Need Help with a Cat-Edited My Q for All of the Responses I Got.

Have you done any research online? There is a site called KittyBytes.com that might offer some links that might help or maybe you could contact a local vetenerian. Hope you find some help. I think the humane society accepts cats of any age.

Have you had him neutered? Spraying is pretty typical for an un-neutered make cat. Usually it takes care of the issue.

If you're willing to try a few more things, I think the primary action is to find ALL the pee spots and treat them deeply with an enzyme product designed especially to "eat" away the remnants of urine. You do that by getting a blacklight bulb and putting it in a portable lamp, turning off all the lights, and walking around the house looking for pee, which (for reasons that are beyond me) glows in the dark. Then you DOUSE the area a good enzyme product and LEAVE it. If this is carpet, you may have to pull the carpet back to douse the underfloor and the pad. It's a lot of work, but your cats may be responding to old pee, and if you don't eliminate it, future cats are likely to do the same thing.

Here are some other ideas that I found on the web, and I've heard of some of them before (like putting the litter box at the spot where they are peeing, and then slowly moving it toward where you want the box to be, and making sure that their food dishes are not near the litter, as they don't like to eat and pee in the same general location).

Good luck. It's heart-breaking to give away an animal you otherwise love, but cannot live with. Most of us have had to at one point or another. In this situation, it's particularly difficult, because a cat with this habit will likely end up at the pound over and over, with an eventual untimely demise. I hope one of these ideas helps break your kitty of the habit so that you aren't put in that position.

Good luck!

by Monica Webb, Forum Moderator - DoItYourself.com/pets
Q. My cat refuses to use the litter box anymore. Any ideas why and how can I get her to use it again?

Here are a few suggestions to your litter box problems:

Provide a box for each cat

Change litter daily

Provide constant access to a box

Go back to previously used brand of litter and/or

Discontinue new disinfectant

Move box to where it was previously used

Eliminate new or frightening noise near litter box

Move food and water away from litter box

If cat is only going in one spot, put the litter box at the exact location and gradually move it back to where you want it at the rate of one foot per day

If there are several places, try putting dishes of cat food in those areas to discourage further elimination there

Experiment with different textures of litter (cats prefer S. litter)

Use a covered litter box for cats that stand in box but eliminate outside of it

You should take the cat to the vet immediately to rule out a medical problem. Then your vet could direct you to a place to give him up to if there is nothing wrong with him. There is Animal Haven, Pet Connection, and the Humane Society for starters. Good luck but start with your vet.

Do some research online. We had this problem with a young adult cat. She was doing it in our bed though (grrrr). I read of a few things (this was a few years ago so I'm trying to remember what we tried). Some cats do it because they're trying to show dominance and ownership of the house to the other cats. One website suggested getting a big cat carrier or crate that is only for that specific cat. Put some toys, blanket, food, water in it. Don't shut him in, but allow that to be his domain. Also, if he's not neutered, that could be part of the problem. My sister had a cat that had this problem with spraying doors and furniture and she made the crate and at night, told the cat to go to bed and she went into the crate. She locked it at night and the cat was happy and stopped spraying.
Good luck, I know it's infuriating. We have a cat that pees next to the litter box when we've made her mad like going out of town or not giving her enough attention.

KP: I understand what you going through. We moved to a new house with our cat. Then another stray kitten showed up in the dead of winter that we were afraid would freeze so we adopted it. Then, my daughter moved back home. With all of these changes, our original cat who was 7 yrs at the time, began doing all of things you described above. We had her tested twice for urinary tract infections to the tune of $150 and the vet wanted to do more tests. She was completely declawed and I was looking for medication to destress her which the vet was unwilling to dispense. After viewing the animal shelter in the area, we realized she would never be adopted because it was filled with over 60 cats and kittens. We tried putting one extra litter box out (it is recommended to have one more box than cat in the house) but this did not curb the problem. We finally put her outside starting in the spring so that she could get used to the cold weather in the fall. Is is never recommended to completely declaw an animal and it is something I will never do again however she was able to climb a tree when chased by a dog (pretty amazing as I was worried). She loved the outdoors and we put a collar with our number on it for my own peace of mind. If all else fails, you might consider declawing the front claws. All of our other cats are front declawed and go in and out all the time. Cats are swift,clever,jump high and rarely let themselves get trapped in places. It would save your screens and in my opinion, it is a more humane solution than a shelter. Your other option is another home and most people aren't too hip on taking a cat with behavioral problems since you really need to be upfront with them so that your cat isn't mistreated once he gets to the new home. It was a hard choice to put Misty outside and I agonized over it. However, she is such a happy camper and she gets fed first everyday (as if the animals know!). My new vet even told me that I could start cutting back on her food and eventually let her eat off the land as long as I continued to have her checked for worms and health regularly-he feels that commercial cat food is not as good as she could do for herself. So, consult your vet and see if he confers with these suggestions. Good luck. It isn't fun to worry about house smells and sanitation problems but when ours started to encompass every room in the house we knew it was time to make some decisons. J.

