2 year old cat urinating through home - Answered by N.Kitching

[Patricia]

We have a male 2 year old neutered cat. He has been urinating in many areas of our home on different occasions. He does use his litter box as well. He is a bit overweight, very laid back and a very calm cat. He tries on occasion to go outside but we try not to let him since we have neighbours with vegetable gardens and we don't want him doing his duties there. Could he have some type of uninary problem or is this something he might do always. If so we may have to give him away to a farm so that he can be outside. Do you have any solutions to how we can get him to stop since he is a very nice cat and my children adore him.

[petdr]

Hi Patricia,

Good for you you in trying to discover what's causing your problem. Your children would have broken hearts if you hadn't react out for some advice.

There is something called Struvite which a Vet could see from X-Rays. This can be controlled. It's presence can cause infection. To the layman, it is a blockage and the substance is called Struvite.

Should there be no problem, there are other things to try. They are as follows:

Besides the one kitty litter pan that he uses, put kitty litter pans where ever your cat urinates the most then gradually take them away so the cat stops. Don't expect immediate results.

After you've taken the pans away, you can buy some "Housebreaking Aid for Pets" which you can find at most pet stores. One name which comes to mind is "Stop It".

Best of luck,

© Nancy Kitching 2001

Nancy Kitching
Dog Trainer Member of CAPPT, CKC, OKC (Ottawa Kennel Club), and Bytown Obedience Club in Ottawa.
156 Fairhaven
Hudson, Quebec J0P 1H0

Tel: 450-458-3165

[LOntiveros]

Hi Patricia,
I have a similar problem with our female cat but her problem is that is continues to pee on our bed. We have not been able to rid her of that problem. We have reached the end of our rope. My wife wants to get rid of her but I just don't have the heart to give her to the pound. They will likely have her killed. You mentioned something about giving your cat away to a farm owner. Do you happen to know where i could find that type of info? I would like to give our cat away to a farm owner.

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.

Larry

[jwilcox]

I have two 3 year old cats (brothers) who urinate wherever they feel like (we caught one the other day going in the bathtub !!!). Originally we thought it was just the one cat.

I am also at the end of my ropes, during the summer months they spent alot of time outside, but they still urinate wherever they want (my bed; kid's clothes that are left on the floor; behind tv; and lately also going in the front of TV on hardwood floor !!!)

I hate to give them away because they are very sweet loving cats and I won't send them to the humane society and I don't feel right giving my problem to someone else (who might not treat them right because of problem); and I don't have the $$$ to have them checked.

My question is this...... do I have any other options !!! Are there other signs of illness that I should watch for in the cats? Is this something serious or just something I have to put up with

Hope you can help

[caluce]

My situation is similar to Larry's. I got my cat (female) from the Humane Society just this past summer. She is beautiful and very friendly with lots of character. She had not been spayed when I got her. she seemed to use her litter box on a regular basis, but additionally would urinate (not spray) in spots in my bedroom (and no other place in the house). When she was spayed the urinating seemed to stop for a while, but once in a while she would still pee in my bed. (It's quite a fluffly down duvet.) I tried putting an additional litter box in my attached bathroom, but a few weeks later she peed in my bed again. I've taken her to the vet, there is no bladder infection, but the vet recommened anti-depresants as well as Feliway. My cat was on the anti-depresants for over 2 weeks and I was spraying the feliway, as well as the liquid release form in my bedroom. Well, last night she left a puddle of pee on my bed again.

She has never peed anywhere else in the house, and since her spaying, it has only been on my bed. I've sprayed special order control stuff many times and washed my duvet twice now.

Are there ANY suggestions out there... I REALLY don't want to give her up, she has won my heart (most of the time!)

Thanx...

[Lucky Rescue]

Cats form habits very quickly and they can be hard to break.

I suggest you keep your bedroom closed for now. Wash all the bedding with an odour neutralizer.

In fact, it would be a good idea to lock her in a room with 1 or 2 litter boxes and all her stuff to get her firmly in the habit of using it.

