Kitten urinating under Christmas tree

Question
My cat is 10 weeks old and she has just started urinating under our live Christmas tree. We have a white sheet around the tree that I just discovered is urine stained so I don't know how long this has been going on. She has always used her litter box...never even an accident before this. What should I do?

Answer
Chrissy,

What your cat is doing is not a common problem.
or  the smell of the tree may trigger an inbred association to a tree/outdoors. Here are some suggestions to keep her away from the tree:

* From Petsmart:"Boundary" Indoor/outdoor cat repellant by Lambert Kay--it works wonders!

* Some household cleaners have a high concentration of citrus (orange, lemon, etc.). Cats hate the smell of citrus. Soak some absorbent objects (eg a small, egg sized piece of wood) in the cleaner overnight and hang these from the lower branches. Repeat if they start to lose their smell.

* Citrus scented body spray. Spray the base of the tree and the bottom branches thoroughly.

* Take a few paper envelopes. Fill with Cayenne or crushed
peppers. Seal the envelopes & poke holes in it with a pin.
Hooking the envelopes to the bottom of the tree. Cats hate  the smell of pepper!

* Take a bottle & fill it with any kind of alcohol (rubbing alcohol, Vodka,etc.), add crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper. Leave this to sit for 2 days then strain and put in a marked spray bottle. Spray the bottom branches of your tree.

* Spray around tree with any perfume. Repeat because it wears off.

* Use citrus peels (orange or lemon) to sprinkle around the tree. To make the peels go further, grind them in a blender to release the citrus oils and mix with water. Put in a spray bottle and spray around the tree and branches.

Moth Balls: another scent deterrent, but please, place them inside a covered container with a few holes poked in it (they can be toxic if ingested). Put in strategic areas around the tree.

She may prefer the feel of the sheet and the privacy of it. There are some things you can try to narrow down why she is possibly doing that: Try putting an old sheet next to her current litterbox and see if she uses it. Try moving the litterbox to a new location. Try un-scented litter. If any of those problems change peeing under the tree then you know where the problem lays.

She also may have a urinary tract infection. They associate the pain with the litterbox and go other places. You may want to have her checked.

Remember: DO NOT use tinsel on your tree. It can be fatal to cats. It gets wrapped around their intestines.

Merry Xmas!
Tabbi