Once upon a time we were happy people, a family that lived harmoniously with a cat. Then we discovered hidden caches of pee: in the hamper, in trash cans, on quilts. Some members of the family wanted to banish said cat from the house, we refused and dedicated ourselves to solving the problem.
Our kitty is a female so she wasn't spraying the walls to mark her territory, she was just unloading her bladder on, normally, piles of soft things. We've had her since she was a wee thing and she had always used her litter box. In fact, this was our first experience with a female cat not using a litter box. We started to problem solve: Her litter box was clean, we had her checked for a UTI, there were no major changes in the household (i.e. going out of town, guests, moves, etc.). It's been a struggle with ups and downs, but here's what we've done to get to the bottom of it:
• Eliminate the possibility of a health related issue: Many times cats will pee in weird places when they have a urinary tract infection or something else going on with them physically. We had our little one checked at the vet. Nothing was wrong with her, physically, so that meant it was behavioral.
• Restrict access to pee spots: She was peeing in a particular closet, a bathroom and the laundry room so we closed the doors to as many of those as we could. In the bathroom, we picked up the bathmats that she had been peeing on (this led to her peeing in the trash can and the bathtub, so nothing's foolproof). If you can't close a door, lay down aluminum foil, cats hate the sound and the crinkle underfoot.
• Feliway and Enzymes: We cleaned all the spots she peed on with Nature's Miracle and any of the laundry she peed on we used a cup of vinegar in the wash to neutralize the odor. This way she can't track her own scent and keep building the habit of her pee spots. We also bought Feliway, a plug in pheromone that is supposed to give cats a sense of well being. We haven't actually had much luck with Feliway but plenty of people we know have so it was worth a shot.
• A Second Litter Box: Since the peeing continued even with everything above we moved on to installing a second litter box downstairs in the bathroom she kept peeing in. We scoop religiously (and also have made a point of scooping more often in her original box since it might be the smell of a dirty one that deters her).
• Cat Attract Litter: She seemed to be making progress with the second litter box and we haven't found any errant pee, but just to be safe we bought some Cat Attract Litter at the urging of our cousin who's cat had been peeing in the bathroom sink. Since we put in the new litter we've been pee free (though it's only been a couple of days).
Some other tips we'd like to share: if the issue is behavioral, it could be territorial. There are a couple of stray cats that taunt our cat out the window, so her peeing might be in reaction to that. We plan to board up a vent we know those cats go into to get under the house. Putting a cat's food where they have started peeing can deter them from peeing there.
What have you done to manage your cat's inappropriate peeing?
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Nature's Miracle doesn't really get all the enzymes out. Try Anti Icky-Poo. It sounds stupid, but it does the job.
Also, why do you say female cats can't spray? That hasn't been my experience. We had one male cat growing up who was responsible for starting the pattern, but all the female cats we had after him just picked right up where he left off. And the spray was just as pungent and destructive.
I needed this 4 years ago!
Cat's = ewwww!
If the cat is peeing on clothing and bedding there's a possibility that there's a scent in the detergent, fabric softener, or in the perfume you wear, that is attracting them to that spot--so try something different or just switching to perfume-free detergent/softener.
I agree that spraying is not a gender issue but rather a altered/intact issue. Unaltered cats are far more likely to spray, regardless of gender.
no worse than picking up after dogs outside. cat lovers are patient folk.
we had similar problem. can't leave the house without flipping couch cushions up so kitty can't jump up. also covered another fav spot in plastic tarp. seemed to help.
that handles the environment, but we also got second litter box. cats need choices.
Perhaps the AT network needs a separate forum/site for all things Pet-related...
We had a similar problem with one of our cats. Definitely try different litters, cats can be temper mental about their litter. If your cat likes peeing in the tub it could be that your cat doesn't like the smell of his/her urine. We have a cat that we toilet trained to pee in the toilet. He won't use a litter box now because to him it's not a very sanitary option.
When your cat pees on linens the scent probably goes away faster since you (I assume) immediately wash the soiled cloth. Litter, even when scooped, will still retain some scent....
I had a similar issue with my cat years ago although his problem did turn out to be a medical issue. The problem was that is was so traumatic that from that point forward he associated the litter with the pain associated with the urinary tract infection. Finally I tried lining a standard litter box with those puppy pee pads and he would go on those. In fact he preferred them to any of the other spots he used to pee. So other than buying the puppy training pads the remainder of his life the problem was solved. I kept a standard litter box with litter for him to poop in and a second with the pads for him to pee in. I didn't mind paying for the pads if it kept my furniture and laundry pee free. In fact the pads also absorbed much of the smell of the pee and were easy to change out frequently. Litter in the other box lasted much longer since I was only scooping solids.
