Cat Pee. There’s nothing worse than the sneaky tinkle in your closet. Nothing more gross than the tell-tale odor that says someone’s not using their litter box.
My clients want to talk with their cats about pee and spraying more than anything else. Usually they are at the end of their rope by the time they get around to calling me. They worry that either they will have to live in a stinky house or give up their good friend.
The good news is that you don’t have to do either. You can get your cat to go in the litter box, or even to use your toilet, if you’d like. You’ll have a happier cat too.
The Quality Cat Bathroom Experience
If you think about it, it’s common sense that drives your cat’s behavior. Here’s what your cats are looking for in a quality bathroom experience.
Cleanliness
It’s not too much to ask for a clean box, is it? Get a good clumping litter and scoop that litter box every other day. It’s gross. You have a long list of other things you’d like to do, I know. This is the number 1 reason cats don’t use their box. We certainly wouldn’t appreciate using a toilet that’s only flushed once a week, would we? That’d be enough for me to look elsewhere.
Safety
Cats pee in closets because it’s safe there. Relieving oneself is an activity that requires one to relax their muscles. It’s hard to do that when you’re afraid. Find a dark, quiet place where your cat can be at peace. A covered cat box is also a great idea.
Not By my Food, Please
Most people put the litter box by their cat’s food dishes. The human equivalent is having to eat your sandwich while sitting on the toilet. Yuck.
In the wild, a cat will have 5 or 6 bathrooms arranged in a circle, away from her nest. This keeps predators and other animals from knowing where she sleeps and eats. Carve out a little space in your laundry room.
Multiple Cats (sometimes) Require Multiple Bathrooms
Some cats are territorial. They don’t want to smell someone else when they are doing their business. If you have recently introduced a new cat to your home, and suddenly Kitty is using your briefcase for a bathroom, get another litter box, fill it with fresh litter and show it to your old friend first.
Yes, yes, I know. It’s a pain in the ass. I can hear the protests from here. Especially when there is one preferred box, and one gets ignored, unless you take it away, and then suddenly your cat is going where the box used to be. Yes, I know these games cats play. Some experts recommend one more litter box than the number of cats in a household. In our house, that’d be four. That seems a little excessive.
What to Do when They Go
To a cat, smell equals acceptance. Hey, if someone else has pee’d here, there’s a good chance that it’s okay to pee here. So, if you encounter misplaced potty, you need to completely clean the area. Use Nature’s Miracle to get rid of the smell. Then restrict access to the area for a week or so.
The Vindictive Pisser
Our cat, Leo, is a vindictive pisser. Leo is the kind of cat that people who hate cats imagine when they think about why they hate cats. He’s pushy. He’s rude.
Leo doesn’t like my son’s cat, Boo. After much hissing and fighting, Rubin took Boo’s side, and refused to allow Leo into his bedroom. Sneaky, cheeky Leo took that as a challenge, and decided to use Rubin’s bed as his personal potty. Nice, huh? Oh yes, if you imagined that my home was one where animals always got along and no-one woke up to whizzed-on blankets, think again, my friend.
If you have a cat with a vindictive streak, you need to let him know that it’s not acceptable for him to act that way. Cats understand it when you say, “This is not acceptable.” Also, say to the cat, “I know you’re upset with me, and I’d like to figure out why. Please don’t pee in my room again.” Look for obvious reasons why your cat is upset (You’ve recently moved. You have a new cat. You changed their food. You have a new boyfriend. You’re spending more time at the office. etcetera), and talk with him out loud about it. Cats mostly just want to be heard.
Cats on the Toilet? Really?
http://www.amazon.com/How-Toilet-Train-Your-Cat-Litter-Free/dp/0894808281
My cats don’t go on the toilet, and I’m not sure if it’d be safe for every kitty, but hey, it may be a good thing. It has spawned a large number of youtube videos of cats using the toilet (and every one has the same facial expression, that’s interesting!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ug7WEUxH68
Here’s to potty in the right places!
I found changing my cat’s litter to a variety that resembled the feel of my firm but cushy bed really helped in alleviating his peeing on it.