I think you should take him to the vet. A lot of times when they have lots of accidents like this something might be wrong. Maybe a urinary tract infection/kidney infection or something else. I had a cat that did this and he ended up having diabetes. Worms can also cause this reaction. So, please get that checked out before you get rid of him.

After that, make sure you clean all the spots well, so he doesn't keep going back to them. Get some enzyme cleaner or ask your vet what they recommend. I've heard that sachets of coffee beans help to remove the smell, just place it on the stain for a while and it soaks up the smell.

If all that doesn't work, there are definitely places that could take him, Humane Society, Wayside Waifs, maybe even your vet.

Have you taken him to the vet? There may be a medical condition that you are not aware of. The other question would be is whether there have been any major changes in the home? Some cats react to change very differently. One other idea may be switching your litter. He may not be using it because of the type of litter. Sounds strange, I know, but as a cat owner, you know how particular cats can be! Good luck!

Cats usually only do that when they are mad at you or if they have a health problem. If I were you, I would take him to the vet to make sure he's ok.

It seems like you have a lot of suggestions already, but I just wanted to add that it may be due to his age. I'm not sure how old your cat is, but if the vet has ruled out any medical conditions such as a UTI, it may be due to your cat's age. Sometimes, as pets get older, they lose control of their bowels. Let us know what you find out.

Did you take him to the vet? A friend had a cat that also did that, and it turned out her cat had worms & a urinary tract infection. Good luck!

It sounds like you have enough litter boxes and that they are being taken care of properly. I didn't catch whether he is neutered or not? He may have urinary tract problems. Sounds more likely that it is a behavior issue, a way for him to express displeasure.

As far as giving him to a shelter...they will probably take him (unless they are full) but it is very difficult to adopt out adult cats. Especially on the eve of the first wave of kittens. You're more likely to find him a suitable home yourself. Lastly, if you find you can't take his behaviors anymore don't beat yourself up about it. He will adjust at his new home and after a few days or weeks of loud yowling, I dare say he'd do fine outside.

After you take him to the vet to see if it is a medical problem (PLEASE do this!), be sure you absolutely SOAK the problem areas of your carpet with something to get the smell out. They will keep going there if you don't. I found something at Walmart that works REALLY well. It's called "OUT!" You just want to make sure the entire area is totally saturated, down to the carpet padding. (I recommend buying the big bottle.) Also, you want to make kind of a circle around the problem area, and work inward. If you start spraying in the middle, it may make the urine leech out into previously unaffected area of the carpet. I've also used this on an upholstered chair, and I haven't had a problem since. Good luck!

I had similar problems with cats years ago. I really have no advice but I can tell you what I did. It occured to me that while I was at work and school this cat was ruining mine and the childrens home. It was taking away what little time I did have with the kids. I ultimatley decided to take the cat to the animal shelter. I have also come to the conclusion that animals are optional, my kids are the most important part of my life. Our lives are so busy, too busy to have something making it more difficult for us to enjoy our home when we are here together. I know this isn't going to be the popular opinion here, but its a different one!

Sometimes when a cat does that, it's a sign of illness. If you can, take him to the vet and get a checkup...maybe they'll be able to figure out what the problem is! Good luck!

