Stopping cat using carpet as toilet?

Question

How can I stop my cat from using the carpet has a toilet, she has a litter tray she uses it sometimes but mostly she soils either on the bed

or on the carpet, now she has 10 week old kitten with her at the moment, they both have seperate litter trays but the mom still keeps pooing and weeing on the carpet please any advice would be appreciated thanx ps It is not a move of house either.

Answer 1

Cats detest tin foil - it feels odd and unstable beneath their paws.

Un-roll some foil and scrunch it up a bit, smooth it out and lay it over the areas where you cat has pooped.  She won't go there again - of course you need to make sure she doesn't try to hunt out other areas so:-

1) Cats are fussy and some will refuse to re-use the litter try even if they've only wee'd in it so whenever it's been used, scoop out the soiled litter and replace with fresh.  Use clumping litter, it's easier!

2) Water bottle.  Whenever you see your cat doing "The Bum Move", you know how they kind of squat, shift about and hover their tail before toiletting?  Well, you either say "NO" to them or dash over, pick them up and put them in the tray or give a little squirt of water and say "No!".  

3) Whenever either cat has used the litter tray, heap praise on them - lots of strokes and "Good girls" will do the trick.

It takes time to toilet train a cat, no over-night fix but the foil thing really does work!

Answer 2

Once they start doing that it is really difficult to stop.  I've been told you can purchase a black light and the urine shows up so you can see where she's been doing it.  I've used ammonia based cleaner on the spots, and then suck it out with a bissel or shop vac.  Do it two or three times because it is really difficult to get out.....  The only real cure is kick the cat out side.  I've had many cats over the years and had one start doing this, and was never able to get the problem stopped.  Good luck.

Answer 3

Try "feliway"- it comes in the form of a diffuser and a spray. It's used for undesirable behavior like you're experiencing.You can buy it online or at pet stores. It worked wonders for me and I'm confident it will do the same for you!

Answer 4

Left boot up backside seems a good enough deterrent

Answer 5

Now she's started it's difficult to stop,my best advice is put a food bowl there that contains food, this often works.

Answer 6

My cat does this - usually when she thinks the litter tray is too dirty for her to use (she's such a princess sometimes!).  I have a younger cat too and luckily she has never picked up on this bad habit.

My cat always does it in the same place and it drives me mad - I tried rubbing her face in it etc but she doesn't care.  A few weeks ago I found some stuff in the garden section of my local Wilkinson's called 'Get Off!', which is a deterrent spray which you can use outdoor and in on soft furnishings and carpets.  It seems to have worked, my cats hate it.  And it actually smells quite lemony and nice to use humans!  It was about £2.50 - bargain!  

Answer 7

put down black pepper

also hit her gently on the nose if she does it

and when shesa about to go to the toilet pick up her up and take her to her tray

Answer 8

Has the Mum always done this or is it since she's had kittens?

I would be concerned if this was a new thing.

Has the kitten messed on the floor so the Mum is picking up on the scent?

Answer 9

She might be a fussy little madam.  My eldest doesnt use his tray if its dirty.  Try cleaning it out after each use and see if it helps.  

Answer 10

Well this worked for me - cats do not like strange smells that they are not used to. Try changing your washing powder on your bed sheets and putting a fairly strong smelling carpet cleaner on your carpets. It could just be the litter box - Make sure that you have one more litter box than the amount of cats you have, so if you have 2 cats ... have 3 litter trays around. Ensure they are put in places where your cats can have privacy to do their business. It should also be big enough for your cat to move around a bit. If any of this still does not work, try changing the litter brand. Cats tend to prefer finer grains.

Hope this helps

Answer 11

It may be difficult to do this as I don't know your schedual- work etc, but making sure the litter is always fresh helps, a lot of cats won't go in dirty litter.  

Answer 12

by bitter apple and spray it where she pees and she wont pee there anymore

Answer 13

If this is a recent change in her toileting habits then you should have a vet check her over in case this is a health problem.  

If the vet gives her the all clear, then you need to look for behavioural causes.  The web site below has a check list of 18 reasons why cats stop using their litter tray and how to solve the problem.

http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/pet%20probl...

Cats have got a much better sense of smell than us, so make sure the areas are cleaned thoroughly with biolgical (enzymatic) washing powder and warm water.  Whether the first time was a genuine accident or not, as long as she can detect any trace of her own scent, she will be tempted to use that area for toileting.  Afterwards, put dishes of dry food there as a further reminder that it's not a toilet area.

I can't believe that some people think that rubbing a cat's nose where they've soiled will solve the problem.  Cats should never be punished for inappropriate toileting.  They won't understand the owner is upset because of the location, they'll simply think they're being punished for the act itself, and a cat who becomes afraid of going to the toilet will start looking for hidden places to do it.

Answer 14

Put her in the garden.

Answer 15

I had the same problem after I let my cat go inside and outside when he pleased.  If he stayed inside long enough, he would go on the carpet.  My thinking was that he used the carpet because he got to go where he wanted to when he was outside.

He still isn't fully broken from this habit, so I've decided to let him stay outside full time.  

I have heard that if you change your cat litter to something more "natural" like sand then the habit is easier to break.

Good luck!