Cat Peeing Outside Of Litter Box

[cat princesses]

My situation is very similar to what @TJAnonymous is dealing with.
I have 2 cats there were adopted at from the same shelter aprox 4 years ago. Aurora is older, she is aprox 12 and Mulan is 4. Mulan exhibits play behavior for the most part, crouching down and taking off to chase Aurora but Aurora wants no part of that and won't ever engage and finds it annoying. It does seem that sometimes Mulan gets very jealous even though we try to drain her energy by multiple daily play sessions. We can play with her for 15 minutes steady and then after that she will go after Aurora and chase her trying to up on her side like she's trying to ride her like a horse. Eventually Aurora goes to high ground and it's over with. There is never any biting, or growling.
The past 2 weeks Aurora has started peeing in our basement on the area rug where we have a spare bed. My husband gets really hot so he has been sleeping there for the past 4 months and she is super bonded to him. I noticed there weren't any pees in the litter box last week 1 day. That evening she peed right infront of us on the rug. I took her the very next day to the vet, did a complete work up, blood was all normal, thyroid normal, she was diabetic but is in remission and Blood glucose was all normal. I also home test her weekly so I knew she wasn't back diabetic. They did a urine sample thru needle and sent it for culture and gave her a shot of convenia. We came home and that night she did pee in the box but over night I saw on the security cameras I set up by that area that she peed on the carpet again. I figured maybe it would take another day or two for the convenia to do it's job so I wasn't too upset. I did get a 3rd litter box and put it right next to the carpet she was peeing on and she started to use that box. She's been really good the past 3 days using that litter box but today, in front of my husband, she went into the box, sniffed around, got out and peed right next to it on the rug again. What the heck! The vet called and said the preliminary culture results showed no infection at all though her urine was cloudy so she said it was possible that she still had something brewing.
I have read about using D-mannose - what about slippery elm bark? Which is better?
How much would I use and how often? I also went out and bought 2 of the feliway multi cat diffusers and have 1 upstairs where Mulan spends most of her time and another for Aurora in the basement plugged in next to where she has been peeing.
I'm at a loss - is this behavioral or medical? The vet said if the peeing didn't resolve she might need an ultra sound - I don't believe she's ill - seems like she's on edge - wondering if perhaps some kitty anti anxiety meds would help?
I don't know anything about CBD oil for inappropriate peeing.

 

[ArtNJ]

How have you been cleaning the rug? The smell is hard to get out and like a big glowing bullseye to a cat. You basically need to use an enzyme cleaner and a wet vac.

I'd try a reset period. Keep her in a bathroom for a full day with food, water, liter and a nest to sleep.

 

[FeebysOwner]

You didn't mention it, but did the vet say there was any traces of blood in the urine? Given that the vet is suggesting a possible ultrasound, it sounds like they might think she has crystals/stones in her bladder? It is possible she has cystitis which can cause inflammation in the bladder and inappropriate urinating. Cystitis seems to be caused mostly by stress, if no other health reason is identified.

For starters, you need to thoroughly clean the carpet she is consistently peeing on - to remove any trace of urine smell, as that attracts the cat to pee there again and again. You can buy "The Equalizer" (available thru several on line retailers) and spray the carpet with it. It has been effective more me, and I like it because you don't have to saturate the carpet, hence less drying time.

Since you mentioned that she entered the litter box but left it to pee on the carpet, it sounds like the litter box may need to be cleaned out either more often or more thoroughly?

Since she doesn't stand up for herself with Mulan, I think you need to start intervening when Mulan jumps Aurora - this is likely causing stress all by itself and has probably been building in intensity as Aurora ages. Just pick up Mulan, tell her a firm "No" and remove her from the area Aurora is in. If you have another method of 'discipline' then use it, but whatever you use you will have to do it consistently and unrelentingly probably for a long while, since Mulan has been able to get away with this behavior for years.

I don't have any experience with D-mannose or slippery elm bark so hopefully other members will offer their input on that aspect.

 

[cat princesses]

I am using the natures miracle every time she pees on the rug. I didn’t find that worked 100% so I have been using spot shot regular couldn’t find the pet in the aerosol can and spraying and then using a bowl of water and soaking a rag and wringing that out and scrubbing the area and them blotting with paper towels. I also scribe the back side of the rug since it’s in a concrete floor. Vet said no blood or crystals or anything. They also did an x Ray in the office and said the bladder looked good. Trust me Mulan gets in trouble every time she chases sister she gets a firm no and I have been putting her in my husbands office with the door closed as jail time after she acts up. I have done this consistently but she’s stubborn. I can’t medicate Mulan because she had severe allergies and is in atopica 5 days per week which is an immune suppressant and also twice a week allergy shots at home. I don’t have the heart to add another Med for her to calm her down. It’s so weird because most of the time they can sit together and eat side by side and there is never a problem. They clearly don’t hate each other it’s just that Mulan gets a case of the ants in her pants and she’s a terror for 10 minutes. People have talked on other threads about the Bach’s rescue remedy for anxiety is that a daily treatment?

 

[FeebysOwner]

The Bach Rescue Remedy are drops you can rub into a cat's ear, I also think it can be added to water. I am not sure how long the effects are until another application is needed. It could be used as needed, and it is not a medication. It works on some cats, not others. But, there are other calming products on the market, so you could experiment until you find something that helps. If Mulan's behavior has a pattern to it, you could try just using a calming product at those times.

 

[cat princesses]

The past 24 hours haven't been good. I still haven't gotten the final test results back from the culture but Aurora seems to have gone back to peeing on the area rug on and off. She had a couple good days in a row using the new litter box I put right next to the rug but now based off the security camera footage she's peeing on the rug on and off again. She goes into the litter box stands there, gets out and goes on the rug. I am going to get the d mannose shortly and will start her on that. it's day 4 of the feliway multi cat plugs ins and haven't notived any changes at all.
Aurora definitely seems "off" she walks around the basement looking for a new place to pee. She really is trying to find a spot by our storage totes but so far hasn't actually made pee there thankfully. Her tail wags to the left and right, like she's irritated. I'm totally at a loss. The vet talked about possibly repeating the urine culture but I think that is a complete and total waste - if it didn't pick it up last week why would it this week? I'm not wasting the money for a second negative result. This is getting frustrating. My husband thinks maybe it's part territorial but I'm not sure.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Aurora may no longer like the litter/litter box(es) you are using, she only likes 'new' litter that hasn't been used or a box that is clean of any previous pee/poop, or she doesn't want to use a litter box that Mulan has used. Any of these are possibilities. Or, if the one she is not using has a cover, remove the cover.

These cats have been together, albeit not close, for 4 years, yes? Unless something new has changed in their dynamics together, I doubt it is territorial. Given her age it is more likely a health related issue, or there are new issues going on between the two cats that weren't going on before. Even the simplest things we as humans take for granted can bother cats, especially the older they get.

 

[cat princesses]

Yeah not sure. I ran out and got some d mannose and gave 1/4 tsp to Aurora with some baby food mixed. She ate it all and went to the litter box and peed. I have read good things about d mannose so I’m really hoping this helps!