HELP! I'm being Pee Flooded!

[2DogsFarm]

Firstly:
Cat has been to the vet (Monday).
Bloodwork indicates kidney issues. Liver values also out of whack, but vet thinks kidney problem is the cause.
No infection, no crystals, urine is more dilute than s/b. And he’s down 2# from last year’s vet visit - not good for an 8# cat
This is Stripes.
11yo, adopted a year ago, no litterbox issues until last week, when my front hallway had a good-sized puddle. TG for laminate
No straining in the box - which is still in use for both urine &
But the hallway & a bathroom carpet were christened. Door to bath is now closed, hallway has a garbage bag covering the chosen spot.
Bag was anointed this morning while I was out

I got RX Royal Canin Renal canned food today & Huzzah! he eats it.
Vet wants to recheck in 6wks, so not dire.

In the meantime, what can I do to protect my floor? Edges of a “board” are already beginning to lift
This can be fixed w/superglue & weight once it’s established as a No Pee Zone.
I tried an enzymatic spray & while it’s very pleasantly scented, doesn’t stop him from using the same spot.
Long time ago, a NoKill shelter advised using liquid douche to prevent a neutered male spraying & it worked.
So unless someone here has a better idea, I guess douche will be my next purchase
This is the Serial Pee-er:

[OzarksRider]

Can you put down some puppy training pads where he pees? You can also find protective pads in the pharmacy department at Walmart with the incontinence supplies. Also, I wonder if he would use the litter box if you placed it in his new preferred spot?

Does he share the litter box with any other cats? Does he have access to more than one litter box?

[BrownDerby]

I’m so sorry you and Stripes are going through this. We know cats want to be clean; something must be bothering him…

Cats love peeing on plastic bags. Puppy pads or medical bed pads (for invalids) are cheaper and larger. Or old towels or whatever over the plastic.

Good luck on his next check up. I really admire you for adopting an older cat.

[3PonyFarm]

He looks like a sweet boy. I hope you find a solution.

[2DogsFarm]

He’s shared the house with the cat I had before him. For a year this weekend & never a problem with litterbox use
That one is also a shelter cat, but I got him @ 6mos, he’s now 10.
They’re not BFFs, but coexist fine.

I might try the puppy pads, but not putting a litterbox in my hall.
@OzarksRider Maybe the pads they use for bedbound patients
It’s a small house already, LR & open plan kitchen/DR right off that hall.
I’m not Martha Stewart, but I won’t live like that

@BrownDerby The shelter has a Srs for Srs program.
He came FeLu/FIV tested, microchipped & they covered a wellness visit at my vet a week after I got him.

[SusanO]

Diabetes?

[Leather]

How many litterboxes do you have and what type (size, covered, etc.)? The general rule of thumb is 1 per cat + 1, and they shouldn’t be in the same area. Sometimes middle-aged cats start to get some arthritis and need lower sides or a larger box to maneuver in. I now use underbed storage totes because they’re cheaper and bigger than most litterboxes.

Feliway plug-in diffusers can be helpful for some “inappropriate elimination” situations.

Has anything else in your life/routine changed recently? When COVID hit and my husband and I were working from home our indoor rescue cat (got him at age 10 about 6 months beforehand) started peeing on things. He was stressed by the change and after ruling out all physical issues and trying some environmental things (got a cat tree, did more play sessions, switched out litters, etc.) we wound up putting him on anxiety medication (clomicalm). It has made all the difference in the world. Not saying this is similar, just throwing that out as an option.

[Simkie]

Oh boy, I’m sorry. Kitty pee problems are the worst

Kitties that don’t go potty in the box get pretty limited privileges around here. Can you lock him in a bathroom, or a large crate? Does he pee anytime, or only a specific time?

I also had a Stripes. He was a super kitty cat but came with kidney issues from kittenhood. He peed in weird places overnight, so went to bed in a cat tower.

[risuenaVT]

If you do go the pee pad route, you may want to consider washable/reusable pee pads - I’ve got one with bad litterbox manners (she requires a pristinely clean litterbox and her brother has never seen a freshly cleaned or scooped box he couldn’t christen. And she refuses to go near the self cleaning litter box…).

If you go the reusable route, I’d recommend Pet Parents. They’re absorbent and the bottom is waterproof. The pupiboo ones I got off amazon are pretty, but don’t actually have a waterproof layer at the bottom, so are kinda useless (I think the bottom is water resistant, but that’s not good enough!). They’re easy to clean and I put dirty ones in an empty kitty litter container with some water and soap and enzymatic cleaner until I have enough to do a load of laundry and problem kitty is happy to do her business on them. Much better than having to mop frequently or finding unexpected wet spots.

