Okay, so, my cat, Whiskers, started peeing everywhere but the litter box. It was driving me nuts! I mean, the couch, the rugs, even my favorite pair of shoes… nothing was safe. First thing I did was rule out a medical issue, So, I took him to the vet.
The vet gave him a check-up, The vet did some tests, and… nothing. Whiskers was perfectly healthy. “It’s probably behavioral,” the vet said. Great. That’s helpful…not.
Trying Different Things
So, I’m cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, the cleaner I use that’s supposed to get rid of the smell. Didn’t work. Whiskers kept going back to the same spots.
- I tried a new litter. I read somewhere that some cats are picky about the texture. Nope, still peeing on the rug.
- Then I added another litter box. Maybe he wanted options? Still no.
- I moved the litter box. Maybe he didn’t like where it was? Nope.
I was starting to lose it. I even tried those pheromone diffusers that are supposed to calm cats down. Nothing. I’m at my wit’s end, right? Scrubbing pee out of the carpet again, and I have this thought…What changed before this. I remember, clear as day, I started using this new lavender air freshener, and that is when he start to pee everywhere.
The “Aha!” Moment
I had recently changed my laundry detergent to something with a super strong, flowery scent. I thought, “Could that be it?” I mean, it seemed so random, but I was desperate.
So, I re-washed all the bedding and his favorite blankets with the old, unscented detergent. I also deep-cleaned the spots he’d been peeing on again, this time making extra sure to get rid of every last trace of the smell,I put a little bit of baking soda to help neutralize, and scrub, scrub, scrub.
Fingers Crossed
And… wait for it… it worked! Whiskers started using the litter box again. Like, immediately. I couldn’t believe it. Such a simple thing, a freaking laundry detergent, was the culprit the whole time.
It’s been a few weeks now, and so far, so good. He’s back to his old self, and my house doesn’t smell like a giant cat toilet anymore. Lesson learned: sometimes it’s the smallest, dumbest things that make the biggest difference. And, you know, cats are just weird.
