How to stop a cat from peeing in the house

[skating]

Hello,

We have an 11 month old male kitten who was neutered around 6 months and in the past few weeks has begun peeing in garbage bags, any baskets/buckets he can find, on dog beds, and on the carpet. Does any one have any suggestions of how to stop this? Is it possible he is trying to mark his territory even though he is fixed?
Thanks

[Poppy]

I have a 2 year old Bengal who has this behavioural problem as well. Apparently, and I did not know this prior to getting Ed (the Bengal), this is fairly common for his breed. Anyway, the only way we have been able to control it it by giving him daily doses of amitriptaline (spelled that wrong I think). It is in a gel formula that I rub on the inside of his ear so it can be absorbed into his system. Much better than giving a pill and a hell of a lot better than having to deal with cat pee on clothes, beds, etc.

[Lucky Rescue]

skating, the first thing you need to do is take your cat to the vet, especially since this just started not long ago.

Urinary tract problems are very common in neutered males, and he may have an infection or crystals in his urine. This causes great discomfort and will make a cat avoid the litterbox!

[buriedinfur]

I agree totally with Lucky - but to add territorial marking in cats is generally spraying, which is done on vertical surfaces ie the wall (my friends cat did the TV once, didn't impress her very much) whereas peeing on horizontal surfaces ie the floor or things on the floor is due to a myrad of other things. But first rule out the bladder infection, it is a must to do.
Good luck!

[skating]

thanks guys. I'm calling the vet today to make an appointment. What other things could it be if he doesn't have a bladder infection?

[Poppy]

It could be entirely behaviorally-based, not physical. You may have to consider treating him with meds; are you OK with that? For us it has become part of the daily routine and Ed doesn't even mind anymore, after all he gets his ear scratched

If I recall correctly, I don't think FUS creates these symptoms. FUS is more obvious and painful.

The other thing to consider is having two litter boxes, one with clumping and the other with regular clay litter. Maybe he just wants options?
Good luck with the vet and let us know what happens!

[Lucky Rescue]

If he has no crystals, stones, or other urinary problems, let us know and we will have suggestions for you!

And yes, any of these can cause pain, which is what makes the cat pee outside the box. He is looking for a surface to pee on that won't cause pain, since he thinks the litterbox itself is what is causing it.

[buriedinfur]

Well, a milder case of FUS/FLUTD can cause these symptoms, it is only if he was completely blocked that he would quickly go downhill, with extreme pain in the abdomen, inability to pee, vomiting, lethargy ect.
Hope that the news is good!

[jenjen]

What exactly is this gel you rub in the ear?? I would like to know because my female cat has a problem with peeing in the house. And now that we have the kittens they think its ok to pee where she has peeeeeeed. We have had her checked and there is no problem, so i'm guessing its attitude. I would love to know what this gel and maybe stop the stinkyness.

[Poppy]

the gel is amyltriptaline....it's actually used as an anti-depressant in humans. It's only for last-resort inappropriate peeing. We did all kinds of other things first; ie., variety of litters, several litterboxes, etc. He always has used the litter for his poos and often for his pees - he was unpredictable though. If someone came over and put their coat on the bench, he would pee on it because it does not smell like home (I guess). I recently bought a huge new suitcase, went off on business for two weeks with it, came back and he peed in it! As long as we don't miss a dosage, he is about 95% reliable.

[skating]

Hey!

I brought the kitten to the vet today and he does have a bladder infection, so now he has medication and special food. Silly cat! I got him to use his litter box once already today though! Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

[jenjen]

thanks for the info......Where is it that I can get this gel? We have 4 litter boxes in the house, but she still pees in very odd places. Its almost like she does it for attention. She has peeeed on my kitchen table and on my bed, but medically there is nothing wrong with her. There big pees too. I'd like to get the gel and see how it works but I would like to know a little more about it. If you could tell me more about this drug ie:whats the cost, where can I get it and if there are any side effects that would be greatly appreciated!

[Poppy]

You have to get this gel from the vet. It's a prescription.....it costs about $20 for 2 months worth.

[jenjen]

Thanks a bunch for the info Poppy......I will ask my vet about it and see if it works. If it doesn't work then I guess its safe to say she calls the shots

[TalonsMa]

Talon started peeing outside the litter box when he has urinary tract infection too! Poor guy, the vet explained the associate the pain with the litter box. We enedd up having to buy him a completely new box. As well, please make sure you give your kitty all the medicine the vet prescribed! My vet (for some reason) did not give us enough, and the infection came back and I had to take poor Talon in again.
He is okay now, and on low magnesium food recommended by our vet. This happened well over 3 years ago, and Talon has been fine snce, thank goodness!

[chico2]

I just want to say,one of my cats,was among other things also spraying in the house and had an aggression problem,he was on Clomipramine,which also comes as a gel,easy to apply in the ear.
However,there was really no changes in him and he ended up having about 4 seizures,so of course I stopped giving it to him after about 2 months.
There are sometimes side-effects,different ones for different cats,the vets don't even know about them.
Rockys ear at times also got irritated and red,even though I used alternate ears.The seizures were very scary,I thought he was going to die
Now,instead of meds,I try to train him and I think he now knows,spraying is not ok,all I need to do is say"Rocky no"in a stern voice and he'll run off.
Of course I am home with them all day and can keep better eye on him at all times.
Those meds are like antidepressants and you should be very watchful for side-effects.

[bree1976]

I noticed someone had said that indoor peeing is an issue with bengals. I am interested because you 5 year old female who is declawed and fixed is peeing on the walls. Not always the same spot. Not all the time but no disruptions or anything obvious causing anxiety. I do have a vet appointment this weekend but thought I would get some opinions first. I think the meds would be a good option for her. Spraying with water and rubbing her face has done nothing. I will also try an additional litterbox with different litter. She isn't a cat who learns from spanking so that isn't done anymore nor does she seem to learn from water, Both seem to make her more defiant. I am nervous because the man of the house wont let her stay if the issue isn't resolved. Any info specific to Bengals would be appreciated as well. Wish me luck!

[jesse's mommy]

Ummmm, you may want to start a new thread about this. This thread is two years old.

Also, spanking and spraying a cat WILL make them more defiant and stress them out which will cause problems.

[LibbyP]

Jesse's mommy, that's so funny, I didn't even look at the dates, I just thought WOW there are alot of peeing cats right now, including mine darn her

[bree1976]

I've never posted anything before. I just found the subject by search and thought I'd ask. I will try to get it to a different thread. Is there any way to move it to a new thread or a newer one? I read here you can only post your question once.

[Stacer]

i think the only posting once rule applies to those who post the same question in several categories. I think if you started a new thread in this category you would be OK.