Cat Wee......HELP !!!!

[Biglets Mummy]

Hi All,

I have a beautiful 6 year old female neutered cat who I have had since finding her in the woods behind my stables when she was about 4 weeks old. She has always been spotlessly clean,quite clingy to me and happy to go in or out as she sees fit. Happily uses the dirt trays or the veg patch to do her business....until about 6 months ago.

She is the youngest of 4 and is adored by the other cats so no problems there but she has started using the curtains and the corner of my sitting room as her toilet for her wee. She will still poop in the dirt tray if she is in - which they all are at night. She does prefer to be in more than out.

The curtains are long and pool onto the floor and she is soaking the bottom of them almost daily. Luckily they are washable so I have washed them and now hook them up so they are off the floor to stop her doing it but she is using the carpet.

Ive had the carpet professionally cleaned, cleaned it myself with a scrubbing brush and white wine vinegar,covered it in newspapers and put 2 dirt trays down spotlessly scrubbed out and clean and she will still find a bit to wee on the carpet.

Can anyone suggest A - how to stop her and B how to get rid of the smell ?

Thanks All XX

 

[Lanky Loll]

Sounds like a stress issue if she is usually clean, I've not tried them but I know some people swear by the felliways - worth a go?
for the smell.... sorry short of ripping up everything, I've yet to find a way to get rid of lingering cat wee

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Biological washing powder is the best I have found for cleaning off cat pee, so you could try spot cleaning the carpet with that.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Cats peeing inside is usually a sign of stress, it might be there is another stray coming around and she is protecting her territory. Once they have wee'd in one place they will go back to it again and again so you have to break the cycle. I have found the best smell remover is bicarbonate of soda/baking powder. Sprinkle liberally and leave to soak up any residue wetness until it goes crispy. Don't hoover it up though as it will stink the Hoover out.

Your only other alternative is not to allow her in the room so she doesn't have the opportunity to pee there again.

 

[pixie27]

Ditto Feliways, friend used them on her very stressed cats and it worked for them.

Only other things I can think of:

- does she have access to your bathroom? ours, even when he has access to box/outside, will choose to wee in the bath or shower...
- what would happen if you moved the litter box to the area where she's weeing on the carpet? or does location change?

I remember reading about something that you can spray in rooms if you've got a cat weeing in there. Might be more for toms spraying though. Can't for the life of me remember what it is, will post back if I remember/find it.

 

[missmatch]

Have you had her checked for a uti? As its a sudden behaviour and you think she's genuinely happy then it's a possibility. Cats can often suffer with cystitis.
Cleaning wise definitely biological washing powder. Scrub and blot and scrub and blot some more. It will have soaked into the underlay so is a right job to get rid of.
I wipe areas over with surgical spirits once I know they are definitely clean of pee.
Stress wise, feliway or zylkene although hops can work really well too. Mix dried hops with cat nip. Seems to be quite soothing.
Placing a bowl of food persistently where they pee can also work. But I would definitely try get a wee sample tested first.

 

[Biglets Mummy]

Thank you all so much for the replies and they have really helped - Biological washing powder on the shopping list along with surgical spirit but I am feeling absolutely awful as the stress issue hasn't even crossed my stupid mind. She is affectionate,purring,eating fine and seems a content little bunny BUT about the same time as this started to happen I started working from an office in town and not from home ( downside of my business doing really well !!) so all along she may have been stressed as I wasn't around all day - feel awful !! Ive worked from home virtually all her life....I bet thats it - I had never thought she would miss me and get stressed.......I think I will pop her to the vets for a test and a check up and i will get a felliway on the way home tonight....Really grateful for all the posts - you've helped me loads xxxxxx

 

[MagicMelon]

How many cats do you have versus litter trays? I'd suggest increasing litter trays. My bengals went through a phase of peeing beside their tray when they were young, I got them 2 trays - solved the problem. Some cats dont like to share Ive heard! Also enclosing them, some cats like a covered litter tray to do their business. Worth trying.

 

[Biglets Mummy]

How many cats do you have versus litter trays? I'd suggest increasing litter trays. My bengals went through a phase of peeing beside their tray when they were young, I got them 2 trays - solved the problem. Some cats dont like to share Ive heard! Also enclosing them, some cats like a covered litter tray to do their business. Worth trying.

Thanks Magic - I think i might try this as well - they all have a tray each with a spare in the bathroom but i might up that and pop another 2 around to see if that helps ! Four cats and five trays at the mo !xx

 

[Sussexbythesea]

My old cat used to do this and it was nearly always down to a UTI which sometimes was a result of stress e.g. I'd gone away for a few days with neighbours looking after them. Anti-inflams and antibiotics usually required. I'd definitely have that checked by vet if it is something she hasn't normally done.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

If it turns out to be a UTI I can thoroughly recommend the Feliway Cystease which cleared the infection in my elderly cat within 24 hours. The vet wouldn't give her an antibiotic injection as it was stress related and he said it would have no effect but gave me the Cystease instead.