Cat pee problem...

[Shelteez2]

I need help and desperately.

Background info. 6 weeks ago my bf and I adopted a rottweiler. Because we didn't know how he would do with the cats we kept the cats locked up when he was around and let them roam the house when he was gone during the day and at night when he was in his crate.

One day however, my bf rushed out of the house and forgot to let the cats out of their room... so they spent all day locked up with no litterbox. When we came home the room smelled like pee, but I couldn't locate where it was coming from. We put a litterbox in that room so that couldn't happen again.... The smell eventually went away... or I just thought the smell was from the litterbox being in the room.

The cats no longer have to be locked up seperately from the dogs anymore.... but lately I've noticed that their room has really been smelling like pee. I mentioned it to my bf, but he said he didn't smell anything, so I kinda thought I was phantom smelling things..... until I lifted up one of the cat beds in the room today. It was soaked. The carpet underneath was soaked and all along the baseboards.... just saturated.

Is there any hope for me to get the smell out??? I have one of those mini carpet cleaners and I soaked the carpet with oxi-clean. Then I rinsed and rinsed the carpet. And then I soaked it with water and vinegar.... then I rinsed some more. Now it smells like wet carpet and cat pee.

I put a white towel over the damp area.... and just noticed that it had been peed on again. So we have a problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I can't have cats peeing in my house.... I won't have cats peeing in my house. I realize that my bf and I are the cause of this..... but please please help me find a solution.

[Taz_Zoee]

Here (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=132543) is a recent thread along the same lines. Good luck.

[catmandu]

Your Vet Should Have Something To Get Rid Of That Smell, My Vets Gave Me Something That Really Gets Rid Of The Pu!!!
I Cant Ever Remember The Brand Name Though.

[Shelteez2]

I will run out and get some enzyme cleaners and give that a try. Does anyone have tips on the behavioral aspect though?? Once the smell is gone I don't want them to start peeing there out of habit....

What would work better? Putting their food bowls there or putting another litter box. I really don't want to put a litter box in this room, but if that's what I have to do then I guess I'll do it. *shrugs*

[krazyaboutkatz]

First I would rule out medical problems because if one of them has a UTI then this may be causing the problem. Yes, I would add another litterbox close to where they are peeing. If you don't like the location then you can gradually move it slowly to another location. This is what I had to do. I also had to add 3 more litterboxes and this really helped my problem. Also please try the cat attract litter that I had suggested in the other thread. It really works. Good luck.:)

[Anikaca77]

Yes I agree with her, to rule out medical problems but sometimes just adding another kitty litter box will help.

I'm not sure how many cats you do have but I know my one girl cat gets really upset when the litter boxes are not cleaned out (which I do clean them everyday but for some reason they tend to use the 2 in the bathroom more than the others) and she will pee in the bathtub...(which I know is the best place she could pee) but I know I need to add another litter box in the house and that will solve the problem. I have six cats so I should have 6 litter boxes but right now I only have 4 in the house and I need to get another litter box.

[Medusa]

You probably already know this but the rule of thumb is one litterbox per cat plus one. Clean them minimum twice a day, totally empty them out and clean them at least once a month. I prefer to keep litterboxes out of sight. I'm fortunate to have a basement so that's where they're all located, all 8 of them. I don't allow my cats to have total run of the house so I don't really have the problem of them peeing on beds, clothes, in the bathrooms, etc. And they have their beds, I have mine. However, cats are independent little buggers and they hold grudges. If I see one doing a revenge pee, I yell 'NO!" and if I have the squirt gun on hand, I squirt the offender right in the face! And s/he gets banished to the basement for a while. Cats can be trained but it takes longer than w/dogs and it definitely takes more patience. Mine are pretty good but I do have some sneaky pee cats and I don't take chances w/my furniture and my house. They're on medication for behavior modification and as long as I don't miss a dose, their behavior is good and they don't pee. Good luck.

[Shelteez2]

I have 2 cats and 2 litter boxes. I try to clean them out daily (scoop) and completely dump them once a month. I will admit that I miss days.

I just discovered a dog bed that has been peed on in the bedroom. Until now I thought the problem was confined to the one area. *sigh* The only good thing is that I don't think the pee had soaked through to the carpet in the bedroom, like it has in the cat's room.

I also dont like litterboxes to be out in plain sight. Right now they are in a storage area under the stairs. I wish I could catch one of the cats peeing inappropriately, but I still haven't seen them doing it.... just smelled the evidence.

Thanks for everyone's tips and suggestions. I do greatly appreciate it.

[Catty1]

You could try a litter box with a cover or 'hood' while it's in the area you would prefer it not to be. (Or if you find a perfect-size Japanese screen or other decorative 'blind' at a garage sale, try that!)

However - I do hope it is as simple as a UTI and can be treated.

If it is behaviour - Medusa swears by Clomicalm!

As for enzyme cleaners - I'd ask the vet or a professional boarding kennel to recommend one - kitties' noses are much more sensitive than ours! :)

[Medusa]

I have 2 cats and 2 litter boxes. I try to clean them out daily (scoop) and completely dump them once a month. I will admit that I miss days.

It could be something as simple as that. Not trying to nag here but cats are fastidious creatures. You wouldn't think of not flushing your toilet after use, would you? That's how your cats feel about their litter boxes and that's why it's good to have an extra box. That way their chances are better of using a clean one, especially one that hasn't been soiled by another cat. My RB Peeka used to dip her paw into the litter as though she were testing water temperature. If it didn't feel right, she didn't use the box. So guess what she did do? Maybe you'll luck out and find that the solution is to clean the litter boxes more often. If all else fails, try Clomicalm. Catty1 is right; I swear by it. It's a prescribed med by a vet, 5 mg. before bed and it keeps them calm w/no side effects. I've seen wonderful success w/it. Also, if the cat peed in the dog's bed, there may be a jealousy issue there and Clomicalm would definitely help w/that.