We know that cats are very clean animals, but sometimes, especially the males, they urinate outside the litter box that we have prepared for their needs and leave marks in other parts of the house. Why do they do it? Can we avoid it? Indeed, they have their reasons for doing so and we can avoid it in most cases.
If you live with a cat that exhibits this behavior and you are interested in correcting it, continue reading this article on our site and discover how to prevent your cat from urinating in the house.
Why is my cat peeing out of his litter box?
Surely, if you have a cat that urinates on the wall, on the sofa, on the chairs and other places in your house and that rarely does so in its litter box, you have asked yourself this question. We must remember that although they have been domesticated for many centuries and some prefer to live with humans, cats still have their instinct Therefore, they will continue to do things that may we find them strange or even annoying. In the case of misplaced urine, it can be for various reasons, such as:
- Marking their territory Cats, both male and female, but above all they, mark a lot what they consider to be part of their their territory and one way to do it is with urine. For us, their urine gives off a strong and unpleasant smell, but for them it is something else, and it contains a high level of pheromones that help them to identify themselves, attract each other or to achieve the opposite effect by driving away possible competitors. From the urine they know if it is a male or a female and they can even tell if it is an adult individual or not. In addition, in the case of marking females, they identify the males when they are in heat. We can easily identify the marking because the cat expels the urine in the form of a sprinkler, so that we can see small drops in different areas.
- The litter box is too close to the food Cats are very neat, so it's no wonder they don't want to use a litter box that is very close to their food and water bowl. In these cases, we will observe normal urination but in other areas of the home.
- The litter box is not clean enough. This may be because you already have some stool and urine built up.
- The type of litter is not suitable Cats are very selective and sensitive, so if they don't like something, they just don't they will use it. In the case of the arenas, they usually reject all those scented ones. It is best to try different types until you find the one that really pleases your cat.
- He suffers from some illness or he alth problem Although the most common causes are the above, it is possible that the cat urinates at home and not in his litter box for he alth reasons. For this reason, it is always advisable to visit the vet first to check that he is he althy
- Is stressed. The arrival of a new member to the home, a move or a simple change of furniture can make the cat stressed and begin to urinate around the house to calm down and regain emotional stability.
- You have introduced a new cat but there is only one litter box. Whenever several cats live together in the same home, it is convenient to acquire a litter box per cat and another extra, only in this way is it possible to guarantee that they do not fight among themselves for this resource and that they do not urinate outside of it.
To better understand feline behavior, both personally and professionally, at VETFORMACIÓN you can take the Feline Ethology Course, taught by professionals in the sector and with which you can do internships in centres.
How to correct a cat that urinates in the house?
What to do if my cat pees all over the house? Is it possible to prevent and rectify this behavior? The truth is that it does, but for this the first thing we recommend is to try to find the cause, since it is much easier to apply the techniques that we will show below. Once identified, you must choose the guidelines that suit it.
Check the status of the sandbox and its location
First of all, make sure the litter box is completely clean. To do this, it is recommended that you look at it several times a day to remove the stool and change the areas with urine.
On the other hand, check your location. Perhaps you should relocate the litter box in another area of your house, because it may be that, if it is in the same room or very close to the area where it has its food and water, it chooses not to relieve itself so close and looks for another place. If this is your case, place the litter box in the place most used to urinate and observe its behavior.
Change the sand if necessary
Remember that an unsuitable substrate can also be the cause of this behavior. Therefore, to prevent your cat from urinating at home, one of the first measures is check the type of litter If your cat does not like the texture or scented smell of the cat litter you use, it will easily stop using the litter box and find more comfortable corners for it. So you should change the type or brand of litter you buy and see if this was the cause of your cat's urination disorder.
Find the stressor
If your cat urinates at home because he is stressed, it is essential to find the reason that has produced this imbalance in order to eliminate or treat it There may have been some recent change, no matter how small, in your feline's life that is causing stress.
If you cannot change it, you should try to familiarize the cat with this change with positive reinforcement, in addition to going to the vet to see if he can recommend any effective guidelines to reduce the stress he suffers
Get a litter box per cat
There are cats that are capable of living with a single litter box, however, this is not usually the case. In general, cats are very territorial animals that rarely share their resources, especially if they are not sterilized or the surgery has been performed late. In these cases, the most common thing is that both cats fight and only one of them uses the litter box. How to prevent the other cat from urinating at home? Very simple, acquiring one more and one extra litter box These new litter boxes should be placed in those "favorite" areas for cats to urinate.
Place several sandboxes
Even if you only live with one cat, one way to educate it to learn to use the litter box and prevent your cat from urinating at home is by placing several litter boxes. These boxes should be placed in those points most used by the cat to urinate. Of course, every time you see your cat use the box you should reward him, either with caresses or words of encouragement.
Place a cat door if you have a garden
If you don't want your cat to relieve himself inside the house and you have outside space for your friend to go out, try to have a cat door so that he can go in and out of home whenever you need it. He thinks that if he does not have access to the area where he normally relieves himself, he will end up doing it where he can. We remind you that in cases of cats that go outside, it is essential to have them properly identified with a microchip and a collar for cats with an identification tag, so in case of getting lost they will recover more easily.
