Any way to train a cat to stay away from laundry?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve discussed my cat before on this board, but a quick recap: for a while she was pissing on the couch. This has stopped now that we’ve purchased a litter box that is frackin’ huge, deep enough to swallow the Titanic, enclosed, and cleaned after (almost) every use, liquid or solid. I guess I should count myself lucky she doesn’t insist on gold leaf trim. Le sigh.

But apparently all this litter-y goodness is not good enough, and when clean laundry is in a basket waiting to be folded, it’s obviously waiting for a good soaking, too.

A few sources online suggest a mousetrap under the clothing. I’m thinking this is somewhat dubious, and risky at best; I want her to stay away from the laundry, sure, but I don’t want her missing a paw.

The Pet-Away stuff… well, what’s the point of clean laundry if I’m going to spray it down myself? :slight_smile: Besides, it didn’t stop the couch-pissing.

I’ve taken to keeping clean laundry locked away until I get it sorted and stowed in dressers/the closet/etc, but whenever I forget – or, as in this case, when I turn my back for ten goddamn seconds – she’s in there taking a leak. It’s really torquing me off, honestly.

(And yes, the vet has verified that this is a behavior problem. There’s nothing wrong with her. Physically, anyway. And she’s fixed, so it shouldn’t be a territory thing, but who knows.)

So… suggestions? I’m tempted to load up my Airsoft pistol and keep it tucked in my belt whenever I do laundry, but that’s probably not the best solution.

2

Stop leaving the laundry in the basket out where she can get into it. Or put a cover on it. I usually use, instead of a laundry basket, a large Rubbermaid container with a lid.

Some things you can’t train them out of doing. You have to adapt. I think they’re attracted to the floofiness or the smell or the fact that it’s kind of messy, and something triggers the peeing. Just figure out a way around it, rather than thinking you can stop her from doing it, and you will be a lot happier a lot sooner. :wink:

3

A mousetrap won’t injure a cat. Scare the snot out of one, yes. But not injure.

4

I agree.

One of my cats must rub all over me after I take a shower. She is trying to claim me as her own and adding her scent to me is how she does it. It sounds like your cat is doing the same but adding the scent to your clothes by peeing on them.

The rubbermaind container with lid or a laundry hamper with a lid will probably be your best bet at this point.

5

While I agree with your statement as a practical concern, I’ll bet I could train the cat to find laundry a very negative experience. The training would involve electrical shock paired with laundry, and it most definately would work.

A lidded hamper is the way to go, though. :wink:

On preview: the mousetrap is useful for counter aversion, but I do not think it would work for laundry; both for practical reasons and the fact that it is not negative enough.

6

That’s a little too much for me! I’d learn to live with it or get around it before I’d give my animals electric shocks. In the grand scheme of things, laundry is not all that important.

I am not sure if you are making a joke or not … :confused:

7

Yeah, kinda a joke. Been a long week so far. :wink:

8

What about putting a layer of tinfoil across the washing? She’ll hate the sound and feel of it when she jumps up on it.

9

Well, there are mats that provide small static electricity type shocks or make loud noises to deter animals from getting on things like counters or sofas but it does seem like the easiest solution is to just be dilligent about putting the basket of clean laundry somewhere where the cat can’t get into it or have a covered container. I have to do this to keep my cats out of my clean laundry, they don’t pee on it - they sleep on it, and I’d rather my clean clothes not start out all hairy.

10

One of mine does that as well…he’ll even climb on my back and lay down, happily chewing my shoulder.

Another cat used to have the “couch and bed are litterbox” syndrome. We got into the habit of covering them with plastic when they weren’t in use. Fortunately, she never peed in the laundry.
Perhaps opening up a large trash bag (lawn size) and flipping it over the laundry basket whenever you have to step away? It’d be a pain in the ass habit to get into, but it’d probably work.

Out of curiosity, Sofaspud, is your cat declawed? Zelda is, and research taught us that declawed cats often have litterbox issues.

11

My clothes stay in the dryer until I take them out and immediately fold & file everything.

12

Nope, she’s got all her natural weaponry.

I’m going to pick up a covered laundry thing of some sort this weekend. I know that’ll solve the problem, but I want her to stop pissing on stuff. I’m picky, I guess. :slight_smile:

All in all, she’s a great cat. She’s affectionate without being clingy, I’ve managed to train her to tuck her paws instead of kneading the hell out of my leg when I’m petting her, she’s content to curl up behind my head or at my side when I’m working… it’s just these pee issues that are driving me insane. We’ve just got her to stop pissing on the couch, and that literally required a new litterbox that’s cleaned every time we walk by it (by the by, I highly recommend the Omega Paw litter boxes). I love this cat, but she’s driving me nuts!

Anyway, she’s caught the laundry twice since the couch issues stopped. I naively thought that since the couch peeing had stopped, we didn’t need to worry about the laundry anymore. Sigh.

Arrgh! :slight_smile:

13

You have learned that more frequent scooping and a bigger box is 90%+ of the solution to most cat “oops”. Good, I keep saying that.

This may be a behavior problem, try Feliway.

If that doesn’t work, consult your Vet.