I've had to deal with cat pee for so many years. Finally I got my cat who pees to stop and then my other cats decides to start spraying.
Litter box plays an important role. One of my cats apparently needed privacy when doing her business, so one of those big plastic bins with a hole cut out on top did the trick for her.
Altered/intact?? Surely this cat is spayed??
As for a cat peeing in the bathroom sink, that sounds fine to me. I'd rather clean the sink a couple time per day than deal with the litter box.
Consider yourself very lucky. My cat who was peeing on the bath mat was telling me there was something wrong. Blood screen at vet showed she was in renal failure. RIP
oh, and if anyone has a Daiso store near where they live, they sell these plastic spike mats (called "Don't Cats"), good for keeping cats/dogs off furniture. They're not much to look at, but they're easy to remove and stack together.
Holy Cats! How timely! I just went through this with one of my cats last week. He was peeing everywhere! Turns out he had a urinary tract infection and that was the reason for the peeing everywhere. Unfortunately, I had to have him euthanized because it was too far advanced. So sad. But my other cat has not peed where good ole Thunder did so I'm thankful for that. And a word for eliminating cat urine odors: vinegar! vinegar! VINEGAR! It really works! Thanks for this, btw.
Don't remind me about UTIs. I had a cat in my teens who out of desparation peed on my chest while I slept (which was also his usual sleeping spot). In retrospect, I guess I should be flattered.
I have one now who likes to mark his territory on my credenza. I've rubbed his nose in it a few times, to no avail. Also totally clean the area each time with disinfecting wipes. Clean litterbox is not an issue since he goes outside. I think he's just a jerk we got fixed too late in life. *sigh*
I had a couple of different moments with this. Once I had to get rid of a down comforter that Simon somehow began to associate with his bathroom.... he peed on it several times in a row. Yuck! The second time I just moved the litter box on top of the area that he had decided was the toilet and sure enough he started using it again. Then two weeks later I gradually moved it back to its original home. Viola problem solved.
Good luck!
First of all, I am so glad to hear that as responsible pet owners you are trying to rectify the situation instead of just giving the cat away, as many people do.
I have two cats, Milo who has a bad history of UTIs, and Peanut who once in a blue moon is a crime of opportunity pee-er. A few things I've noticed, they both like(or dislike) the smell of my husbands work clothes(sweaty) so I make sure to keep them off the floor. The other is that they don't like closed in litter boxes, no matter how clean they were neither cat wanted to use it. I now have three boxes, one per cat and one extra with no lids. That seems to be working well for us. Good luck!
Dealing with inappropriate elimination really tests your patience. I went through this for what seemed like years with my cat. Luckily I had a basement in my condo where she was peeing, but I ended up replacing all of the carpet before I moved because of the pungent smell (expensive!). I took her to the vet to get a clean bill of health. It got so bad they put her on anti-anxiety med's! I thought I was going to go crazy. But when you love your pets you keep searching for a solution while you are trying to keep your house from smelling like "The PeePee House". I finally broke her of it with multiple litter boxes that I scoop religiously, plastic covered floor in the litter box area and I know this sounds wacky, but saying everyday, "You peepee in your box, no where else!" And following up with "Good girl" when she went in her box. I have to keep all clothing off the floor as that was her mark of choice. It has been several months and no pee spots. But we are taking this day by day. If you're going through it, just stay the course and keep trying different things to stop the behavior. Others have done it!
I had a cat that peed on other people's stuff, when those people pissed me off. It was kind of cool, actually. ( Kitty and I didn't last long at that place though)
Nature's Miracle or any enzymatic cleaner is the only thing that does work to remove all odor. If it didn't work, that means it was used incorrectly. You need to saturate the area with the cleaner and let it dry. Do not mop it up. Vinegar does not remove urine, it just masks the odor and leaves its own disgusting smell.
It could be the litter you're using or the litter box itself. Some cats do not like hooded boxes, while others do. Some cats don't like clumping litter, others will only use clay litter. So you've got to experiment. Start out with two litter boxes, one covered and the other uncovered, use the same litter in both and see if that makes a difference. If it doesn't, then switch to a different kind of litter in one of the boxes. Also, make sure you scoop a couple of times a day and change out the litter weekly. And put the litter box in a place that provides some privacy.
