Urinating in Strange Places

Visitor Questions about Cats Avoiding Litter Box

Cat Urinating Outside Litter Box

In 2004, we bought a house and moved. Our cat, Casey, never adjusted well to the house. She would cry and urinate outside the litter box. So, we moved her back to the "old" house. She started peeing on the couch, while also using the box.

We took her to the vet and had her tested. Nothing definitive was found, although the vet thought some Cosequin would help. Up until about two weeks ago, she was on that with mild success. We decided to take her off the Cosequin since it didn't seem to be working as it should. I didn't want to leave her on it if it wasn't helping. She's social with the other cats, eats, plays, is vocal and is not lethargic. Is she just overly finicky or could something else be wrong with her? I want to do what's best for her, but don't want to "torture" her with multiple vet visits. Any help would be appreciated!

~~Susan

Expert Reply

Hi, Susan,

This is a good question and one that many pet owners have. It sounds like you've already had her tested, so it doesn't sound like a health issue. You mentioned that you had five cats in the past, so I'm wondering if you have other pets besides Casey. If so, do you have a litter box for each cat? Some cats will not use a box that another cat has used. Also, did you make any changes in the type of litter box or the type of litter during the time of your move? That could be another culprit.

There are some steps you can and should take to try to retrain her to use the litter box.

• Use a good enzymatic cleaner to thoroughly clean any areas she has soiled in the past.
• If she is not spayed, have her spayed.
• Isolate her in a small area with her litter box, food and water for about a week. Let her out after a week, but watch her carefully. A good time to let her out would be on a weekend when you are going to be home to watch her actions. The minute you see her urinate anywhere outside the litter box, carry her to the litter box and put her in it and isolate her in the contained area again for three to five days. Repeat process as many times as necessary.

In extreme cases, there is a surgery that works on some cats where you basically remove her sense of smell. However, it is only about 50 percent effective and can be quite invasive, so I'd use it as a very last resort, if at all.

Good luck!

~~Lori

Cat Urinating on Bed

I have four cats. One of them, Dazzling, is extremely attached to me and basically never lets me out of her sight. I brought our fourth and last cat, Monet, into the household approximately one year ago. That is when Dazzling began urinating on my bed.

I ultimately hired a cat behavioral specialist who was referred to me by my vet after I had Dazzling fully checked out to rule out any medical problems. We then kept Dazzling isolated in a bathroom with food, water and a litter box for approximately one month pursuant to the behavioral specialist's direction. During that month, Dazzling had to be on a leash with me when she was allowed outside of the bathroom.

The bad urinating behavior ultimately ceased. However, I was gone last weekend, and the day after I returned, Dazzling began urinating on my bed again and has urinated on my bed almost daily ever since. Can you speculate why?

I now have Dazzling isolated in the bathroom again and fear I will have to go through what I did with her last year. I thought this problem had been solved. I do suspect that Dazzling is still jealous of Monet, and it is evident that Dazzling does not like having Monet around me or on the bed.

I shut all four cats out of the bedroom during the daytime since Dazzling's most recent accident. Dazzling first urinated on the bed when I was not in the bedroom, but before I isolated her in the bathroom once again, she did it next to me while I was sleeping! Your input about how I can solve this problem would be greatly appreciated. I am so frustrated because I love all four of my cats, and they are all treated very well. They each have their own litter box, and my house is very large with three floors for them to play, roam and look out of the many windows.

Thank you~~ Lisa

Expert Reply

Hi, Lisa,

I'm so sorry that Dazzling is doing this. It can be truly frustrating when you love a pet with all your heart, yet that animal is destroying furniture or other items that cost hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars.

The first thing that came to mind when you said you'd been gone for the weekend was whether the litter box is usually scooped, and perhaps it wasn't while you were gone. I have a Siamese who is very persnickety about her litter box. If I do not scoop every day and change out her litter every few days, she simply finds somewhere else to go. It used to really frustrate me. She is such a sweet and wonderful cat in every other way. I finally learned that I have to scoop her little twice a day, that she is even picky about the type of litter, and that I must change her box every four or five days. If I do these things, she does not have accidents. If I am gone on vacation, it's a mess when I get home, but I just keep her contained so she doesn't ruin anything valuable.

Although it may seem like it, a cat doesn't usually urinate on your bed or elsewhere because he is mad at you, or because he is jealous. Instead, there is usually an underlying health or hygiene issue. Urinary tract infections are the most common cause of this kind of problem. Once you've ruled that out with your veterinarian, you need to look at other possible causes. Is it possible some form of trauma occurred to Dazzling while she was trying to use her litter box? For example, could Monet have attacked her since they don't get along?

Finally, I would start over again and use the tips the Behavior therapist gave you before since they've worked in the past. Once you have Dazzling retrained, watch the situation carefully and make sure her box is clean, nothing has changed and that Monet or another cat is not picking on her when she tries to use the litter box. I hope some of these ideas work, but if not, please don't hesitate to come back and post again. We can always brainstorm some more.

~~Lori

Cat Goes Outside Litter Box

Please help me and my cat. I'm at my wits end with him. I have a neutered male ginger that, despite being super cute, is driving me insane. He was potty trained by us as a kitten and has started to just go the toilet wherever and whenever! This has been going on for approximately a year now.