Sterilize it to prevent sexual marking
Although cats have different types of marking, urine marking, especially spray marking, is often associated with sexual behavior. Especially the males that live with entire females (not sterilized) or that are very close to them, mark different points of the home to be found and to be able to mate, as well as to keep other males away. Early sterilization usually avoids this type of marking in 90% of males and 95% of females in a very effective way, in addition to presenting other advantages.
Check with your veterinarian to find out what is the best age to neuter your cat.
Go to the vet
If due to other symptoms you suspect that the cause may be some kind of disease, don't hesitate for a moment and Go to your trusted veterinarianso that he can carry out the necessary tests and be able to treat him as soon as possible.
A very common disease in cats that usually causes them to urinate everywhere is the presence of crystals in the urinary tract. It is good to detect this problem as soon as possible to avoid complications such as a serious kidney infection, for example. As the disease heals, the problem of misplaced urine will also be corrected.
Remember that when faced with a disorder of this type, the first thing you should check is that your feline is not sick. Once the disease has been ruled out or already treated, as you can see, it is relatively easy to recover the appropriate behavior of using the litter box. Of course, you must arm yourself with patience, since it is a recovery and learning process.
Home remedies for my cat not to urinate at home
In addition to the above techniques, you can apply a series of remedies to prevent your cat from urinating everywhere. Again, we emphasize the importance of finding the cause, since without knowing it, it is much more difficult to correct this behavior. Also keep in mind that on some occasions it may be due to a he alth problem.
Having said the above, let's see the most effective home remedies so that the cat does not urinate in the house:
Disinfect the area with enzymatic products
First of all, it is necessary to clean the marked areas very well with enzymatic products, which are totally bleach and ammonia-freeBoth ingredients encourage the cat to mark again because there is ammonia in the urine of these animals.
If you can't find these cleaning products, you can prepare a homemade solution by mixing water and vinegar in equal parts and adding lemon juice (not too much, as it can be irritating to the cat in excess) and a tablespoon of baking soda.
Synthetic pheromones
Synthetic pheromones that are marketed in spray or diffuser form are a copy of the natural pheromones emitted by these animals. Therefore, these pheromones help reduce or eliminate stress in the cat, as well as providing a familiar smell. Thus, this remedy is especially indicated for those cats that urinate at home due to stress or the arrival of a new animal, since it also fosters a relaxed atmosphere and promotes better coexistence.
The diffuser should be plugged in the area where the cat is usually for more hours, for example, in the dining room, living room or in your bedroom. Instead, the spray should be spread over the areas that the cat has marked with urine. First, you must clean the marked areas with the previous products and let them dry completely. Next, spray these areas with the pheromone spray daily. The effects can begin to be noticed in the first week, but a month of daily use is recommended before knowing if it is having the desired effect or not.
Today in many veterinary clinics the pheromone diffuser is used permanently, since this way the cats that must be visited in the consultation suffer less stress.
Positive reinforcement
Although this is not a remedy in itself, positive reinforcement is a technique that should never be lacking in any education process, whether it is to train a cat or to correct certain behaviors like this. So, Every time you notice your cat using the litter box, don't forget to reward him with games, cuddles or words of encouragement. Treats in cats tend to work worse in these cases because they don't like to associate the area where they relieve themselves with food.
Avoid the use of certain homemade repellents
Repellents such as pepper or eucalyptus are not only discouraged because cats hate these smells, but also can cause he alth problemsif ingested or inhaled. Eucalyptus, for example, is one of the most toxic plants for cats because, when ingested, it causes gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and vomiting. On the other hand, pepper, if inhaled, can cause irritation in the nostrils.
For all of the above, we do not recommend the use of homemade repellents without the approval of the veterinarian. Precisely for this reason, lemon juice should be used very sparingly when preparing the homemade solution to disinfect the marked areas.
If you want to apply a repellent so that your cat does not urinate in the house, the most recommended is vinegar diluted in water. You can spray the marked areas with this solution.
How to prevent my cat from peeing on the couch or sofa?
All the above tips are suitable for preventing a cat from urinating on the sofa, since this behavior can be carried out for any of the reasons mentioned. To them, we can add the fact of spending many hours alone at home. When a cat is lonely or bored, it is common for it to urinate on the bed, sofa, or other commonly used furniture. For this reason, in addition to taking into account the previous advice, it is essential to review the hours you spend alone per day.
In addition, we remind you of the importance of disinfecting the sofa or armchair thoroughly with enzymatic products or, failing that, with a neutral soap. Then, it will be important to check the state of the litter box, the substrate, the location, the number of boxes, its state of he alth and the environmental enrichment it has. Impoverished enrichment will lead to stress, anxiety, boredom, and frustration, states that you can try to reduce by urine marking, rubbing against objects to leave your scent, or through other behaviors such as excessive grooming, etc.
