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Cat pooing on the carpet. Sprays?

(16 Posts)
mumski Mon 21-Feb-22 17:22:35

My carpet is less than a year old and one of my cats - I don't know which one has started pooing just in front of the fire place. I've cleaned it with carpet cleaner and laid a rug down, which can easily be washed. One of them pooed last night, so I cleaned up and while the rug was being washed I went out to do the shopping .
Just got back, went to put the rug back down and one of them had pooed again while I was out. It's now getting beyond a joke. I read cats don't like citrus smells and in the absence of anything else I squeezed a lot of a Jif lemon on the rug, but it clearly didn't work.
I'm cautious about putting anything on the actually carpet as it may damage the colour (Terracotta). My question is: Has anyone found a product or home remedy which actually stops cats doing this? I would be so grateful for any suggestions. Thank you.

merlotgran Mon 21-Feb-22 17:26:15

Kurt Zouma might give you a few tips ?

Sparklefizz Mon 21-Feb-22 17:31:36

merlotgran

Kurt Zouma might give you a few tips ?

That's not funny.

kittylester Mon 21-Feb-22 17:32:29

Merlot!!!

Sparklefizz Mon 21-Feb-22 17:33:41

mumski You need a cleaner that contains enzymes to get rid of the smell which a cat will pick up. Vets, or Pets at Home usually sell an enzyme cleaner or you could use a biological detergent to clean the area.

You need to get rid of the smell (even if you can't smell it yourself) before spraying lemon juice around.

Smileless2012 Mon 21-Feb-22 17:34:32

I had a similar problem several years ago and unfortunately didn't find anything that put a stop to it.

If it's in the same place, you could try putting down a litter tray, with a little poo so the smell will attract them to the tray. Not ideal I know because it does have a very strong odour but I can't think of anything else. Sorry.

Cats have a very keen sense of smell which means that although we can't smell where they've soiled once we've cleaned it up, they can.

maddyone Mon 21-Feb-22 18:14:18

One of our cats did this when she got very old. She chose to use the dining room, behind the dining table. Whatever we did, she didn’t stop. In the end we laid newspaper all along behind the table and also put a litter box underneath the piano. Not ideal I know, but it worked. She would use the litter box to wee but always did her poo on the newspaper which was of course easily changed. When the family came for lunch and we wanted to use the dining room, we cleared away the paper and moved her box from under the piano. We did this for about two years until she died. However your problem is that your cat uses the front of the fireplace which is is a much more tricky problem to solve.

Vito Mon 21-Feb-22 19:38:46

The best thing I have found for any spills or animal mishaps on carpets is bicarbonate of soda. Sprinkle it on leave over night if possible hover it up in the morning. I have found it will lift any smells and stains. Good luck ?

GrannyLaine Mon 21-Feb-22 19:48:12

I would say that you need to look at what is causing this behaviour - cats don't do this unless something is stressing them and its often related to territorial disputes. Could you put more litter trays out, not sure how many cats you have. The books by Vicky Halls offer good insight into why this might happen. Be careful about what you use to clean the area also as sometimes the residual smell from bleach based products makes the cat keep using that area!

Shandy57 Mon 21-Feb-22 19:48:29

Like maddyone, my elderly cat did this towards the end of her life. Biological washing powder normally works on the fatty acids in the faeces and removes the smell that attracts them back to the spot.

humptydumpty Mon 21-Feb-22 19:48:37

If it's the same place why not use two old towels and replace immediately you pick one up.

mumski Tue 22-Feb-22 21:41:35

Thank you for all of your really helpful replies. I'm going to try and give them a go. With two cats I'm still not sure who is the culprit but the suggestions cover all eventualities. smile

Shelflife Wed 23-Feb-22 09:01:05

Mumski , how old are your cats? Our previous cat did this when she reached a grand old age! Would poo in the dining room ! Think she had dementia, later developed kidney disease and died in her sleep. Vet had assured me her quality if life was worth preserving but suggested we would probably have to make a decision about putting her to sleep in the not too distant future. Fortunately nature took its course and spared me a final visit to the vet!

Poppyjo Wed 23-Feb-22 09:06:22

Cats don’t like the smell of orange peel so you could try that. One of my cats started to wee in the house. I put small bowls of food down as I believe they won’t poop where their food is. It worked. Good luck

grandtanteJE65 Wed 23-Feb-22 12:53:54

How many litter boxes have you? Some cats dislike sharing a litter box with others.

As others have said, this could be a sign that something is wrong with the cat in question.

I would try to find out which cat it is doing this and have him/ her checked by the vet, and take a sample of the excrement with you.

Can you keep the cats in different areas of the house of an hour or two to see which one is "guilty".

ElaineI Wed 23-Feb-22 22:29:44

Our cat was the same towards her last few weeks. We got something to deter from Pets at Home but really she was beyond that. I got puppy pads and spread them where she did it and 2 litter trays in different places but it was heartbreaking and such a lot of work. I think once they start doing it in a place it becomes a habit which is hard to break.