How Do I Stop My Cat From Peeing in the House? (6 Steps)

Written by

Amy Sawy

Veterinarian. DVM

FACT-CHECKED BY

Joseph M. Plummer

Veterinarian, DVM, MVZ

how do i stop my cat from peeing in the house

Felines have a reputation for being clean. So, when your fur baby starts to urinate all over the house, it makes you ask, “how do I stop my cat from peeing in the house?”

Once your pet starts peeing everywhere, it will be hard to train it to take a piss in the right place. The best thing that you can do is to prevent your cat from peeing in the peed areas inside the house. You can start this by knowing the main reason for its peeing behavior.

Ways to Keep Cat From Peeing in the House

keep-cats-from-peeing-on-furniture

What to prepare

  • A cleaning solutionYou can pick one of the following:
  • Enzymatic washing liquid or powder.
  • A citrus spray
  • Vinegar, baking soda, dish detergent, and hydrogen peroxide.
  • Clean cloth
  • Brush
  • Paper towel

To stop a cat from peeing on things, you can do the following:

Step 1: Identify the reason.

stop-cats-from-peeing-on-furnitures

A cat peeing around the house is not cool and a bit smelly. So, even though you love your fur baby, you can’t live with your kitten peeing in random places.

The first thing you can do is discover the reason behind such behavior. Some possible reasons include:

  • Anxiousness — can result from you moving to a new house, the cat being separated from its mother, and more
  • Problems with the litter box — Cats don’t like loud noises, so don’t put the litter next to washing machines, for example. In addition, the box may have the wrong sand type or is too dirty.
  • Health problems such as metabolic disease or diabetes
  • Your cat is going through its mating cycle.

Decide which of the above applies to your situation. Then, address the root cause to get cats to stop peeing on stuff. For example, if your cat’s anxious, check out step 2 below.

Step 2: Relieve your cat’s anxiety or stress.

  • Spend some quality time and cuddle with your cat. By doing so, your cat could relieve its stress and feel more relaxed inside the house.
  • Give your feline baby a separate room with its favorite toys. Play with it as well.
  • Spray calming pheromones around the house.
  • If you notice that your cat’s anxiety worsens, it is time to have an appointment with your veterinarian to help your cat’s anxiety or store

Step 3: Consult your trusted veterinarian.

Aside from the conditions mentioned above, here are some medical problems that could cause your cat to urinate everywhere but its litter box:

  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Renal disease
  • Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)
  • Bladder stones
  • Arthritis

If you are noticing weird behaviors from your cat, it’s best to book a check-up appointment with a vet.

Step 4: Neuter or spay your cat.

If you’re wondering why your female cat started peeing in the house, check if it has reached sexual maturity and wants to mate.

Suppose the cause is a heat cycle, consider neutering your pet to reduce the spaying.

However, if the urinating still happens after the procedure with no change in frequency, perhaps, you haven’t cleaned the areas with pee yet.

Step 5: Clean certain areas that your cat has marked with its pee.

stop-a-cat-from-peeing-on-thing

This is very important to stop a cat from peeing on the floor and other places in the house.

Once your cat has urinated on your furniture or carpet, it will be a habit for them to pee in those same places because the smell from the urine attracts them.

So, to keep cats from peeing on furniture, try one of the cleaning methods below.

Method 1 – Removing Your Cat’s Urine using Citrus-Odor Spray

To stop a neutered cat, or any cat for that matter, from sullying your favorite carpet, you need to follow these steps:

  • Clean the marked territory using a paper towel.
  • Apply a disinfectant on the area. You might consider a citrus-scented product, since it’s an effective spray to stop cat from peeing in house.
  • Follow the instructions. Some sprays don’t have to be washed or removed at all; you can just leave them there.
  • Put your cat’s food bowl in the marked area because this will prevent your pet from peeing in its “eating place”.

Method 2 – Removing Your Cat’s Urine using Enzymatic Washing Liquid

One of the ways you could remove the strong odor of your cat’s urine is to use an enzymatic washing liquid or powder. Here are the steps:

  • Wipe away the cat piss.
  • Use an enzymatic washing liquid to sanitize the area. Scrub the soiled surface with a brush, and use a cloth to wipe it.
  • Let the sprayed area dry for a few minutes.
  • Place the cat’s food in the same place. This will make them not urinate on it again.

Method 3 – Removing Your Cat’s Urine using a Vinegar Solution

Here is one of the cheapest yet effective ways to remove cat’s pee odor inside your home:

  • Put water and vinegar in a bottle or bowl, then mix them.
  • Spray the solution on the marked area and leave it for a few minutes.
  • Dry the area, then put baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap on the peed surface for a second cleaning.
  • Brush the area until you can detect no urine smell.
  • Use a clean towel to soak up all residue.

Step 6: Ensure that the litter box is not the problem.

If your cat has urinated in its litter box before and suddenly has changed its mind, it might be due to the box’s placement.

You might have wondered, “why is my boy cat suddenly switching its pee place?” To help you with this, consider the following reasons:

  • If you are constantly changing the litter, your cat probably hasn’t adapted to the scent or consistency of the sand. This would make them avoid using the litter box. So, mix the old sand with the new one.
  • Cats do not like dirty or overly scented litter boxes. It is best to clean your cat’s ‘toilet’ many times a week and remove their poop every day. Also, do not use strong-scented sprays or disinfectants.
  • Give your cat some privacy by putting the litter container somewhere with less foot traffic.

Conclusion

Taking care of a cat inside your home is not a simple duty at all. There are times when your feline companion will be peeing on bed or furniture.

This will make you question, “how do I stop my cat from peeing in the house?”

There are ways to stop cats from peeing on furniture, such as cleaning the soiled area and neutering your pet. In this way, you will be able to maintain hygiene in your home.

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