How To Clean Up Cat Urine
Cleaning up cat urine properly is incredibly important. ;There are certain things within a cat’s urine that will attract them back to the same spot time and again. ;This means they will often keep re-marking in the same spot.
There are various dedicated anti-urine sprays and cleaners;which do a great job of not just removing the odor of cat urine, but also destroying the chemicals which will attract your cat back time and again.
Another option, if you dont want to purchase a dedicated cleaner, is to use is biological washing powder. ;Mix this with a bit of water and then really scrub the area and allow it to soak in. ;What will happen is the enzymes in that biological washing powder will help break down all of the things that are attracting your cat back to that area.
Cats Who Fail To Use The Litter Box Once A Week Are Four Times More Likely To Be Relinquished
May 29, 2012
Feline inappropriate elimination is a common behavioral problem reported to veterinarians, accounting for approximately 50 percent of all behavioral referrals. Unfortunately, not only is FIE a common problem, it is also a leading reason for relinquishment of cats.
It is a cold, hard fact that cats who fail to use the litter box once a week are four times more likely to be relinquished; if they eliminate outside the litter box daily, these odds increase to over 28:1. About 4 percent of cats urinate outside the litter box weekly, and 1 percent eliminate outside the litter box daily.
Nine percent of adult cat owners mention FIE as a problem to their veterinarians, and 10-24 percent of cats will have such a problem in their lifetimes. In most behavior clinics, house soiling constitutes more than 50 percent of referrals, with aggression coming in as a second most common behavior problem, constituting about a third of all referrals.
Reasons Cats eliminate outside the litter box for several reasons. Some concern cats natural tendencies and others with the circumstances they find themselves in, though often both factors operate together. The four;main causes of feline inappropriate eliminationare litter box aversion, urine marking, hormonal issues and medical problems.
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Clinical features of simple litter box problems are as follows:
Why Is My Cat Pooping In The House All Of A Sudden
Most of the time, a cat begins pooping in the house because there is an issue with the litter box. The most popular litter box issues are
Cleanliness: If you do not clean the litter box regularly, it creates an aroma that is unbearable for you and your cat. Therefore it is imperative that your cats litter box is clean so that it feels comfortable pooping there. If you dont think your cat likes their current litter, you should check out my tofu cat litter review.
Location: Sometimes, the location of the litter box is not ideal. Perhaps the litter box is near a doorway that a lot of people pass by. This traffic may make your cat nervous and want to go poop elsewhere. You should try moving the litter box to another location. You should also consider adding another litter box to the house, especially if you are a multi-cat household.
This could also be the reason your cat is urinating in the house suddenly.
Size: A litter box should be at least 1.5 times the length of your cat. If it is smaller, it may cause your cat to be uncomfortable.
Type of Litter: Some cats can be very particular about the texture and material of the litter. You should try switching your litter to a new material, such as paper, clay, sand, crystal, or tofu. We have heard good things about Cat Attract.
Old Age: There is a chance your cat is pooping outside of the litter box because of old age. To learn more, check out my article on Signs a Cat is Dying of Old Age.
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See If Your Cat Is Stressed
If the issue is stress-related, you can take the time to consider the location or other issues with the litter box. If you have recently relocated, it might stress the cat and disrupt their toilet routine. In this case, give your cat some time to readjust to the changes. Also, make sure your cats litter box is located in a quiet, easily accessible area, for example, a bathroom.
Support Shelters And Facilities
Shelters and facilities do have their own role in curbing the stray population. Shelters can house cats and keep them off the street.
In some cases, there are cats that can still be socialized and put in their own loving home. However, shelters lack enough resources to care for and house cats. The more support shelters and facilities have, the more they can do for stray cats.
What can you do to support shelters and facilities? One way is to volunteer your time. Donating in both cash and goods is also a good idea.
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Cat Peeing On Furniture In The House
I can imagine how frustrated you can get when you come home to a wet couch. However, do not consider to punish the cat at any cost. Instead, look for the reasons why she feels motivated to do so. In most cases, your cat may pee on your furniture especially when it is new. She probably wants to feel like she knows about it.
Understand that having new furniture in the house is a possible reason for your cat to pee on them. Usually, cats want to live in a place whereby she feels secure. This is only assured when she can feel her scent all over your house. To reassure herself that nothing strange is going on, she will peen on the new piece in furniture.
