Prevent cat urine in unwanted places

While it is useful to have cat urine odour removal products handy, preventing your cat from urinating all over the house is often a better strategy. There are many ways of doing this, especially for cat owners who find a previously 'trained' cat now soiling the house instead of using the litter box.

The first place to check in these matters, is the litter box. It is important that it is in a secluded and quiet area in your home. A good location for many homes, is the basement. It is important to always leave the door to this slightly ajar, to allow easy access for the cat. Installing a cat-flap does help too, as this serves to reduce the odours flowing into the rest of the home.

If you do not have a basement, a quiet closet serves as a good alternative. Again, it is important to always have the door to such a closet always open, even slightly. Because closets tend to be smaller, the litter does need cleaning out more often, to reduce odours.

A lot of people cannot spare a closet in their homes, but often have a table in one corner of a room. This too can be a good location for the litter, especially if it is in a room without carpeting. Any mess is easier to clean off a tiled floor than a carpeted one.

If you find that your previously well trained cat is now soiling other areas of the house when it previously used the litter box, you might want to run through the checklist below.

Have you recently moved the litter box to a high traffic area of the home? Find a quieter location for it. Cats seem to demand their privacy too.

Have you reduced the frequency with which you clean out the box? Try and clean it out as often as you can. The more frequent, the better, and it will do wonders to reduce the cat odours in the home.

Have you recently purchased a new litter box that has a strong scent or odour? Try getting one with more subtle or no scent at all.

Have you changed the depth of the litter box? Some cats like it deep, others prefer a shallow box.

Has your cat outgrown the existing litter box? Get a bigger one as your cat grows.

Is the box easy to get to and enter? Leave the doors to the litter box open, and put them in as accessible a spot as possible. This is particularly more important for homes with older cats.

Is the litter box near the feeding area? Move them apart ... into separate rooms if you can. Cats, like humans seem to prefer the two functions separated.

If you are lucky enough to own more than one adult cat, try and get each cat a its own litter box.

If you have moved into a new home, your cat might be smelling where the previous cat's litter was. Trying different locations for your cat's litter box will help you find its preferred spot. Some cats will take anything from three to eight weeks to adjust to the new surroundings.

Is your cat healthy. This is sometimes overlooked in cats that appear outwardly to be fine. Regular visits to the vet will help you catch any problems with your cat early, and prevent major complications.

Cats can detect major changes in their environment, and in your patterns. Try and ease any changes to your household gradually, to avoid upsetting the cat's routines.

Whatever you do, don't try to fix the problem by punishing the cat. Hitting, kicking, screaming and chasing the cats around the house after they have urinated in the wrong spot will not solve the problem. Cats are naturally clean animals, and by all accounts, would prefer to use a litter box than the floor. It might just take a bit of effort on your part, to ensure the right box in the right part of the house, as well as some patience, while the cat adjusts to the new environment. The less stress and anxiety a cat suffers, the quicker it adjusts, and the sooner you have a clean and cat urine free home.