Despite the fact that cats are quite clean animals, sometimes one has to doubt this quality of furry pets, and all because mustachioed ones do not always relieve themselves in the places designated for their toilet.
For example, instead of a litter tray, a domestic cat can defecate in a flowerpot, owner’s shoes, or closet. It also happens that cats begin to shit not only where they live, but also in public places, namely, in front doors. And, unfortunately, they do this regularly. Agree, not many neighbors will like a rug under the door saturated with the smell of cat urine or a “fragrant” entrance strewn with animal excrement. Therefore, if you are interested in how to stop cats from shitting in the entrance, we recommend reading this article.
Why do cats shit in hallways?
It’s quite difficult to stop cats from shitting in the front door and to keep cute animals away from the entrance, but it’s possible. Cats are wayward and stubborn animals. If a cat has chosen a place in your entrance that he likes for his toilet, or has chosen a rug under the front door, he will certainly go there. So please be patient. In addition, before solving this problem, you need to establish the cause, try to find out why cats are attracted to your entrance.
If street cats have gotten into the habit of coming into the house, you can solve the problem simply. You need to constantly close the doors to the entrance by installing an intercom. It is possible that a cute cat lives in the house, and, protecting the right of ownership, cats, street or indoor during the period of sexual hunting, which are let out for walks, begin to mark the corners in the entrances.
Many people feed street cats near their entrances and let the animals warm up in winter. Therefore, cats consider the entrance to be their territory and begin to relieve their natural needs under the stairs, between floors, on rugs under the doors.
At the same time, street cats are not always the culprits of such dirty “tricks”. Domestic cats, which their owners let out for a walk outside, can relieve themselves, shit and mark corners.
Among the motives that explain this behavior of mustachioed pets are:
- banal bad manners;
- dirty tray;
- unsuccessful filler;
- diseases, pathologies of the urinary and digestive tract;
- stress, emotional shock (moving, change of owners).
It is also worth noting that cats tend to mark their territory, so when going for a walk or returning from the street, they leave their “marks” in the entrance, marking their possessions.
The reason for this behavior in cats may lie in diseases of the genitourinary and digestive systems. In this case, the cat simply may not be able to wait outside and relieve itself in a secluded corner of the entrance. Scolding and punishing animals in this case is inhumane. Only symptomatic treatment prescribed by a veterinarian will help solve the problem.
How to deal with neighbor cats?
One of the readers asked us the following question: “I would really like to know how to deal with cats in the entrance. There are regularly mines on the landing next to the door. Cat owners do not respond to conversations. And although no one except them (two apartments) lets cats out into the entrance, we cannot prove it, because the cat was not caught in the “process.” Tell me what to do?”
Sometimes real wars break out between neighbors over pets. Old women often let cats out for a walk, which in turn “shit” on the stairwells. An unpleasant smell irritates everyone, but not everyone can deal with cats.
There is no need to waste your nerves fighting the animal (statistics show that the most common measures to combat the smell in the entrance are washing the floors with chemicals and scattering repellents in the form of bowls of food and orange peels in the corners of the staircases) - the situation will not change. You need to fight with a neighbor who does not directly comply with the rules for keeping pets.
Please note that all residents are required to keep the common property of the apartment building in which they live clean and tidy, as well as to use the apartment in accordance with sanitary and hygienic requirements and rules (LC RF). In addition, there are Rules for keeping dogs and cats in cities and other populated areas of the Russian Federation, which talk about the rights and responsibilities of owners of cats and dogs. Thus, it is not allowed to keep pets in common areas (in particular, stairwells and basements), and the owners themselves are obliged to maintain and observe the sanitary condition of the house and the area adjacent to the house. Violators of the Rules face administrative punishment in the form of a fine.
Now let’s clarify who will help deal with lawbreakers? The first step is to submit a written application, signed by several residents of the house, to the chairman of the HOA or to the management company (depending on the management method). To record the fact of a violation, it is better to call the local police officer. He will most likely have a conversation with the violating neighbor and also draw up a protocol on the violation. If the violators do not respond to the actions of the management organization and the police, feel free to call the commission of the city’s sanitary and epidemiological service. Based on the application, representatives of the SES will conduct an examination and oblige the cat owners to eliminate the violations. The last resort is to apply to the judicial authorities with a collective complaint.
What to do if cats shit in the entrance
First of all, you need to install an intercom and carefully clean the entire entrance. Cats follow their scent and, as a rule, relieve themselves in the same places. Treat all corners with a solution of vinegar essence, citric acid, and special household chemicals.
Cats cannot tolerate pungent odors, so using this feature can solve the problem very simply and quickly. In addition, vinegar perfectly eliminates the smell of cat urine. But processing will have to be carried out several times.
