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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

How to stop cat peeing near exercise bike?

25 replies

TellHimDirectlyInDetail · 15/05/2023 07:55

My cat is about 7 years old she does her business outside and we have a cat flap. Recently she has been peeing next to my exercise bike for no apparent reason. She's never locked in that room and has never peed or pooped in the house previous to this. I've never actually seen her do it, I can just smell it.

What can I do to stop her doing it?

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 15/05/2023 09:33

The only thing that stopped my late cat was physically blocking access to the favoured spot. I'd put my handbag on the sofa and it wouldn't happen. None of the sprays I tried worked at all in preventing it. But were good at getting rid of the smell.

plasticpens · 15/05/2023 09:50

Do you have a litter tray?

Original poster
TellHimDirectlyInDetail · 15/05/2023 10:13

@plasticpens no I don't have one as she always has acces to the cat flap to do her business outside. I won't really consider getting one either as I just find them disgusting.

@Toddlerteaplease OK so I guess I should have a think about what to put there. Maybe a blanket? If she peed on that I could bung it in the wash. I'm sick of scrubbing the carpet!

OP posts:
YarnySocksKnitter · 15/05/2023 10:18

It is possible there's a reason she won't go outside some of the time, so providing a tray might help her be more comfortable.

There will almost certainly come a stage when she's ill or old when she needs a litter tray, so hopefully you can overcome your disgust then.

In the meantime, are you cleaning with an enzyme cleaner?

Toddlerteaplease · 15/05/2023 10:28

@TellHimDirectlyInDetail not a blanket, she'll just pee on that. Something he can't sit on or move. A bay or something

plasticpens · 15/05/2023 10:38

You need a litter tray.

DogDream · 15/05/2023 10:44

TellHimDirectlyInDetail · 15/05/2023 10:13

@plasticpens no I don't have one as she always has acces to the cat flap to do her business outside. I won't really consider getting one either as I just find them disgusting.

@Toddlerteaplease OK so I guess I should have a think about what to put there. Maybe a blanket? If she peed on that I could bung it in the wash. I'm sick of scrubbing the carpet!

At seven she’s a senior cat now and may not want to go outside all the time. She’s only going to get older, you’re going to have to come to terms with having a litter tray accessible to her.

It’s odd to me that you don’t find a piss blanket more disgusting than a litter tray.

Original poster
TellHimDirectlyInDetail · 15/05/2023 15:12

Yeah I guess I will have to get a litter tray when she's too old to go outside but at the moment she does spend a lot of time in the garden.

I defo will not be putting a blanket out if she keeps pissing on it. I will try to find something that will stop her going there at all.

OP posts:
plasticpens · 15/05/2023 15:13

You are asking how to stop her peeing - the answer is a litter tray.

Northernlurker · 15/05/2023 15:14

Are you sure it's her? Could be another cat coming in

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 15/05/2023 15:38

You need to shut her out of the room and get a litter tray.

All cats should have access to litter trays, even if they never use them.

Original poster
TellHimDirectlyInDetail · 15/05/2023 15:40

@plasticpens I'm not sure why you think that's the only option. She's defo not doing all her wees there. And she's not pooped inside ever. She has peed there maybe once a fortnight for the last 2 months. So the majority of her wees and all of her poos are outside.

@YarnySocksKnitter so far be just checked the cleaning product I've been using and it doesn't mention enzymes....do you think maybe she's peed there once and the product I'm using just kills/masks the smell for a bit and then it re occurs because it's not cleaner properly?! ...I actually hope it's this!

@Northernlurker oh 🤔🤔 it could be! I hope not. Next door have 2 cats and the other next door have one cat. If they were doing that then they are doing it when she's not around as otherwise I would be hearing her go mental because she is so noisy when they are around as she hates them.

