We had this SAME problem and nothing environmentally had changed with our cats except before we had flat mats and we changed to a extreme 70's white terrycloth shag carpet in front of the shower.
BOOM big yellow spot and we could never catch which cat was doing it so we continued to wash it (came out smelling new) but they continued and so we changed to a non-plush rug again and no pee..but we got nervous after a few close calls...ie.
Walking in and seeing one of them sniffing at it so now after showers we just lift it up and throw it over the curtain bar lol problem solved. I noticed they also will pee on any clothes left on the floor.
Aug 24, 2009 Rating
Cat peeing on bath mats by: Luci
Hi Maddy's Mom,
just wanted to share a similar incident to yours. when I moved in with my now husband, one of the strange behaviors exhibited by my cats was the bath mat issue.
The problem was gone when I changed the type of bath mats. His where thick and furry, and maybe just maybe the cats thought of the rugs as grass, I think this might have happened to me as well long before I met and moved to my husbands home.
When I changed the mats to something not plush more on the flat side. The problem of peeing on the mats stopped.
Perhaps you could try the same thing. Good Luck!
Jun 24, 2009 Rating
Been There Done That by: Owner of 5 indoor cats
I too have had your problem. The problem is multi- fold. One....even washing the mats didn't work for me either. You never really get all the urine scent out of the mats, even with those "enzyme" type cleaners.
Just call it a lose and buy new rugs. Two....You MUST, and I mean MUST, clean the entire bathroom floor with either a bleach type cleaner or one of the enzyme type products made for this purpose.
Three...Close the bathroom door and keep the cat out for at least 2 weeks. After that I only allowed the door to be open when I was around and could sort of "watch" for the unwanted behavior.
After a month and repeat floor cleanings to ensure I got all the scent killed, I was able to put the new rugs back down and have had no problems since.
Putting the litter box in the bathroom only encourages the unwanted behavior. PS....I have 5 indoor cats and we've been PEE free for almost a year now. Good luck.
Jun 22, 2009 Rating
I understand! by: Mary
Peeing may be preferable to throwing up and worse. My cat didn't like me having men friends.He would throw up and have other "bowel issues" after they came to my house.
Once as soon as one of them came to the door my cat came right over and threw up by my visitor's feet. My cat was male and I don't think he liked the competition.
Jun 19, 2009 Rating
Kitty poop pans by: Chubby
Regarding cats and their potty
I put her kitty pan in the bathroom and my kitty goes to it. She loves her red rugs by my walk in shower. They must be down when she goes. My cat is so precious.
Jun 19, 2009 Rating
More info on Maddy by: Anonymous
Again thanks for the replies. Maddy is not de-clawed. I know this is behavioral. It started when someone new came into the house.
That person has been gone for over a year. She does not pee in just one place. I have a very large bathroom with 4 mats and a runner. She peed on all but one. I has a towel on the floor in place of a mat and she peed on that too. I just don't know!
Jun 19, 2009 Rating
cat peeing on bathmats by: Anonymous
this does sound behavioral and the problem is that once they have started to pee anywhere outside of the tray the scent leads them back no matter how much you clean up.
I have a cat which did this after i took a third cat into the home.the problem only resolved once the number of cats was reduced, however i do believe that there are some cats which are simply just problem cats, for instance my cat has a food intolerance and is very nervous of other cats and i just accept her for what she is.
She pooped in the bathroom once or twice and i put it down to a combination of the tray needing to be cleaned and her having a runny stool which she couldn't hold on to long enough to get downstairs.
She is very particular about the litter being clean and likes one to pee in and one to poop in.sorry if i ramble on a bit but i feel this is fairly complex problem and there are many different reasons, its a question of trial and error.
My first response would be to keep her out of the bathroom and see if she uses the litter instead.has she been checked for any kidney problems or a urine infection?does she go on the bathroom floor if there are no mats down?
I only ask because my cat is inclined to pee in the space where the tray is located when i remove it for cleaning so i have to be really quick and keep a close eye on her while im doing it.its all down to scent and the fact that that is where they are used to going.
