Cat knocking down my bath towel and peeing/pooping on it? (No UTI/health issues)

[lookslikerain]

Hi all,

I have two cats, but I'm pretty sure this is about one in particular (Lupin). Lupin is almost two years old and he's been neutered since he was a young kitten. However, he's had some aggression/behavior issues for a while. He improved a lot when I got a second cat (when he was about six months old), but it's been a long saga.

Both my cats like to knock down my bath towel—it's hung up inside my shower. Usually it's fine and I just pick it back up, no biggie. But a few weeks ago I noticed there was cat poop on it. Weird. I looked in both of my litter boxes and they were pretty clean, so I chalked it up to a weird accident.

The other day, I noticed an awful smell in my bathroom and couldn't figure out the source. Cleaned the litterbox out entirely and it still smelled awful. Then I realized the towel I had mindlessly hung back up smelled like cat pee. No idea how I didn't notice before. And then last night, it happened again... not gonna be hanging up my towels in the bathroom for a while.

I should note that Lupin has recently had quite a bit of bloodwork done. He had been acting a bit aggressive towards my other cat at night (they're otherwise very friendly) and my vet wanted to rule out medical problems, and everything was fine there, so he's not sick. He has some issues with being extremely food motivated and wanting wet food 24/7 (the cats have dry food on an automatic feeder and get wet food at 9 AM), so I'm wondering if it has something to do with him being upset about not getting wet food whenever he wants it? But I've also heard that motivations like that are misconceptions.

Regarding Lupin's behavior issues: I've done Feliway, he has a bunch of different toys, I play with him a lot, he's harness trained, I have tons of scratches/cat trees in my apartment (different varieties), have tried clicker training, etc., with no luck. The vet strongly suggested kitty Prozac, since I've spent about a year chipping away at other options with no luck. I'm picking it up tomorrow, so I'm hoping that'll help with this issue.

The bath towel stuff just feels very strange and specific. He's never gone outside the litterbox anywhere else, so I don't get why he's pulling down my towel to pee/poop on it. I know two litterboxes isn't ideal for two cats, but they're both large and I scoop them twice daily—I'm just limited by my apartment's size, so I don't think litterbox cleanliness is the issue. I know it's technically possible that it's my other cat, but he also had his yearly exam recently and hasn't expressed any abnormal behavior, so I'm leaning much more strongly towards Lupin.

Anyone have any thoughts about what could be causing this?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
One thought was that I was wondering if you could add an evening meal of canned, but mainly I'm thinking that you might want to change your laundry soap to an unscented, as well as the dryer sheets. Wool balls instead of dryer sheets are great , and see if that helps. I'm assuming you rinse off really well so I can't imagine that the soap you use in the shower matters, but maybe . I'm guessing that none of these scented things (if everything you're using is unscented, that really blows my theory lol) have changed since the cats began this behavior but sometimes we just don't know what's going on in the world of a cats mind

 

[ArtNJ]

I've seen this with bathmats. It is known that anything soft that can be kneeded beneath the paws can be a target. Laundry basket and clothes left on the floor, bathmats (even if they have to knock them down), bedding (on the bed!) and the like.

In the short term, you have to put that towel somewhere else, or just get in the habit of closing the bathroom door. But its not impossible you'll have problems with other frequent targets. You'll have to see. Meanwhile, try to get the family out of any habit of leaving clothing on the floor or on dressers the cats jump up too.

 

[lookslikerain]

Hi
One thought was that I was wondering if you could add an evening meal of canned, but mainly I'm thinking that you might want to change your laundry soap to an unscented, as well as the dryer sheets. Wool balls instead of dryer sheets are great , and see if that helps. I'm assuming you rinse off really well so I can't imagine that the soap you use in the shower matters, but maybe . I'm guessing that none of these scented things (if everything you're using is unscented, that really blows my theory lol) have changed since the cats began this behavior but sometimes we just don't know what's going on in the world of a cats mind

Unfortunately, I've tried almost everything re: his wet food! I've tried splitting it up into two portions (morning and night), but he still throws a tantrum wanting wet food at 4 AM.

And I'm already using unscented, haha. Sorry to ruin the theory! Still appreciate the advice, though!

 

[lookslikerain]

I've seen this with bathmats. It is known that anything soft that can be kneeded beneath the paws can be a target. Laundry basket and clothes left on the floor, bathmats (even if they have to knock them down), bedding (on the bed!) and the like.

In the short term, you have to put that towel somewhere else, or just get in the habit of closing the bathroom door. But its not impossible you'll have problems with other frequent targets. You'll have to see. Meanwhile, try to get the family out of any habit of leaving clothing on the floor or on dressers the cats jump up too.

