Urinating outside the litter box question

[cheekymonkey]

My boyfriend & I have 3 cats, 2 are about 1-year old & are brothers (neutered). The other cat is about 14 years old (spayed). Introduced to the same apt in May. No problems with spraying or other litter box issues. Have 2 litter boxes.

About a month ago, we started noticing that one or more of the cats were urinating outside of their litter boxes. Always in the same spot about a foot away from the closest litter box on tiled floor (in front of plastic shelving). The litter boxes were un-covered litter boxes, so we thought we'd try switching to covered litter boxes. Didn't work. Tried switching the arrangement of the room, with the litter boxes where the shelves were & vice versa, but the "puddle" still appeared in the same spot on the floor (this time right in front of one of the litter boxes, since everything was switched around). I "caught" one of the cats (one of the young cats) in the act of urinating on the spot, but we're not sure if he's the only one doing it. Have tried cleaning the spot with many different cleaning products (including Lysol floor cleaner, & a mix of white vinegar & water).

How do we get this to stop??

 

[taterbug]

Hi! Welcome to TCS! I'm sure you will find answers and ideas in the following thread--

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9563

 

[my_hestia4]

I agree, i am having the same problems. i referred to that other thread and found a lot of helpful hints, thanks so much for keeping that!!

whew, i thought that i was all alone on this issue! i mean, hestia would pee on the bath mat, towels on the floor, the ottoman, and now i'm beginning to suspect the front mat. What cleaner can i use to get it out??? i don't want my apt to reek!!

 

[curlyq629]

For repeated inappropriate urination, you want to start by taking the cat to the vet to rule out any medical condition.

You need to use an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle. If you don't use something that breaks down the cat pee, they will keep peeing in the same place over and over again. Other cleaners may cover up the smell to *you* but a cat's sense of smell is much stronger than ours. You should also invest in a black light, because cat pee will glow under the black light - bright yellow for new stains, and dull yellow or even green for older stains. After you soak the area with the enzyme cleaner and blot (not rub) the area, you should cover it for a few hours so it can dry without the cat remarking it. For some stains, you might need to treat it more than once to get it really taken care of. Use the "search" feature - there are many threads with good advice on how to clean cat pee.

Very helpful article (note that there is a link for page 2 at ther bottom):

http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/48/Combat-Cat-Urine.html

Good luck!