Can anyone help before my cat goes in diapers?

katerkat

I wine a lot...it makes me feel better
Joined
Jan 20, 2003
I am way past slightly annoyed right now. My one cat, Tycho, pees on the basement floor. A lot. For no apparent reason. And we know it's him and not the other cat because we've caught him.

He was just at the vet for his annual physical last week - no obvious issues, but I forgot to ask about his bladder since we hadn't had any incidents recently (so I thought.) I plan on making him a new appointment this week just to check his bladder and whatnot, but he's been doing this for so long that I don't think it's a UTI.

The couple of times I've caught him or found a new spot, I've rubbed his nose in it and told him NO. I then scrub the area and spray it down with Nature's Miracle. And then he moves on to another spot.

A couple of times, I've moved his litter boxes to accommodate his newest pee habits. Doesn't change anything. I scoop the two boxes every night and empty them and scrub them once a week. When he does use the box, he pees high on the side - doesn't squat at all. The spot where the boxes are located is covered in plastic shower curtains - floor and walls - to protect the ground. We've tried four different types of litter boxes, including a Littermaid.

He's never peed upstairs as far as I know, so it's not necessarily laziness - I mean, he has to go downstairs and all the way to the back of the basement, further than the litter box, to get to his newest pee spot.

Sometimes he pees on Russ's stuff - like today I found a nice huge section of Russ's play area rug had been peed on and several toys ruined. But sometimes he just chooses a corner with nothing in it, so it's not necessarily "revenge" for having a baby. (No, Russ hadn't been down there playing recently, and yes, I threw out the rug, shelves and toys that were peed on - that's why I'm so frustrated and he's so close to living in diapers right now!!)

As far as I can tell, nothing specific sets this off. I don't change his litter type, I don't change his food. He's flown back and forth to New Jersey several times with no serious issues. He's moved several times with us and this is the first house he's had issues in.

This summer I spent my time scrubbing every inch of the basement floor, priming it and painting it in order to mask any smells that may or may not have been setting him off. Obviously didn't help.

PLEASE, help! Any info I can have to discuss with the vet, anything. He's seriously close to diapers right now. When I was scrubbing the floor under the rug, I was nearly crying because I know I won't take him to a shelter - with his track record, he would never get adopted. But he's only 6 years old and I can't live with him peeing on my stuff for another ten years or so.
 
Is there another cat that he can see or hear? I saw something on TV one time where the cat felt insecure -because the neighborhood cats were coming into his yard.
They wiped him with a damp rag and then wiped the rag around door frames and places where he was marking. He could smell himself -so he did not feel the need to mark.
It's worth a shot ??
 
:grouphug: You sound like you are doing everything you possibly can for him.
I just really wonder if he has stones and maybe that is why he is peeing everywhere. You can try a urinary tract food for him one that prevents crystals. I have heard from others if it is behavior you can put him on a kitty prozac type pill. I'm sure you will get lots of suggestions here. Good luck to you.
 
My friend's cat did that and come to find out the cat is diabetic and that is a sign-excessive urination.
 


Is there another cat that he can see or hear? I saw something on TV one time where the cat felt insecure -because the neighborhood cats were coming into his yard.
They wiped him with a damp rag and then wiped the rag around door frames and places where he was marking. He could smell himself -so he did not feel the need to mark.
It's worth a shot ??

Maybe - we had a stray who wandered through our yard when this started three years ago. They would get in nasty hissing "fights" in the windows. But the stray has been gone for a while now- over a year I think, and he hasn't stopped. And we had a stray wander around in Mississippi that he howled at and he never peed in the house (except for his box) there. I will try the rag thing in his newest spots, though!

:grouphug: You sound like you are doing everything you possibly can for him.
I just really wonder if he has stones and maybe that is why he is peeing everywhere. You can try a urinary tract food for him one that prevents crystals. I have heard from others if it is behavior you can put him on a kitty prozac type pill. I'm sure you will get lots of suggestions here. Good luck to you.

I thought maybe too, but it's been going on for three years, and if it was a serious illness (which I think UTIs and stones would be!) he would have, well, gotten a lot sicker by now!

I've heard of Buspar (I think?) used in similar cases and it's definitely something I will ask about at the vet.

My friend's cat did that and come to find out the cat is diabetic and that is a sign-excessive urination.

Could he be pre-diabetic for three years? The only thing that makes me doubt a physical illness is the length of time that he's been doing this, and that it's somewhat sporadic. (He'll be good for months and then we find a new spot.)

I just looked up kitty diabetes and...I don't know. He doesn't drink an excessive amount of water. He is obviously male (though only half male ;) ) but he's not overweight at all, only ten pounds. Hasn't lost or gained weight recently. Lethargy, well, that would describe any cat beyond the kitten stage! :rotfl: But he's actually fairly active and plays with Russ a lot.

