The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Cat Urine The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Cat Urine
Showing posts with label Cat Urine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cat Urine. Show all posts

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Why is My Older Cat Refusing to Use the Litter Box?


DEAR JOAN: One of my cats is a 15-year-old male that was feral. We’ve had him a good long time in the house, and, finally, after 10 years, he isn’t spending most of his time under a bed because there was a noise.

He has never had a problem holding everything until he could sneak out to the litter box in the dark and do his business. Then all of a sudden about two months ago he started peeing on the bath mat in one of our bathrooms. This was usually at night.

We started keeping the door shut, but he then started using the carpet in my office as his private commode, both peeing and defecating on it sometimes. I tried using some repellent that contained methyl nonyl ketone (didn’t want coyote pee smell, too) on the carpet with little or no effect on his behavior. I ended up discarding the carpet and now keep the door closed.

To read more on this story, click here: Why is My Older Cat Refusing to Use the Litter Box?


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Friday, November 24, 2017

How to Keep Your Home Clean and Your Cat Healthy


Follow these tips to have a fresh smelling home, and a healthy cat!

Cleaning Up After Kitty
Your fabulous feline may think cat hair is the ultimate accessory. If you don’t agree, start by getting a good vacuum cleaner. Look for one with strong suction that has a pet hair attachment. Don’t forget to vacuum chairs and curtains. Wear wet rubber gloves and run your hands over your cat’s favorite spots. Brush tape, sticky-side out, over your clothes. Buy pet bedding that’s easy to clean. And if your kitty goes outside, place a washable cushion where she goes in and out to catch muddy paws.

Keeping Your Cat Clean
Cats do a good job of cleaning themselves, but yours may need a bath if he gets really dirty -- or if someone in your house has allergies. Start by trimming your cat’s nails to prevent scratches. You can do it yourself with cat nail clippers -- ask your vet to show you how. Brush your cat to remove loose hair or mats. Use only shampoo for cats or kittens and keep water out of his face and ears. Dry him with a towel or blow dryer on low. Give him a treat at the end, so he’ll start to associate a bath with something pleasant.

No More Fleas and Ticks
No matter what type of flea prevention you use -- spot-on-the-back, flea collar, pills, or shampoo -- follow the directions carefully. Don’t use products for adult cats on kittens, and never use dog products on cats. Whether prescription or over-the-counter, don't touch treated areas until they're dry.

Get Fleas out of the House
If your cat brings in fleas, it’s time for serious cleaning. Vacuum every day, including upholstered furniture, cracks in the floors, and along baseboards. Then replace the vacuum bag or wash the canister in warm, soapy water. Wash or replace any bedding where she sleeps (including yours), and consider steam cleaning your carpets. Use a flea comb on your cat, and then treat her with flea meds. Flea sprays are better than flea "bombs" to treat your home.

Loving the Litter Box
Cats are creatures of habit, even when it comes to their litter. Some like the clumping clay kind without a scent. Try a little baking soda on the bottom to help with odors. Scoop litter at least once a day. Dump it all out and wash the whole box once or twice a week for clay litter or every 2 to 3 weeks for clumping. And while you may like liners and covers, your cat may disagree. Liners can interfere with scratching. And, to cats, covered boxes can stink like port-o-potties.

Litter Box: Location, Location, Location
Like people, cats want a little privacy when they’re doing their business. But they also like to keep an eye on their surroundings. Tuck boxes out of sight but make them easy to reach, preferably at least one per level of your home. Keep them away from hot or loud appliances and noisy kids. Cats have sensitive noses, so keep smelly litter far from their food.

When Accidents Happen
Cats would rather use a litter box, so accidents are a sign something’s wrong. If your kitty’s upset about a change in your home, give her a little extra TLC. Don’t yell or punish her -- that will make things worse. Accidents also can be a sign of health problems like diabetes, kidney disease, urinary tract infections, or arthritis. Get her checked quickly before missing the box becomes a habit. Use an enzymatic cleaner to treat spots.

