I'm going to try and make this post as succinct as possible. So my girlfriend and I adopted our cat, Cooper, from a rescue group about a year and a half ago. From day one we had some bathroom issues with him as he had chronic diarrhea. This led to him pooping on blankets and occasionally peeing on them. After a lot of vet visits and trial and error we were able to correct the issue with a change to a higher quality food.
After the food change months went by with no issues. Then this past thanksgiving we went away for a few days and when we returned we found Cooper had peed on the couch im guessing because we were gone. We rented a steam cleaner and I cleaned the couch and we washed all the couch covers etc... Things were fine again for a few weeks and then he peed on a blanket on the couch but in a different spot then the original pee site.
We have now resorted to removing all the blankets from the couch and stacking the cushions like a teepee every night before we go to bed. When we block his access to the couch or blankets on them he uses the litter box with no problems. We have two additional cats and we have 4 litter boxes so I don't think that is an issue. We are also very clean and scoop their litter boxes twice a day everyday. He also has access to our bed in our room with blankets on it and has no accidents. We have feliway diffusers throughout the house and he is neutered.
We then started to think that he was associating the couch and anything on it with going to the bathroom. Recently we had my girlfriends parents over to visit and they purchased a guest bed for us. Well this morning he peed on the guest bed! I'm so confused as to why he pees on some blankets/surfaces but not others and when he does not have access to these sites he uses the litterbox without any issues.
It's become very frustrating and I hate having to keep doors shut and stack couch cushions every night. We love him and he's is so sweet otherwise but he is supposed to be our pet not the other way around. I have been told that getting rid of him is not an option by my girlfriend. Has anyone had experience with a behavioral specialist and if so was it effective? I'm at my wits end. Sorry for the lengthy post.
After the food change months went by with no issues. Then this past thanksgiving we went away for a few days and when we returned we found Cooper had peed on the couch im guessing because we were gone. We rented a steam cleaner and I cleaned the couch and we washed all the couch covers etc... Things were fine again for a few weeks and then he peed on a blanket on the couch but in a different spot then the original pee site.
We have now resorted to removing all the blankets from the couch and stacking the cushions like a teepee every night before we go to bed. When we block his access to the couch or blankets on them he uses the litter box with no problems. We have two additional cats and we have 4 litter boxes so I don't think that is an issue. We are also very clean and scoop their litter boxes twice a day everyday. He also has access to our bed in our room with blankets on it and has no accidents. We have feliway diffusers throughout the house and he is neutered.
We then started to think that he was associating the couch and anything on it with going to the bathroom. Recently we had my girlfriends parents over to visit and they purchased a guest bed for us. Well this morning he peed on the guest bed! I'm so confused as to why he pees on some blankets/surfaces but not others and when he does not have access to these sites he uses the litterbox without any issues.
It's become very frustrating and I hate having to keep doors shut and stack couch cushions every night. We love him and he's is so sweet otherwise but he is supposed to be our pet not the other way around. I have been told that getting rid of him is not an option by my girlfriend. Has anyone had experience with a behavioral specialist and if so was it effective? I'm at my wits end. Sorry for the lengthy post.