[chico2]

One of my neutered males,7yrs old,among other problems also sprays in the house,has just about destroyed an oriental laquered cabinet,one of his favourite places..
I believe if you have the time,it can be corrected..by using a spray-bottle of water and a very firm NO,no hitting!
The vet also suggested spraying the areas with lemon-juice or some other citrus product,it did not work on Rocky...
Luckily I have mostly floors and I am home all day,so I can quickly clean up and get rid of the smell.
Only once did he pee and poop on our bed,my husbands side:-) but we realized it was because we had friends staying in our guest-room downstairs,his box was downstairs,so we quickly put one upstairs and no more problems.Cats stress very easily and if there is a territorial problem,they will make sure their scent is around,"this is my house kind of thing"!
Strange cats outside can make an indoor cat go bonkers and although the ouside cat cannot reach him,the cat inside will hurry and put his scent wherever he can in HIS house.
My cat other than being on anti-depressant,now when I call out a firm"No Rocky"!!,after noticing him lifting his leg ready to spray,he'll stop halfway,so he knows he is doing something bad.
I watched a 2 hour show yesterday about cats and they had a diaper-like panty to put on cats who spray inside,personally I don't think it would work,but it is a thought:-) A diaper on my cat would stay there about one second:-)
Anyway,wow this got to be looong,I just wanted to say,don't"get rid of"your cats because they missbehave,work on a solution,as with dogs,it takes a lot of love and understanding..
And also,if misshaps do happen,there are a lot of good cleaning-products out there to completely remove the odors.
My livingroom,carpeted,is now taboo to my cats,unless we are in there with them and watch them.

[Patsy4422]

I 2 am in an awful situation. We have three cats and never ever had a problem with them until I took in the 3rd cat who is Simease and totally wonderful. Suddenly my female began picking fights with him and growing, biting, etc.. for no reason. Then the peeing began. and it was always on something I had worn and was waiting to be washed. NOW its horrid, I sell fabric and keep as much locked away as I can, it was not a place to pee before until today. I watched her pee on new fabric and she knew I was watching. It seems if she cannot scratch the carpet whereever she wants she pees. So many things have been ruined, others caught in time to remove stains. She does use her litter box as well. At first I thought she was being lazy and did not want to go downstairs, but now I do not think thats it as she had just had a hizzy at the Sebastion for no reason and when I told her to stop she did this. So today was a first that she peeded on something new. We love her dearly and she was just to the vet for her regular stuff and is healthy. They had no idea why she would do this. The other 2 cats are male and never have done such a think. We do not want to get rid of her but this cannot go on and we do not have a fortune to fix it either. HELP MY CAT IS PEEING NOW ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE SO I CANNOT GET UP as I need my computer Seriouly we do not know what to do. I cannot have this anymore..Thoughts, advice. you do not want me to head bang and I am ready to right now!

[chico2]

Your cat is obviously stressed out of her mind,because of the new cat,your problem is very real..but please don't get rid of her,she was there first.
Ask your vet for Clomopramine,it's an antidepressant,my male cat is currently on it.It is not expensive about $20/month,comes in a gel-form and you put 0,1ml in her ear once a day.
My cat Rocky has been on it for 10 days and I have noticed an improvement.It also comes in Pill-form and baked into treats(more expensive),trying to give my cat a pill is not an option and in a treat if he does not like it,he won't take it...so the gel was a great option.

[Patsy4422]

Anita -

I may not have been very clear, the fighting started when the third cat came along a couple of years ago and the peeing much later on. For 6 months or more they all got along very well, then some growling and nipping and now entering a room causes the noise that makes the other cats stay away from her. You made an interesting comment though. She HAS ALWAYS been high strung from day one. She is the one who is into everything, knocks things down, crawling into things she should not be. I think she was just born that way. So the anxiety or high strung part we saw from the get go. She knows places to hide like she did today after "letting go" literally in front me. I have noticed that she really is into things at night when I am sleeping or she thinks I am . Other times she will just sit with you. She purrs constantly unless she is growling. We have not given up or I would not be here, but I did leave her enclosed for a couple of hours today with food, water. and her litter box and she made the weirdest sound when I put her in that room I have ever heard from her as if she knew she was in trouble. I have never heard that noise before. She was fine when I got home and out she came. We obviously are not giving up or I would not be here or taken in a third cat who was dying from not being fed or having water which is what happened. Is there anything to this scracting (they have a board to use but when I have seen this happen, her peeing, she always starts scrachting around her target) especially paper if she can get some. I ill try everything I have read but I do not think I will catch her in the act for awhile and she is not afraid of water at all she has jumped in the bath tub while I am in there before so a spray of water means nothing, but I will try the other things. She and the other male were here first, they were my sons cats. He has lived in Seattle for the past two years but is now back here with his wife and we all went out to eat today and they would like her with them but I wonder if this is a good idea, since they have an active chincilla. I forsee problems with a new environment and a new pet. So I start trying things that have been suggested here, and they agreed to let me think about letting them take her. I understand she is really his cat but its been a couple of years and their chincialla runs free a lot and the two of them together??? Any insight into the scratching thing?? And my two makes are acting like they know she finally got caught and have been full of it ever since I get home. A real battle of the sexes. Ha! to those who say cats are dumb, I know better!

