female cat peeing on carpet

Question
Hi,
I have a 5 year old non-spayed female cat. About 1 month ago my husband was staining some wood in the basement (where the litter boxes are) and my male cat peed on the carpet (he wouldnt go down stairs due to the smell). I cleaned it up and since then my female (Strawberry) started peeing there and has now moved throughout my living room. She will do it right in front of me. She is still using the litter box. I have punished her and nothing seems to help. What should I do? She went to the vet about 4 months ago for her yearly check up and I was told that she had an ear infection and was given antibiotics and that has since cleared up. Everything else was fine. I have had her for 2 years and she just started this. She is a wonderful cat otherwise, but I'm to my limit. Please help.
Thanks, Amber

Answer
I would take her back to the vet to rule out the possibility of a urinary tract infection.  Most often when cats stop using their litter boxes its due to that.  If it's not a UTI, it could be just a behavioral issue, but I'd rule out any physical problems first.

Amanda