Why that accident happens on the rug. Not the floorboards!

Why is it always the way?! A whole house of floorboards on offer and they’ll take your rug as the perfect spot to be sick (or worse!) on.  Well, there is actually a reason why it happens. And it’s not to see you leap out of bed at 3am. Or to test your vocabulary…

This impressive sense of humour - and placement - is indeed performed by both cats and dogs.

But the reason why your soft carpets and rugs are the preferred choice depends on the big three factors:

1. Comfort:
When the furry family are feeling nauseous, comfort is everything. They’ll lie on soft rugs and carpets to ease any soreness or stomach churning. But when it all becomes too much and they need to be sick or bring up a furball, they need a place where they can plant themselves…and ‘projectile’.  Without worrying about slipping over…



2. Instinct:
For that little tiger or wolf we call a cat or dog, showing illness to other animals is instinctively a big no no. They’ll hide all the signs. And that means placing their vomit or diarrhoea in dirt or leaves that can be covered over. The closest thing in your home? A soft rug or carpet that at least absorbs the accident. Rather than leaving it on full display like on floorboards.




3. Odour:
Sometimes it’s about compromise. Because when they really want to get outside for a wee (or worse!) but they can’t, it’s the odour that matters. They’re looking for the place that most closely matches the grass or garden bed where they normally go. Your floorboards or tiles have no smell. While your rugs, carpets and door mats trap tiny amounts of outside dirt that smell a little like where they know they should be going…

Tip: Any spot where they’ve already had an accident is way more likely to get a second hit unless you use special enzymes (like in my Wee and You Stain Cleaner) to neutralise it. That existing smell (no matter how subtle) gives them the green light to go again!

So there you go. It’s not vengeance, payback or even bad luck. It’s just your bestie ‘trying’ to make the best of one bad bad situation!

Written and researched by Veterinarian, Dr Chris Brown BVSc (Hons); not AI. 

The impossible dream. They NEVER go on the tiled floor!

References:

1. "Common feline problem behaviours: Unacceptable indoor elimination" Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery; by Heath et al.
2. "Emesis in dogs - a review" Journal of Small Animal Practice; by Elwood et al.
3. "Preliminary assessment of differences in completeness of house-training between dogs based on size" Journal of Veterinary Behaviour; by Learn et al.Products: