how can i get my cat to stop this

[lori baumgartner]

hello,my name is lori and i live in MINOT,NORTH DAKOTA.I'm having a problem with my cat,nightshade.I live in a high-rise arpartment building in downtown minot.my little girl likes to pee in my kicthen sink!!!Someone told me to get another litterbox for her,so i did,but she STILL pees in my sink,i even got some stuff that smells bad to keep her from doing this.I don't beleve in punnishment,so i just tell her no.She isin't sick,she eats and drinks ok,what can i do???LORI

[Tiger]

What I was told when I got my first cat 15 yrs ago by a vet my cat would go wherever he wanted to but not in his litter box the vet told me to put his litter box and his water and food dish in the bathroom and than put my cat into the bathroom as well and close the door. Cats do not like to make a mess near where they eat it only took 2 to 3 days for my cat

[Judy]

Hi Lori! Amazingly, I live in Minot, too!! Small world! About your cat...Have you tried putting a litter pan in the sink? I know a litter pan may be too big for the sink itself, but maybe try putting the pan on top of the sink opening, or right next to it, on the counter. If you can get her to use the pan there, you might be able to gradually move the pan from the counter to the floor, once she gets the idea.

Judy B.

[lori baumgartner]

thanks for all your help everyone!!!LORI

[Dr. Jennifer Sobie]

Hi Lori,

I agree with Judy. Another approach is to move her urination behavior to your toilet. She's telling you that she likes to urinate in large bowls, she likes clean areas and she doesn't really like litter. Here are some suggestions for moving her behavior to the bathroom:
1) Fill your sink with an inch or so of water. She needs to learn to tolerate the sound of her urine going into water. If you can't get water to stay in your sink, buy a dish pan and set that in the sink with water. Realize that this may actually work as a deterrent to her urinating in the sank, so be certain that her litter pans a are clean in case she needs to find somewhere new to urinate.
2) Once your cat is reliably urinating in a pan in the sink, place a board over the sink. You may need to confine her to the bathroom for a week or so as well. If you do confine her, be certain to schedule regular play sessions with her. I'm attaching a file on feline enrichment to help you with ideas for play.

Dr. Sobie,
ASPCA Animal Behavior Center