How to Stop Cats From Urinating on the Porch

The smell of cat urine is very strong and unpleasant, especially if a cat is urinating in an undesired location, such as your porch. Outside cats tend to return to the same area to urinate, much as a indoor cat might, because of several factors, such as comfort, the smell that remains or to mark territory. The urine odor you detect may also be from spraying, which is the act of sending out a fine mist of urine. This is done to mark territory or out of stress, among other reasons. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to prevent cat spraying and unwanted urinating on your porch.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels
  • Commercial enzyme cleaner
  • Cat deterrents
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use paper towels to clean up urine or spray when you find it. Blot up the excess urine and discard the paper towel. Then spray the area thoroughly with a commercial enzyme cleaner, following the package directions. Cat urine and spray contains enzymes which cats can detect even when the urine is dry and our noses can no longer smell it. Enzyme cleaners remove these enzymes. This will prevent the cat from using the same spot to urinate or spray because of the enzymes.

    • 2

      Choose a cat deterrent. Aerosol cat repellents are one option. These are small cans of air. They use motion detectors to sense when an animal is near. When motion is detected, the cans send out a puff of air to scare the animal. Another deterrent option is a static mat. These can be placed where you know the cat visits. When the cat steps on the mat, a small shock is emitted. The shock will not hurt the cat, only startle her. It is similar to the shock you receive from static electricity. Both of these methods will help discourage the cat from visiting your porch.

    • 3

      Try medical intervention. If the cat is spraying, consider having him fixed. Although it does not stop all instances of spraying, fixing a cat usually ends the habit. If the cat is not yours, speak to the owners. If the cat is a stray, contact a no kill shelter to pick up the cat. Another option for a cat you own is to speak to your vet about possible medical causes for inappropriate urination and spraying. The cat may be reacting out of stress or a health problem which may be treated with medication.