But definitely something to ask about!
 
I doubt pushing his nose in the pee would do anything to stop this behavior. You cat prob doesn't even realize he did something wrong, and other than getting his nose squished, it wouldn't stop his behavior.

If he's been doing this for 3 years, I would venture all the Nature's Miracle in the world, isn't going to make that smell disappear to his nose. If all the places have any scent to them, he'll prob continue this behavior.

It's possbile that three years ago, something unpleasant happened when he was in his litter box and he associates it with that, such as if a washing machine is near, something dropped, or he just plan didn't want to share smells with another cat. Once it's gone on for three years, it's very difficult to stop it.

Talk to your vet, make sure he's not a diabetic, no thyroid problems, and maybe he'll suggest a sedative..valum sometimes works.

This is one of the most frustrating things about owning a cat, and I really feel your pain.
 
I just went through this with my cat. We had all the tests and the cat is perfectly healthy. The doctor prescribed anti depressants for the cat and said it may or may not work. The cat was very smart at detecting the pill so I tried for a couple of week and then stopped. I figured I was fussing him up more.

I have tried everything but keeping him in the bathroom until he uses the litter box all the time. He was abused before we got him and I don't want to upset him more.

Thankfully we have tile floors. I have pads in his usual spots for when he decides not to use the litter box.
 


I know how you feel! Our cat Princess goes out of her way to pee out side of her litter box. I have talked to the vets on several occasions about it but they have nothing helpful to tell me. We clean her box, we make it convenient to get to but it doesn't help. I love her and know that with her weight and age problems she probably wouldn't get adopted again. So unfortunately she has to live her life in one room, which makes me sad because I know thats not much of a life for her, but she ruins everything if we don't. I don't know if its just to hard to get into the box, or if she's just being lazy. :sad2:
 
I know how you feel! Our cat Princess goes out of her way to pee out side of her litter box. I have talked to the vets on several occasions about it but they have nothing helpful to tell me. We clean her box, we make it convenient to get to but it doesn't help. I love her and know that with her weight and age problems she probably wouldn't get adopted again. So unfortunately she has to live her life in one room, which makes me sad because I know thats not much of a life for her, but she ruins everything if we don't. I don't know if its just to hard to get into the box, or if she's just being lazy. :sad2:

Sounds like ours. Cricket is about an 8 year old, very fat female and pees on the carpet constantly, nearly every day. Sometimes she uses her box. She almost always poops in her box, but will then pee on the floor. We can't figure it out. But we just had tile installed in one room and plan to move her into there full-time once we finish all the painting and trim work. If she goes on the area rug or the new couch she's gone. I'll find a crazy cat lady somewhere, but she already ruined the carpet in our old appartment and cost us our security deposit and is on her way to ruining the carpet in our new house.
 
I'm sure you've already considered this since he hasn't peed upstairs, but how about making the basement off limits to him? Is there a door you can close to keep him from going down there?
 
I wish I could help...Our oldest male Bebe has been peeing in the box but poo's outside the box on the floor next to it. We put clear vinyl on the floor so it's a quick clean up but still it sucks...

It just started 3 months ago. We are going to ask the Vet if his medication fr arthritis (Medicam) does this to him. I am also going to try some fiber rich food as well.

I hope you find a solution...

Is there a board on the net like the DIS but for pet care???
 
It had been my experience that once a cat starts doing that....they don't stop.:sad2: I have had persians all my life and the most beloved persian (Blue) developed a deep seated hate towards my husband..... She was a gift to me when I was 16 from my parents, this cat lived, loved and breathed just me for years.....when I met my husband it was hate on contact for Blue.:sad2:

She peed on every scrap of clothing he left on the floor (ONLY HIS!) and would bite him if he cuddled me in bed (she slept on my chest). This carried over to my children......she started peeing on THEIR stuff when they were born. I just put up with it, b/c she was so beloved but she finally died of kidney failure (genetic) a few years ago. I would never put up with that again from ANY cat.
 
Before we moved to Orlando, we had an old cat, Chessie, who had a terrible UTI. I discovered this when she started using the carpet in my dining room. The vet put her on medicine and special cat food and her problem cleared up. Unfortunately, even though I had the carpet professionally cleaned, she continued to have accidents and our other cat, Ginger, started going there as well. Eventually, Chessie died.

I had new carpet and pad installed in the house. A few months later, Ginger started peeing in the dining room again. Again, I had the carpet cleaned and she was banished to the basement except when we were home and could watch her.

Shortly thereafter, I put the house on the market for our move to Orlando. I had to purchase a large cat cage to keep Ginger and our other cat, Salem, in so that people could view the house without letting Ginger loose in the house.