I have had the same problem in the past and have found the best way to help your cat realize that the litter box is the only place to go is to seclude him during the day or night whichever works best for you. If he doesn't have the run of the entire house and is secluded to a small area with the litter box (when he probably is sleeping anyway) he will adapty and learn to use it properly.
Good luck!!! T. Jackson

We had this exact same issue with our cat. He would go on the rug right next to the litter box, in our towel laundry basket and on our bed. This was out of the ordinary for him so we took him to the vet. He ended up having a urinary tract infection. Since I had waited so long to take him to the vet, we had to give him two rounds of medication. He recently started doing the same thing again, so I immediately took him to the vet. We only had to do one round of medicine this time and I switched his food.

First of all, have you taken him to a vet??? Most cats when they start have litter box issues, they are usually trying to tell you there is a problem. More times than not, they have some sort of infection and if they keep using the litter box, you will never know they are in pain. Also, you must clean any area they messed on with an urine pet neutralizer, not just some household cleaner. You can get this at a Petsmart or Petco. Please take him to your vet and have him checked out. Its sound to me like he is calling out to you for help.

Is your cat neutered? If not, they will begin spraying at about 6-12 months old and you may not be able to get him to stop even if you do get him neutered. I had another cat who did the exact same thing. He was mostly an outside cat after that because we just couldn't get him to stop.

But some things that might help:

1. Get more than one litter box. I know it seems weird but cats like to have a choice. If you have more than one story to your house, perhaps you should put a litter box on each floor. They say the ratio should be at least 2 litter boxes per cat.

2. Rent, borrow, or buy a rug cleaner and clean, clean, clean. You have GOT to do your best to get all of the cat urine smell out of the house. If you can clean up most of his "Hot Spots" he may stop because he can't smell any of his usual territories.

3. If you catch him spraying, get a squirt bottle like the kind you might use to water plants, and squirt him once or twice every single time that you catch him. If he squirts your furniture, you squirt him!

4. Ask a vet or animal trainer for other suggestions.

I hope this helps. Keep us updated on your progress!

Ok, first of all, he is probably doing this because of the changes that has happened in his life. He is rebelling so to speak, If he is neutered and has not done this before, I would first take him to the vet to be sure he does not have a medical problem. Sometimes cat get urinary tract infections, or crystals in their urine and associate pain with the litter box, therefore quit using it. If you cant afford a vet, you could give him cranberry juice, by syringe and squirt in his mouth. Or there is a spray at Petsmart that has cranberry juice in it, and you just spray it on his food. Either way. it may help , it may not. To re associate him with the litter box. you will need to start small. Put him in a small one room with his litter box. Only let him out when he can be monitored closely. Once he starts using the box again. start letting him have more and more access to other areas. if he regresses, put him back to one room, until he starts using it again, then once again, let him out slowly giving access again. It may take time, but with patience, usually works.

Good Luck!

A.

Hello,
I too had a female cat that was doing the same thing! I spoke to someone from an adoption agency and they suggest to put the cat inside a dog crate with the little box to "retrain" them. This was after I took her to the vet and was told there wasn't anything medically wrong. To help with the smell...cause I know it is annoying they carry a product at Wal-Mart, and PetsMart but it is cheaper at Wal-Mart, called Urine out. I pay about $9 for a gallon of it and it really does work.
Goodluck!
N.

We had a 1 year old adopted cat that we had to return to the shelter because of problems similar to yours. It took some time but we finally realized it was stress causing him to eliminate outside of the litter box. We had just had our daughter and he was urinating on her blankets and my husband's clothing (he was very attached to me). Long story short, he urinated on my husband while he was sleeping one night, the last straw. Some cats are very sensitive to changes in your household, could be a new baby, moving, traveling, change of routine, etc. If that is not the case, you should take the cat to your vet to rule out a UTI.

Try getting him fixed.

Sorry to hear about your problem. I to had a cat that did the same thing. I had to put her down. I tried multiple cat boxes, cleaning them daily and putting her out more often. We even tried to confine her to a smaller area but she would poop or pee next to the box or on anything she could find. I tried to find her a home but who wants a cat that pee's and poops in the house. I had to put her down. I still feel so guilty about it but I have two small children and she was destroying my house and everything in it. Please have your vet make sure that your cat doesn't have a UTI. Then if nothing is wrong you can try crating it like you would a dog. I wish you the best.

