If you’re a cat parent and wondering “Why does my cat pee in the sink?” then you’re going to love this article
The answer to this question in short is
Your cat may be peeing in the sink because of the following reasons
- Unclean litter box
- Not enough litter boxes
- UTI (Urinary tract infection)
- Behavior problems
- Your cat just loves your sink
These could be the reasons your cat is peeing in the sink
Now let’s go through each bullet in more detail and see how we can stop your cat peeing in the sink and use the litter box!
Carry on reading…
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Possible Reasons Your Cat Is Urinating In The Kitchen Sink
You’ve just finished having dinner and go to put the dishes in the sink
Only to see your cat jump out of the sink
You go there and a puddle of cat urine in the sink
Great!
Now you have to wash the sink and then clean the dishes
What makes it worse?
The smell of cat urine!
It’s the worst smell ever!
Your cat is not doing this out of spite or to get you angry
It’s their way of communicating with you that something is wrong
They can’t literally speaks to us and tell us
So it’s up to us cat parents to figure it out
Lucky for you in this article you’re going to get some idea why your cat is doing this
UTI (Urinary Tract Infection)
This is one of the most common reason why a cat would pee outside the litter box
It’s when your cats urinary tract becomes inflamed which makes urinating painful and increases the urge and frequency to pee
This can cause your cat to pee anywhere in the house because of the urge
This can also happen because your cat associates the litter box with pain
Cats Hate Dirty Litter Boxes
If the litter box is dirty then don’t expect your cat to use it
Think about it
Would we use a washroom that is filthy?
Chances are we won’t
Same goes for your cat
Cats are very clean animals
They spend around 30% of their lives grooming themselves!
So they expect a clean litter box!
Not Enough Litter Boxes
If you have one cat then the general rule is to have one litter box + 1
Basically 2 litter boxes
Some cats like to pee in one and poo in another
If you have two litter boxes your cat has easy access
For example, you can have one litter box in the room downstairs and one upstairs
That way your cat can use the litter box asap when they’re upstairs
Behavior Problem
When a cat is stressed this can cause your cat to pee outside of the litter box
Yes, cats can get stressed very easily
Things like change in routine, a new baby in the family, guests coming over
This can all trigger stress in your cat which causes behavior problems
Unfortunately for you that means your cat is peeing in the sink and not in the litter box
Territorial
Cats are very territorial
As soon as they think their territory is in danger
They will pee and spray in the house as a way of feeling safe and secure
Your cat may have seen another cat in the garden
Or maybe you bought in another cat which can make your cat feel threatened
Because of this your cat may pee elsewhere other than the litter box
Your Cat Just Loves The Sink
Your cat is not being bad or anything
They just love the sink
Maybe it’s because it looks like the litter box and they prefer to use the sink instead of the litter box
How You Can Stop Your Cat From Peeing In The Sink
Now that we know the possible reasons your cat is peeing in the sink
Let’s look at how you can prevent this from happening
The first thing you should do is
Medical Check Up
If your cat has all of a sudden stopped using the litter box then it’s a sign that something may be wrong
Hopefully your furbaby is okay but when this happens it’s mostly a case of UTI
The best thing to do is get a check up done just to make sure your cat is okay
Cats are very good at hiding away their pain so you won’t see your cat sit in the corner
Very subtle cats are!
But we cat parents now know that litter box avoidance could be a health problem
Hopefully it’s all good and your cat is healthy
Clean The Litter Box
Make sure the litter box is cleaned everyday
You should try to scoop twice a day if that’s possible
If you can’t then once a day
Keep fresh litter for your cat
Just as we want to use a washroom that is clean, same goes for your cat
I understand if you’re working full time and it can be difficult
If that’s the case then I’d recommend investing in a self cleaning litter box
That way you never have to worry about scooping cat litter
If you got the budget then Litter Robot 3 is meant to be really good
A lot of cat parents have said very good things about it
Yes, it’s expensive but they do have a payment plan
Want to learn more?
Check out my in-depth review where I talk about literally everything about the Litter Robot
Pros and Cons etc
Add Another Litter Box
Maybe your cat wants another litter box
You should have 2 already
If you don’t – it’s worth getting an extra one and see if that helps
Location Of Litter Box
Is the litter box next to the dryer or dishwasher?
The noises could scare your cat
Try moving it someplace where it’s quiet and your cat has privacy
Another thing you can do is move the litter box near the sink and see if your cat uses it
Then gradually move it to your desired place
If you have a small apartment and struggling to find a place
Check out my article – Where to put cat litter box in a small apartment
Behavior Problem
Your cat may be stressed out
Something has changed that has caused
Have you changed your cats routine?
New member to the family?
Or maybe other cats are coming into your garden
If there are other cats coming into the area the best thing you can do is just scare them off
Block the view to the garden from your cat until you’re confident the cats won’t come back
If your cat is stressed – have a read of my article how to calm a stressed cat down
Don’t Shout Or Punish Your Cat
Whatever you do, don’t shout or punish your cat
This will just make things worse
If your cat is stressed, shouting will make your kitty more stressed and that means more mess for you to clean up
Patience is key here
Try to have patience and understand that your cat is not doing this to get you angry
I know the smell of cat urine is horrible and you’re tired of cleaning the sink
But this problem will soon pass
Talking about cleaning the sink
How To Get Rid Of Cat Urine Smell From The Sink
Cleaning the cat urine is very important!
Turning the tap on and cleaning it with water won’t do the trick
Don’t use bleach or any disinfectant as this can be really dangerous when mixed with cat urine
What you need is a enzymatic cleaner
This will remove the smell of cat urine completely
Remember – if cat urine is not cleaned thoroughly, your cat will be able to smell it and will come back again and urinate in the sink again!
Want to know the best cat urine remover?
Click the link below
Related Article – How to get your cat to stop peeing everywhere
Wrapping It Up
Hopefully this article has answered your question “Why does my cat pee in the sink”
Your cat is not peeing out of spite
When a cat stops using the litter box it’s your cats way of communicating with you that something is wrong
It’s then down to you to find out what’s causing this and then help your cat stop this behavior
Don’t shout or punish your cat
Your poor kitty is not doing anything wrong in their eyes
So shouting and punishing them will only cause your cat to become confused and more stressed
As mentioned in the article, a stressed cat may lead to more accidents
I’m sure you don’t want your cat peeing all over the house!
Have patience and be consistent
This behavior will stop
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and still have no idea how to stop this behavior
Give this guide called “Cat Spraying No More” a go
It’s a guide that teaches you how to get your cat to use the litter box
I personally bought this myself and trust me, it’s very in-depth and easy to follow
I won’t go into too much detail here as I’ve already written a very in-depth review which you can check out if you’re interested to learn more