What's a good cat repellant?...and how do you stop a cat's peeing?

Factual Questions
1

There is a place on my carpet at the cellar door which my cat wont stop scratching at. I have been using a commercial pet repellant, but it doesnt seem to work, plus you have to use it daily. I have tried a mix of cayenne pepper and tobasco in water, but it doesnt seem to work well, plus it is messing up the carpet. Any ideas on something which cats REALLY hate the smell of which wont mess up my carpet? Or is there something I could hang behind the door whose smell will make my cat lose interest in scratching at the door?

And while we’re at it…how do I get the cat to stop peeing on the rug? She is over 2 years old, she was spayed at the right time, she instinctively used the box when we brought her home as a kitten. But now she is peeing everywhere. What the hell can I do?? The rug is a mess! I thought female cats werent supposed to mark their territory…

2

The best cat repellent, I’ve found is a 12 gauge.

3

A large anvil will also work.

4

My cat did the same thing. She would sometimes pee in the stand up shower which made me happy. She peed all the way until she died at age 17(our years). Sorry I don’t have better news for you. I don’t think there’s anything you can do except for not feed her water.

5

Great. Thanx loads, you guys. sigh

6

If you find a good cat repellent, let ME know. We’re constantly cleaning up cat pee near the front door (two of our three cats are female, and we know for a fact one of them is doing some peeing, and we suspect the other. Don’t tell ME female cats don’t mark.)

7

Add me to the list. I caught my cat (spayed female) trying to pee on the bathroom rug and in the hallway just this morning.

8

Citrus peel is a deterrent to cats. I have a cat that pees on the floor if she considers the litter to be soiled (used), so we have to be sure and scoop regularly. Your cat now has the idea that that particular corner is a second box and will probably continue to go there if you don’t get rid of the smell. Try vinegar and baking soda, more that one application will likely be needed. I used to have a cat that would go in my houseplants. I kept jars in the plants so she couldn’t get into them. Unsightly but it worked. You might consider putting jars in that corner for a while.

9

I had a problem with neighborhood cats, um, enhancing my front year flower bads. Someone told me that the application of coyote pee would mark the territory very well, and that you can get it at some garden supplies (never tried it, though).

10

Thanx, y’all…

But the rug-scratching and rug-peeing ore in two different places. She pees in several places on the rug, but only scratches in the one place by the cellar door. Do I have to wash the entire rug with vinegar/baking soda? And is that a mixture of the two? And what about the citrus-peel thing?

11

I use Simple Solution ($10/gallon) to get rid of the smell in carpets and laundry if my guys are bad. It can take up to a week to work, but after that it just smells kind of sweet, not unpleasant at all.

If you have a specific spot that you are trying to get them to stop peeing on, place a small bowl of food on it, once you have gotten rid of the smell. A cat will not pee where it eats.

I’ve tried some of the cat deterrent sprays and found them to be effective if you use them like they say to, i.e. once a day. I had a problem with my cats pulling up the carpet in the doorways to both of the bedrooms in my apartment. I started spraying the carpet every morning with that stuff (sorry, I don’t remember the brand) for a couple of months, and it hasn’t been a problem for almost a year.

12

My cat Angel seems to have taken it upon himself to single-handedly disprove this fact. I know, I know other cats never do this. But Angel pees awfully near his dish if he feels so inclined. He has yet to pee in his dish, it’s true.

13

OK, a sane cat won’t pee where it eats.

:slight_smile:

14

I’ve found that my cats can’t stand the smell of bananas so try something along those lines. If that doesn’t work I like using a blow dart instead.

15

A friend of mine had success with a product called “No”.

16

There are tons of different cat/dog repellants on the market - check any of the usual online pet supply places, like Petsmart, or http://www.revivalanimal.com . Some of them smell worse than cat urine, though! You might have to try several different products to find what works, as some cats hate, for example, citrus, and some don’t mind it at all.

If you can afford it, a ScatMat (for indoors) is great. This is a pad that gives a tiny electric shock when touched (nothing drastic or harmful) and they are sold in many different sizes. Usually you can use one for a while to re-train, then put it on a shelf until needed again. I think they originated as Christmas tree protection.

You might try Oxyclean to remove odors from your carpet or upholstery - I’ve started using it recently and it seems to work well. Just make sure you test an area first, and don’t just dump a bunch in some water on the theory that more is better - it ate holes in some blue jeans I was trying to un-stain!

Deacons, could your cat be trying to dig under the cellar door because she is hearing/smelling a mouse (or some other interesting creature)? I wouldn’t let her through the door to find out, as she may think she has learned how to ask you to open doors!:slight_smile: I’m not sure what you can do about this (other than pest control), or aversion training - spray gun, loud noise, ScatMat, etc. But you might try tacking a piece of that vinyl carpet protector down over the carpet by the door, allowing it to extend under the door a little ways so she can’t catch the edge and pull it loose.

Cats will urinate outside of the litter box for a number of reasons, and it may require some detective work to find out why. And once the behavior starts, for whatever reason, it can become a habit if it goes on for some time.

First thing, always, is a vet check, especially if a cat has previously been very reliable. A bladder or kidney infection can cause painful urination, which the cat might associate with the litter box and thus seek relief in other places. An infection might also make it difficult for the cat to hold its urine long enough to reach the litter box.

Second is to evaluate how clean you are keeping the litter box - some cats are really picky about using what they consider to be a dirty litter box. Maybe you used to be at home a lot and scooped twice a day, but now you are working so only have time for once? Nothing wrong with that, but your cat may be used to a cleaner box and is unhappy with the ‘new schedule’.