I had a cat that did the same thing. I tried several different brands and types of litter. I eventually found out that he simply did not like litter. I began using old towels in an empty litter box and he used those. I had to change the towel at least twice a day, but it did work. I kept the towels in a large plastic bucket and washed them about once a week (depending on when I ran out). The cat would even go in the litter box if I didn't have a towel in it, but that was kind of a pain to clean up and he would only do it once before he decided it was too dirty. I think that it is possible that his problem was that he did not like the other cats using the same litter box and the other cats had no interest in using a towel so that solution worked for us.

I hope that you can find a solution that works for you. Otherwise, there are several options as others have mentioned.

Have you taken him to the vet? I have a cat that did the same thing and the vet found crystals in the urine which made it impossible for the cat to make it to the litter box in time. If this is not the problem- still take him to your vet and discuss the problem and find out what his opinion would be of what to do with him. No one else is going to want the problem either if you put him up for adoption. Good luck! I know how frustrating this can be be.

Hi.
We to had this problem with our male cat. He was pooping everywhere except his litter box. We took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with colitis. After some meds he is now compliant with his litter box. Not sure if your cat is having any issues but you might want to try your vet first to see if they can help.
C.

I had a cat with the same issues and two things helped the situation:
Sifting the litterbox twice a day and using Swheat cat litter (can get at target), ideally one more litterbox than the number of cats that you have- so you might need 3 total?
Most important was Clomicalm- an anxiety-reducing medication that you can get from your veterinarian. if they don't have it you can call Mariposa Veterinary Center at ###-###-####.
Good luck!

First, is he fixed? He may just be marking his territory. Next, take him to the vet, it could be a simple medical problem. If not, the vet office could recomend some behavior modifications you could try. Lastly, If you don't want to keep the cat, find him a good home. Please do not just dump him. Pets are members of your family, treat them like it.

I'm so sorry you're having this problem! I have 3 cats and we had a similar problem with one of ours when we brought the newest one in, although not as severe. We haven't yet completely cured it, but I'm hoping we've taken care of her mental state, so that a good carpet cleaning will take care of the rest. You could try retraining him by locking him in a small room with a brand new litter box, like you would train a kitten. It sounds like your kitty is distressed. Have you talked to your vet? Our vet actually put our kitty on anxiety medication to help her calm down. It's hard to say whether it helped ours because she wasn't going all the time, but things are a lot better now. Finally, you can buy diffusers or spray that are supposed to help calm down kitties by releasing feline calming hormones into the air. Feliway is one brand. They are pretty expensive at the pet stores, but I was able to order them for about half the price at Amazon. Good luck with everything. I certainly understand your situtation and know you must be heartbroken about possibly having to give him up.

take him to the vet before you decide to get rid of him. Sometimes cats do this to show you they're having a health problem. Kind of a disgusting but very effective way of getting your attention. I remember a persian we had would come in while i was having a bath and pee right in front of me...we were so sure he was just being a butthead, we didnt get him to the vet until it was too late. :(

I have a question for you is your cat fixed? If not you might want to get him fixed. It sounds to me like he's doing it to mark his territory. You might want to call your vet and talk to them about the problem. Also, if you catch him in the act you might want to rub his face in it and than take him to the litter box and put him in it. I know it sounds cruel but he needs to know that you are the alpha cat and that he needs to go to the bathroom where you tell him to. An adoption agency or humane society should take him irregardless of his age. But I think you should try other things first that I've suggested before you go that for. Hope this helps.

If his poop has blood in it then it sounds like an internal issue that needs to be checked out right away. It sounds like maybe he can't hold it until he gets to the box. I would take him to the vet and see what they have to say but blood in their poop means there is something very wrong. I would get that part checked out first because that may be his problem. Keep me updated! I'm a huge animal lover and have 5 cats of my own.

I don't necessarily have a good or right answer, but we had a similar problem with our male cat. After visiting with our vet we discovered that he had a urinary tract infection. A couple rounds of antibiotics and the problem has disappeared permantently for about five years. So, maybe talk to to your vet for suggestions.

Good luck! I know that is frustrating.

If you haven't already, I would take him to be checked by the vet. He could have a urinary tract infection and having a hard time going. When they have an infection they will try to go anywhere that they can. He could also have crystals or kidney stones. That doesn't really explain the poop but it could explain the pee. He could also be mad at you for something, if there has been any changes in your household for example. Cats tend to hold grudges. Good luck.