He used to meow when he needed to go to the toilet, but now he just sits there and doesn't make a sound and urinates/poops! He'll even look me in the eye sometimes! I have tried everything to deter this terrible behavior, but nothing seems to work. It's like he doesn't care he's being told off. We've had him checked out and there's nothing physically wrong with him, so I'm desperate. I love him dearly, but I cannot put up with this much longer. We are considering finding him a new home, but that is something I don't want to have to do.

~~Charla

Expert Reply

Hi, Charla,

My heart goes out to you. I once had a cat I'd inherited from my grandmother. On her deathbed, she made me promise I'd take care of this cat for her. He did some similar things and it was very frustrating, although we were able to work through it and kept him until he died of old age. The poop wasn't nearly as much of an issue as the urinating because of the smell involved with cat urine.

First, male cats are very prone to kidney stones, which can eventually be deadly. I would switch him to a cat food that will protect his urinary Ph and keep it in the desirable range of 6.4 to about 6.6. Hills does offer a food specifically formulated to help prevent urinary tract infections but there are other brands out there that accomplish this as well. Discuss the issue with your veterinarian to find the best brand for your cat.

Male cats also like to mark their territory (females sometimes do this too, though), but you mention your cat has been neutered, which should have lessened this type of behavior. The first step is going to be a thorough cleaning of the area with an enzyme cleaner. Cats will return to the same area and spray again and again unless you clean the area thoroughly in this way, and that means removing any and all scents.

Also, some cats refuse to use a litter box that isn't clean. Your cat's definition of clean and yours can be two different things, so experiment with different types of litter to see what works best for your cat. If you have more than one cat, each cat should have his own litter box.

Finally, confine your cat to a small space with the litter box for several days or even for a couple of weeks until he gets the hang of using the litter box again. You aren't, of course, ignoring your cat during this time as you'll be going into the room frequently to scoop his box and give him fresh food and water. Slowly reintroduce him to the rest of the house, watching him very carefully. If you see him squat or spray, take him firmly to the litter box and set him in it. Then confine him again.

Retraining a cat can take a lot of time and patience, but I can tell you really love him so I know you can do it!

~~Lori

After Declaw Male Cat Urinating Outside Litter Box

I recently adopted a two-year-old cat from the animal shelter. The first two weeks I had him he was perfectly behaved. This changed when I took him to be declawed. I had to change his cat litter due to his declawing. He seemed fine with the new litter for the first three days. Now, he uses the litter box to poop, but he won't urinate in it. He's peed on my shoes, my bed, my clothes, his bed and the floor.

I have two other cats and neither one of them ever do this. I have one covered and one uncovered litter box, both in quiet places. I did notice one of my cats doing "sneak attacks" on him when he tries to use the litter box. The first time he peed on the floor, I scolded him, picked him up and put him in the litter box. Now, he is a little wary of me too. I tried to stop my other cat from going near him when he's using the litter box, but I often end up scaring him too.

I feel so bad, because I know he is stressed with his new home and the surgery. I tried locking him in his own "room" but that seems to stress him out even more. Maybe he feels like he is being punished. I have been locking the other two cats in my room at night, so he has free access to the litter box. That seems to help, but he still acts like I am leaving him out. I use baking soda/litter deodorizer and maybe that irritates him. I will stop immediately, but why would he poop in the box and not pee?

~~J

Expert Reply

Hi, J,

I'm sorry to hear of the problems you're having. Many cats are very finicky about their litter box, and any change in litter, new animals, a new environment or even surgery can cause a cat to go outside of his box. This type of problem sometimes happens after declawing. The Journal of Veterinary Medicine did a study back in January of 2001 on 39 cats that had undergone an onychectomy (declaw). Of those cats, 33 percent had behavior problems immediately after surgery, such as avoidance of the litter box.

I have some tips for you, but I also want to encourage you to take the cat back to the vet and discuss his litter issues. This way the vet can rule out any infection in the paws or bladder/kidney issues.

First, you need one more litter box. It's always better to have a litter box for each cat in your home. Some cats are very finicky about their boxes and do not like to share. Second, the other cats need to stop attacking him when he is trying to use the litter box, or he will be afraid to use it and will simply go anywhere he feels safer, which may be your bed or shoes.

Second, even if it seems as though he doesn't like it, I would still contain him with the new litter box in a small room, such as an extra bathroom. This will give him limited choices of where to go and help him get into the habit of using the box again. Make sure you scoop the box often and change the litter at least once a week. Hopefully a solid week of this conditioning will help your situation.

His paws are probably still very sensitive, so it may really hurt for him to scratch at the litter to cover his urine and feces (a natural instinct for cats). His behavior may naturally improve as his paws heal. In the meantime, keeping him confined will likely help or at least protect the rest of your home.

Finally, when you are able, switch back to the litter he was using without problem before. Don't switch all at once, though. Start with a 25 percent old litter to 75 percent mixture of current litter. After a few days, change the box to 50 percent and 50 percent. Continue this in 25 percent increments until you are back at 100 percent on the original litter type.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find these suggestions helpful.

~~ Lori.