Why Do Cats Like To Pee On Bathroom Rugs Common Reasons
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Some cat owners know this all too well: you get out of the shower and step onto your bathroom rug. Even though its supposed to be dry, its wet. Gross! You immediately know that your cat is the culprit, and you ask yourself in frustration, why do cats like to pee on bathroom rugs?
Cats like to pee on bathroom rugs because they do not feel well, dislike their litter box conditions, or mark their territory. Medical conditions and stress can also encourage cats to pee on bathroom rugs.
There is no one reason why your cat pees on the bathroom rugs. There are multiple reasons. Stay with us as we discover some of the reasons why your cat has turned your bathroom rug into your litter box and what it should tell you.
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Cat Urine Not Being Cleaned Properly
What do I mean by not being cleaned thoroughly
Youre probably thinking youve cleaned the rug completely
Youve washed it inside out countless of times!
Put it in the washing machine, cleaned it with this product and this home remedy!
Only for your Little furball to come back and pee on it again!
Your Cats nose is very sharp!
Although you may have thought youve cleaned the urine and you cant smell it anymore
Your Cat can still smell it and this is why they keep going back to pee on the same very rug again
Have a look at this cat urine remover
Not Having Enough Litter Boxes
In a multicat family, you need to offer adequate litter boxes to please the requirements of all felines. Many cats do not like to share a litter box. Some cats even choose to pee in one box and poop in another. In a home with more than one cat, there must be at least one litter box for each cat plus one extra.
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How Do I Get My Cat To Stop Peeing Somewhere
Frustration, stress, or anxiety can sometimes cause a cat to change their urinating habits. Any change in their routine, such as a new person in the household or moving house, can lead to changes in urination. They may also mark spots in the house with their urine as a means of marking their territory.
Diy Alternatives For Cat Urine In Carpet
Personally, Ive found that using an enzyme cleaner is the most effective way how to get cat pee out of carpet, but that doesnt mean its the only option that you have. There are a number of other DIY alternatives that many cat owners swear by, although I have noticed that they dont work nearly as well as a strong dose of urine-eating bacteria for permanently removing the stains and odors associate with cat urine.
Some other DIY ways how to get cat pee out of carpet include:
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How Do You Get Cat Pee Out Of A Bathroom Rug
Getting cat pee out of a bathroom rug might seem like a daunting task at first. However, its not as complicated as you might think even if the stains have had a considerable amount of time to settle in.
Since were assuming that your cat is already peeing in your bathroom, lets talk about how to remove the pee from your bathroom rug.
One of the easiest ways to get cat pee out of a bathroom rug is to wash it in a washing machine. Do not wash the rug with anything else. Usually, your detergent will be enough to get the smell out of the rug on a full cycle. Washing it with other clothes might actually cause the scent to faintly transfer, and you dont want that!
You can also soak your bathroom rug in the bathtub if you need a quick solution. Make sure to use some sort of soap that oxidates and can handle the color of your rugs. This method may not remove the smell as well as you want, but its pretty effective at removing the stain portion.
To remove the smell will require you to invest in a spray or make a DIY solution. You may need several applications of either before it finally kicks in and your rug is good as new.
Purchase a spray product that cuts the smell of cat pee such as Natures Miracle products. This alone should be enough to clean the rug, but it will give you peace of mind that your bathroom, which is usually a small space in your house, does not reek of cat pee.
Check On And Adjust The Litter Balance As Required
The first thing we wanted to do was ensure Sandy was OK with the litter situation. For whatever reason, she was finding the mat more desirable to pee on than her litter. If we could find a way to make peeing in her litter box more pleasant, maybe shed leave our poor bath mat alone.
We swapped out her old litter box for a new larger one. Her existing box was probably a touch too small and we read that larger is better. We topped up the spiffy new litter box with fresh stuff and set it back its place. Sandy prefers Worlds Best Cat Litter and has for some time. We definitely didnt think it was an issue with the litter itself.
Sandy continued to poo in her litter box but ended up peeing on our mat again. Ugh.
