Sorry, one of these can be deleted... accidental double post...

 

...it just has me stumped as to why it wouldnt show on the top of the rug.... :?: :?: :?:

Cats squat and pee in a small stream of urine. The top of the rug would only have that "small stream" wet spot, which would probably quickly air dry. The majority of the urine will puddle and pool to the lowest point due to gravity. This liquid would then reach the floor, where the urine spreads in a puddle and being under the rug it would remain wet/damp longer and allow the bacteria longer amounts of time to stain the fabric on the backside of the area rug.

...I've seen this happen to our own bathmats when a door is left open and BooBoo sneaks in to pee on the rug...

 

Throw rugs on the floor seem to be a real target. What's the deal with that? Do you think they see it as their own little cat bed that they can mark?

 

I really don't know what the deal is. :? I've had small area rugs peed on and cat beds, too. Though the peed in cat beds were on the floor, so maybe they thought it did look like a litterbox, or they did want to mark it as theirs. Myself, little rugs without any rubber backing 'lived', but ones with rubber backing got peed on, every time. That one I attribute to a smell of the rubber.

 

Well to get rid of the smell. I like a product called Simple Solutions. It's an enzyme cleaner and smells pleasant.

And yes, it's because the gravity pulls the liquid and it pools on the bottom. Well, perhaps you can use a deterrent on the carpet? Like bitter apple spray? Or if you're lucky, your cat may not like the vinegar smell. I tend to think because cats have a very good sense of smell, anything overpoweringly strong would put them off. Perhaps some vile perfume? I dunno. LOL. Every cat is different. Some cats abhor water but others play in it. <shrugs>

 

Throw rugs on the floor seem to be a real target. What's the deal with that? Do you think they see it as their own little cat bed that they can mark?

Just FYI . . . rubber-backed rugs (like bathmats and many throw rugs) DO attract cats--it's the smell. Even perfectly healthy cats w/ no issues will often urinate on these.

 

hmmm... so, what about the rubber attracts kittys??

 

I've thrown away a bunch of throw rugs that Rookie peed on, but she never peed on rubber-backed bathroom rugs at all. Hmmmmmm. And the few cat beds I brought home for her, she immediately peed on. I got the feeling it was not whether they were rubber-backed or not, but just anything soft on the floor was pee-worthy.

 

Ha, this is so interesting!

Thankfully (knock on wood) I've only experienced inappropriate urination in one place. Apparently I did not come home quick enough, and ET and Lacey knocked over a whole bag of dry rice I'd left on the counter. They knocked it all over the floor, much landed on the kitchen mat (rubber-backed) and then both peed!!! Guess it was a combination of the "makeshift litter" and mat, ha!

-BP

 

hmmm... so, what about the rubber attracts kittys??

Something. I understand some slaughterhouse (surf and/or turf) products can go into the makings of rubber and plastic and perhaps it is the vestigal smells that attract them?