Patsy

[chico2]

Hi Patsy..in my opinion a cat and a chinchilla will not make a good match,not with the chinchilla running free and especially since this female cat already has a problem,I think your son is inviting a disaster.Chinchillas are adorable and I am sure your son does not want it hurt.I of course could be wrong,but I could not picture any of my cats with one
and thanks for taking in an unwanted cat

[talula]

Oddly i'm relieved to hear several others are having the same trouble as me with my cat...but upset that there doesn't seem to be a solution.

I adopted Talula as a kitten...she was a stray. She has always peed in her litter box...but also everywhere else she pleases. Including her favorite places to sleep...a sock left on the groud, plastics bags and shoes. This has been constant for about 4 years. I have take her to the vet, they say there is not problem. Their solution was to either a.) put her in anti depresents, b.) lock her in the bathroom.
I have not tried druggin her because i'm not sure how that is going to help...i tried putting her in the bathroom with her liter box and food...and all she did was whine and freak out for about 12 hours.

I'm at my wits end! She peed on my couch 3 days and a row this week!
I have had to throw out furniture and am worried the smell will always linger in my condo...effecting the selling of it in the future.

I cry everytime i think about bringing her to a shelter and picturing her alone in a cage...and probably being put to sleep alone.

i just want her to stop peeing!!!!
please someone help!

[MEEKA]

I Too Have The Same Problem With My 8yr Old Cat Who Is Fixed! She Is A Beautiful Cat, Very Laid Back, But She Won't Stop Peeing In My Dining Room. Sometimes I'll Walk In The Room As She's In The Middle Of Peeing On The Floor And She Just Looks At Me. I Slap My Hands Together And Yell Her Name And She Takes Off Running Upstairs. I Have Put A Litter Box In The Dining Room But She Won't Use It, There Is Also One Upstairs Too She Won't Use. My Husband Want's To Get Rid Of Her But I Just Can't, I've Had Her Since She Was 2yrs Old And I'm Not About To See Her Go To A Humane Society Or Anywhere Else. I Told Him I'd Get Rid Of Him Before I Get Rid Of My Cat. I Know She Has A Problem And I Really Would Like Some Advice On How I Can Get Her To Stop.

[Mamaharley]

Originally Posted by jwilcox

I have two 3 year old cats (brothers) who urinate wherever they feel like (we caught one the other day going in the bathtub !!!). Originally we thought it was just the one cat.

I am also at the end of my ropes, during the summer months they spent alot of time outside, but they still urinate wherever they want (my bed; kid's clothes that are left on the floor; behind tv; and lately also going in the front of TV on hardwood floor !!!)

I hate to give them away because they are very sweet loving cats and I won't send them to the humane society and I don't feel right giving my problem to someone else (who might not treat them right because of problem); and I don't have the $$$ to have them checked.

My question is this...... do I have any other options !!! Are there other signs of illness that I should watch for in the cats? Is this something serious or just something I have to put up with

Hope you can help

I used to have this very same problem with my 5year old cat Freako,he is 28lbs and fixed, when I had 3 other cats join the household,he took to them fine, but, started to urinate all over the house,furniture,clothes etc...so I went out and got another litter box no problems after that,if there is over crowding in the litter box they will go somewhere else, this also helped a friend if mine with 2 cats.Hope this helps !

[lil' iggy pop]

We had a male kitten in the household who pooped on every bed in the house. He belongs to my brother-in-law and spent a lot of time in his (b-in-law) bedroom and took to peeing and pooping on the bed many, many times. The washer was going constantly. He tried putting a 20ft by 10ft poster across his bed when he was at work and still the kitten soiled the bed.

We finally figured out that the kitten was an obsessive neat freak. If the litter wasn't fresh, old chunks in it, or the litter hadn't been stirred to let the pee dry, he wouldn't use it. We also had to set up multiple boxes with two cats in the house. Something to think about. Is your cat as crazy as he is? Who knew cats could be so friggin' picky?!

[lilangelic4lfe]

I cant believe how many people are talking about just giving up there pets. My cat has the same problem she goes to the bathroom on laundry and plastic bags she went through a phase where she was peeing in the toaster it was the most awful smell when we tried to use it but never once did I consider getting rid of her I bought I toaster oven instead athat stoped her and I bought some of this spray to keep the cats off the furniture I also changed the type of liter I was using and since I have multiple cats I bought another litter box and made it more privete since then she has been using the litter box and everythings been good please have more patience with your cats and try different litter and put the box in different places

[LittleMomma]

PLEASE don't get rid of them!! Sadly, inappropriate elimination is one of the top reasons pets are surrendered, and subsequently euthanized, in shelters. It's a sin, considering there are ways to correct the problem with the help of a vet and an understanding owner.

[chico2]

I have a cat(Rocky)who has attacked me seriously several times,he sprays on occasion,is probably a nightmare to most people...but dumping him???
No,that will never happen,the day I brought him home,he became my responsability,I love him and owe it to him to figure out why he does the things he does..
So far no success,but he is mine,I would no more give up on him,than I would an adopted child who wets the bed.

[JanM]

Something I use for unwanted cat scratching (on the furniture) is a product containing cat pheremones - the one I use is called Feliway. It is very expensive - $80 for a bottle but it sure works! I don't believe it is marketed for this use but, since it works, and since the cost is so much less than new furniture, I will continue to use it. I have only sprayed Shadow's favourite scratching chair twice in the last 8 months - he sniffs but doesn't scratch any more. Gotta love it..

[cheribob]

I have had problems at different times with both my cats not using the litter box.

Meuie is a 10 year old Siamese. When I first adopted him 7 years ago we went through a phase when he wouldn't use the litter box. He would urinate in the spare bedroom. I cleaned up the urine with Nature's Miracle. I poured a whole gallon of it on the carpet where he was urinating. I wanted to be sure that I really soaked the carpeting & pad. Nature's Miracle is an enzyme based cleaner that actually decomposes the urine (Available at pet stores. Get the one for Cat Urine). At first the room smelled even worse! However, as the months went by the smell began to diminish until finally the urine smell disappeared. He also used to urinate in the dinning room. I doused that spot with Nature's Miracle also. Then I bought some of those clear adhesive strips (at the pet store, I think they are to keep cats from scratching) & laid them across the place he was urinating. That pretty much stopped the problem with him.

MiMI is my other cat. She is very fussy about her litter. It has to be clean and she likes a lot of it in her box. If the litter is at a lower level than she likes she will make her BM somewhere else (urinating outside the box has never been her problem, thank goodness!)

Right now I am using two litter boxes. I keep one in the laundry room for Meuie and one in the bathroom for MiMi. I also switched to Cat Attract cat litter. It contains stuff that smells good to cats to help attract them to use the box. I clean their litter every day. I wash the box out with Lysol once a month.

[badger]

Cheribob, does Nature's Miracle work on wood?

[abbie4985]

I have a very similar problem with my cat Foxie. She is about 2 years old, and every chance she gets she pees on something. Whether it be chairs, towels, dirty clothes(or clean clothes), the bed, jackets...whatever. It always seems to be some type of fabric though. I have tried washing everything, spaying odor removers, Felliway spray (and the one that plugs in the wall) and NONE of it has worked. I love her to death, she is the cutest, sweetest cat, but I can't handle having to constantly clean up after her. Does anyone have any solutions at all??

