- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 8
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Hi, I have a 12 year old neutered cat who has started peeing anywhere else but the litter box; however, he still goes into the box to poop. At first I thought it was a territorial thing because I have four cats of varying ages (2 12-year olds, a 2-year old, and a 1-year old) who share two very large covered litter boxes that are cleaned out at least 2x daily. (I have to use a covered box because my 1-year old will fling litter everywhere.) On several occasions, he peed on throw rugs around the house, but once peed on a bedspread while I was watching him (he made sure I was watching!). I assumed it was because I was fostering kittens for my local shelter, even though he never saw them. I do currently have a foster that he had met 2 months before.
His current behavior, to be fair to him, may be because he just recently came home from a week in the hospital where he was suffering from an extreme URI and has had to have a feeding tube inserted. I'm hoping the problem will resolve itself after he gets healthy, but I can't understand why he'll pee anywhere else in the house (be it carpet or tile but mostly carpet), but use the box for pooping. I recently changed one of the boxes from a smaller covered one to a Hidy-Tidy (large box in a cabinet with dual exits). He uses that one for pooping more than the one downstairs. I've used the same litter for about a year now with no previous issues until last month. Since he's come home, he has been clawing surfaces to re-mark them (I assume) and two of the other resident cats are not being very friendly toward him (hisses and growls). The third seems terrified of him as she'll sniff, then cower away from him. I assume he smells funny from all the medications.
I try to follow him around with a piddle pad to catch him "in the act", but can't always be with him as I have to prepare his tube feedings and get his medications ready. Fortunately, I bought a gallon size jug of an enzymatic cleaner so I can quickly neutralize the smell before it sets.
Does this sound like a temporary behavior? My fear is that he'll become so used to not using the box for peeing that my family will force me to get rid of him. Should I quit fostering and hope the behavior stops?
Do they make "Kitty Depends"?
His current behavior, to be fair to him, may be because he just recently came home from a week in the hospital where he was suffering from an extreme URI and has had to have a feeding tube inserted. I'm hoping the problem will resolve itself after he gets healthy, but I can't understand why he'll pee anywhere else in the house (be it carpet or tile but mostly carpet), but use the box for pooping. I recently changed one of the boxes from a smaller covered one to a Hidy-Tidy (large box in a cabinet with dual exits). He uses that one for pooping more than the one downstairs. I've used the same litter for about a year now with no previous issues until last month. Since he's come home, he has been clawing surfaces to re-mark them (I assume) and two of the other resident cats are not being very friendly toward him (hisses and growls). The third seems terrified of him as she'll sniff, then cower away from him. I assume he smells funny from all the medications.
I try to follow him around with a piddle pad to catch him "in the act", but can't always be with him as I have to prepare his tube feedings and get his medications ready. Fortunately, I bought a gallon size jug of an enzymatic cleaner so I can quickly neutralize the smell before it sets.
Does this sound like a temporary behavior? My fear is that he'll become so used to not using the box for peeing that my family will force me to get rid of him. Should I quit fostering and hope the behavior stops?
Do they make "Kitty Depends"?
