Cat is peeing in corners of my house PLEASE HELP

[xlizzi]

My cat is 8-9 years old, I've been her only owner. Recently, she decided that she was going to make my dining room corner her new peeing paradise. My assumptions were because we had gotten a new puppy, but she didn't start this until like 4-5 months of having the dog. I continued to clean and clean and clean this corner, she would just keep doing it over and over no matter what I did. ( I also have tried lemon juice and lavender essential oil, because I read that they aren't fond of those smells but it does not seem to bother her one bit. I bought 2 different kinds of "pet block" sprays, to which she doesn't seem to care about either.)

I took her to the vet, vet cleared any issues there other than she is extremely anxious cat which is nothing new for for me. (He offered a pill to be taken every day which was like $65.00 per month supply.) She is still using the liter box for pooping and peeing, but also uses the corner as well. I got her a new liter box, and she stopped for maybe a month and started doing it again.

I peeled back the carpet is this corner, and cleaned all the padding etc. and she stopped in that corner.... Now she has started in a corner in my bedroom. I've really reached my limit with this and need help.

He liter box is in a low traffic area, and it's super big. I have never had potty problems with her before. I tried Feliway years ago, it did literally nothing for her. I'm not opposed to trying again if some think it would help but it's just so pricey. I just find it odd she waited 4-5 months after we got the dog to start doing this if it is related. They seem to co-exist nicely together now and even play together sometimes. I still spend plenty of time with her alone, cuddling and playing with her and she always sleeps in my bed right next to me.

I have read some stuff online about getting more liter boxes and putting them around the house, but I don't really have another "low traffic" area to put one in, and she has to have a big box or she accidentally pees outside of the box sometimes. I clean her liter box everyday as well.

If anyone has any suggestions PLEASE let me know. Thank you!

 

[xlizzi]

Also I thought I would note that I am using a enzyme cleaner. I use warm water and a towel to soak up the water and urine and spray down the area with the cleaner and make sure it's cleaned super well, let dry and do it again the next day.

 

[Caspers Human]

Cats usually behave like this because they don't feel secure in their territory.

For all her life she's had the run of the house and she could call everything hers. Now she shares her house with an interloper. She's trying to reestablish dominance over territory that she feels is threatened.

First, you are doing the right thing by cleaning up the mess every time she pees. That will lessen the chance that she will repeat the behavior in the same place. Cats will go back to areas to refresh their scent marks. Removing the scent marks will prevent some of this.

Second, you need to give the cat some place she can call her own where the dog can't encroach. A room might be one thing but, overall, she needs to be able to have places where she can be "master of all she surveys."

Try to make places where she can go up high. Cat trees, furniture, shelves and window ledges are good because she can go up to those places and look down on the dog but the dog can't go up to where she is. If you could put up cat shelves or walkways that would be even better.

Another thing that would help is if you can build a "catio." An indoor/outdoor enclosure like a screened in porch. Put in a cat flap so that she can go in and out but the dog can't. That way she has a place to call her own where the dog can't go.

Secondarily, if you have a spare bedroom where you can install a cat flap in the door. That way she's got a refuge away from the dog. Putting a cat flap in a basement door or a door out to a closed garage might be an alternative, provided that the basement or garage can be kept closed.

For eight-plus years, she's been queen of the castle but, now, she has to share her domain with a barking, slobbering puppy.

The key to stopping this behavior is to make it so that she knows she can still be in charge of the territory even if she has to share it with the dog.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

The key to stopping this behavior is to make it so that she knows she can still be in charge of the territory even if she has to share it with the dog.

~ It sounds like you are a competent kitty psychologist ! When I have a misbehaving cat I assume the same - a jealousy/territorial thing. Usually by fussing over the "offenders" it fixes things. Until the next issue arises ...
Cats can sure be interesting little devils .

 

[Caspers Human]

I had a cat while I was in college but I had to move to a place where I couldn't keep him so I sent him home to live with my family.

