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Cats/cat soiling the carpet

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Expert: - 2/21/2011


Question
First off, thank you for your time.  I have 3 cats, 2 female and 1 male.  The male and one female are litttermates.  They are 7 years old.  The female is using my carpet, in two separate rooms, as a bathroom.  She has been to the vet and her urinalysis was perfect.  My carpet doesn't show stains to the naked eye or I would have gotten on top of this sooner.  I bought a blacklight and just about passed out at the number of times she has urinated in spots.  She has been in confinement for a week and a half.  (in a lovely room with a bathroom all to herself and a cushioned window seat!)  I've treated the areas with anti-icky-poo and I'm awaiting the arrival of feliway diffusers.  We have 4 litter boxes, available on all floors.  She's not peeing on the carpet in confinement.  Any suggestions on something I may have missed?  What do you know about a cat retract-a-gate?  And while I have you, what is your personal favorite litter?  (unscented and clumping)  My 2 cats are persians and the other female is my 14 yr old himalayan.  All are declawed.

Answer
Lee-Anne,

Are your females spayed?  I am going to assume the one you think is soiling the carpets is spayed. Whatever started her to peeing where she should not is problematic, but once they find a place, the smell attracts them right back to it!!!!!!

The Feliway diffusers may help, but I would also try the Cat Attract litter, especially now that she is confined.  

I have never had any faith in gates of any kind keeping cats out of a room!!!!!!  Personally, I think any such gates are not going to stop the cat. When we bred Persians, our Persians could easily have jumped over these gates.

I have a fairly lengthy article on feline litter pan problems, so if you get back to me with a private response with your e-mail address, I will e-mail you this article.

Best regards... Norm.

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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