Cat peeing in inappropriate places

[mybeau1999]

Have any of you had an indoor cat urinate in inappropriate places? What changes did you make to help the behavior stop? I’m willing to try anything.

Said cat is an almost 2 year old, neutered male domestic long hair. I got him from animal control at 8 weeks old. He wasn’t litter trained then, but picked it up quickly and I didn’t have a problem with him until he was a little over a year old.

First, he started pooping on the rug under the dining room table. It was every now and then at first, then became almost everyday. That went on for a little bit until I finally just threw the rug away. Behavior stopped. (I’m also not as concerned about the poo since it’s easier to clean up than urine.)

Then, in the course of a week he peed on our guest bed, my dog’s bed (dog doesn’t bother that cat at all, by the way), and an upholstered chair that I had to throw away. At that point I took him to the vet, who could find nothing wrong with him. I expressed my frustration and the vet recommended putting him on Amitriptyline. He’s been on that for about a month and a half now and while it’s helping, he’s still having problems with the litter box occasionally.

Most of the time he’ll poop in the living room (adjacent to the dining room he used to poo in), although a couple times he has peed there. He has also peed on my dog’s bed again and on throw rugs in the bathroom.

We do have another cat, so we have 3 litter boxes throughout the house. I’ve changed the litter (currently using a wheat litter), changed box locations, rewarded him for using the box, etc. but he’s still not quite getting it.

I’m moving next week and hoping the stress from it doesn’t REALLY set him off! Ive tried the Feliway diffuser, which didn’t seem to help. I’m going to try a calming collar for the move.

Any suggestions for curbing this behavior? Should i take him to another vet for a second opinion? They did not do bloodwork last time. Can pooping outside of the box signal a health issue like peeing does?

Worst comes to worst - I’ll try to make him a barn cat, although he doesn’t strike me as the barn cat type. I just can’t have this behavior continue… I’m afraid he will ruin more furniture.

[CindyCRNA]

Do you clean your litter boxes daily? Try Cat Attract. I have heard good things. It helped our cat “remember” where the litter box was when she was elderly.

[jetsmom]

Uti? Pain from a Uti can make them associate the litter box with pain, so they won’t go there to poop either.

[ASBJumper]

@mybeau1999;8912850

First, he started pooping on the rug under the dining room table. It was every now and then at first, then became almost everyday. That went on for a little bit until I finally just threw the rug away. Behavior stopped. (I’m also not as concerned about the poo since it’s easier to clean up than urine.)

Then, in the course of a week he peed on our guest bed, my dog’s bed (dog doesn’t bother that cat at all, by the way), and an upholstered chair that I had to throw away.

Most of the time he’ll poop in the living room (adjacent to the dining room he used to poo in), although a couple times he has peed there. He has also peed on my dog’s bed again and on throw rugs in the bathroom.

Yeah, cats REALLY prefer not to go in places where they can’t bury or hide their business… sounds like he’s in pain or super stressed.

Also sounds like he’s seeking out very soft places to go… is he declawed, per chance?

[DrBeckett]

Cats stress when you move a footstool across the room. Stress is a huge issue with inappropriate elimination. I have found that fluoxetine works pretty nicely. But definitely have your vet do a urinalysis and bloodwork first.

[mybeau1999]

Yep, I clean the boxes at LEAST once a day. I’ve used cat attract before, with varying results… maybe I’ll give it another try though, especially with a move coming up.

I’ve taken him to a vet who ruled out a UTI with a urine analysis. Could a more in depth look with bloodwork show a UTI? His vet wrote it off as a behavioral problem, but from reading other threads on here, I see that this is very rarely just a behavioral problem. Maybe I’ll have to get a second opinion.

[mybeau1999]

He has his claws - I do clip them when they get very sharp, though.

[TC3200]

Go to Tractor Supply or Big Lots and buy 1 or more big new litter boxes. Replace 1 or more existing boxes. Bleach the old ones and sun them and keep them for spares. See if the cat goes back to using a brand new box. Might be odors in the old plastic boxes themselves that the cat doesn’t like. I just did this and it solved all problems.