We had a black Labrador Retriever at the time but he was an outdoor dog. He had his own enclosed dog pen to stay in. However, my brother liked to bring the dog indoors so he could "play" with the cat.

Every time the dog came inside, the cat would take a dump in my brother's bedroom closet! (How's THAT for paybacks! )
My brother blamed the cat until I pointed out that this only happened when the dog came inside. My cat never crapped outside his litter box before I brought him home to live with my family.

As long as the dog was king of the outdoors and the cat was king of the indoors there was never a problem.

 

[TheFartingCat]

Having two litter boxes for one cat works in some households, it depends on the cat. Have you tried putting scratching posts up on the places where the dog likes to hang out a lot? Perhaps giving her a place where she can mark her territory both visually and scent-wise without having to pee could do the trick. Installing floating cat-shelves, if possible is also a great way to create more vertical space for her to be able to own and look down at the household from is also a good way for her to gain her confidence back. That's all the advice I can give you, but I would recommend watching Jackson Galaxy's videos on youtube. He explains the two things I just mentioned, as well as other cat behavioral things in detail.

 

[di and bob]

I, too, believe that the puppy bothers her more than she lets on. It may be that she is worse now because the puppy is older, faster and quicker now. It WILL get better, she just has to feel more secure, my Burt took a year to stop spraying but did quit. a cage/pen outside for a while might help, I noticed that my Burt stopped when he could mark outside. To make him stop peeing in favorite places I got clear carpet protector/runner bought at most carpet places or even deptartment stores that sell rugs. The kind that has those little 'nubs' on the back. Cut a piece to fit and put it nub side up, it hurts their feet to walk on it. It is temporary, clear, can be easily moved, and really works. Definitely give your girl a high place up to escape and call her own, on top a table or shelf, or even on top the fridge. ( this is where my Chrissy preferred).Put a blanket or bed there. She will quit eventually, but she may need a little help to get there quicker. i'm so sorry, I know how frustrating this can be......

 

[Caspers Human]

Have you tried putting scratching posts up on the places where the dog likes to hang out a lot? Perhaps giving her a place where she can mark her territory both visually and scent-wise without having to pee could do the trick.

Extremely good idea!

Even though cats use scratching posts to sharpen their claws, a scratching post is also a way to mark territory.
Put up a couple scratching posts in places that are visible, not just in a corner, some place. Like FartingCat says, put them in places where the dog can see them.

I would recommend watching Jackson Galaxy's videos on youtube. He explains the two things I just mentioned, as well as other cat behavioral things in detail.

I second that!

J.G. might be a little "over the top" for some people but he's a really smart guy when it comes to cats.
I learn something almost every time I watch him.

 

[xlizzi]

Thank you everyone for the replies. I appreciate it. For now I have plastic bags on the floor where she has gone, it’s unsightly but she doesn’t like the feel of them. And it’s working, while I get the smell completely gone. The scratching posts sound like a good option if she even cares.

When I first noticed this issue I went and bought her more cat cubes, a tunnel, a window bed and new toys. Just to make her feel like I wasn’t forgetting about her because of a puppy. She wanted nothing to do with any of it. She loves sitting in the window, so I figured the bed would be perfect, nope. Wouldn’t even try it. I tried showing her multiple times, it was a no from her.

It kinda just seems like she’s not even working with me here! Stubborn little cat.
My whole idea with the new stuff was for her to have things that were just hers and only she could get to but it didn’t work out as planned.

I do have a balcony that I have been meaning to cat proof since we moved in this year. So probably should start on that sooner rather than later.

We do have vaulted ceilings so I could work on shelves. I tried it years ago but she was too scared to even use them. She just has a lot of fears and anxiety, so hard to work through all of that to make her happy. She’s the type of cat that hears literally one noise, and takes off for under the bed for hours.

If anymore suggestions come to mind please let me know, thanks again!

 

[Caspers Human]

She’s the type of cat that hears literally one noise, and takes off for under the bed for hours.

This is likely a good part of the reason she pees to mark her territory.

Skittish = Insecure.