Why Do Cats Spray?
Spraying urine is how both male and female cats mark their territory. The urge is strongest if they haven't been fixed, so try to neuter or spay cats by age 5 months before the behavior starts. Stress can make your cat spray. So can scented cleaners, if he wants to cover the strange smell. Feed or play with him in areas he’s prone to mark. Keep likely targets -- new things, guests' belongings, and items he's already sprayed -- out of reach.

Keep Food Safe
Both people and animals can get food poisoning from spoiled pet food, so treat your cat’s food like you do your own. Don’t buy damaged packages. Store food in sealed containers. Refrigerate leftover wet food right away. Replace dry food every day. Wash your hands well after you feed your cat. Keep her food and dishes away from areas where you prepare and serve your meals.

When You're Allergic to Your Cat
As long as your allergy’s not serious, you don’t need to give up your kitty. Keep her out of your bedroom, and buy bedding made for people with allergies. Use air cleaners with high-tech filters. Special anti-allergy room sprays can clear the air, too. Avoid dust-catching rugs, curtains, and cloth furniture. Clean your house (and cat) often. Better yet, get someone else to do it. And talk to a doctor -- preferably a cat lover -- about medicine that will help.

Should You Declaw?
Declawing is much more serious than just removing a cat's nails. It usually involves taking out the last bone of each toe and can mean a life of problems for them. There are easier options. Cats need to scratch, so give yours scratching posts and toys. Teach them what’s off limits by using a squirt gun or noisemaker, not by yelling or swatting.

Can Cats Make You Sick?
It’s rare for healthy people to get sick from touching cats. Wash scratches and bites right away with water and mild soap. Always see a doctor for any bite, or if a scratch gets infected (red or swollen). Always wash your hands with soap after you clean litter boxes. If you’re using litter that can’t be flushed, throw away scoopings in sealed plastic bags.

Cats and Babies
Give your cat time to get ready for a new baby. Let him explore the nursery and get used to new smells like baby lotion. If you have to move his litter box, do it gradually. Let him get comfortable, but don’t let him nap on the nursery furniture. Cats cuddling up next to newborns can make it hard for babies to breathe. Close the door or tent the crib when your baby’s asleep to keep kitty out.

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Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Does Your Cat Pee Outside of the Litter Box?


If your cat is ditching the litter box and peeing just about everywhere else in the house, it can easily become a problem for pet parents. Between the constant cleaning and the strong smell, a cat that is not using the litter box properly can be a source of frustration. But why do cats pee outside of the box and what can you do about it? Here are some common causes of litter box problems.

Addressing Inappropriate Urination
While it’s understandably upsetting to find cat pee around the house, owners need to recognize that cats aren’t being bad when they “go” outside the box. They are simply behaving in a way that addresses their needs at the time. There are numerous reasons why a cat might pee outside the box, but with a little investigation (and possibly a trip to the vet’s office), you should be able to determine what needs to be done to stop your cat’s inappropriate urination. Here are the top 10 ways to stop your cat from peeing outside the litter box.

Thoroughly Clean Up the Mess
Be sure to thoroughly clean all areas where your cat has peed outside the box. You want to be sure you’ve eliminated the odor, not just for your own sake, but also so the smell doesn’t draw your cat back to that same spot. Use a black light and your nose to identify all the problem areas. If you are dealing with fresh urine, first blot up as much as possible with paper or cloth towels. Next (and for older spots), pick the best cleaning method based on what has been soiled. Hard surfaces can be thoroughly cleaned with your favorite household cleaning solution. Use your washing machine for bedding, towels, etc. Rugs and upholstery are best cleaned with an enzymatic or bacterial cleaner, but make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to maximize their effectiveness.

Define the Problem
When you discover pee where it doesn’t belong, you need to determine whether it is the result of spraying or urination. Cats urinate outside the litter box and spray for different reasons, and they require different types of treatment. When cats spray, they usually stand in front of a vertical surface and squirt a relatively small amount of urine on it. If you are finding a splatter of urine on the wall, your cat is probably spraying. When cats urinate, they usually squat and leave behind a larger amount of urine on a horizontal surface.