I have 2 spare boxes now. When I dump a box, I scrub it and take it out of service. I fill a spare with clean litter and put it in service. I use Tractor’s Paws & Claws brand litter only. Cheap, controls odors, cats all like it, not much dust, no perfumes.

Tractor Supply and Big Lots have affordable litter boxes. Big Lots has a big $15 hooded box, if you have really large cats. Tractor Supply has deep boxes for $6-8, I think, and a hooded one for $18 or so. (The Big Lots box is roomier than the common hooded ones found elsewhere. Made in China, though.) At $8 to $15 or even $20, I was able to solve the pee problems with new litter boxes for less than $40.

My other thought is bullying. Your other cats might harass this new one for using any litter box whatsoever? I solved that problem with a cat playpen cage and a litter box in it. My female cat calls that cage her abode, and it’s her litter box. The other cats sneak in and use it, but SHE uses it, instead of my carpet, and that is the most important thing. What-ever, Cats. Just use a box, any dam box. Lol!

[mybeau1999]

I have switched out his litter boxes before - new boxes don’t seem to help. I even tried the biodegradeable ones for a while. However, I am going to try a larger box. The current boxes are the largest petsmart carries, but I’m going to try a Rubbermaid or something similar because he is a big cat (16lbs - the vet thinks he’s a Maine coon blend).

The cat in question, Mulligan, is my original cat. The other, Chase, was adopted when Mulligan was about 6-7 months old. So, it’s not like he was the only cat for years and then I threw in a kitten. Chase does mess with Mulligan a bit - I wouldn’t call it bullying… he just wants to play more than Mulligan does. If anything has transpired between the 2 of them regarding the litter box, I’m unaware. I haven’t seen anything, but it very well could happen when no one is home.

TC3200, can you explain the playpen cage more? In case I end up trying something like that. Thanks! I’ll also try the paws and claws litter if the current wheat litter we’re trying ends up being a flop.

[Pep_n_Ann]

I love cat attract. My girl would occasionally pee inappropriately till we started using it. I get the bottle of herbs and just add it to cheap tidy cats litter. I also 2nd a bigger box. She is much happier with a giant, uncovered box.

[Beethoven]

How tall are the sides of the box? Does the cat jump well? Usually in older cats, you can see that arthritis can prevent them from using the box as it hurts to step into if the box has tall sides. I realize he is not old, but there is a condition that can affect younger male cats.

I would get another UA done. What kind of food does he eat?

[mybeau1999]

[QUOTE=Beethoven;8915521]
How tall are the sides of the box? Does the cat jump well? Usually in older cats, you can see that arthritis can prevent them from using the box as it hurts to step into if the box has tall sides. I realize he is not old, but there is a condition that can affect younger male cats.

I would get another UA done. What kind of food does he eat?[/QUOTE]

The boxes are all probably about 5-6" tall… they’re all very standard. What is the condition that can affect them?

He does not have any problems jumping, he eats on top of a counter-height cabinet and jumps up there with ease.

They eat Purina One Indoor Formula, which is turkey based. I don’t free feed them because Chase has a tendency to get a little chunky, but they get multiple small meals throughout the day.

[Simkie]

Cosequin is worth a shot. It’s cheap and well tolerated. If he’s got some sterile cystitis going on, that will help.

Also consider switching his diet to wet food only.

[mybeau1999]

[QUOTE=Simkie;8915715]
Cosequin is worth a shot. It’s cheap and well tolerated. If he’s got some sterile cystitis going on, that will help.

Also consider switching his diet to wet food only.[/QUOTE]

Thank you! This type of cosequin?: https://www.chewy.com/cat/dp/101450?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Nutramax&gclid=CjwKEAjw-uDABRDPz4-0tp6T6lMSJADNoyPbzfMMdad6GoF2oLz2SskivnnMM3rDhLN7kSoi_lij4xoCdsXw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Do you know if people usually sprinkle it on their food or pill them?

Also, just last night I read about the wet-food diet for urinary trouble and I was planning on going to the pet store is morning before work to pick some up. Do you have any wet food recommendations? My cats have always eaten dry.

[mybeau1999]

I picked up some Proplan Urinary Health wet food, so he’ll get started on that this evening when I get home from work. Should I go ahead and give it to BOTH cats? So they’re both properly hydrated?

Also, would it be ok to leave some dry food out during the day so they have something to snack on while I’m working?

I was doing some reading about the amitriptyline - apparently a side effect of that drug is urine retention. The vet thinks the innapropriate peeing is a behavior problem, but if it’s not, wouldn’t the drug be doing more harm than good?

[mybeau1999]

I was greeted by a rather large pee spot on my bed tonight when I went to climb in. Calling the vet in the a.m. for a urinalaysis/further testing. Ugh :mad:.

[Simkie]

[QUOTE=mybeau1999;8915730]
Thank you! This type of cosequin?: https://www.chewy.com/cat/dp/101450?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Nutramax&gclid=CjwKEAjw-uDABRDPz4-0tp6T6lMSJADNoyPbzfMMdad6GoF2oLz2SskivnnMM3rDhLN7kSoi_lij4xoCdsXw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Do you know if people usually sprinkle it on their food or pill them?

Also, just last night I read about the wet-food diet for urinary trouble and I was planning on going to the pet store is morning before work to pick some up. Do you have any wet food recommendations? My cats have always eaten dry.[/QUOTE]

Yeppers on the cosequin. I have always sprinkled it on the food.

As for wet food, pretty much anything–any quality–is better than dry. Kitties have a piss poor thirst instinct, and are supposed to get their fluids with their food. So whatever you can afford is good. I personally feed a whole lot of Hound and Gatos chicken, which is really nicely priced for the quality. (I buy on Chewys!) Wild Calling is another great brand. But if Friskies or Fancy Feast or Meow Mix is better for your budget, that’s okay too

Oh, if you find you have dry food addicts who aren’t keen on wet, www.catinfo.org has some ideas for you

[TC3200]

The standard Cosequin formulaton, or maybe it’s the original one, is only $8 or so at Walmart. The “Professional” formulation sold elsewhere for more money like $15 - $20, has an extra ingredient that is anti-inflammatory. I’ve tried both and they work equally well for my arthritic cat. She is the one with the Cat Playpen and had the worst pee and mental problems. Cosequin really helps her enormously, but I’m being honest when I say it doesn’t matter what formulation I give her. Both work.

Cat playpen is a Midwest Homes for Pets circa 2002 model. They redesigned it and put wider benches in it. What I like about my older one, for a cat who raises her rump or stands on the edge of the box to pee, is the base is a big deep rolling trough or pan with high sides. Tape plastic to the wire walls surrounding the litter box, and any pee overshoot stays contained in the cage.

The current model looks like a shallow pan and I just wonder how well it will work for a sprayer or a cat who pees over the side of the box.

Cost ranges from $100 to $130, which is what they were selling for in 2002 when I bought mine. Mine held up well until just a few months ago when the plastic base cracked and one metal clip rusted off. The wire cage part is good. I just need to make a new mobile base because no replacement part is available so many years later.

Other companies make them. Cat playpen is what most call theirs.

[Sortaleggy]

antibiotics?

We have an older cat who was peeing on the bed – ours and hers. Urinalysis showed nothing but the vet gave her a shot of antibiotics and the problem was solved so she did have an infection, just not a huge one. It’s been 6 months and all is still good.

[Lazy_Palomino_Hunter]

[QUOTE=mybeau1999;8915986]
I picked up some Proplan Urinary Health wet food, so he’ll get started on that this evening when I get home from work. Should I go ahead and give it to BOTH cats? So they’re both properly hydrated?

Also, would it be ok to leave some dry food out during the day so they have something to snack on while I’m working? [/QUOTE]

If my inappropriate pee-er gets any dry food at all, he’s right back to peeing on my couches and beds.

Cosequin + Rx urinary tract health canned food + daily litterbox scooping keeps him 99% under control.