My cat keeps peeing on the same chair

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 431
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We've had my cat for seven years now, and we've had peeing problems on and off with her since then. The vet seemed to think that rather than 'weeing' she was 'spraying' like male cats do to mark their territory.

Recently she's taken to doing this on one particular armchair in the lounge, which of course is driving us all crazy (me in particular as it's my chair thank-you!). Anyone have any advice? Like I say, it's very on and off. She'll pee in her litter tray one day, then decide she likes the armchair better the next.

Also, any advice on how to cover up the smell better? We're using distilled vinegar at the moment, which is okay, but not brilliant.

(Also, sorry if this would be better off in the Pets forum).

Comments

  • !!11oneone!!11oneone Posts: 4,098
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    My mum's cat went through a stage of pooing and weeing in her bed, sometimes when they were in it!

    They discouraged it by keeping the door closed.

    You could try one of those silver survival blanket things. Cats hate them, so drap it over the chair when you're not there to keep her off it.
  • yorkieUKyorkieUK Posts: 2,159
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    To get rid of the whiff you will need to neutralize the enzymes in the wee! Household detergents, soap, vinegar, etc will not work. They may in fact make it worse. We found that out ourselves. Most vets will stock something that will do the job. One of the better products is the aptly named "Urine Off".

    http://www.urine-off.co.uk/urineoff.html

    Good luck!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 431
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    Thanks, I'll suggest it to my mum but I can't see her going for that at all! ;) (EDIT: that was in reply to the silver blanket thing, not the urine-off thing ;) )

    We've never had a poo problem with her, just wee.
  • LippincoteLippincote Posts: 7,131
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    I think your vet is right, she is not toileting rather she is overmarking your scent with her own (spraying, females do it too) for some reason. Be grateful, some cats mark their owner's duvets:eek: Something is stressing her and this is an attempt to comfort herself.

    You will never ever stop her doing it as long as the chair remains there, her smell is entrenched on it and so she keeps going back to top it up.

    The way to kill the smell is to use diluted biological detergent, then a spray of surgical spirit, that should kill the smell for both yourself AND the cat. That is the theory, but seriously, if she has been doing it repeatedly you need to get rid of the chair.

    However unless the reason for her doing it is addressed, she may just mark something else.

    Would need a lot more info to find out why she might be doing it in order to give any further advice.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 431
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    I wouldn't know what to tell you. She's always been a very nervy cat so we've always given her lots of attention. She spends most of her time indoors but there a lot of male cats in the area, and she can possibly see them from the window near to where the chair is. They've probably been lolling around out there on a nice day like this, so it's possible that's prompted it today.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 131
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    hi im having a very simular problem, mine keeps weeing at the bottom of my stairs, and i think the above poster is right about saying those things will take the smell away, will give that urine thing a go tho sounds good thanks for that yorkie, it has been realy getting on my nerves as she has only just started doing this quite recently, BUT this morning i went bum over boob when i slipped in it and now got a bruised arm and knee:cry:
  • LippincoteLippincote Posts: 7,131
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    If you have biological detergent in the house you can use that rather than paying for a special product - it's the same thing, it kills the protein in the urine so the smell disappears.

    Mike you may have hit the nail on the head if your cat can see those other cats from the chair by the window. Not a whole lot you can do about that other than be scrupulous with the cleaning measures to try to discourage her.

    You could also try a Feliway diffuser (I seem to have suggested Feliway a lot recently, I am not on commission, honest :D, I just find Feliway useful myself & it's often helpful with marking issues).
    All about Feliway:
    http://www.feliway.com/gb
  • jamesdeanukjamesdeanuk Posts: 3,868
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    Slap her everytime she does it, she'll soon take the hint.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,994
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    get rid of the darn thing! (the cat - not the seat)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 177
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    One of my cats likes to pee in the bath while I'm on the loo! Always makes me laugh tbh, as it's so easy to clean. My Mother had a problem with a cat peeing on a particular door mat, and when she got rid of the mat the problem didn't come back again.

    No real suggestions, maybe try scenting the chair with either something the cat won't like (lavender or lemon?) or scenting it with the cat itself! Use a bit of cat fur or something.. hum. Not great advice, sorry.. try posting to the pets forum? :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 12,881
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    We had a problem with our cat peeing in the hallway - once on my lovely expensive handbag. We got a citrus airfreshner and put it near the spot she was peeing and hey presto - no more problems. Cats seem to hate citrus so use something with a strong citrus spray in that area.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,890
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    You need to get rid of the smell on the chair and, ideally, don't let her go near it - pick her up and put her somewhere else (her little tray, perhaps) every time she jumps onto it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18,013
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    Get rid of the chair and the cat. Your house is honkin btw :o
  • RadiomaniacRadiomaniac Posts: 43,510
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    Can't offer any advice......but I have to say that 'Urine Off' is a brilliant name! :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,262
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    Slap her everytime she does it, she'll soon take the hint.

