Cat peeing, escalation. Should I rehome him?

[Tiberw]

My cat is a neutered, 2.5 year old male cat of good build with a generally positive and affectionate demeanor, with tendencies for anxiety and abandonment issues. He is never aggressive or hisses unless surprised unexpectedly (which is incredibly rare). We've been having some urination issues since I first got him, but they've continued to escalate with recent changes in my life (I moved into a new place 5 months ago). I've been using feliway, with some success in regards to frequency of urination and general anxiety, but the issues persist. He's been to vet twice, and there are no issues with his urinary tract.

He usually pees on my couch or bed. And just this morning, I was awoken to him attempting to pee on my chest!! (which was covered in the blankets on my bed). This strikes me as very targeted acts of frustration. I've had a lot of insomnia recently so I've been sleeping in more as a result, which I assume has him very aggravated on not receiving his food in a timely manner. He gets in a squatting position, so no raised bottom as if to spray. He also sometimes defecates as well if its on my couch.

Here is the real crux of the conundrum. I am a very busy person. Student, employed, and sometimes need to leave the house for most of the day, and occasionally for a weekend as my job requires. His anxiety and desire for attention is something I'm worried I cannot match. I cant play with him for upwards of 3 hours a day and fool around with closing doors and endless furniture cleaning services whenever he is in a bad mood. I love him a lot, I love being around him and am trying my best to make things interesting for him while I'm away. But both me and my roommate are fed up. I'm worried that I just don't have the capacity to care for him in the way he needs and as a result must give him away. But what if I regret it? I love him so much. Help.

 

[KatyD]

My boy was this way the first 2-3 years. I am not sure what made him so anxious, but we tried Feliaway, a cat psychologist, etc. the only thing that made a difference was changing the cat litter and keeping the box meticulously clean. My husband and I fought badly about this cat (he wanted to rehome). I just couldn’t imagine my baby ending up in a shelter. Fortunately, he has been consistently going in the litter box for about 4 years now except when it is dirty... then I find a present somewhere in the house. Good luck to you and your fur baby!

 

[danteshuman]

Before you rehome him (OMG please don’t!) can you try prozac? They make it in a cream you rub on the ears:.

Prozac takes weeks to work and is a big jump but considering you have rehiring on the table prozac is mild compared to that!!! Cats define themselves by their territory. So when you rehome a cat you are removing their security/territory and their people.

Please get a black light and clean everything that glows with an enzyme cleaner. I would also try cat attract litter. Lastly I would play clue and try to figure out where he is peeing & why. (Maybe watch some my cat from hell episodes?) There could be invading community cats in his yard or home, a cat that lives with him that is bullying him or even invading foxes or possums in his backyard. I would also switch to cat attract litter.

And yes I would do all of it: 1 prozac 2 black light 3 enzyme cleaner 4 playing clue 5 securing your borders if needed (motion activated sprinklers) 6 cat attract litter.

Good luck and please hang in there!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
If you do rehome him, utilize the suggestions here;

“kittens To Good Homes” – How To Find A Good Forever Home For Your Kittens – TheCatSite Articles

 

[danteshuman]

Oh and putting litter boxes where he likes to pee temporarily is better than pee puddles.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. There are many things you can try to do before considering re-homing.

First, you need to make sure you are cleaning the places where he has peed (and/or pooped) with enzymatic cleaners that will eradicate the smells left behind. Anywhere he has gone that he can smell his urine/feces scent is like an invitation to go there again and again. I've included a couple of links below to articles about various cleaning techniques/products you could try.

Secondly, since it appears he is a highly anxious cat, he needs diversions/distractions to help with relaxing/entertaining him a bit. Automated toys, scratching posts/cat trees/perches (ideally with at least one window he can look out) are a good place to start. If it is possible, setting out a bird feeder near a window can help to keep him entertained. There are also windowsill shelves you could consider buying.

