter night, you can imagine the owner’s anger. To discover how to stop your cat from peeing/urinating outside the box, you first need to find out what the cause of your cat’s abnormal behaviour is and then solve him in a targeted way.
Why Do Cats Not Pee On Their Litter Box?
Cats are well-known for being naturally clean animals. If your cat is usually a good pee-er in the litter box and acts abnormally all of a sudden, you need to pay ATTENTION! He’s sending you a message“I’m upset” or “I’m sick”!
Litter Box
Unclean Litter Box
Cats are clean freaks, so if your litter box has not been cleaned for many days and the volume of litter is particularly low, it is very likely that your cat will find another clean yet inappropriate place to pee.
Litter Box Location
Has the position of the litter box changed? Is it too close to where the cat is eating? There is an obstruction blocking the cat from getting in or something that is keeping the cat from getting into, let’s say your dog is always sleeping near the litter box. Older cats may also refuse to use the litter box because the box sides are too high. A strange customer comes to the house and the cat is afraid to go into the litter box to pee.
Stress & Anxiety
The new member’s arrival makes him feel stressed and tells you of his displeasure by peeing inappropriately, while also warning the new animal that this is his territory.
Oestrous Period
How old is your cat and in what season did the messy urination start? If your cat is between 6-12 months of age and the behaviour of messy urination begins in late winter, then it is highly likely that they are starting to go through the season. Cats at this age leave a smell through their own urine, which attracts the attention of other cats. This is why age-appropriately de-sexing is really important.
Health Issues
Consider your cat’s past medical history to help you determine if there is a health problem. Urinary tract infection, idiopathic cystitis and bladder stones are three common diseases in cats that are sick and cannot hold their urine due to pain, resulting in messy urination behaviour. Observe the location, coverage and colour of the cat’s urine. For example, if the urine volume is low, the frequency of random urination is high, and there seems to be blood in the urine stains, please take your cat to the vet immediately and have him do a urine sample test, which can quickly determine if your cat is suffering from the pain and discomfort of the disease.
How to Stop Inappropriate Peeing Behaviour?
Clean Cat Urine Thoroughly
The pungent smell of residual urine is not only unbearable but also easy to attract cats to re-urine.
- Use paper towels or used towels to drain the urine as much as possible, and please be careful not to scrub it, as this may expand the stain.
- Soak the urinated area with a pet-specific sanitizer, also known as enzymatic cleaner
- Let it sit for 15 minutes or so, then use a new paper towel or a new discarded towel to soak up the urine.
- Soak the urinated area with vinegar
- Leave for 5 minutes and soak again
- Soak again in enzymatic cleaners, leave for 5 minutes and then soak up
- Wash the marked areas of the blanket or carpet again with detergent
Repeat the above steps until the smell disappears. Be sure to use a deodorizing disinfectant or other enzyme-added cleaner several times, as this is very effective in preventing cats from repeatedly peeing in the same spot.
Keep the Litter Box Clean
Clean the litter box at least twice a day, change the litter once a week or once bi-weekly, use a pet sterilizer to clean the litter box before changing the litter, and pay attention to ensure that the amount of litter is enough.
Changing the Position of the Litter Box
The location of litter box should be placed in a location where the cat feels safe and hidden, rather than a shared area that is easily accessible to strangers. After changing the litter box placement you can play with the cat near the litter box a few times or put the cat into the litter box to help him get familiar with the new area.
Reducing Stress
Focus 70% of your attention on your ORIGINAL cat, interact with him often and spend more time with him. During the first week or even the first month of your new cat’s arrival, never show your love for the new ANIMAL in front of your ORIGINAL cat. Cats are very sensitive animals, and you need to make them fully aware that they will always come first in your heart, which will help reduce their stress and anxiety.
Visit the Vet
If the appropriate urinating still does not improve, or if you strongly believe that the abnormal behaviour of your cat is due to medical issues, please take him to the vet directly and tell every detail, who will arrange a health check or test his urine sample to make an accurate judgment for you. Also as a beneficiary of cat de-sexing surgery, I personally recommend taking your cat to be both for their neuter before puberty. It is also good for their physical health.
Cage for Cats
Untimely correction may lead to long-term urinating, or some cats are naturally nasty, which can easily annoy or drive the owner mad after a long workday and lead to thoughts of not keeping the cat any more. And a cat cage with enough space (which can accommodate a litter box, water and food) can help us tackle this problem very easily. Every time the cat’s peeing behaviour arises, put him into the cat cage for a period of time so that he realizes that this behaviour is not correct. Over time, it is also possible to correct the cat’s incorrect peeing behaviour.
Prior Protective Measures
Waterproof sofa covers or sofa cushions, waterproof covers, etc. can effectively help you reduce the clean-up burden.
