My husband and I have two male cats who are 3.5 years old.
They were fixed as kittens, but still decided to pick one particular area near the front door to spray in my in-law’s basement apartment.
They haven’t done this anywhere else we’ve lived, so I’m thinking it has something to do with other neighborhood cats or my husband’s family’s old cat that passed away a few years back (maybe her smell lingered?).
The area is stained brown and no matter how many times we’ve gone over the area with a carpet cleaner and pet specific detergent, it still stinks.
I’ve seen a few ideas for how to remove the smell (vinegar and enzyme cleaner), but I don’t want them to just immediately spray the area again as soon as we remove it.
How do I keep the cats from peeing in that particular area?
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Brief Answer:
The first and most critical step is a veterinary check-up for both 3.5-year-old neutered males to rule out underlying medical issues like a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) or bladder crystals, which can cause inappropriate elimination even in neutered cats.
Following a clean bill of health, your focus must shift to environmental and territorial stress, which is the most likely behavioral cause given the specific location near the front door.
The area must be thoroughly cleaned with a high-quality enzymatic cleaner – not a regular carpet cleaner or detergent – to completely neutralize the residual odor that only an enzyme can break down, preventing immediate re-marking.
Since the spraying is near a territorial boundary (the front door), you should immediately implement Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse’s “Taste, Touch, Smell” method to interrupt the behavior, combined with a Feliway Classic diffuser placed in the apartment to reduce the underlying territorial anxiety and stress caused by potential outdoor cats or the lingering scent of the previous cat.
You must address the smell and the anxiety simultaneously to stop the cycle.
Detailed Answer:
It is a common misconception that neutering completely eliminates spraying behavior; while it reduces it significantly, roughly 10 percent of neutered males will continue to spray, especially when under territorial stress.
Your specific situation – two neutered male cats spraying in a single, distinct location near the front door of a new environment (your in-laws’ basement apartment) – strongly points toward a territorial anxiety response triggered by scents from outside the home or the historical scent of the previous resident cat.The smell factor is critical.
Your efforts with a standard carpet cleaner and pet-specific detergent have failed because these products, while good for surface stains, do not contain the enzymes necessary to fully break down the odor-causing proteins (Pheromones and Uric Acid) in the cat’s urine.
If your cats can still detect the odor, they perceive the area as an active toilet or marking spot, leading to immediate re-marking.
Therefore, your first actionable step is to purchase a veterinary-grade Enzymatic Cleaner (such as Nature’s Miracle or Anti-Icky Poo) and saturate the stained area, letting it air dry as per the product’s instructions to completely eliminate the odor.
This cost-effective step is the foundation of preventing re-soiling.However, odor removal alone will not address the root cause, which is stress and territorial insecurity.
You have two cats, and the general rule is to have N+1 litter boxes, where N is the number of cats – you should have at least three litter boxes spread throughout the apartment to reduce competition and stress.
To address the door area specifically, you must apply a multi-modal approach.First, immediately plug in a Feliway Classic diffuser in the basement apartment, ideally near the front door area or in a central location.
Feliway releases a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone that cats rub when they feel secure, which is highly effective at reducing stress and marking driven by territorial insecurity.
This is a non-invasive, scientifically proven method to increase their feeling of safety in this new territory.
This investment in a pheromone diffuser and refill is a fraction of the cost you would incur for repeated professional cleaning or eventual furniture replacement.Second, you should implement the behavioral steps outlined in the Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse program, focusing on the “Smell” and “Touch” aspects.
The principle is to make the soiled area undesirable for marking and attractive for a more appropriate behavior.
This can involve placing their food and water bowls, a favorite scratching post, or a new litter box right near the previously sprayed area temporarily.
Cats rarely urinate where they eat.
This simple, low-cost environmental adjustment disrupts the marking habit.
You are not just cleaning the area; you are fundamentally changing the cat’s perception of that space from a scary boundary marker to a comfortable, secure “core” area, which is the key to long-term success.Finally, you must continue to monitor the cats closely and ensure they have adequate vertical space (cat trees, window perches) and interactive play to manage any underlying boredom or frustration, which can compound territorial anxiety.
If the spraying continues after a week of the enzymatic cleaning and pheromone/behavioral changes, a follow-up consultation with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist is the next step.
You must give the current plan time to work before escalating the intervention.To continue providing the most customized advice, could you share the approximate square footage of the basement apartment and how long you have been living there since the spraying began?
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