Before you board up that vent, you might want to pour an industrial-size container of Nature's Miracle down there. The smell of those other cats may be coming up through the floor. (BTW, Nature's Miracle makes a laundry detergent too.)
I am glad to hear that you took her to the vet to rule out any health issues.
Meanwhile, it sounds like you are taking all of the appropriate steps.
Some additional tips: If you are using a closed litter box, you might want to try an open box. Closed boxes trap the smells in. If you are going to have a litter box with a cover, get one without a door.
That said, I should note that some cats like the privacy a covered box offers.
I think it also helps to keep the litter box in the bathroom. I won't get into my reasons for that... But I will say that you should place the litter box in an area where the cat has some privacy and won't have to be concerned about being interrupted or startled.
Also, you didn't change your brand of cat litter at any point, did you? I had one client who insisted on switching from scoopable litter to these weird pellets, and her cat immediately stopped using the litter box. I couldn't convince her to switch back to her original litter, but I suspect that the cat simply didn't like the new litter, and I can't blame him. You really want litter that is like sand. Cats like to be able to bury their pee and poop. At least that's what the cats I know tell me. :)
You can crate-train a cat the same way you house-train a dog. Crate the cat during the day, whenever you aren't right next to her. Every couple of hours (you can set a timer if you are at home), take her to the litterbox and put her in it. Give her a high-value treat, like a bit of liver or cheese, if she pees in the box. She can then be free in the house for an hour or so. If she doesn't pee, put her back in the crate. It sounds time consuming, and it can be, for the first couple of days, so start on a three-day weekend. But it provides more consistency than simply hoping the cat doesn't pee on any of your upholstered furniture, and it makes for a more error-proof house-training.
This is the exact reason why I wonder why landlords are more likely to allow cats over dogs. Cats can pee on everything, and that smell will never, ever come out of a carpet of hardwood floor. Now and then I'll see ads for apartments that only allow dogs, no cats, because I'm sure they've learned their lesson by then, or they're dog people and they just know how much better dogs are.
Sadly, sometimes nothing works - we have literally tried every option out there to get Emma to stop her "inappropriate urination". Heartbroken, I'm trying to find her a new, loving home, away from the brother and sister (literally her litter-mates) who make her life miserable as the "odd one out". Eight years of cleaning up after her, having to throw away ruined baskets and antique textiles, dealing with constant odors in the house, and actually cleaning pee off the kitchen counters - as much as I love this cat, I've reached the end of the road.
A cat that tinkles everywhere is just playing with you.... before he murders you! HA HA! My mother would put the cat on the pee spot and give him a nice blast from a squirt bottle. Seemed to work.
Prozac...seriously! Clouse has not peed in the house since the first dose.
My cats tend to pee on clothing that's left on the floor, even if it's a lonely sock. They don't do that if clothing is piled on furniture.
They also pee on papers or books left on the floor, but never when they're on furniture.
Finally, they pee in parts of my home that I haven't obviously LIVED in. (sat in, had a meal in, danced in...)
I think they're channeling my mother and telling me to keep stuff off the floor and to stop vegetating on the sofa!
Seriously, I used Nature's Miracle on anything they pee on when I haven't been vigilant about clutter, and they never pee on that same item when it's in its proper place.
odd
I've tried multiple litter boxes, a litter attractor, the Feliway diffuser, treats after using the box, and (first and foremost) ruling out a medical issue.
The only thing I've tried that I don't see mentioned here is Rescue Remedy, a plant-based stress reducer that comes in a little bottle with a dropper. My vet recommended four drops a day on my cat's forehead so she could "self dose" by rubbing the spot with her paw and licking it to reduce the bathroom anxiety her litter mate was causing her.
It definitely helped her anxiety when I was on vacation, and it seems to help with the potty issue.
The only inappropriate cat pee problems we have had have been due to illness -- UTIs and renal failure.
Sportwash is brilliant -- takes the scent completely out of textiles. Hate, loathe and despise the smell of vinegar, so I give it a wide berth -- also don't like the smell of the enzyme cleaners... Have found that steamers work pretty well.
Are you 100% sure it is not health? If that is your cat, I remember reading that Abyssinians are particularly prone to renal disease (mind you, they also tend to be high strung, and so behaviour fits too...)...
Our cat was peeing outside his box for a number of weeks, all the time. We took him to the vet and it turned out he was diabetic. Luckily we had a great vet who was well informed about diabetes in felines and recommended oral medication instead of insulin injections.
