Vent Austin hates my bathroom rug.

I am at my wits end with Austin right now.

About a month ago he started peeing on my bathroom rug in front of my shower. The litter box is located a few feet away from the rug in the same room he knows where is it. He uses it as well.

First thing I thought was ut oh we are getting a UTI I better call the vet. So I made the appointment went picked up the crystals to put in the litter box to catch a urine sample and off we went to vet once I got the sample.

He doesn't have a UTI he is fine. I wash the rug spray it down with Natures Miracle and let it dry. Next day I put it back in the bathroom and sure enough he pee'd on it again. Wash it again 2xs then spray it down let it dry and then I black lighted that sucker, nothing showed up on the light. Went around the house checking to make sure he wasn't going anywhere else that I had missed and nope that is the only place.

I decide that I will start hanging the rug in the shower and only put it down when we take our shower. He pulls it down and pee's on it

Sooooo I threw it out. I thought maybe just maybe the smell was trapped in there and he could still smell it. I bought a new one. Decided to put it away for awhile and see what happens. Rug is gone no pee. I waited 2 weeks and decided to try the new one. I hung it on the towel rack and he pulled that sucker down and pee'd on it again

I called the vet told him he is still peeing on the rug should I test him again. My vet who I have been going to for years laughed and says "Honey, I doubt he has a UTI it sounds like he is going just fine I think he just likes your rug.

So now I have no bathroom rug. I am afraid to add any other rugs through out the house now because I am afraid he will make that his own personal softy potty. *Note he only pees on it never poops on them.

Anyone else have a cat that has picked one item that they prefer to pee on and how did you break them of it? We just moved into this house a couple of months ago and I never had trouble with him at the other house. Do you think it is just a new territory thing and he will get over it? He is an older cat over 10 years old.

I've learned that most bathroom rugs that get peed on have a rubber non-skid backing.

My bathroom rugs are reversable, and I've never had a problem.

If your rugs are the non-skid type, you may want to switch to the cotton reversable style - that might help.

Of course, my reversable ones become giant cat toys - Max loves to play with them and bunny kick them, so I am forever straightening them out when i go in the bathrooms.

I cannot leave any towels, clothes, rugs, etc down on the bathroom floor - doesn't matter what it is, Dorian Grey pees on it. He doesn't have a UTI, been tested multiple times, he just likes to pee on things on the bathroom floor.

Originally Posted by GingersMom

I've learned that most bathroom rugs that get peed on have a rubber non-skid backing.

My bathroom rugs are reversable, and I've never had a problem.

If your rugs are the non-skid type, you may want to switch to the cotton reversable style - that might help.

Of course, my reversable ones become giant cat toys - Max loves to play with them and bunny kick them, so I am forever straightening them out when i go in the bathrooms.

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Both of the rugs I had put in there were non skid. I will have to try the reversable ones and see if that helps. Thank you.

I've read that a lot of cats react ah, strongly, to rubber backed mats and rugs. Maybe just try a bath mat - I use those and actually like them - they
seem to wash much easier.

One of the phlebotomists (sp? - vampires) at the local blood donation site had a cat that was perfectly fine til they decided to do up the guest bathroom with a cat theme - including a lovely shower curtain imprinted with cats. Their cat had never had any accidents in that room, but suddenly was going in there like crazy....they decided to take the shower curtain down and, voila!, no more accidents. Apparently their diva did not care for any other cats - real or not - in their house.

Good luck!

Strange...my cat, when he was a kitten, pooped a couple of times on our potty rug. I never knew they were attracted to the rubber backing, but it makes sense. I threw that sucker away (the rug, not the kitten).

Anyway, it sounds like you have a really smart kitty. I have heard that cats will not go where they eat. Not a long term solution, of course, but what if you set a bowl of food on that rug for a time or two. Maybe he'd get out of the habit? I don't know...

I, too, have had cats that would pee on rubber-backed rugs. I just use the reversible cotton ones.

Yup, just chiming in to say one of our kitties will pee on any throw rug that has the non-skid backing. It is something about the smell. Now we slip and slide around, but no more pee!

Laurie