My sisters cat which we had for about 9 months, unexpectedly urinated on our carpet, twice. Is there a reason for this? Our cat knows where the litter is, so why urinate on the carpet?
Cats can be demanding. Have you changed types of litter you use or food you feed. Cats urinate on things sometimes to let you know they are mad. Sometimes they think the litter box needs changed more often too. They change as they age so always be on the lookout for new things they don't like.
It could be any number of reasons. Is your cats literbox clean? Cats will refuse to use the literbox if it smells bad to them. Make sure its kept clean. Does your cat have a Urinary Tract Infection? That can cause cats to urinate in the strangest places. Were there any sudden changes that she had to deal with, like a new litterbox, something new near her literbox or a new type of liter? Sudden changes can stress cats out, and when cats are stressed they can urinate in strange places. Cats also urinate in strange places when they are upset.
If it only happened twice and is now not a problem it may have been a passing medical concern - upset stomach/nerves, whatever. If it is a continuing concern, it too, may be a medical concern. The cat may have a urinary tract infection. These are very painful for the cat and need attention from your vet yesterday. If the cat comes home with a clean bill of health and continues to use the carpet it may be an emotional problem. The cat box may not be to her liking (even if she previously used it without incident). Have you changed the type of litter? Have you added a top to the box that wasn't previously there? Is there something sitting next to the box that wasn't there before? Have you changed the location of the box? Not that she would forget where the box is, but that she doesn't like the type/amount of privacy available. Our cat was afraid of the new cat. The cats had decided among themselves that one would be upstairs and one would be downstairs. Well, the potty box was downstairs. The downstairs cat lorded it over the upstairs cat. The upstairs cat now has her own box (which everyone uses now) upstairs. No more capet issues.
Is she upset? Did you change her litter brand, her food brand, where her food is, how often you feed her [her diet], or did you bring a new animal around her? All of these are factors that could play a part in her urinating on the carpet. My kitten did that for awhile when he was growing up, but it was because I got a new puppy and he was upset about it. After awhile, he stopped. Your cat could also have a bladder infection. That sometimes happens when cats get a little older. Wait about a week, and if it doesn't stop, call your vet. He or she will give you some expert advice on how to deal with this annoying situation!
Your cat may have a health problem. You should collect a urine sample and take it to your vet to run a urinalysis to determine if your cat has an infection or kidney problem. To collect the urine, you can use a urine collection kit, which your vet should have, or simply place an empty litter pan somewhere near his box and hope he goes in it. Keep it refrigerated until you can get it to your vet.
