Cats are like humans. They have their own feelings and emotions; sometimes they feel hungry, lonely, happy, excited and much more. Like humans, they also have to pee a couple times per day. A fun fact about cats, they can urinate around 3 – 5 times a day.
It can be very frustrating when your cat decides to pee outside their litter box. Cleaning up cat pee is no fun, especially if they pee on your bathroom rug.
If your cat is urinating outside your litter box or in an inappropriate space, they have a condition called “inappropriate urination.” You should know that this condition is very common for pets. This article will provide you reasons why your cat urinates on your bathroom rug.
Why does my cat keep peeing on my bathroom rugs?
Your cat is peeing on the bathroom rug to mark territory, has medical condition, intimidation, litter tray problem, or fascination with the rug.
1. Marking Territory
Cats are very territorial animals. They usually mark their territory by spreading their scent on certain objects and areas. While this sometimes just means kneading or rolling around on areas, they will sometimes pee on an object to mark it.
They do this because their urine has a very strong scent which will tell other cats or animals that this territory belongs to your cat. Territory marking is more common in multi-cat and multi-pet households. If you want to discourage your cat from marking their territory, you should give them toys or other objects to play with and mark their scent on.
2. Medical Causes
Cats who constantly pee on the bathroom rugs may have a medical issue. One of the most common medical conditions associated with a cat’s urine is “Inflammation of the Urinary Tract (FLUTD).” This can be very painful for your cat, especially while your cat urinates. Your cat might also have kidney stones or another infection.
If your cat has a urinary infection, they might pee on the bathroom rug because it is comfortable and helps ease some of the pain. If you notice blood in your cat’s pee, you should take them to a vet immediately. You should also take your cat to the vet if your cat is going to the litter box every few minutes.
3. Intimidation
One reason why cats choose to pee on the rug is because they have traumas or negative experiences in their litter box. If you have multiple cats, there is a chance that one of that cats is very territorial of the litter box. Therefore, your cat might be scared to use it and therefore decides to pee on the bathroom rug instead.
If you suspect this is the case, you should try to add another litter box in your house. I suggest you put if far away from the other one in case your cat still feels intimidated by another cat.
4. Problems with their litter box
A dirty or inadequate litter box might be the reason why your cat is peeing on the rug instead of in the litter box. Studies support the idea that a good and positive litter box environment improves the well-being of a cat and encourages them to use it.
Some of the most common issues with litter boxes are:
– Location: This is important to consider, because just like humans, cats value their privacy. Try to put your litter box in a private space like under the table. Make sure it is in a location that is very accessible for your cat.
– Size: Make sure that the size of the litter box is fit, not too small or not too large for the cat.
– Cleanliness: If your litter box is not clean, there is a good chance your cat will find somewhere else to pee. Imagine if your toilet at home was never flushed. Would you still use it? I suggest that you clean your litter box at least every day to scoop up any of the cat waste.
– Material: There is also a chance your cat doesn’t like the material you use as your litter. If you think this is the issue, you should try out clumping litter or tofu cat litter.
To learn more, check out my article on how to make the perfect cat litter box.
5. Fascination with the rug
If you’ve ruled out all of the other possibilities, it’s likely that your cat is drawn to the bathroom rug because it smells good. They might also find the material comfortable.
To deter your cat form your bathroom rug, you can try to get them a toy that has a similar material.