Somebody is peeing on the carpet along the baseboards, is there something I can put down?

[myfamily]

There are 4 cats in the house; my two, and for the past 8 months, my roommate's two. Somebody is peeing in the living room. There are literally over ten different spots where they have been using it as a pee station. I just spent the past hour with a spot cleaner machine cleaning them. I am not sure which one is doing it, but I suspect it is one of my own. I've seen her doing it. Whether or not others are joining in, I don't know. There is a lot of peeing going on. It's all along the baseboards, so I am wondering if I can put something down in front of the baseboards to discourage them from peeing. Maybe I can get one of those narrow plastic runners that they sell at Home Depot?? At least this way if someone pees I will be able to better see it, and easier clean it up. Have you ever had this problem? The one who I suspect is doing it is an 8 year old female. I do see her using the litter box at times. But maybe she only uses the litter box occasionally, and does it on the living room carpet a majority of the time.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! To actively discourage it, if you didn't already, use an enzymatic cleaner. You could try a carpet protector that has the little prongs on one side. Use that with the prongs up.

You could also try unscented reusable or disposable pee pads, to help.

However, you need to help your cat(s). If they haven't been to the vet for a while, they need to go just to be absolutely sure there's nothing medical going on.

Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – Cat Articles

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – Cat Articles

Here's a list of calming products. (I tend not to suggest feliway because in the situations where it doesn't work, it can actually make things worse);

Only Natural Pet has a calming product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds

Also, there is Richards Organics Pet Calm, ThunderWunders calming chews, Naturevet Hemp, HomeoPet Anxiety Relief, Head to Tail Calming, Relaxivet Quiet Moments Cat treats, GNC Calming formula, and there is Calm-o-mile, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy - UK (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-eze, Pet Organics No Stress, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has other calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe, and there are others including calming collars if you're comfortable using those.

Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, 1-800-petmeds, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat

 

[FeebysOwner]

I would recommend Vetoquinol "The Equalizer" to spray on the carpeting to remove the urine smell/stains. It has been effective for me and doesn't require saturating the carpet, hence less drying time. It may be available at some local stores, but I have had to buy it through Amazon.com. If the pee is hitting the walls, you can use Fizzion or SCOE10x which are good for cleaning urine from hard surfaces, including wood - also, I believe, available through Amazon.

I do think you should start with the cat you suspect to be the 'culprit', since she is 8 yo, and have her thoroughly checked out by a vet if she hasn't been in the very recent past. She might have a UTI, crystals, or it could be anxiety if there have been recent changes in the home that are possibly upsetting her - all of which in some cats is characterized by inappropriate peeing as the first sign.

It is likely that some of the other cats are peeing in those areas as well, to cover up her scent with their own. So, if she should have a UTI or crystals, the sooner you can get her treated, and the areas cleaned, the other cats will probably stop as well. If she doesn't, then you have to start looking at possible causes of anxiety/stress - and try some of Furballsmom 's suggestions.

 

[myfamily]

She doesn't like the other two cats, but there's nothing I can do about it, unfortunately. They get along well enough, though. I took her in to have her teeth cleaned not too long ago, and they did blood work before hand. Her blood work looked good. But whether or not this means anything with regard to the UTI, I don't know. Thank you for the product suggestions for the carpet.

 

[Furballsmom]

Be sure and try a calming product or two, also classical harp music can be helpful, or MusicForCats . com. You need to address the stress levels.

 

[Jem]

How many litter boxes do you have? And where are they all situated? Ideally, with 4 cats you should have 5 litter boxes, especially considering there may be some territory issues going on here.
I do agree with what others have said about getting her urine checked.
You mention your cats don't really like the other two much, is there a chance that one of the new kitties is bullying your girl from using the litter box? More boxes in different areas should help with that. But perhaps it would be a good idea to start fresh with introductions, keep them isolated from each other and see what happens with the peeing, then slowly progress with shared space, using site swapping techniques. Doing this will show you who is doing the peeing considering you're not sure if it's just your girl.
As for stopping her from peeing in a specific area. You have to use an enzyme cleaner to try and eliminate the urine smell, but depending on how long this has been happening, especially if the enzyme cleaner has not been used since day one, it might be damaged to the point where things will have to be replaced. Especially if the pee has soaked thru into the under pad, sub floor and baseboard. When I had my littler pee'r, the edges of the baseboards started to swell as well as the edges of laminate - no matter how much enzyme cleaner I used, the damage was done and the smell would not come out.
Depending on the area in question in my home, I placed a litter box over the areas that my boy liked to use, I used furniture to block and pee pads in other areas. I have heard that tinfoil is a good deterrent as they don't like stepping on it although I've never tried this myself.
For the longest time we thought it only behavioral but it turns out he had crystals, no matter how much effort we put into changing his behavior it did not work because it was a medical issue, so please make sure to get her checked out.

 

[Talien]

Most Cats hate the smell of citrus, you could try using a dropper to put lemon or orange oil along the baseboards.

 

[WoodstockGirl]

Are you sure she's peeing and not spraying?

Rocco & Roxie's Professional Strength Stain and Odor Eliminator is awesome. I love that stuff.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'd never heard of them;
Pro Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator - Enzyme-Powered Pet Odor & Stain Remover for Dog and Cat Urine