Next, location - have you moved the litter box from a previous location, even if only a foot or two? Some cats are very particular about that. Have the food and water dishes been moved closer to the litter box? That, also, will put some cats off. Has something else in the vicinity of the litter box changed - moved furniture, for example?

Fourth on the list - type or lack of litter and/or box. Have you changed the brand or scent of litter you use? Gone from clay to clumping or something else? Or has the litter you’ve been using ‘improved’, and maybe your cat doesn’t like it? Some cats will use anything they can scratch in, while others can be incredibly picky, and even a new scent added to the old litter can put them off. And some cats prefer no litter at all - they like to pee on solid, slick surfaces (hence their tendency to use bathtubs/showers). Changing litter boxes can also put a cat off - some cats will not use a covered litter box, some will not get within 10 feet of a LitterMaid, etc. If you’ve changed the litter box in any way, try going back to the old style and see if the situation improves. Oh, and number of litter boxes per cat - some cats don’t like to share, the ideal number is one box per cat, plus one extra, all at different locations.

Then we have behavioral issues of several varieties. Most common is territorial marking, often brought on by some change in the household that makes the cat feel insecure. A new pet, a baby, a visiting relative, a stray cat that is prowling around you house, new carpet or furniture, new, loud neighbors - any change can cause a naturally nervous cat (often inherited, so don’t feel guilty) to feel insecure. BTW, cats that are allowed to go outside are worse about territorial marking than inside-only cats. In-and-out cats that are forced to become inside-only often exhibit worse marking behavior for a couple of weeks, then taper off until it is no longer a problem.

Could the cat have been frightened by something while in the litter box, and is now reluctant to use it? Especially a covered litterbox, where a cat may feel trapped. Young children or another pet may be bothering the cat while it is in the box. A sudden loud noise or something dropped on/in the box at the wrong time, etc. - anything that could have caused pain or fear while the cat was in the box might make it reluctant to risk that again.

Suggestions: A vet check, in case this is a health-related problem. Even if it is a health problem, inappropriate elimination may have become a habit (reinforced by lingering odors) and will require some retraining. I suggest confining the cat to a single room with several litter boxes, maybe with different types of litter and/or boxes,if you suspect that might be the problem. Be observant - does the cat seem to prefer one litter box, or one litter? Does the cat use each box once (indicating a preference for an extremely clean litter box)? Does the cat continue to urinate outside of the litter box, or will it use a litter box reliably while confined? All of this will provide clues for your next best option.

If/when the cat is using the litter box well, expand the area of confinement gradually, if possible, before allowing free run of your household. If the cat reverts to the old behavior, step back to the previous confinement level until he/she is reliable once again. If your cat has a preference for one single spot, place a litter box on top of that spot, if possible.

Occasionally we breeders have a kitten that just doesn’t seem willing to accept a litter box, and we’ve successfully trained them by placing them in a large cage and covering the entire floor with litter. They have no choice but to use the litter, it becomes a habit in a very short time, and afterwards they will seek out a litter box with no problem.

Your vet might also prescribe antidepressant or tranquilizing medication during the retraining period, which often helps with stubborn cases. (Remember that you have to give the cat a pill every day before asking for this!)

BTW, I highly recommend the new ‘crystal’ litters, if your cat doesn’t mind using it (switch over gradually!). It absorbs urine (and its odor) immediately and completely, reduces the odor and mess from feces, and lasts much longer than any other type.

17

Have you tried ammonia?

18

Basically nothing has changed since we got the cat 2+ years ago. She has always been an indoor cat, no bladder/kidney infection, box gets cleaned once a day (we dont know if she prefers it clean or dirty), box hasn’t been moved, nor have food/water, no change in litter or box.

All this time we have been thinking the cat is peeing where she smelled our old cat, who was male and sprayed everywhere. But…now that I think about it, the neighbors recently decided to feed every stray cat withing a 30-mile radius, so there are lots or cats prowling around. And the places where our cat pees seem to be the places where she can most easily see or smell the strays, NOT necessarily where our old cat peed.
So what can be done about this??? As long as there are strays lingering around, wont she mark territory regardless of the rug smells or litter box?

Coosa, I like the idea of the vinyl carpet protector where the cat scratches the rug…what do you think about a jar of vinegar right behind the cellar door as well?

Thanx loads for the help you guys.

19

My sister had this problem with her cat as well.

Her cat, kept inside when everyone was at work, would see other cats all over his property and couldn’t do anything about it. So, he’d mark his territory inside the house instead.

Her vet put the cat on anti-depressants, which worked.

I use cayanne pepper in the garbage and marigolds in the garden to keep cats at bay, and I’ve used sheets of tin foil on the countertops to keep my cat on the floor. She hates walking on it.

20

A cat naturally prefers a substance like dirt or sand as a toilet. If she is not using the owner-provided one or cannot find such a place outside, it may be for any one of these reasons:

  1. She has a urinary infection. Typically infected cats use the bathtub or something very non-loose-dirt. She is trying to tell you something! No amount of repellant or discipline will fix the problem – take her to a vet, who will likely prescribe an oral antibiotic, followed by a low-ash diet to help prevent future infections.

  2. She finds the crapet, excuse me, the carpet more attractive than the box. A dirty cat box will not be tolerated – clean it more frequently and replace the litter sometimes, not just scoop up the shit. Also clean the carpet the best you can – once the urine smell is there, it invites revisits. A week vinegar solution often works.

Hope this helps!