Cat room confinement: Methods and techniques?

I have a cat that has a history of urinating on carpets, so when we looked for a new apartment, we found one that has 1/2 hard floors, 1/2 carpet. The carpeted area is everywhere, save the kitchen, bath, and back bedroom. The bedroom is the only place with a door, so this is where she is confined to for the time being.





We would like to get a gate or door for the next doorway, giving her access to the kitchen and bath, but have not found any solutions, past stacking two baby gates on top of one another. We were considering a screen door, or something with chicken wire, or perhaps a mission-style gate, but I want to do some research before we spend money (as we are both going to college, money is a concern). The door is an odd size, being 31.5" wide by 77" high.





Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

Cat room confinement: Methods and techniques?
Kudos on keeping the cat's needs in mind while planning your move.





Can you use one of those oriental screen room dividers, maybe? I mean the folding room dividers. That should give you easy access while thoroughly blockin access to the cat.





Honestly though -- if it were me, I'd train the cat. Despite popular belief, cats ARE trainable. It just takes time, patience, and trust. The screen or divider or whatever you use would be a good "backup" during re-training time; and a new environment (with new rugs that have never been peed on) can kickstart the process.
Reply:Try a screen door. It may last a while. That way the cat can breath and you can get through that area also.
Reply:the screen door solution is very good - try checking with a used building supplies store (habitat for humanity ReStore comes to mind). Many times, they have used doors for cheap.





Also, if you are handy, or know someone who is - it wouldn't be too expensive to build your own.
Reply:I'd go ahead and put pergo through the rest of the house :) Or hardwood, if you can afford it. I have the same problem with my cat.. mostly she just does it to mark along my balcony doors, but it's along the carpet there. I suspect she'll do it even if I get laminate, but it'll be easier to clean up.





I hope that you've talked to the vet about your cat's urination issues... but if s/he doesn't pee on hard floors, I suspect it's behavioral rather than physical.





A lot of people here swear by Feliway... I guess they make it in dispensers that you can plugin, that can add the scent (that only a cat can smell) to a room, and that calms them and helps with issues like this.





If your cat has not been spayed or neutered... get that done right away. It might solve all of the urinating outside the litter box issues.