Having said all that my other cat has never had any such problem, she is a lively, happy girl and has never gone outside of a litter tray no matter what, so as i say, some cats are just made that way!i hope that somewhere in all this you find something which helps.
Jun 19, 2009 Rating
avoiding the litter box by: Joyce
A de-clawed cat sometimes will avoid the litter box because the litter hurts their little stubs.
Many behavioral issues can be traced to de-clawing.
De-clawing is in-humane. The cat doesn't like it and I bet you wouldn't like your first knuckles being ripped off either.
Other than that, I have no ideas for you. They definitely do not like any changes in their environment.
Jun 18, 2009 Rating
Thanks for your ideas by: Anonymous
Thanks. I have thought that the rubberized backing on a bath mat smells a lot like cat urine.
Time to go buy some new bath mats (again) and see if that solves the problem.
Jun 18, 2009 Rating
Bath Mats by: Tasha
There is something about the backing of a bath mat that makes cats want to pee on them. Some carpets or rugs are like this as well.
Changes in environment can stress a cat, but you should also try to get rid of temptation, and buy something other than the conventional bath mat for your bathroom.
Make sure that you get completely rid of the cat pee odor also, either by using something especially formulated for removing cat odors, or vinegar. As for the chair, you can try spraying it with a cat friendly scent, like a pheromone, Valerian, or cat nip spray, but if that doesn't work, I don't know what else to suggest.
Well, if you have a blanket that your cat likes to lay on, you can try spreading that over the chair, so that it smells like your cat. Good luck!
Jun 18, 2009 Rating
Kitty peeing on Bath Mat by: HerbalMamaLama
I have 6 inside feline friends, and keep three litter boxes available for them, so they have a choice. My oldest cat, Willie, 12, has been peeing in the front hall (no urinary tract problems), on a welcome mat if I have one out, or on the floor if I don't.
I love my rescued sweetheart, and try to cater to him whenever and however I can, such as letting him sleep on my pillow, even when he sneezes on my head! I've tried giving him his own litter box in my bedroom, keeping his 4-legged buddies out of my room, but he still pees by the front door.
What I finally did was buy some disposable puppy (don't tell Willie!) training pads, and leave them in the front hall at night (this seems to be the main time he pees there). It took a few days, buy he finally seemed to get the idea that they were there for him to pee on, and that has solved the problem for now, anyway.
I also have 2 kitties who pee in my bathtub, and I don't fuss at them for that, either. At least they've got the right room! I just wash my bathtub really well before I take a bath, and am grateful that they don't pee on my bed!
I have started leaving the commode lid open, so they have the option of using it if they ever get the notion. I had a wonderful cat once who figured that one out by himself, so I'm ever hopeful.
Jun 15, 2009 Rating
Kitty Autism??? by: Tiffany
Hello to Maddy!
I have a 4-legger (we don't use the "C" word around our house - haha) named Lil' Bit. She is pure white and the absolute joy of my life. We got her when she was about 4 weeks old.
Lil' Bit immediately took to me, & I instantly became her mother. She would lay on my shoulder, put a paw on each side of my ear and suckle. Even though she is now 4 years old, she still does it. To her, I am Mommy. It's never been any other way.
Like Maddy, Lil' Bit does NOT like changes to her environment. It completely freaks her out. She will run & hide whenever something changes, and she may not come out for hours, or even days. (Other than to eat & use the potty, of course.) I'm not sure why it is this way for her, but yes, it does bring on very odd behavior.
Lil' Bit has actually been known to pee right in my bed! I'm not sure if it is because she is too scared to get down & go to the box or if she's mad at me & trying to teach me a lesson. Either way, it's no fun to try to deal with.
I've often said that if there is such a thing as "Kitty Autism," Lil' Bit must have it.
If peeing on the bath mats is the only really odd or defiant behavior Maddy's exhibiting, I really wouldn't worry too much. As long as, like you said earlier, you've had her checked out by a vet to rule out any physical problems.
Other than that, give her lots of extra loving and just resign yourself, as I did, to the fact that we have 4-legger babies that definitely march to the beat of their own drummers!