Some folks find that cat music will help to soothe a cat, ones like Cat In My Arms on spotify and elsewhere; youtube has hours-long compilations of relaxing cat music, and there's also RelaxMyCat and MusicForCats (courtesy of Furballsmom ). You could play it for him during the times you are not home to see if that helps him any. Using squirrel/bird videos might be another thing to try. Some cats love being able to watch these types of videos.

I also included below another link to an article that talks about stress in cats and offers some ideas on how to deal with it, including some information about anti-anxiety meds if it turns out you need to go down that route.
Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles
How To Get Cat Pee Smell Out Of Clothes And Linens – TheCatSite Articles
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions – TheCatSite Articles

 

[ArtNJ]

Beds and to a lesser extent couches are high value targets to a cat. The blankets on the bed can be kneeded beneath the cat paws, which simulates burying waste. Its the #1 spot for "accidents" and issues can persist as a habit long after whatever the reason for the the initial issue (if any) was.

Absolutely use an enzyme cleaner, and drench any spots on the couch. Couches are a *&^%! to clean especially if its on the parts where the covers don't come off. We once thought we had cleaned a couch -- then humid summer hit and the smell just popped out. If the cushion covers come off, you still have to drench the spot underneath, but its a lot easier. Same with mattresses -- if you have penetration through blankets into the mattress itself, need to drench the spot with enzyme cleaner

Since this may just be a habit, I recommend exclusion from the bedroom for a few weeks. Couch may be a lot trickier in this regard. But if he peed on a blanket on the couch, or on loose pillows, remove those.

 

[danteshuman]

You can temporarily cover the couch with a plastic tarp, taped down do he can’t get under. This is of course after a through cleaning/soak in enzyme cleaner. Again a black light will show you the pee dots and the spray you missed.

You could pull out a sheet or blanket to go over the tarp when you use the couch, provided you lock up the sheet after use, so he can’t use it. I would buy extra litter boxes and stick one right next to the couch. It is temporary and in a month or two you can remove the tarp. You can slowly inch the litter box away from the sofa. Gross as it may be, it beats pee soaked couch cushions! It is temporary, this to will pass.

I had to live with a litter box on top of a fridge once.

 

[ArtNJ]

I had to live with a litter box on top of a fridge once.

You win a prize. Not a prize anyone wants, but its yours...

I agree with your post entirely, except that I would hope the tarp only needs to stay on the couch for a couple of weeks. And also, depending on where the cat is peeing may be "easier" (?) to put the cushions in the closet when not in use. I'm not sure, it admittedly sounds like a huge PITA to habit break re a couch that is a prominent part of one's living space...but its not a litter box on the fridge, so I guess OP just needs to man (or woman) up.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I get why you are thinking of rehoming, but do be aware that if his issues are anxiety-related, rehoming is going to increase that anxiety, and may be, in fact, a death sentence for him 2-3 homes down the line. Let's do everything humanly possible before that becomes necessary. You've gotten some excellent starting points. Hang in there awhile longer! We're with you, and you are NOT alone in this anymore.

 

[flybear]

as a foster home I can tell you that ... sadly ... nobody wants to adopt a cat with litter box issues ... it is the one thing adopters do not tolerate and cats that have this issues will be passed around and eventually end up in a kill shelter. This problem won't disappear in another home nor will the cat get better at least not initially. Can you build your baby an indoor catio ? There are some great examples online with wire cube shelving for example. Like a large enclosure that fits a play tree, sleeping spots, a litter box and some toys ... that way you have a safe spot for him when you cannot supervise and also a safe spot for nights ... I agree with the above said as well , clean all peed on spots with enzyme cleaner. I would get a few more litter boxes and scoop at least once a day ( some cats are finicky about peeing and pooping in the same box - my 5 always dedicate one box for poo lol )- try different litters as well ... I had very positive experiences using catios on high anxiety cats ... no idea why it helps - and yes .. the cats initially complain being confined but ... long terms it seems to help- maybe because their people get more relaxed ... cats can sense anxiety in their owners. Their catio becomes a safe spot and core territory maybe ... ?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

And if all else fails, there are always stud pants, a sort of cat diaper.