OP posts:
Roserunner · 15/05/2023 15:48

Not trying to be gross but do you think she may like the smell of sweat? My cat loves my sweaty running clothes, when I leave them outside the bathroom to take down to the washing machine she loves rolling around and snuggling up in them. She is a little weirdo though!! You could try putting a towel or mat down when you exercise then remove and wash/clean it after each time. We also put a bit of tin foil down if our cat has ever peed inside, she doesn't like the noise of it so wont go near it. We can usually remove it after a few days to a week and she'll be fine.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 15/05/2023 16:03

Roserunner · 15/05/2023 15:48

Not trying to be gross but do you think she may like the smell of sweat? My cat loves my sweaty running clothes, when I leave them outside the bathroom to take down to the washing machine she loves rolling around and snuggling up in them. She is a little weirdo though!! You could try putting a towel or mat down when you exercise then remove and wash/clean it after each time. We also put a bit of tin foil down if our cat has ever peed inside, she doesn't like the noise of it so wont go near it. We can usually remove it after a few days to a week and she'll be fine.

My girl cat is the same Grin

plasticpens · 15/05/2023 16:05

I'm not sure why you think that's the only option. She's defo not doing all her wees there. And she's not pooped inside ever. She has peed there maybe once a fortnight for the last 2 months. So the majority of her wees and all of her poos are outside.

I'm not sure why you are so against providing basic toilet facilities inside for your cat, but here we are.

YarnySocksKnitter · 15/05/2023 16:07

Yes, unless you remove the smell properly she will keep going there. I use Simple Solution (actually I don't as my cat uses a tray when she's indoors, but I like to keep it handy for just in case).

Mythril · 15/05/2023 16:07

One of my cats also loves rubbing himself all over dirty socks.

You need to be cleaning the area with an enzyme cleaner, and getting a litter box so she has a more suitable alternative. I would block off access to the room with the bike in it for a while so she breaks the habit of peeing in there.

Showerroomlove · 15/05/2023 16:16

From what you are saying it would appear you believe peeing on the carpet is less disgusting than having a litter tray. I know you might want to find a permanent solution but don’t overlook the short term fix.

Biological laundry liquid is an effective enzyme cleaner.

Also, different peeing habits are often a sign of health problems or stress (if she is reacting badly to the other cats outside) so might be worth a trip to the vet.

YarnySocksKnitter · 15/05/2023 16:19

Biological laundry liquid is an effective enzyme cleaner.

That is true, but it will rot woollen carpets and is much harder to rinse out than using a specialised spray.

yeahscience · 15/05/2023 16:26

Have you actually found liquid wee there? Could it be just how the bike smells? I used to have an exercise bike that from new smelt of a mixture of cat wee and weed. The smell intensified, especially if room door was shut, despite no one using it, no one in house that smoked weed and no cat.

DogDream · 15/05/2023 19:18

Yeah I guess I will have to get a litter tray when she's too old to go outside but at the moment she does spend a lot of time in the garden.

Ruling out a vet check you might need to come to terms with the fact that that time has started now.

Cats don’t suddenly get elderly and refuse to go outside point blank, they age slowly, they change habits slowly. Maybe she’s unhappy due to another cat, maybe she’s just feeling slower and lazier now she’s 7, but if her vet checks all show she’s ok then it’s probably that she’s showing you that occasionally she’s wanting to wee inside (as well as the garden).

clarepetal · 15/05/2023 19:43

Place a bowl of her food near it.
My cat (8 years old) was weeing in our porch.
My bfriend read somewhere that if you leave food in the area they are doing it, they will stop. We do this every night and it's worked. One night we forgot, and she did it again. So we now do it every night.

VeryQuaintIrene · 15/05/2023 19:48

I know 7 is technically a senior, but it's really not that old for a cat (one of mine just turned 20 - she also isn't very good at weeing in the right place but she is ancient and we forgive her). But yes, try a litter box - they aren't that awful, honestly.

Original poster
TellHimDirectlyInDetail · 15/05/2023 21:59

OK so I've ordered the enzyme cleaner as suggested thanks for that.

First I will try putting some books in the way. If that doesn't work I will put her treats there.

If that doesn't work I will get a litter tray.

Thanks everyone.

OP posts:
YarnySocksKnitter · 15/05/2023 22:22

That sounds like a sensible plan.

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