If you have a cat who just misses his box or tends to pee in the same area(s), we've found that using doggy pee pads (for training) work great. This way if our old guy misses his box, I don't have to pull out the cleaning supplies in the middle of the night!
I once had a cat who peed everywhere. It turned out he was in the first stages of renal failure and had diabetes. Sadly, he ended up spending his last couple of months of life in one room that I stripped bare of everything but a hard chair, a desk and a litter box lined with pee pads. The floor was hardwood. I felt bad doing that, but otherwise, literally nothing was safe, even after he was receiving treatment from the vet.
Nature's Miracle does work. I had a cat that got uti's for a few years (turned out - it was recurring every 6 months because the antibiotics weren't strong enough. Finally got a 2-week, heavy-duty dose and cured her for the rest of her life - 10 years.) She would pee on my bed and the sofa to make it known she was getting sick again. I could tell Nature's Miracle worked because before I used it, she would go up to my washed comforter and try to cover her cleaned pee spot, whereas after using it she never pawed at one of her old pee spots again. I would use it full strength directly on the stain, and then if it was a washable item I'd also put more into the laundry load.
I am going through this now with one of my cats and I'm losing it! She does pee in the same area more than once, despite the amount of Natures Miracle, and the other one that came with a black light. She's on vet #2 and the first round of blood work came back PERFECT! I haven't done the full CBC yet so I'm not sure. I did a urinalysis and dipstick and it wasn't really all that conclusive. She has a whole bunch of symtoms, but at the moment, she is a mystery. She is about 10 so maybe it's just age related. I really wish she would stop urinating everywhere. I have hardwood floors... :-/
One of our cats peed everywhere. The vet declared her UTI free and completely healthy, but it continued. Finally, after a year of cleaning up after her and at the point where we were considering banning her from the house, we mentioned it again to the vet. She suggested trying Metacam an anti-inflammatory pain reliever for animals. I put a drop or 2 on her food once a day (I use canned to make sure she noms it down!). That has helped immensely. We've noticed that her disposition has also improved which isn't surprising...aren't we all a little grumpy when we are in pain and not feeling well? There is the occasional accident when she misses a dose due to her not coming in for meal time, and some think that Metacam is dangerous for cats, but it's working for us. I can't imagine going without it now.
I had this problem with my cat and I second the recommendation for the Cat Attract litter. It's been about a year and a half since we switched, and the only slip ups since are with the bathmat if we leave it out on the floor after a shower (it's damp, absorbent, and about 2 feet from her litter box, so I guess it's too hard to resist).
My main man Herman has had some pee issues over his lifetime...but it was always always always the exact same object: bathmat with a rubber bottom. Bathmats that are cloth on both sides? He could care less. So now we just put the bathmat over the lip of the tub. No biggie.
He did have pee issues during our renovation...every time we left piles of "sweeping compound" and dust, he'd pee on it...but that's OUR fault, not his. We should have known better.
I feel for you! My cat recently destroyed my nice leather sofa. Needless to say after trying everything, she is an outdoor cat now and I think she loves it. I think cats like that have a wild nature and being indoors just does not satisfy them.
Good luck with yours!!
Oh, and I tried Nature's Miracle on my sofa to no avail. She had peed all over it, so there was no hope sadly.
If it's not a medical problem, it just might be your cats don't like the scent of each other. The past month or so I switched from Tidy Cats: red top to eco-friendly litter (Feline Pine) and the elderly male cat seems to endure the accompanying scent of his younger female counterpart with much greater ease. The compacted pine seems to absorb the pee scent much better and longer.
Method two: CITRUS! Cats hate the strong scent. My cats and I share a fondness for a certain bush in the yard, I unlike my furry friends, I don't show this bush a little love by eliminating on it. Squeezed some citrus on the out-house hot spot, then watched their faces contort in disgust of new smell of the bush. Heh heh heh, problem eliminated.
Even if your cat is not suffering from a UTI or kidney problem, the peeing could still be a medical issue. When animals are in pain they react by behaving in strange ways. It could be something like arthritis or another issue that wouldn't show up on a blood test or x-ray. The cat doesn't know why it feels bad, it just ditches all of its regular routines in attempt to find some relief.
See if your vet will prescribe a general pain medicine and if that helps.
I had a similar problem, it turns out my cat is highly allergic to bleach which was in the bathroom cleaner where his litterbox was. He did not want to go in there! I added another litter box in an office and he exclusively uses the new one.