Once we moved to Orlando, I decided to only allow our cats in the kitchen/great room area. DD is slightly allergic to them anyway and I didn't want to take a chance on it happening again. Things went well for about two years. Then, Ginger starting peeing on the area rug in the great room. I've had her checked multiple times by the vet. He said she is fine, just particular. I've cleaned the rug with everything I can think of. It hasn't helped. It may be that she doesn't want to share the box with Salem. I've tried having a second box, but it hasn't helped. So, I'm just waiting it out. Ginger is now 14 year old. When she is no longer with us, I will replace the rug. Until that time, I do a lot of cleaning.

I love my cats, but they are really difficult when they develop bad habits. Dogs are much easier in that respect.

Good luck, OP!
 
Thanks for the stories! (Though not the ones where they never stopped the bad behavior until death. :p He will stop or I will duct tape diapers to him!)

The thing that gets me, is once I find/clean a spot, he never goes back and pees there again. The rug I threw out today, had been peed on in three different non-overlapping spots over time as I cleaned it various times. The corners of the basement are entire lengths of the house apart, so it's not like he's smelling his pee from nearby or at the same spot. Of course, it also means instead of just cleaning one spot and resealing a portion of the basement floor when we move, we're going to have to reseal the entire basement floor. And walls.

He will pee in the box just fine for weeks and then... Argh. And he's still using the box during the time he's peeing in a corner or on a box - he has telltale pee up the side of the box. :rolleyes: And he always poops in the box - I have never once found poop outside it.

I'm wondering if maybe the previous owners had cats? But then, it doesn't bother my other cat, but he is also far more passive about things.

I'm definitely taking him to the vet this week for a full work-up. The good thing about pills is I'm going to my parents' for a couple months and they're experts at getting pills into cats, since their cat was on anti-anxiety drugs for a few years due to trying to bite off his own tail.

Oh, and I did think about shutting off the basement, but I'm afraid he will just start peeing upstairs and, well, I don't want to pay for new rugs (resealing the basement is going to be costly enough!) and I don't want him peeing in places Russ is on a regular basis. The basement is mostly storage and at this point, everything near the floor is in protective plastic boxes!

Sorry for the long posts - I'm mostly just venting after spending the day cleaning pee. And wondering how much it would cost to get him a permanent catheter. :rolleyes1
 
I feel your pain. I'm nursing a pulled muscle in my back from leaning over cleaning the hallway carpet. I was using the Nature's Miracle and the bluelight to douse the pee-spots. We have a pair of 3 year-old brothers that we got from the SPCA 6 months ago. One had cyrstals and a UTI. Not sure if it's just him or both peeing on the carpet. I'm rather irritated because I think this problem existed but wasn't disclosed to us. I think they would have been rather un-adoptable if they let prospective new owners that there was a problem like this.

Try this site for help: www.thecatesite.com

They may have ideas that haven't been brought up here.
 
My cat keeps peeing on our bathroom scale....I've now thrown away two scales!
 
I am way past slightly annoyed right now. My one cat, Tycho, pees on the basement floor. A lot. For no apparent reason. And we know it's him and not the other cat because we've caught him.

He was just at the vet for his annual physical last week - no obvious issues, but I forgot to ask about his bladder since we hadn't had any incidents recently (so I thought.) I plan on making him a new appointment this week just to check his bladder and whatnot, but he's been doing this for so long that I don't think it's a UTI.

The couple of times I've caught him or found a new spot, I've rubbed his nose in it and told him NO. I then scrub the area and spray it down with Nature's Miracle. And then he moves on to another spot.

A couple of times, I've moved his litter boxes to accommodate his newest pee habits. Doesn't change anything. I scoop the two boxes every night and empty them and scrub them once a week. When he does use the box, he pees high on the side - doesn't squat at all. The spot where the boxes are located is covered in plastic shower curtains - floor and walls - to protect the ground. We've tried four different types of litter boxes, including a Littermaid.

He's never peed upstairs as far as I know, so it's not necessarily laziness - I mean, he has to go downstairs and all the way to the back of the basement, further than the litter box, to get to his newest pee spot.

Sometimes he pees on Russ's stuff - like today I found a nice huge section of Russ's play area rug had been peed on and several toys ruined. But sometimes he just chooses a corner with nothing in it, so it's not necessarily "revenge" for having a baby. (No, Russ hadn't been down there playing recently, and yes, I threw out the rug, shelves and toys that were peed on - that's why I'm so frustrated and he's so close to living in diapers right now!!)

As far as I can tell, nothing specific sets this off. I don't change his litter type, I don't change his food. He's flown back and forth to New Jersey several times with no serious issues. He's moved several times with us and this is the first house he's had issues in.

This summer I spent my time scrubbing every inch of the basement floor, priming it and painting it in order to mask any smells that may or may not have been setting him off. Obviously didn't help.