[chico2]

abbie,I am assuming you've already had her checked for urinary problems,often if a cat has a problem peeing,she will pee wherever,whenever she can and might associate the litterbox with pain.
My cat(s?)spray,but fortunately(halleluja!!!)it's stopped 95%of the time,since I bought 2 Feli-Way diffusers,however if it is a medical reason she's peeing,the Feli-Way will not help.
Badger,to be honest I don't think Natures Miracle works that great,yes,it removes smells,but the cats still seem to be able to smell the pee,even though we don't,so it's not really a deterrent.
I am not sure if you mean wood-floors or furniture,but it should do ok on wood too.

[nichole_06_1988]

:sad:my cat jinx is almost 2 yrs old and is fixed ive had her and her brother since they were about 5 or 6 weeks old they shared a litter box and didnt mind that then wheni moved in with my bf she began to pee on his uniforms(hes military) i didnt really think anything of it cus they had just moved to a new place with a new person and it stopped soon afterwards but then i moved in with my sister cus i wanted to go back to school and ive been living with my sis and her 1yr old cat for almost a month now and jinx has been peeing on my bed its the same spot every time wether i use different blankets or use pet deoderizer sprays i think she might have an infection or somethign because i kinda caught her in the act she likes to sleep with me at nigth and when she layed down and went to sleep she went pee while she was still laying down she knows its wrong to pee there cus she immediately moves and goes to the litter box, but i cant afford to take her to the vet and it seems like its getting worse shes doing it more frequently in just the past 2days ive had to wash blankets 3 or 4 times i know she doesnt mean to do it cus shes laying down when it happens but i wanna help her i jsut cant afford vet bills is there anything i can give her to help her i cant switch her to wet food cus her brother pukes when he injests even the slightest bit of canned food and my sisters cat uses her own litter box and its getting frustrating haveing to do laundry twice a day and i know its hard on her....there isnt any blood in it as far as i can tell but i cant tell if its dark or light either cus the carpet and blankets are all dark colors....shes had it rough her whole life when she was younger she had respitory problems and then she had major worm problems now the bladder problem im really worried her brother hasnt seemed to have any problems like that the only problem he has is that hes overweight but ive tried putting him on a diet and giving him exercise even take him on walks and last time they were at the vet she said he didnt have anything to worry about but jinx i really wanna help her ive tried not giving her water at night ive tried moving the litter box tried using deoderizers i keep my sisters cat out of my room so they have at least my room to themselves.....i honestly dont know what else to do since i cant afford a vet visit please someone help

[growler~GateKeeper]

nichole_06_1988 sounds like Jinx really needs to see a vet, she should have blood & urine tests done and a urine culture done as well. This could be a complex medical issue or it could be a urinary infection that can be cleared up quickly, if it is neither and a behavioural issue you will have the starting point with the vet.

Please do not take away the water, cats normally do not drink very much water & can become dehydrated fairly quickly.

Find out if your vet will work out a payment plan, borrow from family or friends, use the credit card.

to Jinx & you, keep us updated on how she's doing

[rainbow]

I agree with Growler and most vets now offer Care Credit.....

http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/whycc.html

[badger]

Nicole -
If she's peeing lying down, it's an infection. No cat pees lying down if they can help it.
Just imagine having a urinary infection. You have to pee every two minutes and yet it hurts. So now imagine having to live with that day after day. And it will only get worse.
There are no home remedies. There is nothing you can buy at the pet shop which will help.
YOUR CAT NEEDS A VET.
There is always a way.

[OilersChelle]

I'm absolutely amazed at how many of you won't take your pet to the vet when they're doing something out of character. If your cat is urinating all over the place the it is likely that they have a urinary tract infection and/or a bladder infection. It could also be the sign of a tumor, among many other MEDICAL conditions.
Your pet needs to be looked at my a medical professional. Case closed! Animals don't typically change their behaviour without something triggering it. As much as you don't want them urinating around your house, they don't want to endure the pain that they're going through.


And to the person that was talking about their pet acting out and spraying, I have a simple solution. GET THEM NEUTERED! Your pet should be fixed at an early age. For male cats it prevents aggressive behaviour and spraying, and in females it prevents hemorrhaging. It's irresponsible not to have your pet fixed unless you're using them for breeding.