Cats piddling on the carpet is, unfortunately, not terribly uncommon. Learning how to keep a cat from urinating on carpet is well worth your time if you have have a kitty at home. The good news is that even if your cat starts peeing on your rugs and carpets, you can effectively stop this behavior and get rid of the odor.

Identify the Cause

This part is not necessarily easy. So many different things can cause a cat to start urinating in the house that even for an experienced cat owner, it can be hard to think of all possible causes in every situation. One potential source of problems is health. Cats with urinary tract conditions and certain other health problems commonly pee outside the litter box. Taking the cat to the vet should be your first step if the cat starts urinating on the floor. Once the problem is treated, your cat should stop wetting on the carpet. With some health problems, like incontinence, you may need to place several litter boxes in different places around the house. Not the most convenient thing, but it should keep the cat from urinating on the carpet.

Stress is another potential cause. House cats are creatures of habit and even small changes can upset them, although reactions vary from cat to cat. A stressed cat feels threatened and may start peeing on the rug to mark her territory and, in her mind, ensure her safety. If your cat’s stressed out, you’ll need to either remove the source of the stress (such as teaching the toddler in the house not to harass kitty) or help the cat adjust to the stress. There are several ways to help cats feel less stressed.

Eliminate Cat Urine Smells

Cats are drawn by their instincts to urinate where they smell cat urine. To them, any area with this odor qualifies as a litter box. This to keep a cat from urinating on carpet, you’ll need to remove all urine odors from the carpet and possibly the carpet padding and the floorboards below. Pulling back your carpet and checking for dark stains will tell you if you need to clean the padding and floorboards. If you cant get the smell out of the floorboards, there are products you can use to seal them so not even your cat can detect an odor. In cases of severe soiling, it may be more time- and cost-effective to replace the carpet and padding.

For light and moderate soiling, you have two effective options: a homemade cat urine remove and a store-bought one. Some fairly common household products vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice in the right combination can eliminate stains and odors. A commercially made cleaner containing enzymes such as protease and amylase can also break down the crystals in cat urine so you can get them out of the carpet. With most formulas, you’ll need to cover the treated area with plastic and let it sit for 12 to 24 hours.

You can keep a cat from urinating on carpet and get your home completely free of cat urine odors, but the solutions may not always be obvious. Instead of wasting time learning by trial and error, read the book Cat Urine Problems Eliminated to discover proven-effective ways to retrain your cat and regain your home.