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lmrinc_gw

why is my cat pee'ing in hubs office?!

lmrinc_gw
10 years ago

We recently moved from a house with wood floors to an apartment with carpet. OUr cat is 13 but very youthful and energetic. She has always had an issue with pee'ing outside of her box but when we lived in our house with wood floors and she would only pee on the rug if she had an infection (I have a black light and check all the time!).

WHen we moved she went right back to peeing on carpet, but it's only in my husbands office and she does it at night when he's not in there. I took her to the vet and she had no infections...her boxes are cleaned multiple times a day and she eats the appropriate food (no grains, sensitive, proper ph).

I once heard that some cats hate the smell of the chemicals in the carpet so they pee, but it's just in the office!

I've tried natures miracle and it makes it smell worse. I'm thinking of trying odoban but would love suggestions!

Comments (14)

  • sylviatexas1
    10 years ago

    It sure sounds like there's *something* in that carpet that smells like it needs to be peed on.

    Since it's only in one room, I'd think about replacing the carpet.

  • 3katz4me
    10 years ago

    I'd close the door and keep her out of there.

  • Debbie Downer
    10 years ago

    Or lay some cheap sheet vinyl flooring (glue-less) down over the carpet ...just to serve as a barrier? It wouldn't look particularly beautiful but would serve the purpose. Maybe a previous cat peed in there, or had its box in there (odors can soak through plastic).

  • annzgw
    10 years ago

    Have you tried placing a litter box in the room? Otherwise, I'd close the door at night and keep her out of there.
    I think there's a strong chance her peeing is due to stress from the move and her getting acclimated to the new house. It's also possible another cat has lived there and odors are still in the subfloor or baseboards.
    Does the office have exterior walls and are you on a ground floor? Just wondering if there's an outdoor cat that is causing her to do this.

    Like you, I find Nature's Miracle to have a strong odor. I have used OdorMute on walls and flooring when I had to treat DS's house for dog pee. It worked well.

  • lmrinc_gw
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you everyone.

    It's an in between apartment while we build our house. The apartment is brand new and we are the first to live here.

    The office is on the ground floor and there is another cat that wonders around outside. hmmmm maybe that's it because it's just in that room and when we do close the door, she'll pee in the hallway.

    How do I get her to stop?

  • Vertise
    10 years ago

    I guess you are already not using perfumed litter, as they can object to that. Some of the unscented ones do smell scented. An unpleasant texture of the litter on their feet can also cause them to seek other places. Could she be having trouble stepping up into the box due to arthritis in the back end or knees? Cutting a low entry into the box so they don't have pain when stepping in can help that situation. If a clean box isn't an issue, then sometimes something else is making them uncomfortable when using the box. Could even be their own body's irritation from cystitis or crystals passing that they associate with using the box. I can't see your diet changes in preview, but eliminating fish and dry food is another one.

    When you move out, pull the carpet up in that area and Oil Kilz Odor Control on the floor.

  • annzgw
    10 years ago

    Yes, it's possible the outside cat is hanging around that area of the apt. at night and is upsetting your cat. You could try leaving another litter box outside the office door at night, but if she's marking she probably won't use the box.

    Is there any way to keep her from going downstairs? Are there any windows she can sit in and view the outdoors? I'm not sure, but maybe it would help if she could actually see the other cat. I know my cat will run from window to window, guarding the house, when she spots another cat outside.
    Hopefully, in time, your cat will adjust to the new neighbor.

  • lmrinc_gw
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks again. Her litter is unscented and she does like over all the other ones I use. She has had ever litter box under the sun! I even made on that was super low cut and she uses all of them but she still pee's on the carpet >=(

    There is an open loft area with all windows . I can't keep her from coming downstairs. Ugh cat pee is the worst!

  • sylviatexas1
    10 years ago

    Can you put a visual block in front of the window?

    Maybe a piece of plywood that you can prop up with a short length of board?

    not the most House Beautiful solution, but you can do it without spending much or any money, & if it works then you can think about a more House Beautiful solution.

    I use rubbermaid totes, the big wide shallow kind;
    they're heavier & roomier, & that seems to be a little more desireable to the 'client'.

    & it keeps the litter in the pan better, so less litter gets scattered over the floor.

    When I had an elderly lady cat many years ago, I cut an opening about 8" wide down one side, leaving a shallow lip or 'sill' to hold the litter in, so she could get in & out easily.

  • Vertise
    10 years ago

    I read about a supplement or something that makes their urine not smell so strong. You might check with your vet whether there is something safe to use like that.

  • sylviatexas1
    10 years ago

    just had a thought:

    If she's used to wood floors, & this apartment's carpet is new, it may be the smell & off-gassing that she feels compelled to neutralize.

    You might shampoo the carpet.

  • chickadee4
    10 years ago

    We had adopted Pearl who we thought was the best cat in the entire world. Over time I realized she prefers to be the only cat and let me know by spraying the carpet in three rooms.
    Each of the rooms had a history that Pearl insisted on masking. The den area carpet was where our dog had laid for her final moment . I dragged the area carpet outside, saturated it with water, and then applied a mixture of dawn, vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide in stages.
    The second bedroom had housed my daughter's cats for a weekend so Pearl let me know she was Queen of this room.
    The last carpeted room had a puppy accident and Pearl insisted that she reigned this territory .
    My gut thinks that sometime during installation there was a accident and your cat is now masking the odor.
    I found that washing the area in stages with the above routine rid the carpet of the issue.
    I applied a mixture of dawn , water using a carpet vacuum to remove the water. I then let it dry . I added white vinegar to the carpet and again soaked up the moisture. The last is sprinkling baking soda all over a larger area then needed and pouring the hydrogen peroxide . I then squeegeed as much moisture out.
    Hydrogen peroxide has never stained my silk . wool or nylon rugs but it did turn the beige polyester carpet a funky yellow.
    There is a history in your den carpet that she does not like at all!!!!

  • sylviatexas1
    10 years ago

    If the apartment isn't a new one, chickadee probably hit the nail on the head.

    If the new carpet was installed because the old carpet was funky, the apartment manager should have washed & sealed the floor before installing new pad (it *is* new pad, right? pad holds odors forever) & new carpet.

  • lmrinc_gw
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    This would make sense if this wasn't a brand new build. Like I said above, we are the first people to live here!

    I just saw a white cat I've never seen before walk around the apartments so I'm thinking this is the issue...she's silently marking her territory instead of doing what she did at our house which was scream her head off while we would sleep!

    Thanks everyone!