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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / August 2008

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Inappropriate Peeing

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CatNipped - 22 Aug 2008 17:29 GMT
I've been owned by cats all my life and have never had this problem before
now.

The problem started when we rescued Hunter and he was kept in the upper
three bedrooms, bathroom and hall (we installed a door at the end of the
hall to keep him in and the other cats out).  He was an intact tom for the
first week and a half we had him until his "snip" could be scheduled.  I
wasn't surprised when he started marking his territory (even though our
current clowder, 2 girls and 2 boys, were already desexed) - that was pretty
standard behavior for a tom being placed in new digs.  We cleaned up with
"Nature's Miracle" whenever we found a new marking (we bought a black light
to look for stains not noticeable to the naked eye).

As most of you know, Hunter died suddenly, after we'd had him for only 5
weeks, from a blood clot "thrown" to his lungs - we had no idea beforehand
that he'd had myocardiopathy, 3 vet visits by two different vets didn't
detect it.

Even though we thought we'd cleaned thoroughly, apparently we didn't.
Somebody started peeing first in the guest bedroom where Hunter had spent
most of his time, then in DH's office which was Hunter's second favored
spot.  We cleaned again, thoroughly (I think I'm supporting the stock
holders of "Nature's Miracle" by now), but it continued.  So then we cleaned
yet again and closed off those two rooms (our house is big enough that the
clowder still has lots of room to roam despite that).

For a while that seemed to have solved the problem, but yesterday when we
got home somebody had peed all over the stair landing.  I know for a fact
nobody, not even Hunter, had sprayed there previously, so this couldn't be
somebody trying to overlay a scent mark.  DH thinks somebody may have been
playing, gotten too excited, or too involved, to make it the rest of the way
downstairs and into the garage to the litter boxes.

I'm now pretty much at my wit's end and don't know what else to do.  There
is absolutely *ZERO* tension in the clowder - everyone is great friends with
each other and they groom and play and sleep together, so I don't think a
Feliway diffuser will help (it didn't keep Hunter from spraying to begin
with when we were using it then).  Cleaning with "Nature's Miracle" doesn't
seem to help - they keep finding new places to pee.

DH caught both Archer (male) and Sammy (female) in the act of peeing in his
office, and I found Ozzy with a wet butt once, so it is different cats
spraying in different places.  This makes me think it's a behavioral issue
rather than a health issue like a UTI.  Archer, Demi and Sammy have all been
to the vet within the last couple of months and checked out just fine.
Jessie and Ozzy haven't, but haven't had any changes in eating or playing.

I really don't know what else to do at this point, so any other advice
anyone may have would be greatly appreciated.

Hugs,

CatNipped
cybercat - 22 Aug 2008 17:43 GMT
> I really don't know what else to do at this point, so any other advice
> anyone may have would be greatly appreciated.

The ONLY thing that has every worked for us was to confine the offender in a
small room with box, food, bed and toys until he/she is retrained to go in
the box. In your situation, where you are not sure who is doing it, I don't
know how you would do this. I guess you could chip away at it, meaning when
you catch somebody in the act, isolate them. What we did with Boo was visit
her and such, and after a day or so, let her out, next accident, back in
there. She has not peed inappropriately for months now. Good luck, I know
how frustrating this is. I love cats but do not want a catty smelling house.
CatNipped - 22 Aug 2008 18:01 GMT
> I've been owned by cats all my life and have never had this problem before
> now.

Sorry, that should have read *3* girls and 2 boys.

Hugs,

CatNipped
CatNipped - 22 Aug 2008 23:51 GMT
Gawds, I feel so guilty and so *STUPID*!!!

I wasn't marking territory, it wasn't stress, it wasn't UTIs....

We keep the litter boxes in our attached garage.  The door to the garage has
a cat door in it so the cats can come and go to their boxes.  The cat door
had somehow gotten switched over from "open" to "locked".  Neither of us
thought to check that since we never, for any reason, lock the thing - I
guess one of the cats brushed the little slide thingie when coming or going.
I had DH pop the slide lock off of it so it doesn't happen again.

Sheesh!  <smacking forehead>

Signature

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at:  http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/

> I've been owned by cats all my life and have never had this problem before
> now.
[quoted text clipped - 50 lines]
>
> CatNipped
cybercat - 23 Aug 2008 00:23 GMT
> Gawds, I feel so guilty and so *STUPID*!!!

Don't feel stupid, feel lucky. In your situation, if one of more of your
cats begins inappropriate elimination, you're $%#@ed!
CatNipped - 23 Aug 2008 01:48 GMT
>> Gawds, I feel so guilty and so *STUPID*!!!
>
> Don't feel stupid, feel lucky. In your situation, if one of more of your
> cats begins inappropriate elimination, you're $%#@ed!

Ain't that the truth.  I've always read Phil saying you have to watch their
elimination for signs of health problems, but how do you do that with 5 cats
and having to work 10 hours a day?  How the heck can you tell which cat used
what litter box?  If I see runny stools I know that there's a problem, but
not whose it is.  And do you know how much it costs to take *FIVE* cats to
the vet every time for every problem?  It's no wonder I'm always broke!

Hugs,

CatNipped
zob - 23 Aug 2008 09:55 GMT
>Gawds, I feel so guilty and so *STUPID*!!!
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
>Sheesh!  <smacking forehead>

Glad that's what it turned out to be.  You must have thought you were
going crazy with all your cats suddenly peeing everywhere!