I have had A LOT of experience removing urine from carpet. Natures miracle doesn't work great. The absolute best thing i have found is planet urine products. Since its a powder you brush into the carpet it absorbs all the urine particles and once its dry you vacuum it up. highly recommend it.
http://www.planeturine.com/
this is why dogs > cats.
How do dogs beat out cats? We've got friends whose dogs do number one AND number two in the house, wherever they like. I'd rather clean up cat urine.
Our eldest cat is eight, and she's been an inappropriate urinator that entire time. Its usually easy to avoid. We know she likes to target my husband's clothing, so that is NEVER left on the ground (it shouldn't be, anyway), and we know she likes to pee on duffle bags and backpacks, so they're all kept hung up high in the basement. We're very tidy as a result of her irritating behaviour.
When she starts targeting strange objects, we know somethings wrong. Earlier this year, she peed on a rug, in a plant, on a sleeping bag, and then on the rug again all in one week. I took her to the vet, and sure enough, she had a UTI. She'd had one once before, when she was two. The vet told me its unusual for cats to get UTIs at all, and that its even stranger for my cat to get one more than once. Unfortunately, a couple months after we thought the UTI had been cleared up, she started targeting the wrong objects again, and it turned out she was sick again. We've looked for causes like bladder stones/crystals/etc., but she's clear on all accounts... If this extra long dosage of medication doesn't work, I just don't know what we're going to do.
I love my cat to pieces but he's been a chronic pee'er on walls and in corners for almost as long as I've had him. I've tried everything from deterrent sprays, to tough love, to praise all to no avail.
I found one thing that has worked more effectively than anything else. My cat was prone to peeing in one particular corner of my living room and on the wall opposite his litter box. In both cases after giving up on everything else I started putting his food in the pee 'hotspots'. He stopped peeing there immediately and started using his litterbox. It's not entirely foolproof...sometimes the 'hotspots' shift but it's proven more effective than anything I've spent money on. My cat seems to work in cycles...I can't reason it. Some weeks are worse than others.
When we started discovering hidden caches of cat pee in our home, we tried the nature's miracle and closing off rooms. But then our female, spayed cat stood on a rug in our kitchen and sprayed while she was looking right at us.
We quarantined Trixie to a separate room for about a month. The vet prescribed prozac also. After about a month of no spraying, we started letting her out of her room to interact with the other house animals again.
Things are definitely better now. She's off prozac, has the run of the house, and hasn't sprayed. Behavior modification for kitties takes a lot of time and dedication b/c they don't really respond to positive or negative reinforcement. But I can testify that it is possible.
I think it's funny when people say dogs>cats in response to a pee problem. I can't tell you how ADORABLE it is when a dog runs up and jumps on me then promptly pees on my foot to mark their territory..clearly a superior species.
@Cashew - I never had a vet tell me it was unusual for a cat to get a UTI, and I went to several (5?) over the course of my cat's problems. In fact, she ended up eating a prescription food specifically made to help prevent them her entire life, so it can't be that unusual. I'd consider trying a different vet if yours is that uninformed. One vet I went to required a urine sample before they would treat (I'd have to empty the litter box and wait to collect - fun) but they never did a urine sample at the end of her treatment. In retrospect, I wish I'd thought to demand a follow-up urinalysis because it might have detected that the antibiotics hadn't fully cleared it up.
I can't even begin to share my stories, but I'm so glad this article is on AT.
Cat diapers.
I know yogurt is good to feed your dog when they have bladder issues (such as a UTI). I imagine it would be good for cats also, though I can't say for certain. I never had that problem with our cat.
I go through this every couple of weeks with my cat Rivers. In February, I came home smelled that very pungent ammonia scent and while trying to locate the source found him urinating on my dog's bed. First I was pissed but when he ran off I saw that there was blood in his urine and knew immediately it was a UTI. We took him the next day and sure enough they found crystals in his urine and we had to change his food.
Male cats are more prone to UTI's than girl cats(queens).
It's July now and just the other day he did the unthinkable... he POOPED in the guest room(he's not allowed in there because he was peeing behind the tv(dangerous!)when he got sick, on a calender that had fallen behind the entertainment center. I've tried blocking the areas off. Putting tape around stuff since they don't like the sticky feeling... Its difficult. Luckily, though cleaning the box way more than I use to and switched him to feline pine(i was worried clay could hurt his bladder/kidneys if he was eating little bits when he bathes himself)
Feliway is expensive and I've heard mixed results. And all people saying dogs are better I love both but I would gladly clean up cat pee than picking up poop every other, other day from an 80lb dog who doesn't like to go out when she should!