Your cat may also pee on your furniture, for instance, your favorite spot on your couch. This can be triggered by your kittys separation anxiety. Usually, when you are traveling for longer than usual, you will want to have someone check on your kitty every now and then.
This exposes your cat to anxiety in that you will be missing in action for some time. Additionally, he is definitely going to have some issues while interacting with the new person.
However, a cat with litter box issues should not be ignored at any cost. This is because it could lead to a chronic habit. Let us look into this the causes of litter box issues among the feline family.
What Factors Should I Look At To Correct This Problem
hree areas that need to be addressed are litter box maintenance, litter box location, and litter material. Litter box maintenance refers to how the box is cleaned. For some cats, it is necessary to keep the litter box scrupulously clean. This means cleaning the box at least once a day and removing stool and moist areas of urine. Litter boxes should be totally emptied and cleaned approximately once a week. Avoid strong detergents or cleaners that might leave a residual odor since this may add to the aversion. There is even a litter box that is self-cleaning after each litter use. While some cats seem to appreciate this level of cleanliness, there are others who may avoid the new box or may fear the noise made by the electric cleaning mechanism.
“The location of the litter pan can often be important for cats that do not use their litter box.”
If the same litter box has been used for several years it may hold a residual odor. Discard the old one and obtain a new one. Another factor that may need to be considered is the type of litter box. If the cat has always used a covered litter pan, a change in body composition or mobility may make removing the cover important. If a cat has become overweight, it may no longer fit comfortably in a covered pan .
“When there are multiple cats in the home, multiple pans in multiple locations may be needed.”
“The choice of litter material is important.”
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Dont Place Any Food/water Next To The Litter Box
Cats are renowned for cleaning themselves half of the day. So its not surprising that they like the things around them clean. If you place their food or water bowl too close to the litter box, they simply will avoid using the latter because they dont want to eat or drink near the toilet. Also, make sure you clean the litter box frequently to avoid any unpleasant smells deterring cats from using their litter box.
Provide More Litter Boxes
If youve determined that your cat is urinating inappropriately rather than spraying, its time to take a close look at your litter box.
First, how many do you have? One litter box is often just not enough. The general rule of thumb is one box per cat, plus an extra one.
Cats can be very picky about using a box that already contains urine or feces, particularly if that urine or feces is not their own. The more litter boxes you have, the more likely your cat is to find one that suits his needs.
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Reduce Your Cats Stress Levels
Stress can really be the main causes of your cat wanting to mark their territory. ;And not just mark their territory, to saturate it! ;As well as spraying, they might also be clawing and scratching the furniture, again just trying to mark out their territory. ;Stress is a huge issue in cats and it’s often one that we don’t recognize as well as we should. ;This is because the signs of stress in cats can be very subtle.
Spraying urine everywhere is not subtle and is a big sign a cat is stressed.
Cats can be stressed about a lot of different things and there are a whole number of ways that we can go about correcting these. ;This might involve environmental changes, making sure other cats aren’t coming into your house and eating their food as well as making sure there’s the right number of food bowls and litter trays depending on the number of cats in your house. ;That’s just the start though and I’ve got a lot of other tips in my article all about reducing stress in cats.
If you’re not convinced your cat is stressed then see if they are showing any of the other signs of stress cats can show.
What Can I Try First
Although correcting house soiling can take a great deal of time and effort and may require a fairly extensive behavioral assessment, there are cases when a few simple suggestions might do the trick. You can start with determining whether you made a change to the litter or litter area around the time the problem started; if so, switch back to the preferred litter or site. Alternately try a different type of litter such as one that is clumping. Many cats dislike kitty litter that contains strong deodorizers or perfumes. Cleaning the soiled spots with odor eliminators may help prevent re-soiling. Ensure that you provide one more litter box than the total number of cats in the home, in at least two different locations . Consider putting one of the boxes near to the area where the soiling occurs. Clean the boxes daily and change the litter in the boxes weekly. If after a couple of weeks the problem has not resolved, then a more intense evaluation of the factors that might be causing the problem will be required and other treatments may be needed.
“The first step you should take is to review the basics of litter box training.”
