I’m sorry if this is jumbled…I am trying to write this quickly. I know lots of folks on the SD are cat lovers, and nearly all of you are probably smarter than me! Any advice is appreciated. Too, I’m sorry if this is in the wrong forum.
My brother’s family has a cat. For the last (more than five) years she has been peeing places she isn’t supposed to. My brother is sick of it and wants to put the cat down. (Well, he doesn’t want to…but he thinks it must be done.) My sister in law loves the cat and is completely opposed to doing this. I think they have tried everything…they’ve taken her to the vet-she didn’t have a UTI, or whatever the cat equivalent is… and she was for a time on some kitty drug that was supposed to help (it didn’t.) They have tried keeping the cat in one room (with a linoleum floor.) She has been “crated” (a big dog crate) at night, when they think she has been peeing. She has always been an indoor cat…but they made a little area she could go outside and not roam too far, or be bothered by other cats/dogs etc. My sister in law is in tears right now cleaning up cat pee because the cat peed in her son’s bike helmet. I presume this is a behavioral issue as the litter box is clean and she does use it most of the time…she just pees elsewhere once a day, or every couple days. There are no big life changes in the house (new cat/new baby/just moved) and the cat is spayed.
note: they’ve tried different litter, different style litter boxes, and moving the box. The cat is at least twelve.
Any ideas?
My daughter’s cat used to pee all over the place and she started using a urinary tract health catfood - that stopped it. In fact, it’s Walmart’s generic version, so it’s not even a fancy expensive brand. Just one anecdote, but it saved her furniture several and 2 moves ago.
Whatever psychological (or felinological?) issues the cat has, she’s also geriatric. She could very well be missing some essential brain cells necessary to remember about peeing etiquette.
Also, since the piddle problem has existed for quite a while now, the entire house has been awash in cat pee. Even if your sister-in-law (the designated cleaner-upper?) has been diligent in cleaning accident spots, the cat can still smell them. And wherever there is an aroma of cat pee, the cat considers it an invitation to pee there again.
(1) They need to do some intense cleaning, and use enzymatic cleaners, such as Nature’s Miracle. But even with a special cleaner, until the carpeting is replaced (and the floor beneath the carpet SEALED with paint or varnish), the aroma will still be present.
(2) I really doubt the cat will stop. Continue the kitty tranquilizer, perhaps add the infection preventative that some vets prescribe to infection-prone cats. Change the cat food to one specializing in urinary tract health.
(3) Always provide a LOT of water to the cat.
And be forewarned, even if the cat is put down and another cat is brought into the home, there may continue to be a problem because of the lingering odor. In fact, I would ask about pet problems by the home’s previous occupant. The carpeting and pad may need to be replaced throughout the house, and it is very important to seal the flooring (subfloor, hardwood, concrete, whatever) with paint or varnish before installing the new carpet.
~VOW
We’ve been having problems with my 11 year old cat and peeing. While there is a physical issue with mine (bladder stones and inflammation), one of the vets at the clinic had this great idea. Our cat prefers nice soft spots to pee on (bathmats, pile of laundry, etc) - so he suggested putting old towels in the litter box. We haven’t had to do it yet (the meds are working with our cat at the moment) but I’ve got my towels ready.
They can try pheromones. feliway is a popular brand. Spend a bit of money, $100 or so, get multiple diffusers and the handheld spray. Spray areas the cat is known to go, and let the diffusers cover the broad area.
haven’t solved the pissing problem myself, but vinegar and baking soda works pretty well to get the smell out. Even better is to add in line drying in bright sun for clothes that it is feasible to do so with.
We’ve been dealing with the same issue. Feliway (We bought the Comfort Zone with Feliway diffuser and spray) has been a lifesaver.
Other tactics have included giving the kitty all the attention she wants, adding canned food to her diet, encouraging more active play (laser pointer!), cleaning the pee spots with vinegar or Nature’s Miracle, and scooping the litter box every chance we get.
Our 9 year old cat periodically poops and pees outside the litter box, which seems to be his code for “there is a problem”. I took him to the vet and insisted on further testing, convinced he must have a brain tumor or something as he really is a good cat. After discussing our options, we went for an ultrasound, and they discovered possible pancreatitis, intestines with spots of inflammation and something wrong with his liver. They changed his food and gave him a prescription for pain reliever. So far so good.
I don’t know if it’s the vets we’ve had over the last 7 or so years, but they are so hesitant to recommend tests unless we bring it up. (Says the pet owner who had to also put down a dog who went untreated for a few years with Cushing’s disease–after one vet insisted it was behavioral and another insisted it was diabetes.)
Good luck to your brother’s family. I hope they find a solution.
A onetime cat of ours started peeing in inappropriate places as he got older. Turns out that this is a fairly common thing when aging cats start having problems with kidney function. Talk to your vet.