Wow. Knock on wood, I'm so glad my 2 indoor neutered Siamese males don't have this problem, but I know it's a familiar one for cat owners. (My mom is currently waging the war.) When my Kitty, rip :( , had diabetes and would sometimes miss the litter box, I found Nature's Miracle for Hard Wood Floors amazing. It removed stains and smells. And Zero Odor is also fantastic, even better than Nature's Miracle for repeat offenders, but it is a little more expensive. I know Feliway works for some but my mom's cat took aim right at the Feliway dispenser. I guess something about the pheromones attracted him/her. And yes, altered males and spayed females are capable of spraying.
And, I second bepsf's comment, AT could definitely use an alternate site for pet-related apt/home issues. I would LOVE that!
@kdkaboom my cat does the same thing! I cannot count the number of bathmats I have gone throught with my cat. She would first shred them apart within hours of me getting it and then pee on them. Now I have switched to a bamboo mat and she hasn't even given it a second though (thank goodness!).
Wow, people are actually responding to this post with "LOL cats suck" comments. What are you, 12? You don't actually have to click on posts which don't apply to you, guys.
Since keeping the litter box clean and smell-free is key for avoiding accidents elsewhere, my husband and I looked high and low for a low-maintenance litter box. First, we spent a couple hundred bucks on an automatic litter box. DON'T BOTHER. They don't work very well, especially for the high price. Instead, try the Omega Paw. This box is designed so that you simply turn it upside down and all the litter rolls into a little container. You then empty the container in the trash, and you're done! Our pickier cat, who wouldn't go near our automatic box, used this one immediately.
HomeBody - Sorry! I meant to say that its unusual only because she doesn't have crystals or stones - we just don't understand what's causing it to happen again so quickly. Possibly she didn't have a strong enough antibiotic regimen last time, but then we don't know why she gets them in the first place.
Super fun that you had to collect the urine sample yourself (blech). Our vet took care of it for us. I think you're right about having the urine checked again at the end of treatment... We didn't last time, but I think I'll be making that request when we finish this round of medication. She's going to be on medication for at least six weeks (once every twelve hours... *sigh*), so we'd better make sure the UTI is taken care of.
Two more things to watch out for. When first adopted, my female would pee on my scatter rugs but nowhere else. I researched this on the Internet and discovered that some cats think the latex backing on these rugs smells like urine and so they pee there. I removed those rugs and never another problem. Could be why she was abandoned in the first place.
The other is that my cats do not like scented litter. I use Everclean unscented and no more problems with pee or poop on floors or rugs. I scoop every day and we're all living happily ever after.
We've gradually introduced a new cat over the past year and they're still having occasional spraying wars, despite separate litter boxes and feeding areas. Three neutered males. Sigh. I'm hoping to get ahold of some of that Feliway stuff to help them get along better--at least their distaste for each other stays mostly to a passing hiss, now...
I have 2 cats that I dearly love, but life would certainly be much easier with just my dog. My cats, and it sounds like tons of other cats too, are neat freaks. Problem is, I'm not. I would like to add to the list of things my cats like to pee on, plastic grocery bags are at the top of the list, followed closely by duffle bags, piles of clothes, yard tools, bath tub, dog beds, throw rugs, bath mats...I could go on. At the moment the cats only pee in the basement (knock on wood.) So I guess until I get the basement clean and organized to the cat's standards, I will continue to suffer like most other cat owners.
OT: How about cat throw up? Another aspect of cat ownership that I just love dealing with.
My dog is great. :)
Vicky Halls, an animal psychologist, has written 3 very useful books on cat behaviour, "Cat Detective", "Cat Counsellor", and "Cat Confidential" which are easy to read, the advice is sensible and she has a true understanding of animals. Your cat is probably marking her territory, just in case those cats get in to her place. She is obviously intimidated by them, they've no doubt promised to beat her up and take over WHEN they get in. In other words they're bullying her. If you can get rid of them, she'll probably go back to using her tray.
The book "Think Like A Cat" is a fantastic resource for cat behavior problems. Frequently, our "solutions" to urination problems do not help the cat at all. After reading it, you will also know what questions to ask your vet, and what information your vet will need to help your cat.
To get rid of cat urine odor, I have found only one product that works. It's called Ex-Stink, and it can be ordered online. It's cheap, it's safe, it's environmentally friendly. I'm repeatedly grateful it exists. See exstink.com for info, and get the powder!
help for cats peeing outside the box
http://tinyurl.com/a5xh8ya
your cat is trying to tell you something.. Dont