Cats sometimes develop a habit of urinating at places outside their litter box, and it can be attributed to a large number of reasons. It can be frustrating for the pet owners as the urine smell bad, and after drying, it can be challenging to remove from the spots. The smell can be offensive and disturb the environment of the whole house.
Due to the fibers and threads in carpets, it can be challenging to remove the urine and its spots that will result in prolonged odor. To find a solution, you have to understand why this behavior, and advice from a veterinarian will definitely help. The litter box should be cleaned properly from time to time to maintain hygienic conditions for the cat.
The most common reason behind your furry friend’s behavior of urinating on a carpet can be a urinary tract problem or dispute with another pet in the house. You can continue reading to know more about the tips to restrict the cat from peeing on the carpet.
Why Is Your Cat Peeing On The Carpet?
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Peeing on the carpet is not common among the cast as they prefer doing it on the litter box; if your pet is showing this behavior, you have to understand the reasons. For it, you must know the most common reasons behind it, and a veterinarian can guide you in a better way.
Many things can upset a cat as they are highly sensitive, and one can understand it by noticing the pet’s urinating habits. There are chances that your cat might suffer from one of these issues or both. Generally, the reasons are divided into two categories in a broad manner: medical conditions and behavioral problems.
Medical conditions
- Urinary tract infections and the kidney’s improper functioning can cause the pet to pee outside the littering box, especially the carpet. It feels soft and does not cause any pain.
- If the pet urinates more frequently, it becomes difficult to reach the box on time, which can be a medical issue.
- As the cat ages, the brain functioning slows down, and the hormonal issues become more adverse that causes changes in urinating habits.
Behavioral issues
- Changes in behavior can be another reason for the cat peeing on random spots as anxiety and stress.
- Cats get easily frustrated, and if there is an alteration in their routine, they are more likely to urinate on the carpet and mark their territory on it, which results in frequent littering on the carpet.
What smells deter cats from peeing on the carpet?
To prevent the cat from messing up the carpet and surroundings, you can use natural repellents on the carpet to deter the cats from peeing on it. Since your furry friend does not like the strong smells, you can use them as:
Vinegar: when you use vinegar on the carpet, you can prevent the pet from urinating on it as vinegar has a pungent odor and can repel the cats; you can use it in either concentrated or diluted form.
Lavender: lavender is another repellent for the kitties as it contains a chemical that can be poisonous to them. So, using the lavender spray on the carpet can prevent them from peeing on it.
Essential oils: a few essential oils are available in the market with a strong smell, and cast do not like such smell. The essential oils are directly extracted from the plants.
Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus is a plant from which oil is extracted and sprayed on the carpet to prevent the cat from littering on the carpet. It has a methanol-like solid smell.
How to Stop Cat From Peeing on Carpet
To stop the pet’s inappropriate urinating habits, you can consider specific steps, and the following section contains detailed information about it.
Visit a vet
Taking the cat to a veterinarian will be the best idea. They are expert physicians who diagnose the problem with proper techniques and then offer proper guidance. The behavior of urinating on the pet can be because of the medical issues that can only be diagnosed if you pay a cat’s visit to the expert physician.
To protect the cat from any further infection, make sure the visits are regular at certain intervals. It will sort the issue and stop the pet from adopting inappropriate habits.
Use the enzymatic cleaner
You should clean up the carpet right faster with the urination with an enzymatic cleaner as it will stop the cat from using the same place again.
The cleaner must include ammonia as it will confuse the cat if another cat has used the carpet because the most common constituent of urine is ammonia. Cleaning the carpets with the cleanser should be professional if it contains a high amount of soil.
Clean up the litter box consistently
Cats do not stay in unhygienic conditions and like their litter box to be completely clean. If they do not get the clean box, they will litter on the carpet or anywhere is g the house. So ensure that you clean up the box every day. Apart from throwing the dirt out of the litter box every day, you should wash the box with warm water and soap, but it should be free of scents, at least once a week.
Have enough litter boxes
The house should have more than one litter boxes paced at different spots so that in case of emergency, the cat does not have to run to the far-away placed box. The boxes should be higher than the number of cats that you have in the house.
The box should be of the proper size
The cat may avoid using a box if the size and shape are not convenient to them. The cats generally prefer the open box rather than a closed one, so you can buy only the open ones and take note of the size that can be comfortable for your cat.
The Final Words
Cats can urinate out of the litter boxes in case of their medical or behavioral issues, so you should get the cat checked up by a veterinarian. For further prevention, clean the boxes regularly as cast avoid peeing in a dirty litter box.