I wish I had advice on figuring out why your cat is all of a sudden doing this, but I never have figured it out with my girl - it predates her kidney issues - and she’s 18 and set in her ways at this point.

[2DogsFarm]

@SusanO Glucose was low, diabetes wasn’t mentioned by the vet.
@Leather I’ve had as many as 3 cats (in a 1 BR city apartment) & never more than 1 litterbox.
Shelter didn’t mention any issues & for the year Stripes has been with me, he’s used the box faithfully. I also got an underbed tote because it’s larger than purpose-made litterboxes & sides are lower.
I’d try Feliway, but I’m thinking the cause is physical. This is a pretty laid-back cat.
No changes in my routine at all. Being retired with not much of a Social Life, I’m pretty clockwork for my animals.
@Simkie I’d hate to confine him. He doesn’t do a lot of roaming, tends to pick a spot in the house & spend his day there. I think he’d be more upset being restricted to a room. And, as I said: small house 🤷. As far as I can tell (& I’ve pretty much been in the house most of the day) he pees at no specific time. Just Whenever.
@risuenaVT Thanks, I’ll see if I can find a washable underpad.

Sigh…
Just finished treating a horse for a scratched cornea & now this
Chickens & pondfish better stay healthy!

[Simkie]

@2DogsFarm

He doesn’t do a lot of roaming, tends to pick a spot in the house & spend his day there

In that case, can you take a small x pen and confine him to his place, with a box? Then he’s still a part of everything and not banished, but his opportunities to pee are really limited.

Ime, if they’re peeing outside the box they don’t stop until you’ve addressed why. Cat pee sucks

[2DogsFarm]

I can try that, but he’s pretty agile, jumping onto my counter tops
I don’t think an Xpen would keep him in.
Hmmmmm… I think I still have a large crate I got when I got the other cat & intended him to be a barncat.
Major Fail He has zero interest in being outdoors.
I may try confining Stripes to that crate if I can fit a litterbox, food & water in it.

[Simkie]

Big crates are great!!!

If you can stomach a purchase, the cat tower crates are awesome for these issues. We have a couple, but this Amazon one is stellar (esp for the price!)

Amazon Basics Large 3-Tier Cat Durable,Pliable Cage Playpen Box Crate Kennel - 35.8"L x 22.4"W x 50.6"H, Black https://a.co/d/3IrThrP

[2DogsFarm]

That’s not outrageously priced & might be the answer until kidneys are under control.
Thanks!

[OnAMission]

I have had a few old cats that lost their compass; I went to 2nd hand or dollar stores and got cheap towels that I put in the “places”. Pulled them daily, washed them and put them back. I’ve never had any luck with an animal ever going on pee pads but a towel, or a plastic bag on a towel, or feed bag? I don’t know what that’s about. It at least keeps it off the floor while you figure out what is going on. I always thought I was going to crate them but I didn’t have the heart for it.

[4horses]

Usually I tape puppy pads up the walls and overlapping in any problematic areas. That way any messes are off the floor. Also a large plastic impermeable mat helps, but if it leaks under the edges of the mat that can create more problems then it solves. So you really need a mat plus puppy pads.

[Angela_Freda]

Id put a box where he’s going for the time being and definitely at least one box:one cat.
One box for all works until it doesn’t.

If he uses the box placed where he’s creating a lake, that tells you something.
Have you tried deeper litter, or clumping to avoid him choosing out if the box because it will lake the box?
If you have guests and don’t want a litter box there, move it for their visit and replace when they leave.
It’s not like the box will live there long, just til you get this issue resolved.

[Angela_Freda]

@2DogsFarm

In the meantime, what can I do to protect my floor? Edges of a “board” are already beginning to lift
This can be fixed w/superglue & weight once it’s established as a No Pee Zone.

Isn’t the point of these floors that the wet doesn’t get under/between and that one can easily swap out a board?

[2DogsFarm]

🤷Maybe

[JB]

If the spot is the same, then work for now with a pee pad of some sort. We went through 2 CKD kitties who decided the litterbox wasn’t ok, but at least they decided the bathroom itself, where the litterbox was, was fair game. We used human bed pads which are larger than dog pee pads, and washable, so they could get used a few times (because they’re big) before washing, so we rotated 4 through there

Unfortunately one of those kitties also chose a spot on a rug (rug on hardwood, not wall to wall carpet) and the remedy was putting a pee pad underneath it, and then one on top. Overflow was at least not ruining the hardwood, though yes we still do have some damaged areas on the rug. But compared to the scratches on the wood floors from years of dogs, a few pee stained replaceable rugs is nothing.