Wits End With Cat Pee!

[Accidentalcatlady]

I need help! I have 5 cats (4 are litter mates) that cannot stay outside unsupervised due to my neighbor who has tried to harm them. They have all been fixed. 3 of them refuse to use the litterbox. Period. Pee or pop. They have a clean bill of health from the vet. I have 6 boxes throughout the house. I have tried crushed walnut, clumping, clay and regular sand. They prefer the kitchen floor and the floor a/c vents and it is making me insane! I have used Nature's Miracle, peroxide, baking soda, vinegar. Can anybody please tell me what to do? It is to the point nothing is removing the odor and I am going to have to replace the floor (I rent).

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Try an enzymatic cleaner, and see about getting some Cat Attract litter. Add some unfertilized potting soil to the litter.

Also, try just a box with a puppy pee pad in it.

Try a calming diffuser, sentry and thunderease have these.

 

[Accidentalcatlady]

I will try those. I use Nature's Miracle mostly but have tried the other things I mentioned with no success. They have ruined 2 couches as well.

 

[Wile]

Hello! How old are your cats? Have they ever used a litter box?

 

[Accidentalcatlady]

4 are are almost 3 years old. The other one is a little over a year. The female and the youngest are decent with the litter box but the others have never been consistent even as kittens. They were strictly outdoors their whole lives until April when my neighbor tried to kill them for wandering over to her property. No damage to her property, they just wandered over. Our houses are super close.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. So sorry you're dealing with litter box avoidance, and neighbour, issues.

Maybe try putting unfertilized potting soil on top of the litter. Sometimes that helps with outside cats to let them recognize that the litter box is their bathroom now. Also, when you clean up their waste, put it the litter box and let them see/smell it.

Some of it may be caused by stress of now being kept in the house. Here's some TCS articles that might be helpful. Plus several on litter box issues.

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside
How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
You, Your Cat And Stress
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet
Inappropriate Peeing, Spraying, Toy Obsession And Leg And Hand Nipping
Spraying: When Your Cat Uses Urine To Mark Territory

 

[Accidentalcatlady]

Hello! How old are your cats? Have they ever used a litter box?

They are almost 3 years old and never were consistent but not they flat out will not use a box.

 

[Accidentalcatlady]

Hello and welcome to TCS. So sorry you're dealing with litter box avoidance, and neighbour, issues.

Maybe try putting unfertilized potting soil on top of the litter. Sometimes that helps with outside cats to let them recognize that the litter box is their bathroom now. Also, when you clean up their waste, put it the litter box and let them see/smell it.

Some of it may be caused by stress of now being kept in the house. Here's some TCS articles that might be helpful. Plus several on litter box issues.

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside
How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
You, Your Cat And Stress
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet
Inappropriate Peeing, Spraying, Toy Obsession And Leg And Hand Nipping
Spraying: When Your Cat Uses Urine To Mark Territory

I tried the potting soil and they pooped beside it.

 

[Jem]

One thing that I've used to clean cat pee smell is liquid laundry detergent. Find a laundry detergent that contains biological enzymes, it will say on the list of ingredients if it has enzymes in it. Dilute the detergent a bit and really scrub it into where the pee stains are. Let it soak in for a few hours. Go back and re wet it, scrub it really good again, then clean it up. It is painstakingly long to clean it all up because it just keeps making bubbles, but I tell ya, it really worked at getting stubborn pee stains out of the grout lines in my kitchen and laundry room. The only issue is with cheap laminate, because with the soaking it could make the edges lift, but if the pee stains are that bad, I would assume the edges are already lifted. You'll also have to keep the cats away from the area as you work on it.
If they insist on peeing on the floor, have you thought of making a "framed" piece of flooring that they could pee on until you find something that works? You could get some scrap vinyl and make a "litter mat" that you place on top of your floors where they like to pee. That will at least protect the apartment floors for now.
I hope you find something that works soon! Good luck!

 

[Wile]

Is it possible for you to set up a safe outdoor enclosure for them with access through a window? Then you could set up litter boxes outside? If they are used to going to the bathroom outdoors this might help.

 

[Accidentalcatlady]

My plan as of now is to close off the carport (only 1 side is open) so they can be safely outdoors.

 

[Accidentalcatlady]

tried

I am happy to report that I cam home tonight and someone had been in the dirt box I made! I am so happy! Now, if I just knew which one is the good boy...

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[rubysmama]