My Pet World: How to help a cat go back to using the litter box

Q: I have had two female cats, sisters, for 8 years. Two weeks ago I smelled cat urine on my couch and then a day later I caught one cat in the act of urinating on the couch. I quickly scolded her and thought that was the end of it. Then I saw her doing it the next day and the day after it I saw her sister do it. A friend told me it may be that they have a urinary tract infection, but I cannot understand how this can cause them to urinate on a couch? I don't understand why when I scold them they continue to do it. What can I possible do to stop them from doing this? I have two litter boxes for them that are changed daily and I have used up two gallons of Natures Miracle to get rid of the smell on the cushions. -- Alexis Thorne, Chicago, IL

A: Well, this is not an easy situation to fix. Cats urinate in a litter box because in their minds there are no other options. They started doing it when they were kittens and hopefully they continue to think the litter box is the only option for their entire life.

However, if they do urinate someplace else other than the litter box through chance or a random event and that place is cleaner, more comfortable or more convenient, then the cat says to itself, "Why in the world have I been peeing in that plastic box on the floor when this place is so much nicer?"

So that answers the question of why they start to do it; it was just chance that the first one started and when the second one saw her do it then she realized it was an option as well.

The reason why a cat with a urinary tract infection will sometimes do this is because the cat is very sensitive and it hurts it to squat in a box full of rough cat litter. So the cat will seek out a place that is more comfortable. However, this is really a job for your vet to diagnose. If your cat does have a UTI, then take it to the vet ASAP because only medicine will cure that infection.

The scolding does not work because the act of urinating is just a biological function to a cat. To scold it for this is like scolding it for breathing, the cat has no idea that the couch has value and why it could possibly be wrong to urinate on it. Your cats are certainly not doing it out of spite -- that is a human vice and alien to all animals that we commonly keep as pets.

You cannot fix these situations unless you understand the issue from the animals point of view -- once you do, you can fix the problem. So, assuming they do not have any physical issues with the urinary tract infections -- determined by your vet -- and thinking like the cat does, we can try and fix things.

Since the cats prefer to urinate on something nice and soft rather than litter, you can try to put a pad in a litterbox and put the litter box near the couch. You then have to make the couch a not very nice place for the cats to hang out on. The best way to do this is to cover the couch with a sheet and then put strips of aluminum foil on top of the sheet. When the cats want to jump on the couch to urinate they will be all discombobulated and will likely jump on the floor.

By then, hopefully the cat will choose the litter box with the pad as a substitute. Of course nobody will want the litter box near the couch, but if you do this enough and the cats are forced to only use the litter box for a while -- how long that is I cannot say -- then eventually you can remove the coverings off the couch and gradually move the litter box further away from the couch.

Everyone in the family needs some patience and understanding to fix this but most people are willing to accept the temporary inconveniences when they know the cats are not deliberately doing it to make us miserable.

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(Marc Morrone has kept almost every kind of animal as a pet for the last half-century and he is happy to share his knowledge with others. Although he cannot answer every question, he will publish many of those that have a general interest. You can contact him at petxperts2@aol.com; please include your name, city and state.)