Potty training for any pet takes time, effort, and lots of patience. But peeing accidents can still happen for a myriad of reasons, either medical or behavioral. So, how to stop cat from peeing on the carpet?
Be it eliminating old urine smells, making the litter box appealing, or having your cat treated for its medical concern, you have various options to choose from.
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3 Best Ways to Prevent Cats From Peeing on Carpet
You may have already trained your cat to pee in its litter box. But you may encounter an issue in which your pet urinates on your carpet, rug, or bed.
In some cases, this can be repetitive due to a medical issue. But other times, this is simply a recurring behavior. No matter the reason, here are effective ways to keep cats from peeing on carpet.
1. Eliminate old smells
If a cat keeps peeing on carpet same spot, and you don’t clean it right away, then the animal may think it is all right to do it again. Make it an automatic response to wash any object peed on. Be it rugs, walls, couches, or other furniture.
- Clean them with hot water and enzyme spray to remove the smell.
- In some cases, the scent is so strong that it lingers. Better call a carpet cleaning service for this. They have the complete, proper materials to thoroughly scrub the odor away. You don’t need to exert effort especially if you don’t have time.
- Another option is to use essential oils or fragrances. These can deter cat from peeing on carpet. There are different scents you can use such as peppermint, lavender, orange, and lemon.
What is good about using essential oils is aside from doing a spray to stop cats from peeing on carpet, you can also make the room or house smell good.
Depending on the scent, it can also boost your mood, improve work performance, help you sleep, and kill bacteria and viruses.
- If you are on Reddit, you may have seen some users ask, “will pepper stop cat peeing on carpet?”
Whether it is black pepper or cayenne pepper, the scent can repulse a cat. However, be careful in using these. The particles may come in contact with the animal’s eyes or nose and can cause health issues.
2. Create a happy, safe atmosphere
Not only is this applicable to your entire home but also to your pet’s litter box. Cats can be selective with where they eliminate. Place the box in a quiet place in the house, away from any disturbances.
You must also test what type of litter your pet prefers. Although doing this is expensive, it is worth it in the long run. You can try options like clay, wood pellets, and sand.
Replace the litter if you notice that your feline friend doesn’t like staying in the box.
If your pet likes its litter box, then you can get cat to stop peeing on carpet.
3. Take them to the vet
When a feline is anxious or stressed, they tend to pee or do so in unlikely places suddenly. There are many reasons why they would feel tense or uncomfortable.
It can be because you have guests over, an active household appliance is making loud noises, or your cat suffers from a medical condition.
Keep in mind your cat’s potential to develop a serious medical issue. It can range from Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) to kidney disease.
The best way to find out is to have your pet checked by a veterinarian.
Naturally, you wouldn’t know right away if something is wrong. To address this, be on the lookout for any strange behavior. This includes relieving anywhere but the litter box, not urinating at all, and urinating with traces of blood in it.
Common Reasons for the Behavior
While cats are generally particular about hygiene, there are reasons why they keep peeing on the carpet. You should be on the lookout for these possible causes, from behavior to medical problems.
1. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Similar to people, UTIs in cats are bacterial in nature which causes them to find it difficult to urinate. Aside from pain, they may exhibit other symptoms like urinating in small amounts or none at all. In other cases, you may notice traces of blood in the urine.
2. Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC)
It is an inflammation of the bladder, but the specific cause remains unknown. It is usually associated with Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), which is a condition affecting the bladder and urethra of cats.
For FIC to be detected, the cat must undergo several tests (e.g. X-Rays and ultrasound) to eliminate the causes of FLUTD first. But common factors include a build-up of substances along the bladder lining and the cat’s response to stress. The latter manifests when a release of hormones causes the animal to behave strangely.
3. Bladder stones
Related to the previous conditions, a cat’s urinary bladder can be filled with stones or crystals. Again, the effect is similar to how people experience it. There is pain or discomfort in urinating, and at times, there are reddish traces in the pee, indicative of blood.
4. Dirty or change in location of litter box
Cats urinating on carpets rather than in the litter box can be a sign there is something wrong with the box. The reasons range from a filthy or foul-smelling box to moving it to a new place your cat dislikes. It is always best to keep the box clean and observe if your pet has any negative reactions to the location.
5. Urine Smell
When cats spray or urinate in an area, they return to it. It creates a sense of a “safe environment” for them. It can still spray to mark territory even when your pet has been spayed or neutered.
When you clean the area, the scent lingers, especially since a cat has a strong smell. To avoid this, train your pet to pee only in the litter box. You can also place any object on top or before the previously peed area so your cat won’t have access to it anymore.
Conclusion
To make cats stop peeing on carpets, identify the cause first. From there, you can address the problem with the proper solution.
So, how to stop cat from peeing on the carpet?
The methods range from minimizing your cat’s stress and potty training to visiting the veterinarian for a medical checkup or treatment.
Keep in mind to always be gentle when dealing with peeing accidents. It may not be a behavioral issue but a medical one. Prioritize the feline’s health so you can enjoy more bonding moments with each other.
I am Amy Sawy, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduate from the University of Kansas. y husband, Dr. Plummer, and I own a veterinary clinic in Phillipsburg, Kansas. In addition to my professional background, I am a devoted pet owner myself, with a household that includes dogs, rodents, and most notably, cats – a total of five felines in my home.
In 2020, I joined an organization as a professional writer, leveraging my experience and collaborating with my team to deliver the most valuable information for your cat’s care.
