Two weeks ago my cat started peeing on a corner of the living room carpet, and after coming to the boards here to search for advice, I decided to take him to the vet. Sure enough, he was diagnosed with a urinary infection, and I gave him the last of his antibiotics today. I washed the carpet a half dozen times, trying first carpet cleaner, then vinegar, then special “enzymatic action” cleanser from the pet store. Each of them seemed to do fine removing the smell and stain, but evidently the cat still smells it, because he’s still curious about that corner and he’s peed there a few times this week despite the cat repellent spray I also used there. It’s a wall-to-wall carpet – I can lift the corner up and wash top and bottom, but I can’t toss it in the wash.
As long as I keep a cardboard box on the carpet, he uses his litter box. As soon as I free up that carpet spot, though, he decides he prefers peeing in the living room.
Moving his litter box to the living room or keeping that spot permanently covered with something like a plant isn’t an option, because the door to the balcony would be blocked.
I’m fairly sure that it’s just the smell of his own urine that’s making him think it’s his new toilet, and if I can get rid of it, he’ll go back to using his box. Does anyone know what I can clean that carpet with, to get the smell out completely, so that even a cat nose can’t detect it? And is there any kitty psychological warfare I can use on him so I can win back my living room?
Have you tried placing some aluminum foil on the spot and then covering it up with another small rug. Most cats don’t like the feel of aluminum foil underneath their paws.
Compared to what my cat does, I would say your fortunate. Cats have extremely sensitive noses and you may need to treat that area for a very long time to get the smell out competely. Just because you can’t smell doesn’t mean kitty can’t smell it.
^ agreed, with the exception of covering over the aluminium. It will be the sound and the weird feel of it that should put him off.
Another good tip is to put his feeding bowls on the exact spot, the idea being that because cats are so fussy (and “clean”) they don’t like to eat where they toilet - same for most people really
Great ideas! If all else fails, purchase a cat motion-detector thingie that blows airs and makes a loud noise. It worked great with our Christmas trees last year.
My first thought would be to grab him by the scruff of the neck and rub his snoot in it and then rub his snoot somewhere you want him to pee (the way they do when they teach the kittens not to pee anywhere but the litterbox).
I’m not sure the tinfoil method would work, because he loves the sound of crinkly things. He’s always chewing on newspaper, plastic bags, waxed paper… I doubt it would scare him off that spot.
He hasn’t peed there again since my last cleaning attempt (knock on wood!), but every time I catch him sniffing around there, I grab him and sit him in his litter box. Maybe that will re-train him? My main concern is getting the smell out of the carpet so that he loses all interest in that corner. Can anyone suggest a product that does a really good job?
Blonde, where can I find a “cat motion-detector thingie”, as a last resort?
I’d agree that he’s still smelling the pee there, even if you can’t. You could try continuing to clean it with assorted products, or putting something on the carpet that he wouldn’t like the smell of.
I kept my cats off the counter with duct tape- looped it sticky side up so they’d have to step on sticky tape if they wanted to go there. They hated the sensation intensely. It’s not great for the carpet, but it’s not really terrible for it, either.
roxxx222, if you’re going with rubbing its snoot in it, you have to do it no more than 2-3 minutes post-factum, or it won’t realize why you’re doing it!
My sister bought a house that had cat pee smell in one room. They had it professionally cleaned but the smell remained, so it must be powerful stuff. They eventually had to replace the carpet in that room.
There is a cat repellent spray called Stop which you might like to try spraying on the spot and another product Sticky Paws which I have heard of but have been unable to find here. I have the problem of the cat clawing my brand new leather sofa. Agghhh.
I know you mentioned you purchased special cleaning products from the pet store which shouldn’t contain amonia, but it might be worth while double checking the labels just to make sure? Cats are drawn to amonia, or indeed, to anything that has an amonia base in it. You could try washing the carpet etc. with very hot water that has a generous dose of bicarbonate of soda in it? Bicarb. solution is pretty good at absorbing strong smells - it might work on residual cat pee?
Also, don’t just concentrate on the carpet: clean a way up the walls too. Cats will “sit” and pee, or they will make like they are in charge of a fire hose and spray quite a large area. Even girl cats can sometimes do this.
I also think what you are doing about taking him back to his litter box is a good idea. Best of luck!
We had a sick kitty for a while and went through the same thing. I peeled back the carpet and shampooed the pad as well and then emptied a box of baking soda between the pad and the carpet after stuff dried. Then every few days I vaccuumed out the soda and replaced it. Took a bit but eventually it got it all. Cat pee is nasty stuff. Sometimes it can get into the subfloor and then you have to remove all the rugs and bleach the subfloor.
This worked with my cat in the basement; extract black pepper in distilled white vinegar and (vegetable) oil; mist the area lightly and frequently (daily). If you have a light carpet, use white pepper.
Do not use wine, or cider, or balsamic vinegar; they are ‘sweet’ (and more expensive).
I’ve gotten good results with just plain black pepper, but you really have to use that in corners where it can’t be seen, because it looks like dirt.
There is a product called Feliway which works very well. You have to spray the area daily, and it might take several days for it to have its full effect, but the cat will stop peeing in that area. Feliway is expensive, but it is a worthwhile investment.
We’ve had problems like this in the past. Until the odor is completely neutralized, cats will still think the spot is a valid bathroom. There are a ton of products such as this that should do the trick.