Strike 1!
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Litterbox And Litter Upgrades
Another step to ensuring that your fluffball pees in the litterbox, is to make sure that they like their litterbox, the litter, and the placement. For example, if your cat has been using your bathroom rug because of a medical condition, or because they associate the litterbox with something negative, replacing it with a different one can help renew their relationship with it.
According to Cornell Feline Health Center, most cats prefer unscented, finer-textured litter about one to two inches deep. The litter youre using could also be too harsh for your cat unlike the softness of the rug. I highly recommend giving Dr. Elseys Cat Litter a try, .
This litter was made by a veterinarian to specifically help with house soiling and its truly a premium litter.
Then theres the actual litter box.
Take a moment and observe your cat when they use the litterbox, do they cry? Is the waste uncovered every time you clean it? Maybe you find them perched right on the edge in an effort to keep their paws from touching the litter.
These are possible signs that your cat doesnt like the state of the litterbox. The scientific journal recommends that the litter should be scooped once a day and a multi-cat household might need even more attention.
Figure Out Whats Making Your Cat Pee Elsewhere In The House
This is easier than it sounds, but the surefire way to make sure your cat stops peeing on the bathroom rug is to identify the problem and form a solution.
The problem can be anything from moving to a new location, changing your cats litter, or recent medical development. Cats dont communicate quite the same way as dogs do, so youll really need to think long and hard about what changed in your cats routine.
For the most part, a change in peeing locations is caused by a large event. Youll want to take some time to analyze the litter box, and even the rug itself and look for clues. Does the rug have your scent? Most likely. Is it something your cat hasnt had a chance to mark as their own territory yet? Quite possibly.
Once youve identified the problem, the fix is usually quick , and your cat will resume using the litter box fairly quickly.
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How To Stop A Cat From Peeing In A Bath Tub
The best way to stop a cat from peeing in the bath tub is to fix the problem that is causing the litter box avoidance in the first place. This may mean a vet visit is in order to rule out any health problems, cleaning the litter box, adding another litter box, changing the placement of the litter box to give your cat more privacy, or even switching to an unscented litter if you are currently using a scented variety. If a health problem is the reason for the litter box avoidance, your veterinarian will recommend the proper course of action which may include medications, dietary changes, or other lifestyle alterations.
Reasons Why Cat Pee On Bathroom Rug & Ways To Stop It
Cats are truly some of the most loving and delightful creatures to bring home as your pet.
They are incredibly fun to be around, soft to cuddle with, and give us endless love.
However, cats definitely have a mind of their own and will show you when they are displeased through unwanted behavior.
One of these is peeing in the wrong place, like the bathroom rug.
Lets discover why cats pee on the bathroom rug and what you can do to stop this behavior.
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Why Does My Cat Pee And Poop Outside The Litter Box
One reason for this is that some cats like to use one box for urine and the other for stool. The other reason is to prevent competition between cats for litter box territory. Make sure your home is a happy place for your cat. Add plenty of vertical space and feline enrichment to make your cats environment optimal.
Problems With Their Litter Box
A dirty or inadequate litter box might be the reason why your cat is peeing on the rug instead of in the litter box. Studies support the idea that a good and positive litter box environment improves the well-being of a cat and encourages them to use it.
Some of the most common issues with litter boxes are:
Location: This is important to consider, because just like humans, cats value their privacy. Try to put your litter box in a private space like under the table. Make sure it is in a location that is very accessible for your cat.
Size: Make sure that the size of the litter box is fit, not too small or not too large for the cat.
Cleanliness: If your litter box is not clean, there is a good chance your cat will find somewhere else to pee. Imagine if your toilet at home was never flushed. Would you still use it? I suggest that you clean your litter box at least every day to scoop up any of the cat waste.
Material: There is also a chance your cat doesnt like the material you use as your litter. If you think this is the issue, you should try out clumping litter or tofu cat litter.
To learn more, check out my article on how to make the perfect cat litter box.