Tackle the Problem Quickly
You want to address spraying or urination outside of the litter box quickly, before it becomes normal behavior for your cat. When it comes to spraying, intact male cats are the most notorious offenders. All cats who are not going to be part of a breeding program should be neutered, ideally before puberty. If your neutered cat is spraying, try making him feel more secure in his territory. In a multi-cat household, it may help to provide separate living areas for each cat. If this is not feasible, provide elevated perches, hiding places, and covered escape routes so cats can easily avoid each other. Over-the counter anxiety-relieving products may also help cats who are spraying. If all else fails, your veterinarian can prescribe an anti-anxiety medication like fluoxetine.

Add Additional Litter Boxes
If you’ve determined that your cat is urinating inappropriately rather than spraying, it’s time to take a close look at your litter box. First, how many do you have? One litter box is often just not enough. The general rule of thumb is one box per cat, plus an extra one. Cats can be very picky about using a box that already contains urine or feces, particularly if that urine or feces is not their own. The more litter boxes you have, the more likely your cat is to find one that suits his fancy.

Address Litter Box Location
Think about where you have the litter boxes located. If you have multiple stories in your home, you'll want at least one on each floor. Think about it: if you were on the second floor of your house, would you want to run all the way downstairs to use the bathroom? Neither does your cat. And when litter boxes are too tucked away, say inside cabinets or in the corner of a basement laundry room, cats may not bother to go find them. Making it convenient for your cat to use the litter box will often alleviate problems. Finally, if your cat keeps peeing in the same spot, try placing a litter box over that area, and then slowly moving it to a more appropriate location.

Try a Different Box
An enclosed litter box may fit nicely within your decorating standards and help contain the mess and odor, but your cat may not agree. Enclosed boxes can be small, dark, smelly and difficult to turn around in—not conducive to cats doing their business. You also want to make sure the sides of your litter box are low enough for your cat to easily step over—especially as he reaches old age.

The ideal litter box is large, open, and has low sides or at least one low spot to ease access. It can be difficult to find litter boxes that have these characteristics in pet supply stores, but they are easy to make using plastic under-bed storage boxes.

Clean Your Litter Box Regularly
A filthy litter box is almost guaranteed to send a cat elsewhere to pee. Cats are very clean creatures by nature. Would you want to go walking barefoot through your cat's litter box? Well, if it’s dirty, neither does he. At a minimum, litter boxes should be scooped out once a day and dumped, washed, and refilled every month.

Check the Type of Litter
Heavily perfumed litter may seem the better choice (who wouldn’t want to smell perfume rather than a dirty litter box?), but cats tend to disagree. Their noses are more sensitive than ours, so what seems pleasant to us can be overpowering to them. They also like to stick with the familiar, so a cat may urinate outside the litter box if you suddenly switch to a new type of litter. Studies have shown that among cats, the all-around favorite litter type is an unscented, clumping clay litter containing activated charcoal. If you want to try this (or any) type of litter for the first time, make sure you have at least one box in the house that contains the old type of litter…just in case.

Observe Social Dynamics
Conflicts between multiple cats, or the introduction of a new cat, may cause inappropriate urination. If your cats got into an altercation in or near the litter box, he may choose to avoid the box rather than suffer through a repeat occurrence. Separate the cats for a while to let the tensions fade, and then try gradually reintroducing them. Make sure you have several litter boxes spaced out throughout the house so one cat can’t prevent access to all the boxes at the same time.

Consult Your Veterinarian
If inappropriate urination has become an issue with your cat, the most important thing you can do is make an appointment with your veterinarian. Your cat's doctor will take a complete history and perform a physical exam, urinalysis, and perhaps some other diagnostic tests to determine if the problem is medical rather than behavioral in origin. Urinary tract inflammation, diabetes, and kidney disease are just three of the common health issues that can make cats urinate outside of the litter box. If your cat is given a clean bill of health, your veterinarian can then help you move on to addressing environmental or behavioral issues that may be playing a role.