    No! That's mean!!

    I would suggest, OP, that you start peeing on the same chair. Show it's your territory, she'll soon pack it in.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18,013
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    Can't offer any advice......but I have to say that 'Urine Off' is a brilliant name! :D

    Shurine off, I agree with this.
  • seacamseacam Posts: 21,364
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    Hello,

    Close the door to the room?
  • dollymariedollymarie Posts: 3,562
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    Put the chair somewhere she can't get near it (like the garage) so she breaks the habit. Put another litter tray where the chair is at the moment, so the cat will go to find the chair and instead find a litter tray. Then when the cat is weeing in the litter tray, slowly move it to where you want her to go for a wee - job done. :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 853
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    First of all, you need to get rid of the scent, with a urine off spray or something like that. ]
    It might be worth moving the chair to a different position in the room for a while, cats are creatures of habit.
    Also, you need a deterrant...so she knows it's wrong. A common one is filling a spray bottle with water and giving her a squirt whenever she sprays on the chair/goes on the chair. You might not even need to do that...our cat doesn't like the sound of aerosols being pressed down, so we just pressed down on a pressurised container to make that hissing noise every time he did something wrong and he learnt to associate the unpleasant noise with him doing something wrong.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,336
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    OP ~ Please take note of Lippincote's advice ~ she's spot on with her post & gives lots of good advice on the pet forum. Don't take any notice of people that tell you to squirt water at your cat, or tell it off. The reason your cat is weeing on the chair is out of fear/anxiety & the reason she's weeing on the chair is because of fear/anxiety over her territory if she's seeing other cats outside. If you then cause her more fear/anxiety by telling her off or any other form of punishment, you'll only make the problem worse.

    Perhaps try drawing the curtains in that room when you're not there so she can't see the other cats. You need to do more things to make your cat feel safe & secure in her home rather than add to fears & worries.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,658
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    Also, just to add, cats don't associate a punishment with the crime - as they don't know it's a crime - so it's actually pointless punishing 'bad' behaviour.

    My cat does tiny little rabbit-dropping like poos when she's nervous. It hasn't happened for months though, possibly as there are very few cats round where we live now, and they're small and weedy girls like my Missy, so she doesn't feel threatened - they were all butch toms with well-established territories where we were before. She's established her own territory here and now feels quite secure, I think.

    I definitely think it's time to get rid of that chair!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 853
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    I agree that cats don't know something is a crime...but they do learn cause and effect. For example, our cat knows not to scratch the doorposts in our house because we let off the hissing noise of the pressurized can, which he doesn't like. We've never sprayed the can at him or anything like that, but it's enough of a deterrant...after 4 or 5 times of doing that, he stopped scratching the doorposts.
  • MrYogiKarmaMrYogiKarma Posts: 1,114
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    Cats will sniff the area before taking a pee.

    A light dusting of pepper will do the job.

    One of my cats started to use one of my potted plants soil but stopped after the whole thing tipped over. The plant died eventually but hey ho.
  • MrYogiKarmaMrYogiKarma Posts: 1,114
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    Also I've found a great way to stop the little buggers jumping onto my fish tank top to get a better look at the fish and bat the glass manicly with their paws..

    Place bits of low tac cellotape where you dont want them to go, they hate it and soon stop trying to get where you dont want them.

    i've not yet worked out how to stop them opening the kitchen cupboard doors and puliing everying out in the search for food. :D
  • LippincoteLippincote Posts: 7,131
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    dollymarie wrote: »
    Put the chair somewhere she can't get near it (like the garage) so she breaks the habit. Put another litter tray where the chair is at the moment, so the cat will go to find the chair and instead find a litter tray. Then when the cat is weeing in the litter tray, slowly move it to where you want her to go for a wee - job done. :)

    Unfortunately it is unlikely to be job done because the OP's vet said the cat is spraying the chair with urine to mark it, rather than using it as a toilet (two different motivations).

    The chair will retain the smell of her urine for several thousand years :eek: :D so as long as it remains in the house, it will be a target.

    As the cat is already stressed, increasing her stress via 'punishments' like water or loud noises are unlikely to help - she will just find a different location to mark.

    (Thanks wilhemina:) - and I agree closing the curtains would help too, OP hope you don't mind sitting in twilight, better than sitting in a stinky chair anyway:D)
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