One of their litterboxes is in the bathroom, so keeping them out of their unfortunately isn't an option. I'll be keeping the towels elsewhere temporarily, though. Thankfully haven't experienced him doing this with any of my clothes, though I live alone and don't leave piles anywhere.

 

[ArtNJ]

Hopefully, denying access to the towel will just take care of it. Once a cat starts aggressively seeking out soft things to use, a surprising array of things can be targets. And beds, of course, are the absolute worst. Well, except for the people that have a cat pee in the bed . . . when they are in it!

 

[Furballsmom]

I've tried splitting it up into two portions (morning and night)

I meant to add another meal where you're actually adding more food.

Even with kibble out, if he prefers canned food over kibble such that he's not really eating the dry food, that's a long stretch of time inbetween, and his tummy (and possibly general attitude --although I don't believe a cranky attitude is what's causing the towel to be dragged down. In any case for his wellbeing it seems like it might be worth a try) may benefit from more canned calories in the evening.

 

[danteshuman]

1 wash all your towels with an enzyme cleaner for laundry and add an open litter box in another room (not butted up against anything on 3 of it’s sides.) Cats smell as well (& in some cases better) than a dog. So just because it smells clean to us, does not mean you have washed out their “pee here” smell.

2 chip clip or use binder clips to clip your towel around your shower bar (on both sides.)

3 move one of your litter boxes to inside the shower (& take any & all lids off the litter boxes.) You might want to scrub your shower floor with an enzyme cleaner just in case.

4 you might need to use cat attract litter.

5 Are you 100% sure he doesn’t have bladder crystals or a UTI? That is normally the first question when cats pee out of the box and the FIRST thing to do is to take them to the vet to get a urine sample. Are you sure he is the cat & the only cat that is doing this?

 

[KiminKy]

Hi all,

I have two cats, but I'm pretty sure this is about one in particular (Lupin). Lupin is almost two years old and he's been neutered since he was a young kitten. However, he's had some aggression/behavior issues for a while. He improved a lot when I got a second cat (when he was about six months old), but it's been a long saga.

Both my cats like to knock down my bath towel—it's hung up inside my shower. Usually it's fine and I just pick it back up, no biggie. But a few weeks ago I noticed there was cat poop on it. Weird. I looked in both of my litter boxes and they were pretty clean, so I chalked it up to a weird accident.

The other day, I noticed an awful smell in my bathroom and couldn't figure out the source. Cleaned the litterbox out entirely and it still smelled awful. Then I realized the towel I had mindlessly hung back up smelled like cat pee. No idea how I didn't notice before. And then last night, it happened again... not gonna be hanging up my towels in the bathroom for a while.

I should note that Lupin has recently had quite a bit of bloodwork done. He had been acting a bit aggressive towards my other cat at night (they're otherwise very friendly) and my vet wanted to rule out medical problems, and everything was fine there, so he's not sick. He has some issues with being extremely food motivated and wanting wet food 24/7 (the cats have dry food on an automatic feeder and get wet food at 9 AM), so I'm wondering if it has something to do with him being upset about not getting wet food whenever he wants it? But I've also heard that motivations like that are misconceptions.

Regarding Lupin's behavior issues: I've done Feliway, he has a bunch of different toys, I play with him a lot, he's harness trained, I have tons of scratches/cat trees in my apartment (different varieties), have tried clicker training, etc., with no luck. The vet strongly suggested kitty Prozac, since I've spent about a year chipping away at other options with no luck. I'm picking it up tomorrow, so I'm hoping that'll help with this issue.

The bath towel stuff just feels very strange and specific. He's never gone outside the litterbox anywhere else, so I don't get why he's pulling down my towel to pee/poop on it. I know two litterboxes isn't ideal for two cats, but they're both large and I scoop them twice daily—I'm just limited by my apartment's size, so I don't think litterbox cleanliness is the issue. I know it's technically possible that it's my other cat, but he also had his yearly exam recently and hasn't expressed any abnormal behavior, so I'm leaning much more strongly towards Lupin.

Anyone have any thoughts about what could be causing this?

I found this interesting- we brought a man outdoor cat inside and he always uses the litter box - unless- I have a bath mat. I had to remove it because he loved peeing on it. Now that it’s gone, he just goes in the litter box. I think someone dumped him in our neighborhood because he was altered already. I wonder if that’s what got him into trouble.

 

[KiminKy]

I found this interesting- we brought a man outdoor cat inside and he always uses the litter box - unless- I have a bath mat. I had to remove it because he loved peeing on it. Now that it’s gone, he just goes in the litter box. I think someone dumped him in our neighborhood because he was altered already. I wonder if that’s what got him into trouble.

Sorry/ male not man

 

[Furballsmom]

I've read posts a few times of cats apparently finding the backing, or something, of these mats being really tempting to pee on. I'm glad you were able to work with him, he's lucky to have you!