Pet Insurance and Feline Urination Problems

Whilst some of the causes of feline urination problems are medical, others are behavioural. In either case, reputable pet insurance should offer you financial protection from the costs of treatment.

If your cat has started urinating around the house, the first thing to do is to take them to the vet as they may have a urinary tract infection. If this is the problem then your vet will probably prescribe a course of antibiotics. However, if your vet gives your cat the all clear then you'll need to consider other possible reasons for your cat's reluctance to use its litter tray.

One cause might be the litter itself. Perfumed litters are designed for people not cats. Their aroma masks the unpleasant smell of cat urine, but can deter cats from using their litter trays at all. As cats have a strong sense of smell, concentrated, man-made scents in litter trays can deter their natural behaviour.

There are lots of different cat litters on the market including environmentally friendly brands that use recycled newspaper to create litter pellets. Some litters disintegrate quickly, sticking to your cat's feet and getting trodden into your carpet. If you try a variety, you're sure to find something suitable.

If your cat litter does not seem to be the problem, other possible causes include the location of the litter box and its size, shape, colour or design. All of these should be taken into account and changed if you think they could be leading to your cat's urination habits.

Once you think you've identified the problem make sure you clean all of the cat urine from your carpet, otherwise the smell will encourage your cat to keep urinating in the same spot. Remarkably cat pee glows under a black light so you can shine one around your house to identify where there are traces of cat urine.

Punishing cats for urinating tends to do more harm than good. Your cat probably won't understand what they've done wrong, but the feeling of stress caused by the punishment might make them more likely to urinate in inappropriate places.

Whether your cat's urination problem is medical or behavioural, if it persists your pet insurance should be able to cover the cost of expert help. After a successful course of treatment, both your home and your cat should come up smelling of roses.