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

Original poster

Cats repeatedly peeing in toddler's room

21 replies

AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass · 22/10/2023 10:51

Hoping the wise cat owners of Mumsnet might have some advice. We have two cats - 5.5 year old boy and girl sibling - and since the arrival of our DS two and a half years ago they've repeatedly peed on his clothing, and occasionally on things belonging to me and my DH.

We thought it was getting better and they'd settled down to him but in the last week one of them has repeatedly peed on the same spot in our toddler's room. First it was on the basket of clothes sat there, but now it's just straight onto the carpet. This morning we only had the door to his room open for a few mins (hard to keep it closed as we live in a flat and the toddler wants to dash in and out) but one got in during then without us noticing and peed.

I'm going to try and get them both to the vets this weekend in case there is a health cause but does anyone have any advice/recommendations? It's driving us to distraction - and despite us shampooing the carpet in there each time it also reeks. So I feel awful for them and for DS.

They don't get on that well with each other generally since adults, and are often fighting. We do have a garden they can go out into and have tried Feliway. It's not a tiny flat so they do have space.

OP posts:
margotrose · 23/10/2023 17:45

One of the most common causes of inappropriate urination in cats is stress.

You have two cats who don't get along to the point of fighting, and both of them are urinating outside of their litter trays. They're unhappy and showing it in the only way possible.

Personally if I had two cats who were so unhappy they fought and peed all over my house, I would re-home one of them. It's not fair to keep them together otherwise.

Katrinawaves · 23/10/2023 18:00

Once a cat has peed in a spot, it will recognise the smell and keep returning to pee there again. There are some chemical products you can buy which help break down the enzymes they recognise but I think they only have limited success.

Do you own or rent? If you own can you afford to remove and bin the carpet and treat the floorboards underneath?

Original poster
AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass · 23/10/2023 21:33

Oh I hope not @margotrose Sad I may be being naive but I hoped there was a (curable) medical reason. I had my last cat for 14 happy years and I'd feel awful trying to find a new home for one of them, especially in the current climate. Most of the time they just ignore one another but occasionally they will squabble and fight one another.

OP posts:
VeryQuaintIrene · 23/10/2023 21:35

Nature's Miracle cleaner really does work well.

Original poster
AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass · 23/10/2023 21:36

@Katrinawaves we own but we had the carpets replaced when we moved in here two years ago so def don't want to replace them. We're hoping if we could break the cycle - perhaps by putting something over the spot for now? - that might help.

OP posts:
Temporaryname158 · 23/10/2023 21:38

I would re home the cats, how awful for your son!

Original poster
AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass · 23/10/2023 21:38

Thanks @VeryQuaintIrene - we'll try that and see if it helps. We've done bicarbonate of soda and carpet shampoo so far but then read something that said carpet shampoo can actually make it worse. Gulp.

OP posts:
Original poster
AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass · 23/10/2023 21:40

@Temporaryname158 he loves them too! Luckily he hasn't noticed the smell, and we've been careful to keep him well away when we're cleaning so he hasn't noticed anything so far.

OP posts:
Bananaaa · 23/10/2023 21:44

I have no advice re - the cat as my cat does this on our stair carpet from time to time and no idea how to stop it. It tends to be after we’ve gone on holiday and she is pissed off at us. I got a vax spot wash carpet cleaner and that has got rid of the smell.

ChristmasKraken · 23/10/2023 21:45

AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass · 23/10/2023 21:38

Thanks @VeryQuaintIrene - we'll try that and see if it helps. We've done bicarbonate of soda and carpet shampoo so far but then read something that said carpet shampoo can actually make it worse. Gulp.

Try something called "urine off" - you can buy on amazon or some pet shops. It gets rid of the enzymes. Cats will keep peeing in the same place if they can smell it just regular cleaning doesn't do the job.

Ibizafun · 23/10/2023 22:31

My neighbour had this problem with her cat.. turned out he had cystitis and a blockage. If this and other medical reasons are ruled out, I would start feeding them in that room as they will never pee near to where they eat.

StarDolphins · 23/10/2023 22:33

Simple solution enzyme spray is great & Feliway plug in too!

thelonemommabear · 23/10/2023 23:08

I actually went through this too fairly recently when - I have toddler twins and it seems like once they became more active and noisier one cat in particular has struggled a lot more - I have fitted a cat flap and this has helped massively so he can come and go (and get away!) as he pleases

I had to hire a rug doctor and use the specialist cat wee cleaner to get rid of the smell though - as others have said you have to use a specific enzyme based cleaner otherwise he will just keep weeing on the same spot

thelonemommabear · 23/10/2023 23:10

I didn't do the whole feed them in the same room thing - like you it was the twins room he took a dislike too and to be horns I didn't want bowls of cat food around on there which curious toddlers would just end up messing (eating) about with!

I deep cleaned everything and then kept the windows open and door shut for several weeks and stopped the cats having free access to it. I've only recently started leaving the door open again - since I put the cat flap in

margotrose · 24/10/2023 05:17

AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass · 23/10/2023 21:33

Oh I hope not @margotrose Sad I may be being naive but I hoped there was a (curable) medical reason. I had my last cat for 14 happy years and I'd feel awful trying to find a new home for one of them, especially in the current climate. Most of the time they just ignore one another but occasionally they will squabble and fight one another.

It's very unlikely to be a medical reason when both cats are behaving in exactly the same way, though I would get both cats checked over just in case.

It can't be a happy environment for your cats if they fight and urinate all over the floor and all over your things. Cats are (by nature) very clean animals so they won't be behaving like this without a reason.

I totally understand don't wanting to re-home but the flip side of that is you have two cats who are unhappy and it's not fair to make them live like that for potentially another 10-15 years either.

femfemlicious · 24/10/2023 05:23

Temporaryname158 · 23/10/2023 21:38

I would re home the cats, how awful for your son!

Extremely awful...how is this being normalised!?

WishIWasAtHomeInstead · 24/10/2023 05:26

@femfemlicious I don't understand your comment the OP came on here for advice and people have provided that what part of this is "normalising" it? It's trying to resolve the situation for the welfare of all involved

Marie2023 · 24/10/2023 06:50

My cat used to do this! I put a bowl of cat biscuits on the spot where he was peeing and he stopped doing it. He now associates that spot with food.

Original poster
AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass · 24/10/2023 08:27

Thanks to everyone who has provided suggestions, and commiserations - we bought an enzyme based cleaner so we're trying that and this morning we put a foot stool over the spot, and I'm taking both of them to be checked by the vets in case there is cystitis. I'm reluctant to put food there as I just suspect DS will play/eat it! I'm not sure tbh if it's both of them or just one, as we've never seen which is doing it.
We do have a feliway plug in so I'll also get another one to see if that helps. They have a cat flap so can come and go as they please and one def does, the other never does.

Rehoming would be absolute last resort only if we were sure they're really really unhappy and that we could find them a secure new home.

OP posts:
FaeWings · 24/10/2023 08:34

When our cats started doing this a couple of things that worked for us:

Placing a box or furniture in that corner for a couple of weeks to make the space different.

A cut up orange in a bowl nearby. Apparently cats don't like citrus smells

And if they are feeling stressed lots of cuddles and reassurance.

thelonemommabear · 24/10/2023 11:18

@AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass

I was at breaking point with my cat when he was doing this and so close to re homing - he was doing it on the twins mattress so very unhygienic and difficult to clean - but I've persisted and - touch wood - we haven't had an episode in months

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