8 Month Old Kitty Is Urinating On Clothes And Outside Litter Box

Please help! My 8 month old kitten has started peeing on clothes, in purses, and in his mat outside his litter box. His litter is clean and large and he uses his box but still urinates in other places. He has to stop this otherwise he will have to go outside

Hi!
Has he been in to the vet lately?

He was there about 2.5 weeks ago. They did a urinalysis and everything was fine.

Have you tried a litter called Cat Attract?
How often is the litterbox cleaned?

Can you try a calming product? I'm guessing there's been a change in the household or something, or maybe dogs, is bothering him.

is he neutered?

She's a witch said:

is he neutered?

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He is. 2.5 weeks ago. I would have assumed that was the issue but he was peeing on the mat before he was snipped. But he has only recentstarted peeing on clothes.

Furballsmom said:

Have you tried a litter called Cat Attract?
How often is the litterbox cleaned?

Can you try a calming product? I'm guessing there's been a change in the household or something, or maybe dogs, is bothering him.

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He uses his litter box. He uses it more often than he pees outside of it. I clean the box at least twice a day. Once before work and Before bed. Sometimes right when i get home from work if it needs it. He was recently neutered but he was peeing on the mat around his box before then. He only recently started peeing on clothes.

taj1107 said:

He uses his litter box. He uses it more often than he pees outside of it. I clean the box at least twice a day. Once before work and Before bed. Sometimes right when i get home from work if it needs it. He was recently neutered but he was peeing on the mat around his box before then. He only recently started peeing on clothes.

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Does he have a second box? Many cats do better with an extra box, especially one close to the area where they've been eliminating (if there is a specific area). Some cats even prefer to pee and poop in different boxes.

Also, was the urine only on the clothes, or did it reach the carpet? If so, have you used an enzymatic cleaner on those spots?

SOMETHING is bothering him. The reason cats start marking belongings and going outside the litter box is that something has changed or has frightened them. Mine did it when we moved to a new house.
No recent changes in litter or the box, or their location? Any new neighbors, or cats he can see from the window? Any company coming more than usual? In the last few weeks any new people in the house, new changes in flooring, remodeling, new cat smells on YOU that you could possibly be carrying in from outside, like at work or a friends house? Peeing on clothes usually means two things, he doesn't like his litter or box, or something has frightened him and he is marking you as his to comfort himself. I would really watch for new cats outside or in the building.
Also he may have started marking because he was maturing and full of tom cat hormones. After surgery, it takes UP TO 6 weeks for the hormones leave the body entirely.
I put down clear carpet runner where mine was going, nubs up, easy to move and stopped him going in specific places. Do not place too close to the litter box. You might lay a puppy urine pad in front of his box where he likes to go. It sounds like he doesn't like his box. Maybe a new one?
He WILL stop when he is less frightened or accepts whatever change is there in his life. For now you may have to pick up clothes on the ground and purses and anything else he could pee on. If you don't want to, throw them in a closet until you can get to them or a big tote with a lid.
Good luck, please keep us posted!

You have gotten a lot of good suggestions/information! I will add that if the litter box is TOO large (hard to believe) it can also deter a cat from wanting to use it. Also, covered vs. uncovered boxes may make a difference.

And, he may now prefer something soft inside the litter box instead of litter - perhaps, puppy pee pads to mimic the softness of the clothes and rug that he is going on? (you can always transition back to litter slowly once the habit has been broken) A puppy pee pad right in front of the box won't solve the problem, but help make clean up easier.

Do pay particular attention to all of the questions asked by di and bob , and see if you can't answer all of them in the hopes that one or more of them might apply to your guy!

How are you cleaning up where he pees? And, if you are not sure you're removing all traces of the urine, you can buy a black light to check for spots/places left behind. Any residual pee on the carpet (and non-washable rugs) can be removed by using "The Equalizer" (amazon.com among other online sources), as the carpet does not have to be saturated to remove the smell, so there is a lot less drying time involved.

taj1107 said:

He is. 2.5 weeks ago. I would have assumed that was the issue but he was peeing on the mat before he was snipped. But he has only recentstarted peeing on clothes.

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I just want to add that - if he was sexually developed and I think at his age he was- that his hormones might take a while to quiet down after the neutering, it takes even a month. So if hormones are the reason he pees, he might still continue creating them for a while.