Somnething similar happened to me several years ago when I went out of
town for a weekend, and when I came back home I  found cat poop and
pee in inapropriate places in my apartment.  I thought for sure it was
separation anxiety or some such foolish thing.

I discovered later that day that the door to the utility closet where
I had the litter box had somehow gotten shut.  Then I felt so bad for
my kitty!  Knowing him he probably held it for almost the whole
weekend and then felt ashamed for doing his business where he did.
Lesley - 23 Aug 2008 13:48 GMT
> Somnething similar happened to me several years ago

And me! But not so bad through it could have been. I was going round
my parents and Dave was out with friends and staying the night at
theirs, likewise as I was staying late and Dave wasn;t home I'd
arranged to sleep at my parents. Then Dave Mallet and his wife Helena
turned up so I blagged a lift off them and as we were going Helena
asked if she could use the toilet and I said "Yes but when you come
out can you make sure to leave the door open so the cats can get to
their box"

Next day I went to work, Dave met me for lunch and then headed home
when he got back he found Helena had forgotten to leave the door open.
Fugazi and Isis were standing by the bathroom door and he swears they
had their legs crossed. He opened the door and they flew into the
litter box- he says you could see the relief on their faces!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs
Spot - 24 Aug 2008 18:09 GMT
I found if you use straight white vinegar it helps cleaning up cat pee also.
You could follow up with it after using the natures miracle.  I pour it on
full strength let it sit for 8 hours then scrub up.

Celeste

> I've been owned by cats all my life and have never had this problem before
> now.
[quoted text clipped - 50 lines]
>
> CatNipped
Barb - 24 Aug 2008 21:35 GMT
I, too, have owned cats all my life and have never had this problem with
peeing out of the box until now.  I purchased the Rubbermaid high sided
litter box which so far is okay.  Today I thoroughly cleaned the litter box
area again, last week with a bleach solution and today Natures Miracle.
Even pulled off the molding and the stench was horrific.  Now I've painted
the area floor and walls with primer.  The litter pan is in a dedicated
closet with a cement floor.  I plan to buy a second Rubbermaid pan tomorrow.

Barb
Christie - 27 Aug 2008 01:33 GMT
I have a calico cat that I adopted from a shelter 10 years ago and I love
her very much.   A year ago she started peeing, on a wall, on a bed, on a
chair.   She still uses the litter box regularly.   Also, it isn't a heavy
pee, almost like she sprays.   Now I know boys spray, but a spayed girl?
And not until she is 10 years old?

I brought her to a couple vets and both put her on Prozac, she is better but
still pees occasionally.   The vet upped the dosage, still about 1-2 times a
week she will find a spot and pee, or just back up to a wall and squirt.
We have new carpeting and furniture and my mom said we'll have to put her to
sleep, we can't keep having her do this.

Any suggestions, perferably based on your own experience?   I need help ASAP
here.
Judy - 27 Aug 2008 03:56 GMT
>I have a calico cat that I adopted from a shelter 10 years ago and I love
>her very much.   A year ago she started peeing, on a wall, on a bed, on a
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Any suggestions, perferably based on your own experience?   I need help
> ASAP here.

Though I have no personal experience with what you're faced with, all I can
suggest is that you investigate the "no kill" shelters in your area. The
fact that your cat has a problem and you guys and your vet's haven't managed
to figure out what's going on, doesn't have to mean a death sentence for
this Calico girl.

There are other options.
Christie - 28 Aug 2008 01:06 GMT
> Though I have no personal experience with what you're faced with, all I
> can suggest is that you investigate the "no kill" shelters in your area.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> There are other options.

We have no "no kill" shelters in all of northern Wisconsin.  We have enough
problem with funding any type of shelter.   However, the bottom line is I
don't want her killed, I want to keep her.  I'm trying DESPERATELY to find a
solution to stop this behavior.  The vet has no other solutions.  We've gone
through every type of litter, but like I said she uses the box for all her
business.  This extra "light pee" is in addition.  She has no infection, the
vet said it is behavioral and Prozac was his only suggestion.  Which like I
said, she is peeing less frequently, but the dose can only be pushed up so
high for a cat.
cybercat - 28 Aug 2008 01:33 GMT
>> Though I have no personal experience with what you're faced with, all I
>> can suggest is that you investigate the "no kill" shelters in your area.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> was his only suggestion.  Which like I said, she is peeing less
> frequently, but the dose can only be pushed up so high for a cat.

Have you tried confining her to a utility room with her box, food, etc.?
Visiting her. Playing with her there. Letting her out after maybe half a
day, then putting her back in when she has an accident? This is the ONLY
thing that worked for us.
cshenk - 28 Aug 2008 02:36 GMT
"Christie" <phurrballs@yahoo.com> wrote in message

Christie, the only time I have had similar, it was kidney disease that
caused early onset senility.  It was before they had any good way to treat
it.  They can now, but it can (from what I hear) be very expensive.
Barb - 27 Aug 2008 20:13 GMT
I had a cat that did this when she was young.  I had her spayed and the
spraying ended.  You did not say if your cat was spayed or not.  You sound
young since your mother is calling the shots.  There are organizations
around that do low cost spaying.

Barb
---MIKE--- - 27 Aug 2008 23:04 GMT
The OP did state that her cat was spayed.

                 ---MIKE---
>>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
>> (44° 15'  N - Elevation 1580')
 
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