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Thursday, November 9, 2017

How to Stop Feral Cats From Urinating on Your Property Without Harming the Animal


You work hard to keep your house clean and cozy. Unfortunately, every time you walk up to the front door, you get a noseful of cat urine. Having feral felines use your porch as a toilet is frustrating, but don't despair. You can stop the smell without harming the animal.

The Porch
As soon as you finish sandblasting and refinishing your front porch, the neighborhood tomcat comes over and lifts his leg on every corner. You get a whiff of his "perfume" every time you open the window. The first step is cleaning the area thoroughly. Pick up a bottle of enzymatic cleaner from your local pet store. These specialized cleaners break up the enzymes in cat urine that make the area smell like a toilet to animals, even if you constantly clean. Once the urine smell dissipates, fill a spray bottle with white vinegar. If the smell of vinegar bothers you, dilute it with water and make a 50:50 vinegar-water batch. Spray all of the corners of your porch, including underneath. The vinegar smell repels the neighborhood feline gang.

Potted Plants
You adore your potted plants and have them scattered all over your yard. However, replanting flowers has become quite the chore since your plant pots seem to be the neighborhood litter box. Clean the outside of the planters with the enzymatic cleaner. Clean up any solid waste and mix a small amount of white vinegar in with the soil. At this point you'll want to cover the soil with aluminum foil, pine cones or large, sharp-edged pebbles. These materials aren't comfortable for kitties to walk on. They'll learn that your plants not only smell funny, they hurt to dig through, forcing them to go elsewhere.

Lawn and Garden
The last thing you want is dead yellow spots in your grass or fresh growing vegetables coated with cat urine. Head back to your neighborhood pet store and pick up a carton of cat-repellent granules. These granules blend perfectly with soil -- without harming your grass or plants -- and keep unwanted furry critters away. Simply sprinkle the granules around the perimeter of your lawn or stir them into the soil the next time you work in your garden. Follow the manufacturers instructions carefully for optimal protection. Some varieties last for up to one month.

Other Tips
If you're not having luck with granules or vinegar, use citronella spray or mix grated orange peels in with your soil. Most kitties despise the scent of citrus. Also, don't use any ammonia-based household cleaners to scrub away urine markings in your yard. Ammonia smells like urine to cats, so you might wind up enhancing the problem rather than getting rid of it. Talk with your neighbors about the issue. Maybe your next-door neighbors let their kitty roam as pleases, but they aren't aware of how much he damages your property. They may be willing to keep Max inside, rather than allowing him to navigate through the neighborhood.

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Monday, January 4, 2016

How to Clean Cat Urine


Getting Rid of Cat Urine Smell

The lingering, pungent odor of cat urine is enough to make a homeowner with carpeted floors weep in despair. Besides the unhealthy air you’re breathing, the “mark” beckons your kitty to return again and again to that same spot. Here's how to get rid of the smell for good.

Play Detective

Black lights are unique in their ability to detect urine, blood, sweat, and other gross bodily fluids that contain fluorescent molecules. Pick one up at most any store – pet store, hardware store, discount department store. Wait until nighttime, turn out all your lights except for the black light, and mark the spots with something heavy (rocks work well) that your cat won’t disturb. Then get to deodorizing so whatever product you choose can work overnight.

Stop the Stink

Few things smell as bad as cat urine ripening in your home, which has made products reputed to de-stink your carpets a hot commodity. Enzyme-based cleaners and odor removal products claim to render the odor inactive (in my experience, they do not), and sealers (like Kilz) are reported to lock the odor away in walls and floors. But rather than spending a lot of money on chemicals that are bad for you and your animals, consider using cheaper and time-tested cleaners from your grandparents’ day.

To read more on this story, click here: How to Clean Cat Urine




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