Cat Urine Problems
Cat urine problems seems to be one 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 her 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 a simple problem in cats as well as in humans.
For ideas on how to eliminate the problem of cat urine odor, why not try 18 Ways to Stop Cat Urine Odor.