I'm betting that an important part of the solution is going to be calming her nerves.

Definitely find her some places to call her own.

Have you tried any of the calming scents for cats or pheromones like Feliway?

 

[ArtNJ]

We had this years ago. Turned out the prior homeowner's cat had peed everywhere and it was not properly cleaned. Might want to buy a blacklight to rule this out. I'm afraid I don't even really remember how we solved it, beyond using the blacklight to find and clean the spots.

I'd find a way to get more litter boxes. A box behind a chair in the living room is far from ideal, but doesn't it beat the alternative? You could also try a reset -- a few days in a small non-carpeted room like a bathroom with a box and all the amenities including a basket with blanket to sleep in. I don't really know if any of that will work, but it might.

Also, didn't see anyone else mention a vet check; might have missed it. That is a critical step when there is a problem like this since many health problems can affect litter box behavior. Well, a UTI is probably most common and maybe doesn't fit here, but still a good idea for a checkup.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Have you tried music?

 

[xlizzi]

This is likely a good part of the reason she pees to mark her territory.

Skittish = Insecure.

I'm betting that an important part of the solution is going to be calming her nerves.

Definitely find her some places to call her own.

Have you tried any of the calming scents for cats or pheromones like Feliway?

I tried feliway a few years ago but it seemed to have 0 effect on her.

 

[xlizzi]

We had this years ago. Turned out the prior homeowner's cat had peed everywhere and it was not properly cleaned. Might want to buy a blacklight to rule this out. I'm afraid I don't even really remember how we solved it, beyond using the blacklight to find and clean the spots.

I'd find a way to get more litter boxes. A box behind a chair in the living room is far from ideal, but doesn't it beat the alternative? You could also try a reset -- a few days in a small non-carpeted room like a bathroom with a box and all the amenities including a basket with blanket to sleep in. I don't really know if any of that will work, but it might.

Also, didn't see anyone else mention a vet check; might have missed it. That is a critical step when there is a problem like this since many health problems can affect litter box behavior. Well, a UTI is probably most common and maybe doesn't fit here, but still a good idea for a checkup.

I mentioned in the original post that I had taken her to the vet and she was cleared already. That was my first thought when she started doing it.

 

[xlizzi]

We had this years ago. Turned out the prior homeowner's cat had peed everywhere and it was not properly cleaned. Might want to buy a blacklight to rule this out. I'm afraid I don't even really remember how we solved it, beyond using the blacklight to find and clean the spots.

I'd find a way to get more litter boxes. A box behind a chair in the living room is far from ideal, but doesn't it beat the alternative? You could also try a reset -- a few days in a small non-carpeted room like a bathroom with a box and all the amenities including a basket with blanket to sleep in. I don't really know if any of that will work, but it might.

Also, didn't see anyone else mention a vet check; might have missed it. That is a critical step when there is a problem like this since many health problems can affect litter box behavior. Well, a UTI is probably most common and maybe doesn't fit here, but still a good idea for a checkup.

also I never even thought of prior animals, my landlord did mention that several people in this building before us he really bad pet issues. I also noticed in the corner in the dining room where she has favored the carpet was like already pulled back. Like I didn’t even have to tear it up it was already super loose.

 

[ArtNJ]

also I never even thought of prior animals, my landlord did mention that several people in this building before us he really bad pet issues. I also noticed in the corner in the dining room where she has favored the carpet was like already pulled back. Like I didn’t even have to tear it up it was already super loose.

Unfortunate that you had to go through this because the prior pet owners didn't take care of things properly. (Well, probably, difficult to know for certain of course, but that is sounding likely.) Buy a blacklight and make sure there aren't other spots you didn't know about, and clean those as well.

Do keep in mind that you may still have lingering issues. Regardless of how it started, part of it may be a habit by now. The extra boxes are still a good idea, at least in the short term.

Happy to have been able to help. Sometimes figuring things out is like detective work, and it is helpful having a lot of folks throwing out the unlikely stuff from their own experience.