Cat Peeing Is Becoming Worse

[aliah6644]

Hey guys,
My cat Henry is neutered and is a little over a year and a half. I've had him since Feb this year. We lived alone for a bit and he got very used to his litter box quickly. I moved in with my boyfriend who also has a cat. They've adjusted together just fine, but recently Henry has been peeing in the same spot in the bathroom right in front of the litterbox. We were thinking that it was because the litterbox was getting full, so we've been spraying the spot, changed the litter to Cat Attract, and have been cleaning it more often. He still does it only sometimes, and now he's started to pee on clothes that have been left on the floor. He knows what he is doing is wrong, because he runs away quickly and we've been constantly disciplining him. Not sure what to do anymore! Is it a behavior thing, or is something wrong? Help!

 

[MeganLLB]

Welcome to TCS! I would take him to the vet to rule out any medical problems like a UTI. I had a male cat that got a bad UTI and eventually had to have surgery, but before that he started peeing all over the house and on clothes or blankets or towels that were left on the floor.

 

[maggiedemi]

It sounds like a UTI. He might need antibiotics from the vet.

 

[betsygee]

My cat started doing the same thing when he had a UTI. I'd definitely get him to the vet.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Hi,

I am sorry to hear this.

Cats going outside of the litter box is driving by two issues (medical - infection, pain) or behavioral (stress, territorial insecurity, etc).

So the first thing I do is get a cat checked out by a vet. Makes sure there is no infection or other medical issue going on. If the vet can't find anything then we turn to behavioral issues.

Cats want to cover their scent so their instinct is to use the litter box and then cover. But sometimes stress can cause them issues and they will go in places other than the litter box. Or they can feel territorially insecure and feel the feed to mark to say "hey, this is mine stay away from here".

So there could be a number of issues that are causing this.

How is his relationship with the other cat in the house? Have they been fighting? Has Henry been avoiding certain areas of the house? How is Henry walking around? Confidently with his tail high etc? Or low too the ground, slinking around?

How is his relationship with the humans in the house?

Cats take on our emotions as well. The more calm and confident we humans are the more secure, calm and confident they will feel. The more stressed we are the more stressed they can become. So it is really important we stay calm around the cat. I know it is hard when they do bad things but if we get angry or stressed they will feel it and become more stressed and the behavior will actually get worse. So disciplining a cat is actually counter productive and makes the situation worse. It is best to just calmly clean up the situation and then work to build the cat's confidence.

So I would like to work on building the cat's confidence. We do that through Play, Food, Height and Love. So I would like you to step up play with Henry especially near areas he is going. After a good play session feed either treats or a meal. This replicates the instinct of Hunt, Capture, Kill, Eat. It builds confidence as it is their survival instinct. When they do this they are winners in the wild. Also, I would like to encourage him to be up in the world, on cat trees, etc. then love. Have you and your boyfriend feed him, give him treats. Be calm and confident around him. Give him warm and comfy places to hang out. Scratching posts to get his scent on. If you can safely (without being at risk of being hurt in anyway) get him to purr that is great. Just let him know he is wanted and loved to build his security and confidence. This will also reduce any stress and help him feel more territorially secure.

If he isn't getting along with the other cat then we will do some positive association with them. Using food especially. I can go into this more when I hear how their relationship is.

We want to make sure we clean the areas thoroughly. Here is a link to cleaning properly. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-remove-cat-urine Cat urine is different so the right cleaning solution is very important.

Don't worry, their instinct is to use a litter box and cover their scent. So I would like to rule out any medical issue by going to the vet first. And I would like to start immediately building his confidence through (Play, Food, height and Love). As we build his confidence and reduce his stress he should go back to using the litter box.

Don't worry, we will get through this. please feel free to ask anything anytime. I am happy to be here for you as long as needed. We will get through this.

 

[aliah6644]

Hi, thanks so much. Yeah definitely going to take him to the vet, I didn't really realize this could be a medical issue until now. In terms of his behavior, he's always been very comfortable around me and my boyfriend. He loves to join us in our blankets and snuggle. He purrs often loves when we pet and play with him. He seems to love our other cat, he's always interested in her and wants to play and sniff. What's interesting is the stress thing. He's been acting up a lot lately in smaller ways, and it stresses us out. We live in a somewhat small apartment and so these things can really get to us sometime. I wonder if we let up on the disciplining him it would help his mood.

His tail is usually straight out or wavy when he walks, not too high or too low. I'll pay attention to this more.

I've also heard that some cats are picky with their litter. Could that be a possibility in this situation?

Thanks.

Hi,

I am sorry to hear this.

Cats going outside of the litter box is driving by two issues (medical - infection, pain) or behavioral (stress, territorial insecurity, etc).

So the first thing I do is get a cat checked out by a vet. Makes sure there is no infection or other medical issue going on. If the vet can't find anything then we turn to behavioral issues.

Cats want to cover their scent so their instinct is to use the litter box and then cover. But sometimes stress can cause them issues and they will go in places other than the litter box. Or they can feel territorially insecure and feel the feed to mark to say "hey, this is mine stay away from here".

So there could be a number of issues that are causing this.

How is his relationship with the other cat in the house? Have they been fighting? Has Henry been avoiding certain areas of the house? How is Henry walking around? Confidently with his tail high etc? Or low too the ground, slinking around?

How is his relationship with the humans in the house?

Cats take on our emotions as well. The more calm and confident we humans are the more secure, calm and confident they will feel. The more stressed we are the more stressed they can become. So it is really important we stay calm around the cat. I know it is hard when they do bad things but if we get angry or stressed they will feel it and become more stressed and the behavior will actually get worse. So disciplining a cat is actually counter productive and makes the situation worse. It is best to just calmly clean up the situation and then work to build the cat's confidence.

