Urinating in vents

Question
I have 6 cats (5F & 1M- all fixed)... but one, Rayne - who is almost 3- urinates in the floor vents and over the bathtub drain. She did have crystals & bladder infection but now all of the cats are on prescription food to prevent this from coming back.  She also urinates on my sons bed and clothing.  But the worst is in the vents because when the heat turns on.... I'm sure you can imagine the smell that gets "pushed" throughout the house.  We have 3 extra large litter boxes that are placed in different areas - and she does use them so I don't think that she is unhappy with the location.  (and makes me think it is behavioral) Do you know of anything I can put near the vents to keep her away? I obviously can't cover them.  And what about the smell down inside of the vents now - how can I get rid of that? Is there anything I can wash with my son's bedding to keep her off there?  I have not seen any of the other cats do this - only her. Sorry for all the questions... but thanks for your help!  We are VERY open to any thing you think might help.

Answer
Lolly,

My guess is that Rayne did not completely get rid of her bladder infection or crystals and it has flared up. Also urinary tract infections are re-occurring so if she had them once she more than likely will get them again. Peeing is painful for the cats and they associate that pain with the litterbox and go elsewhere.

Don' get upset at her if it IS a medical issue. She can't help it. The bladder is a cat's main stress point, and it will make it worse. The vents are a 'hole' in the floor to her. She has no concept of what a heating vent is or what they are for. And she is probably embarrassed too about what she is doing.

Try putting a puppy pee-pad on the floor near the litterbox and in a couple of different areas. Also put an old towel down. See if she uses one of those instead of the vents.

I would take her back to the vet to check for urinary tract or bladder infection.

Here are some links that should be helpful also regarding improper elimination: (copy and paste, or type the whole link into your address bar)


http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

http://www.apbc.org.uk/article10.htm

http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm


AND here is some helpful (I hope!) information on cleaning cat urine:

HOMEMADE CAT URINE REMOVER

1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon of liquid soap

Gently mix all ingredients in a non-metal container. Do not mix or shake vigorously! The mixture is best used when fresh but can be stored. DO NOT keep mixture in an airtight container as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide when mixed together release a lot of oxygen and can cause an explosion.

The recipe is effective because the reaction from mixing hydrogen peroxide and baking soda produces large amount of oxygen. The oxygen molecules bond to the thiols, breaking them up into carbon dioxide and ammonia which evaporates quickly thereby effectively neutralizing the thoils and their foul-smelling odor.
Always check for color fastness as hydrogen peroxide can be a bleaching agent. If you don't know where an odor is coming from you might need to use a small battery operated blacklight called a 'Stink Finder' (PetSmart, Petco, etc.) at night to find the soiled areas.


HOW TO REMOVE CAT URINE ODOR FROM CARPETS

FOR INDIVIDUAL URINE SPOTS ON CARPET:
If fresh, sop up as much cat urine as you can with a paper towel first. Use a spray bottle to saturate the spot completely with the recipe - do not blot. The recipe must penerate the padding and possibly the floor boards underneath, where the urine has penerated for it to work. Wait 24-48 hours until dry then vacuum. If the urine odor is still present - repeat the procedure. It usually takes 2-3 applications to completely neutralize the cat urine odor.

FOR LARGE AREAS OF CARPET:

You can use a carpet cleaning machine  using the recipe instead of the shampoo. You will need to make several gallons of the recipe depending on the size of the carpet. Don't use the vacuum part of the machine - you will want to let the solution soak and dry for 24-48 hours before vacuuming. Most carpet cleaning machines are not made for this use and baking soda can clog the nozzles of the machine.

A 1 gallon garden bug sprayer (Home Dept., etc.)  works great too.  Rinse the nozzle out frequently by filling the tank with hot water and spraying it in the  bathtub. If using the sprayer, saturate the entire carpet with the recipe, let dry for about 24-48 hours, and vacuum. You will have to probably repeat the procedure again. Areas heavily saturated with old urine may take 3 applications over a week.

If the cat urine is old and dried, the smell will probably be worse a day or two later. This is because you are rehydrating the uric acid crystals in the urine to neutralize them. The smell will get better with each application!

MATTRESSES:

You must saturate the spot throughly to get deep down into the padding and springs to neutralize the urine. If the cat has urinated alot in one spot, the mattress can be soiled all the way to the other side! Let the area dry for 24-48 hours without bedding then reapply if necessary.

SOFAS:

The same directions as above  but always check for color-fastness in a hidden area before using. Cotton is used in alot of upholstery fabrics and is easily bleached. If your sofa pillow cushion covers can be unzipped and taken off (must be color-fast and washable) you can put them in the washing machine using the instructions for clothing and bedding.

CLOTHING, COMFORTERS, AND BEDDING:

Put the items in the washing machine and pour in enough of the recipe to cover throughly. This might take a few gallons depending on the size of the load. Soak for at least 24 hours. Rinse and rewash using normal washing detergent. If any of the odor is still present, soak again for 24 hours, rinse and rewash.

A small area on a comforter can be spot treated by saturating the area throughly, letting it dry for 24 hours, then washing the comforter normally in the washer with detergent. Always check for color-fastness before using.

AREA RUGS:

They can be spot treated with a sprayer or put in the washer. Test for color-fastness before treatment.

HARDWOOD FLOORS:

When cat urine seeps into wood flooring it causes the fibrous cells in wood to swell and warp ruining the flooring planks. The only way to fix this is by replacing the wood. You can treat the wood with the cat urine remover recipe but wood is preamable and it could make the wood swell further, causing further damage.

HARD SURFACES:

Spray or mop the area soiled with the cat urine. Saturate it completely and let the area dry for 2-3 days.

I hope this information helps.