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Does Your Cat Dislike Their Litter Tray
Litter tray problems are common with cats, and there are several issues that may be discouraging your cat from using theirs, including:
- Litter boxes located in the wrong place;
- The wrong type of litter
- Not enough litter boxes around your home
The litter tray is too dirty or too clean
As a general rule, cats prefer to have their own litter tray in convenient locations throughout your home.
How To Stop A Cat From Peeing
One of the things humans and cats can agree on is that going to the toilet is VERY important – even if we might not like to talk about it.
Its even more important to talk about if your cat is weeing EVERYWHERE – and thats not just because of the stinky smell. While its normal for cats to mark their territory, a kitty thats doing too many wee-wees could be trying to tell you something is wrong.
So to help you understand what it could mean if your cat has started peeing too much, weve put together this handy list of what might be causing their toilet troubles.
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Get Your Cat Neutered
Step number four is to check that your cat is neutered. ;This might seem like an obvious thing but our cats who are neutered are much less likely to spray. ;They’ve got less of a drive to maintain a territory or to defend that territory. ;They’re generally less stressed as well. ;So if your cat is spraying and they are entire then getting them neutered will definitely help stop them urinating everywhere.
There are so many other reasons that we should be getting our cats spayed or castrated and I’ve got a article that lets you know the benefits of neutering your cat and also when you should consider getting your cat neutered
Foods That Will Help Prevent Urinary Problems
It can be tough to get your cat to drink a great deal of water, as cats are naturally thirst-tolerant animals. Some strategies for increasing your cat’s water intake include purchasing a “kitty fountain” or providing plenty of fresh water in multiple bowls. Kitty fountains are particularly effective because many cats prefer drinking running water.;
In general, good quality canned cat foods are better for urinary health than dry foods. That said, however, there are some dry foods that have been carefully pH balanced. Even if you choose a high-quality dry food, however, canned food and water remain your cat’s most important weapons against urinary crystals or stones.
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Discourage The Cat From Returning To The Area She Soiled
The second step is getting your cat to stop using the new “litter box” that she has chosen! You probably call this alternative litterbox by a different nameyour carpet, your sofa, or your bed. She probably chose this place for a reason, she likes it. And now that she has urinated here, she will smell the urine and have even more reason to continue the habit.
First, you need to eliminate as much of the odor as possible. If it is on carpet, use multiple clean cloths and firm pressure to soak up as much urine as possible. Then, pour a small amount of warm water onto the stain to dilute the remaining urine and again use clean cloths and firm pressure to soak up the liquid. At this point, you’re ready to use a carpet cleaner. Equalizer Carpet Stain and Odor Eliminator and Anti-Icky-Poo are great carpet cleaners for pet smells and stains. Equalizer is an enzymatic cleaner while Anti-Icky-Poo has live bacteria. Every few days go back to the area of carpet and see if you can smell the urine. You may find the smell comes back even if the cat hasn’t urinated there again. If you can smell the urine, the cat definitely can! Re-treat the area.
Cat Peeing In The House And How To Prevent It
Cats are picky about their own cleanliness and generally limit their toilet behavior to the litter tray or garden. The smell of cat urine in the house or the discovery of feces in the corner of the room can be worrisome.
If you are the proud parent of an adorable cat and you wonder why my cat is peeing inside the house?; OR;
How do I stop my cat from peeing in the house? OR;
What smells deter cats from peeing? OR;
How do I get my cat to stop peeing on the carpet and floor? Then this post is especially for you.
Your cat may begin to urinate outside the litter box for two main reasons, such as medical problems and behavioral problems. First of all, you need to diagnose the cause, and then the treatment will be carried out according to it.
Why my cat is peeing in the house?
If your cat is urinating in the house, you must first begin to find the reason. A cat urinates outside its litter box for one of two general reasons:;
- Medical problems
- Behavioral problems
Medical Problems
If your cat is urinating out of its litter box, the first step is to visit your vet to rule out the medical problem because medical problems are the most common cause of this behavior.
Infections or irritation can cause cats to urinate immediately, rather than trying to get out or go to the litter tray. There are several common urinary medical issues in cats such as:
- Bladder stones or blockage
- Metabolic disease
Bladder stones or blockage
Urinary tract infection
Idiopathic cystitis
Metabolic disease
Stress
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