Special sprays and aerosols with animal-repellent aromas , which can be purchased at veterinary pharmacies, pet stores or online stores, will help to discourage cats from shitting in the entrance
- "Odor-Secret".
- Antigadin.
- "Nok-Out";
- "Urine-Off";
- "Nature's Miracle".
Spray the products in the entrance every day until the cats stop relieving themselves anywhere.
If the situation is out of control and even after a thorough cleaning the smell of cat urine is felt in the entrance, you need to find the “culprit” of this behavior. In this case, install CCTV cameras at the entrance.
If cats living in apartments poop in the front door, talk to their owners. But it also happens that a caring owner does not want to take action or refuses to believe that it is his pet who is peeing in the entrance. In this case, show the camera footage and threaten the neighbors with a fine or a visit from the local police officer.
How to fix the situation
Both yard cats and domestic cats living in one of the apartments can shit in the entrance. But how do you find out which of the fluffies has done the shit? If the situation gets out of control, you can install a video surveillance camera and determine which cat is playing pranks in the entrance.
If it turns out that this is the work of a domestic cat, you need to show the recordings to its owner so that he can take action. If the owner of the prankster refuses to re-educate the pet, you can threaten him with a fine.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to reach an amicable agreement; sometimes you have to fix the problem yourself.
There are many ways to stop a cat from shitting in the entrance. Here are the most common ones.
Carry out a general cleaning of the room and treat all corners marked by animals with a solution of acetic acid. Cats cannot stand the smell of vinegar. Of course, the specific “aroma” will not be pleasant to you either, but it will quickly disappear, but the cats will never shit in these places again. Vinegar is most effective at removing the smell of cat urine. Citric acid works on the same principle.
Instead of vinegar and acid, you can use essential oils (cinnamon, cloves, grapefruit, eucalyptus, lemon, orange). You only need 2-3 teaspoons of oil per bucket of water.
Place bowls of food in each washed corner. Turning your entryway into a cat's dining room isn't exactly an attractive prospect, but it's still better than a cat litter box. Agree with your neighbors to take turns feeding the animals and keeping the bowls clean.
Lemon or orange zest, fresh citrus juice, onions and garlic, and fir sprigs can act as a repeller. These are very strong irritants for representatives of the cat family, so pranksters will bypass areas treated with their help a mile away.
INTERESTING TO KNOW: Bitten by a street cat - what to do
You can use special products that are sold in pet stores and veterinary pharmacies:
- "Odor-Secret";
- "Nok-Out";
- "Urine-Off";
- "Nature's Miracle".
Antigadin spray has proven itself well in this regard. The treatment of the room must be repeated several times.
It is advisable that all activities for washing cat urine are carried out without delay. If urine is absorbed, it will be much more difficult to get rid of.
Alternative methods
Simple and accessible folk methods will help to discourage cats from taking shit. Cats cannot stand the smell of citrus fruits or pine aroma. Therefore, in the places they have chosen, place lemon, orange, grapefruit peels, pine needles, changing them periodically.
essential oils with pine and citrus scents (cinnamon, cloves, eucalyptus) as repellent scents . Add two or three teaspoons to a bucket of water, rinse the entire entrance thoroughly with the prepared mixture. Treat especially carefully those places and corners where cats shit.
If a neighbor's or street cats persistently mark the front door or shit on the rug, it is best to remove it for a while and then replace it with a new one. Treat the door and the space near the door with Antigadin, garlic water, and lemon juice. You can even use turpentine.
If cats shit on the rug under the door, you can stick double-sided tape to it. The cat will obviously not like the surface to which the paws stick, and he will forget about your front door.
All activities for washing urine and cat excrement are best carried out “hot on the heels”, since if the urine is absorbed, it will be more difficult to eliminate the corrosive specific odor. Carry out wiping constantly until the cats stop doing their “deeds” in the wrong places.
Why is the street dangerous for home residents?
Unfortunately, there are many cases where a domestic cat runs out into the entrance or onto the street and gets lost. In megacities, due to the fault of the owners, due to banal inattention, the loss of cats is a common occurrence. Do not forget that if a cat does not leave the confines of a house or apartment and accidentally runs out of the front door into the street, this can result in serious consequences.
A pet's desire to run out onto the landing at any cost is a potentially dangerous behavior for cats . Unusual surroundings, cars, busy traffic on the streets, new smells, relatives zealously guarding their territory, and other animals can cause harm to your pet.
It is possible that once outside, the cat will try to hide in the basement, climb onto the roof, may fall into a ventilation shaft, or run far from the house and will not be able to find its way back. In addition, while the pet is outside, it can catch some kind of infection, a deadly virus, or eat poisonous bait.
Various dangers that await domestic cats that are not accustomed to such an environment can cause the death of your pet, so it is very important to wean the cat from running out into the entrance.