PLEASE, help! Any info I can have to discuss with the vet, anything. He's seriously close to diapers right now. When I was scrubbing the floor under the rug, I was nearly crying because I know I won't take him to a shelter - with his track record, he would never get adopted. But he's only 6 years old and I can't live with him peeing on my stuff for another ten years or so.

I am having this problem in triplicat!!!!
My daughter passed away and I have her three angels up with me, two girls and youngest is a skitzy boy.

My older two were her cats left at home as they are in/out cats....two boys. Oldest 15 years old offender (persian/hymilian, he does get cystitis, but is fine now), her older girl, an abandoned cat, poopy offender, the others I have not caught.
Hers were always litter trained, she scooped every poop!

Well, my home is ruined! :headache: The doorways upstairs are marked, the back corners of the basement are poo'd, the door at the bottom of the bi-level steps someone is peeing big time!Same Ol' Mr Kitty I think.....

I have three litter boxes, one a liter,maid, one in the basement finished family room (Carpet) that was the girls potty.I think the one girl is pooping in the back wall area...

My husband wants them gone. The litter maid sticks on the front corner dumping everything down under it,,,,,THis one web site said a litter box for every two and even for everyone!!!! YIKES

The hall rug by bedrooms is drenshed and horrid smell. I scrub, I pat, scour, pick up poop and cry. But I can;t part with the only children she had.

Can't they all get along? Stop marking, they were all well litter trained except the oldest of mine, the persian Hymalian and he has a spot he abuses...I catch him marking all the bedroom doorways, the bottom door to the family level...Even pooping on the floor of the main bath!

Husband is ready to; he goes or that ^(*)&( goes!
My carpets are ruined.
I don;t think there is any help, it is all competetion.
But they climb up on me, touch my face with their paw. Come over and head butt a pillow off my head if I cover my head up. The older girl follows me in the yard. Even the cat fights ahve calmed dowm, old fart mr kitty, use to pick on the skitzy cat Samsom, because he knew he was terrified. Sammy out weighs him three times over and is 1/3 his age 5 vs 15????

dianne

http://www.hdw-inc.com/litterbox.htm
 
Good luck, KK. We are still going through this with Skye. We've tried the hormone spray, and the "urine spray" and they help, maybe a bit. She is taking buspar at least once a day. When I notice she is peeing again outside the box, we up it for a few days, and see a decrease in the behavior.
 
I am not a vet, but I work for a cat veterinarian and maybe some of the following will help. Try to all of this immediately and at the same time: Is there a cover on the box? Take it OFF. For various reasons, cats become frightened or wary of cover and our experience is that they serve no purpose except to keep the smell IN. Cats do not need privacy! So, if you have a cover, remove it immediately. Did you change the type of litter at all within the last 6 months? I suggest 2 boxes next to each other. One with a scoopable litter ONLY enough to cover ONE full corner; about 3 cups. Meaning,leave the plastic accessible to your cat to scratch/stand on. This very recently ended my overweight cat peeing outside the box. She went to the box, but would not stand on the litter!!! So, I had puddles everywhere all the time and it was ridiculous. I scoop that one twice a day and it doesn't get any messier than if it had several inches of litter because she always uses that corner and I have had virtually no issues since. The other litter box will just be another choice to use and you can either do the same, only one corner or with another kind of litter so that the cat has a choice of litter. They are very clean by nature, so this isn't revenge, or anythign like that. Rubbing their nose serves no purpose either. Nature's miracle is a good product, keep using it and I would also ask your vet about using something called Feliway. It's expensive, (40 bucks or so), but you use it either as a spray on things, or as a diffuser in an outlet. You could put it down there so the cat thinks they have already marked it. The other thing is to make sure that the cat's box is not next to the washer/dryer or anything scary. I would also remove any plastic around the boxes because it could be confusing the cat! Rather, lay newspaper down under the litter boxes and see what happens with the method I described above and the 2 boxes. This may sound like alot to do, but I am really hoping you will have success if you do it all at one time and show the cat in a calm manner the new boxes and see how it goes. Peeing on personal stuff is marking it. You probably have 2 issues. Don't know if this cat was first and you got another one, or if a baby came along later, but there are several ways to curb marking (the straight up marking) with drugs. If you vet won't work with you to try these, consider a 2nd opinion. They will need to do blood work to make sure your cat can tolerate a medication and then you can start on something and work your way up to stronger if needed. There are several meds that vary in strength. So, you can work to get this under control. But the peeing outside the box can be fixed once you find out what your cat needs. For some reason he is not liking the BOX or what is in it. So, that's why I suggested all of the above to see if he just wants the plastic! You can ask me any questions you wish. You can get through this! Best of luck.
 

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