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New Cat Causing an Odor Problem?

By: Morgen Marshall, Fri Dec 9th, 2005 08:00:28 PM

Recently, a friend said she'd gotten a new cat from a male friend and the cat was spraying and urinating outside the litter box. She has an existing kitty, female.

Get into the mind of the cat! He's new, nothing smells like anything he remembers, and he is now living with a female person instead of a male person. Everything in his world has changed and he's very insecure. Getting angry won't do any good, and may make the situation worse. He is seeking to mark his territory. The existing cat may also be very unhappy with the new addition and be treating him meanly. Watch their interactions to be sure they are getting along.

The first thing to do is put a second litterbox out for the new cat. Where he's marked, soak a papertowel (wear gloves) in the urine to pick up the smell. Wipe it on the rim of the litterbox. This will mark the box for him. Put in one kind of litter and stick with it. If possible, find out what kind of litter he was using before and get that kind.

Next, soak up as much urine as possible with clear water to dilute it. Use white vinegar to theat the areas where he has marked. Use an ultraviolet light to find any other areas that may have been affected. Treat each area the same way.

Once the vinegar solution has dried, use an enzymatic cleaner and deodorizer on the spots. Enzymatic cleaners are better for use than chemical preparations. They don't interact with the chemical makeup of urine. As urine ages, it produces ammonia, which can be toxic in large amounts. Many chemicals react with ammonia creating toxic substances. Enzymes are nature's little miracles. They work in soil and our bodies to transform the bad stuff into good stuff.

If the spots dried in the carpet, the urine probably went through to the flooring beneath. Be sure to treat a larger area than indicated in this case. When you think you have all the spots, use the ultraviolet light again and check. You shouldn't see any highlighted areas. If you do, treat them.

Treat your cat with love and he will begin to feel welcomed and secure. Play with him. Love him.

About the author: Copyright 2005, Morgen Marshall For the Love of Cats dot com

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