How to keep our cat from urinating on our car?!

November 30, 2015 8:17 AM

One of our cats is a habitual out-of-litterbox toilet user. Due to this issue, we've had to put him in the garage at night when we can't keep an eye on him. However, we recently purchased a new car and plan to begin putting it in the garage - but we're not sure how to keep that cat - plus possible one other - from urinating on the car. Can anyone think of some solutions? Right now all I can think of is a cover or tarp.
posted by BuddyBoo to Pets & Animals (8 answers total)

I'm confused. Cats pee on soft things. Cars are hard. Can you explain what part you are trying to protect?

FWIW - I have found among all the products, sprays, and gadgets those Mylar emergency blankets are the most effective, versatile, and pack down to nothing when not in use.
posted by jbenben at 8:24 AM on November 30, 2015

Put a cat box with evergreen wood chip cat litter in the garage. It might be the clay, or it might be territory but, they are not going to pee on a car if they have something better. Unless the whole thing is revenge cat pissing.
posted by Oyéah at 8:43 AM on November 30, 2015

There's a lot of advice on AskMefi about correcting habitual out-of-box pee-ers. Have you tried any of that advice? Locking a cat in the garage could make the issue worse.
posted by Anonymous at 8:44 AM on November 30, 2015

Are you sure the cat is just peeing, or spraying, as in marking territory? If spraying, are you using Feliway?
posted by beagle at 9:21 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'd steer you away from the garage idea and instead recommend crating your cat. I know, it sounds crazy. But it works. We did it for YEARS with our kitty who refused to use the litterbox outside of her cage at night. It saved us tons of worry and angst and cleaning, and she didn't seem to mind it at all once she got used to the routine (we think she appreciated it because one of the other cats was a total dick to her whenever she tried to use the communal litterboxes). The crate was big enough for her small litterbox, a water and food bowl (at the opposite end of the cage) and a small folded blanket. She never once peed on the blanket, oddly enough. Always used the box in her crate.
posted by cooker girl at 9:34 AM on November 30, 2015 [6 favorites]

Um, take your cat to the vet, if you haven't? Peeing outside the box is unusual and could be a health issue. And if behavioral only, locking the cat in the garage is not a solution...could make things worse.
posted by agregoli at 9:57 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

Seconding the crate/cage idea (assuming all is well physically). I had an elderly cat who went senile; sometimes she'd use the box, sometimes not, you never could tell. So I got a nice 3-level cage for when I couldn't keep an eye on her -- plenty of room for kitty, food/water, and litterbox. Put puppy pads all around on the floor if you think kitty will spray between the bars.
posted by JanetLand at 1:12 PM on November 30, 2015

Response by poster: schroedinger, I am not internet-savvy and my son has to show me how to do everything (including sign up for this site). I am one of those people!!

I have taken him to the vet, we have tried together for years to fix the problem, to no avail. we have tried all sorts of products + behavioral therapy, adding litter boxes, etc. He is old and set in his ways. Our mistake was adding another cat to the family ~8 years ago. We try to keep them split up as best we can but he will not stop.

Coooker girl, your advice is definitely my favorite and I think is much better than my tarp idea. Thank you!!!
posted by BuddyBoo at 3:22 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]