Expert: Jessica - 5/15/2010

Question
I can't stop my cat from peeing on my rugs, I've had to throw the front door one away and now the back door one is being peed on.  I clean the litter box, I've washed and sprayed the rug with cat deterrant but nothing seems to stop her.

Answer
Hi Karen.  You should first have your kitty examined by a vet to rule out urinary tract problems such as infections, crystals and inflammatory conditions.  These can be treated with appropriate medications, and then the behavior should resolve.

If it's determined that she's healthy, you can assume this is a behavioral problem.  Of course, be sure that her litter box is cleaned at least once daily and is completely dumped out, washed and refilled regularly (may be once a week or once a month depending on the type of litter you use).  Her litter box should also be very accessible and in a quiet but convenient spot.  You may want to try adding a second box of a different style.  A lot of cats like to use one box to defecate in and another to urinate in.

Urinating around entrances to a home often indicates territorial issues and might suggest she's having problems with neighborhood cats if she goes outside, or that she sees cats through windows that are stressing her out.  I would recommend using a product called Feliway to help reduce this.  The plug-in diffusers work best for this type of behavior.  You can learn more about how the product works at www.feliway.com.

Some cats will require more than this and end up needing to go on an antidepressant to control the anxiety that’s fueling their need to mark their property so obsessively.  Prozac is the most effective treatment.  Even after discontinuation, most cats do not have a relapse of the behavior.  There are a couple other medications to try, as well, including Buspar, Elavil and Clomicalm.

If you want to try to save the rug, cleaning it with an enzymatic stain remover is the only way to really get a cat urine stain out.  This is because cat urine has a lot of fat in it, which is sticky and makes the odor cling to the carpet.  Most cleaners can't remove these fats, but enzymes break down fat molecules to completely remove the stain.  Nature's Miracle is a good pet stain remover that's sold at pet stores.

Best of luck with your kitty!

Jessica