So I would like to work on building the cat's confidence. We do that through Play, Food, Height and Love. So I would like you to step up play with Henry especially near areas he is going. After a good play session feed either treats or a meal. This replicates the instinct of Hunt, Capture, Kill, Eat. It builds confidence as it is their survival instinct. When they do this they are winners in the wild. Also, I would like to encourage him to be up in the world, on cat trees, etc. then love. Have you and your boyfriend feed him, give him treats. Be calm and confident around him. Give him warm and comfy places to hang out. Scratching posts to get his scent on. If you can safely (without being at risk of being hurt in anyway) get him to purr that is great. Just let him know he is wanted and loved to build his security and confidence. This will also reduce any stress and help him feel more territorially secure.

If he isn't getting along with the other cat then we will do some positive association with them. Using food especially. I can go into this more when I hear how their relationship is.

We want to make sure we clean the areas thoroughly. Here is a link to cleaning properly. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-remove-cat-urine Cat urine is different so the right cleaning solution is very important.

Don't worry, their instinct is to use a litter box and cover their scent. So I would like to rule out any medical issue by going to the vet first. And I would like to start immediately building his confidence through (Play, Food, height and Love). As we build his confidence and reduce his stress he should go back to using the litter box.

Don't worry, we will get through this. please feel free to ask anything anytime. I am happy to be here for you as long as needed. We will get through this.

 

[calicosrspecial]

You are very welcome.

Medical is always my first move so I am glad to hear you will be taking him to the vet. We will see what the vet says.

If the vet says all is fine then we'll look at behavioral. The fact you do mention that you may be a little stressed lately because of his behavior suggests this could be a cause as well.

How has he been acting up? Other than urinating?

A lot of times when a cat gets a little naughty I step up play with them. It helps build their confidence and it also tires them out a bit. After play always feed either treats or a meal. And play with them in areas where they are being naughty. Also, look into toys that he can play with when you are away. Also, cat trees especially if they can be safely by a window so a cat can look outside. Make sure the tree can't tip over into the window. Window perches can also be good.

Cats do take on our emotions so try to be as calm and confident as possible. That could help him. Also, disciplining or yelling at a cat only increases the stress of the cat and doesn't work. I know how frustrating it can be but what I do is just calmly clean it up and move forward. So I agree that I would not discipline him anymore because I think it is probably making it worse. Playing with him I believe will be very helpful and most importantly ruling out any medical issue.

How did he carry his tail before he started getting a bit naughty? We would like him to be walking tall with his tail straight up but some cats just can't or don't do that. So any change could be telling.

It is possible that the litter could be the cause. Did you change the litter recently? If it is the same litter than it probably is not the cause.

When things like this happen we always look for some change. A new neighbor with a pet, ferals coming around, stress in the household, movement of the location of a litter box, change in type of litter, relationship with another cat in the house or human, etc. Can you think of anything that has changed recently?

Sometimes a cat hurts their leg or paw and then associates the litter box with pain. SO make sure the vet checks his paws etc in additional to checking for UTI, pain, etc.

It sounds like he is in a home that has a lot of love for him which is great. Something has changed so we will deal with that. Getting him to the vet is a great first move and building his confidence through play and food will be helpful.

I am highly confident we will solve this and I will be with you every step of the way. Please update me with anything you think may be relevant and feel free to ask anything anytime.

 

[aliah6644]

He's normally very playful and curious but doesn't cause too much trouble, but lately he's been going places he's not supposed to like on top of the counters and not listening when we ask him to get down. Normally, we only have to ask him once to get down. He's also been braver than ever trying to steal food off our plates, but nothing has changed about eating/feeding habits.

Yeah he still carries his tail straight out, or sometimes he's waving it around.

Nothing has changed recently. We spent several months getting him used to my boyfriend's place and cat. And as soon as we moved in, we've gotten a routine going. He actually seems to like the new place more than my old place. It's more comfy/cozy, and he's got more cat toys. The other cat we have is much more mellow and chill, so Henry usually gets all the attention. The only thing I can think of right now is our frustration accelerating and his stress level getting worse. Also will get him to the vet.

Thanks again!

 

[calicosrspecial]

Thank you for the update, this is very helpful.

That is sadly pretty normal for some cats. Some listen better, some are so confident they think they can do anything. I have one that I just can't get to stop going on the counters. I think several of us have this issue. I have heard people put tinfoil and things like that on the counters. Mine it didn't matter. You may want to try it though. You may want to post in another thread asking for advice on how to keep them off the counters. (I know I will be watching for that advice). When I want my cat to go down I usually talk calmly and confidently to her and try to encourage her to come down for some love (petting) etc. It doesn't prevent her from going up on them but it does help get her down in a positive way.

I think you are probably right. Either it is a medical issue (infection, pain etc) or it is stress driven given everything you have mentioned. I would step up play with him and feed after and try to be as calm and relaxed around him as possible. Talking confidently and lovingly to him. Try to make getting him off the counters etc as positive as possible for him.

As he gets less stressed it will help you be less stressed and therefore be a positive positive feedback loop. Less stress leads to less stress leads to less stress etc. And normal behavior should return.

I am glad to hear he is getting along with the other cat, no other changes, etc. That is good and maks it easier to solve.

Also, it is very important to properly clean any areas he went on. Since cat pee is different it requires a special cleaning agent. I can't remember if the link in the first post has some brands of cleaners, if not I can get you some ideas of what to try. We want the scent to go away so they aren't attracted to that scent.

Let's see how that goes. We'll get him to use the litter box again soon. Their instinct is too use the litter box and cover their scent so we have that instinct to our advantage. We'll solve this, I am highly confident of that.