bathroom behavior

Question
Hilary,
I have a question about my cat's bathroom behavior.  We have two cats.  One has no problems, but the other wants to deficate in the litter box, but urinate outside the box on the carpet.  We have tried covering those areas so she can't use them, but then she finds a new one.  Do you have any suggestions as to why this is happening and if it is maybe a health problem?  Also, how can we prevent it?  

Answer
Hi Barney!  The number one reason a cat will urinate outside the litterbox is due to a urinary tract infection.  I would definatley have your veterinarian check her for this.  She is definately showing typical symptoms of this infection.  The infection is cured by an antibiotic your veterinarian will prescribe.  During this time, you will want to wash out the urine from the areas in which she has eliminated on.  Cats have a very strong sense of smell and if she can smell the scent of urine, she will go there.  Nature's Miracle Pet Stain and Odor Remover can be found at just about every pet store.  This works very well.  After cleaning the area with that, you may also want to spray the area with diluted lemon scent Pine-Sol, as cats hate the smell of lemon and will not eliminate anywhere they smell lemon.
I hope this helps and please let me know how she is!
Hilary