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Change The Type Of Mat
Quite a few sources dealing with this issue cited latex backed mats as the culprit. Sure enough, the bath mat we had was of this variety. This pleased us! We thought the problem was solved and headed off to the IKEA to grab a more cat-friendly mat to place outside our shower. We settled on one of those hotel style bath mats that could easily be confused for a towel.
Before placing the new one down, we used the Urine Off stuff on the bathroom floor just to ensure all the cat pee molecules were eliminated. We set the mat down and went about our day, figuring that we had solved the problem for good.
Wrong. Sandy soiled the new mat as well.
Strike 3! Were out of ideas!
After the three ideas above failed to produce any change in Sandys behaviour, we didnt know what to do next. For a while we were simply making a concerted effort to hang our bath mat over the lip of the tub when we werent around. This was effective but kind of a pain in the butt While at work, both my wife and I would worry about whether or not we remembered to get the mat off the bathroom floor.
And it doesnt smell like cat urine anymore either!
Does your cat pee on bath mats or anything else? Let us know if youve got any tips!
Effects Of Cats Pee In Your Home
Once a cat starts urinating on the rug, it will gradually become its a habit because the smell of their urine attracts them, and slowly that place becomes theirs to utilize whenever they have to take a leak. Having a cat that urinates on the rug can be a thing of concern especially because of its unpleasant odor, it can also be difficult to manage the smell of urine in the house.
Visitors may feel nauseous after perceiving the smell of cats urine. Generally, the air in that house becomes polluted as one can no longer perceive fresh air, especially if the cat has been urinating for quite a while. We know how delicate our bathrooms are and having an unpleasant smell can deter you from staying in the bathroom for your business.
It can really have an effect on people who like to take long baths. Bathrooms can really come in handy when one wants to vent and if the bathroom doesnt smell nice because of a kittens urine, it can be disturbing to do your thinking in the bathroom.
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You Havent Cleaned The Rug Properly
Often, cats will mark their territory and then go away, but if they find that their scent has been removed, this can drive them to pee on it again.
One of the most common mistakes that cat owners make is that they will run the rug through the washing machine and believe that the odor is gone. And to the untrained nose, it is. But felines have a far more sensitive sense of smell than us, and even a bathroom rug that has been through the hot wash cycle may still contain traces of urine that she can still pick up on.
While your cat can pick up on these, they will be diminished, so her natural reaction will be to refresh the scent and pee on the area once again.
It is essential that when you clean anything with cat pee on that, you do so very thoroughly so that every last scent particle is removed. There are several products out there that will help in odor elimination, but in some cases, you may wish to replace the rug altogether.
Ways To Help Your Cat Stop Peeing On The Carpet
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Keep The Bathroom Door Closed
If the bathroom rug seems to be a target for your cat, the most effective way to stop them is to close off the bathroom. When the bathroom is not freely open, your cat wont be able to enter. It might seem like a simple suggestion, but its highly effective.
Unfortunately, if your cat doesnt get what it wants and has no access to the bathroom area, it may start acting out in other ways. This can include clawing at the door, throwing fits, or even finding a new location to use the bathroom in.
So, no, this does not entirely solve the problem and it could make matters worse. If the bathroom rug is a big deal to you, then that will be preserved, but your cat will likely find another spot to target.
Tip : Make Sure There Is No Problem With The Litter Box
Be observant. Make sure your cats litter box is in a safe and private place. Your cat should feel comfortable peeing there. Change the litter frequently. If you change it once in two days, start changing it once a day. If your cat uses the bathroom often, try changing the litter couple of times in a day.
Cats dont like dirty litter boxes.
You should deodorize the area where the litter box is. It should smell pleasant, so your cat isnt grossed out. Also, if you have an old cat, replace its litter box with one that has shorter sides. Arthritis may be bugging your cat, so its not feasible to enter a box that has high sides.
Also, place one litter box on each floor if your house has two floors. Otherwise, place two on the same floor at different spots. Give each cat a separate litter box if you have more than one adorable furballs.
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