Could an automatic litterbox be frightening your cat and contributing to those unpleasant cat urine smells in your home?
There is a distinctive cat urine smell that signals your cat has stopped using the litter box. Sometimes it will be in the bedroom or on the bed, in the lounge room on on your children’s clothes. Many cat owners are often puzzled as to why their cat suddenly stops using their litter box and uses somewhere else. I have listed below some tips that can help you solve this problem quickly and easily.
The litter box is the first thing you should check. Make sure it is in a quiet room in your house. Quite a few people I know put them in their basement or laundry and leave the door open. This not only creates a secluded area for your cat but also helps to keep those unpleasant cat urine smells to a minimum in the rest of the house.
I strongly suggest using an area that is tiled as it will be much easier to clean if there are accidents.
If your cat is not making it to the litter box finding out why is of paramount importance.
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Has the box been moved to a high traffic area recently?
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Does the door get accidently closed by children, another pet or wind?
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Are there other pets that could be frightening your cat? A noisy dog next door?
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Is it near a washing machine or furnace. Sometimes if they start up when your cat is using the litter box the noise could frighten your cat.
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Does the box need cleaning more often?
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Is a new litter being used or does it have a heavy scent?
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Has the depth of the litter in the box changed? Some cats like their litter deep, others shallow.
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Has your cat outgrown the litter box and therefore needs a larger one?
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The box is too hard to enter and exit. This can especially be an issue for older cats.
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Have you changed the box itself?
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If it is an enclosed box, could the odor be off putting for your cat?
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Is it a self cleaning litter box? Could this be frightening your cat?
The only time I would suggest putting your cat’s food and water near where they eliminate is to discourage them from using a particular area. If your cat is continually eliminating in an area that can’t be closed off, try feeding your cat there. The strong smell of its own urine will discourage them from using that area if it wants to eat.
Remember, when you find that very unpleasant cat urine smell in your bedroom, your cat is trying to tell you of a problem. It is up to you to find out what the problem is and help both you and your cat. An excellent resource I use often is Liz Barton’s *Cat Secrets Revealed. She has a whole section on litter box issues. Dr Andrew Jones in his *Veterinary Secrets Revealed gives you possible causes as well as alternative therapies you can use on your cat. I refer to both books often when dealing with my own cats.
Cat urine problems and sometimes constipation seems to be something that many cat owners face at one time or another. It could be that your cat is no longer using the litter box or, if your cat usually goes outside, it is now urinating inside for some reason.
The first thing I would do is take the cat to the vet to see if there is a urinary tract infection or any other medical problem. If your cat has a clean bill of health, then check for anything different that may be upsetting or stressing your pet. Have you recently had visitors who stayed for a few days, is there a new baby/pet in the house?
Have you recently painted, refurnished or moved the furniture around?
These seemingly small things can upset your house cat’s routine and cause it to ‘retaliate’ with behavioral changes and anything that appears to be make your life difficult. Cats are highly intelligent animals and will let you know they are unhappy, and weeing inappropriately is one way.
It is very important to find out the cause of the stress so you can start retraining your cat to using the litter box or weeing outside again. Yes, it is very frustrating at the time but with some patience and understanding this can be overcome.
No-one enjoys seeing puddles of cat urine or worse around the house or on the furniture. Your cat is probably upset as well as they are fastidious animals. The sooner the situation is resolved the better for everyone.
Make sure you haven’t changed the litter mixture in the litter box as perhaps she doesn’t like the smell or the feel of it. Changes need to be made slowly. If you are introducing a new mixture do so by mixing it in a bit at a time to allow her to get used to it.
Is there a new dog in the neighborhood that could be upsetting your pet? Another cat on the prowl? Is she too frightened to go outside because of this? If this is the case, try introducing her to a litter box now, or take her outside yourself and stay with her until she’s finished. Just like any of us, our domestic cats like to feel safe, especially when they are in a vulnerable position such as when eliminating.
Once you know the reason for this behavior, you need to spend some time just being with your pet and making her feel ‘needed’, especially if there is something like a new baby or other pet in the home. Take that extra time to play with her or just sit with her in your lap stroking her. If she is feeling left out because of the new addition, she will be frightened and upset. And we all know how much fuss and attention a new baby or kitten/puppy creates.
Cat urine problems are not fun for you, your family or your pet. Just remember that the earlier you can fix this problem the better. The last thing you want is your cat to develop a bad habit of urinating around the house. Bad habits take a lot longer to eradicate than simple problems in cats, as well as in children and partners.
If you are still having problems, an e-book I highly recommend is *18 Ways to Stop Cat Urine Odor. There is bound to be a solution there that will work for you.
