adopted cat 3 months ago, peeing on stuff

[jingles_my_cat]

Hi everyone. My 5yr old and I adopted an almost 1yr old cat from a shelter in Dec just after Christmas. I was very hesitant to get another cat because the last two I owned had terrible litter box habits. The older one peed on anything on the floor and sprayed all the time. I couldn't even have a rug or bathroom mat because of him. The other one started to poop and pee in the basement. That was my fault. I was a terrible litter box cleaner. I swore that wouldn't happen w/ this one. I looked for a female to bring down the risk of peeing / spraying. I clean out the box (which is on the main level in our bathroom) every single morning.

The other morning my daughter brought me her bag of rocks that she hasn't touched in months. It had cat pee on it. I don't know how old it was. Today I grabbed a bag out of my daughters room and it also had pee on it. It was hanging up but at one time was also laying on the floor. Again, I have no idea when over the pat 3 months the cat could have peed on it.

I need some advice. I will not keep another cat who pees outside the box. I just can't. But my daughter loves this cat. I like her too (would like her more if she stayed off the kitchen table and counters, but that's another post). Any suggestions? I did crawl around the floor and couldn't sniff any other pee spots. Both bags were on hardwood floors.

Thanks!

 

[bastetservant]

Were these bags plastic? Some cats seem to be attracted to plastic to pee on. I'd keep plastic away from her. Has it only been on plastic bags that she has peed? The rocks could smell like other animals and may have caused her to do it.

The standard advice here it that if a cat starts peeing inappropriately, she may have a urinary tract infection. A trip to the vet may be necessary.

Do you only have one litter pan? Many advise two for one cat. What kind of litter are you using? Some cats can't tolerate some litters.

The places she peed need to be cleaned up with an enzyme cleaner. Nok-out is one and can be purchased on line from Amazon or other places. There is one sold at Petsmart (not Petco) called, I think, Stinky-poo - or something like that. No other cleaners are going to do the job of completely removing the odors. And the cat may go back to wet the same spot if she can still smell it (even if you can't). You can get a special black light at the pet stores that will let you see any place else she may have peed.

There is a "sticky" thread at the top of this behavior forum regarding this problem. Also, under the "Cat Behavior" section found at the top of the page (right under "Cat Forums") there is more information on this.

Have there been any changes to the household lately that may have stressed her out? UTI and inappropriate peeing are symptoms of stress in cats. Keeping the litter box very clean is necessary. You only have one cat now, right?

Others may give you some advice. Frankly, in the 50+ years I've had cats, I've only had this problem very briefly with one or two cats, and long ago. I'm writing from what I've read elsewhere and here. I hope some others with more recent experience will chime in to help you and your cat.

I hope you can work it out and the cat doesn't have to go back to the shelter. I hope this for you, your daughter, and the cat.

Robin

 

[howtoholdacat]

Originally Posted by bastetservant

Were these bags plastic? Some cats seem to be attracted to plastic to pee on. I'd keep plastic away from her. Has it only been on plastic bags that she has peed? The rocks could smell like other animals and may have caused her to do it.

That was my thought too. Not sure why but some are really attracted to them.

I'd definitely take a trip to the vet for a urinalysis. If she has a urinary tract infection, your whole problem could be solved with the right medication and possibly a change in food. It's much easier to stop inappropriate peeing if it's a medical problem that's caught early. If you leave it, you run the risk of her developing long term behavior problems so it's best to get the test done as soon as possible.

 

[jingles_my_cat]

It's just one cat.

The bags were not plastic. The one was a really nice heavy cotton bag. I'm going to hit petsmart tomorrow for the enzyme remover. I think I have a black light so I'm going to shine it around the closet where the bags were.

I'm starting to think she doesn't like the litter box being filled up so high. I noticed there is not as much poop and pee in it after I fill it up as there is after a few days of scooping. It also makes me worry where she's going in the mean time. I'm going to have to do a through search of my basement. It's been over 2 yrs since I've had the other cats, but I'm betting Jingles can still smell them down there even if I can't.

And I would never send her back to the shelter I got her from. She had such a terrible ear mite problem and they did nothing for her. There are way too many cats there and so many of them are out of cages and just run wild in the place. It also reaks of litter box. I'm guessing they are doing what they can to help the cats, but it's just too many.

Thanks for the tips! I'll be trying them cause my daughter gets so upset every time we talk about maybe having to find a new home for Jingles.

 

[feralvr]

Can you confine you kitty to a room for a few days just to see if she is using that litter box you have and then you can find out how much she is using the box and if she is urinating in large amount or small amounts?? This is what I would do and I would also bring the cat to the vet for a check-up and see if you are dealing with an UTI. I am sure you can resolve this problem with a little detective work, but confining her right now and monitoring her litter box habits and a trip to the vet is what I would do.