How to stop cats from peeing in the floor drain
Basement floor drains attract cats as alternative litter boxes because the location mimics an open basin, leading to strong odors and a difficult habit to break. Blocking or covering the drain without providing an acceptable alternative nearby risks driving the behavior to other parts of the house.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from September 2026.
- This comes up 12.5× more often in r/cats than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Covering the drain with a litter box temporarilyDid this help you?
- 2Pouring water down the drain daily or setting up a dehumidifier to flush itDid this help you?
- 3Letting them continue to use the drain to avoid scooping litterDid this help you?
- 4Using a large plastic tray from the bottom of a dog crateDid this help you?
- 5Switching to a high-walled stainless steel litter boxDid this help you?
- 6Placing an extra litter tray right next to the original oneDid this help you?
- 7buying waterproof coversDid this help you?
- 8using an attractant sprayDid this help you?
- 9getting multiple litter boxesDid this help you?
- 10deep cleaning litter boxes dailyDid this help you?
- 11soaking bedding in a vinegar and water solutionDid this help you?
- 12using enzyme cleaners or foam products to eliminate odor from mattressesDid this help you?
- 13using a deterrent sprayDid this help you?
- 14putting a tarp on the bedDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Unfortunately, in less than 2 hours, the camera recorded both of my cats peeing in the drain. While I enjoy not having to scoop as much dirty litter, I don’t know how to break them of this.”source ↗
“We had this exact problem with our girl and this litter box changed that.”source ↗
“The one cat pees on the bed while we are in it. He’s always done it and we can’t seem to stop it.”source ↗
“I have a cat that pees outside of the box.”source ↗
“We have tried rubber mats under the litter boxes and he sees this as an invitation to just pee straight on them.. I was thinking maybe a large metal or hard plastic mat would work better?”source ↗
“To clarify, he often misses the box on accident. So I need something to catch when he misses but doesnt invite him tk straight up just piss on it rather than attempt to use the box.”source ↗
“I put another litter tray right next to the original where my clutter were relieving themselves (could never catch one in the act), and i think it's my smartest problem solving since I was born.”source ↗
“I must admit we aren’t always the best at cleaning the litter every single day. But he pees on the bed even when I know the box is sparkling clean. 🤷🏻♀️.”source ↗
“Same here but luckily my kitty stopped doing that after we got the spray and played around with what cat litter she likes”source ↗