Ginga's Problem

[jazzythecat]

Hi there, I never really frequent the Health forums and such, too many sad stories for me, but I feel I need to post this, Ginga has a litterbox problem..

She sits down when urinating although she starts to stand up, until eventually she's standing up and urinating quite far away from the litterbox. Normally this only happens when she's outside, although last night it happened inside, so I started to get worried. She scared this terrible cat away from the house that night, just before she went to the toilet, she really doesn't like it. I was wondering whether it could be fear-related? The cat has scratched her a number of times, wee see it although it just attacks so far and isn't exactly scared of humans shouting.

Anyway, I would really like some help in this, is she perhaps marking her territory, or is it something completely different?

If you need any more information, I would be happy to give it to you.

Moderators, feel free to move the thread as you see fit, I wasn't sure whether to put it in Cat Health or Cat Behavior.

 

[yayi]

Since my cats go outside I've watched them go toilet. I haven't seen any difference between the way they do it outside and indoors in the litter box. But none of mine do the "trailing" the way Ginga does. The problem may be more about health than behavior.

Sometimes though, I've seen my spayed female Joji, spray (outside) when she gets upset over an aggressive intruder cat. 

Hope I've helped?

 

[Winchester]

I'm wondering if the episode with the other cat spooked her to the point where she felt she had to mark? Is she still peeing that way? Does she pee more than normal? If so, you might want to call the vet, just to be on the safe side.

 

[jcat]

Marking outdoors isn't odd behavior for either castrated male or spayed female cats if other cats are intruding on their territory. Is she raising her tail and giving short sprays, often in a number of places? Some will also defecate in prominent places. They may mark indoors if they've seen another cat hanging around their property.

Other than blocking her view of the outdoors, which isn't always feasible, you could try Feliway diffusers to calm her. Sometimes just putting an extra litterbox in a favorite indoor marking spot will work, or putting pots of basil plants there.

LDG has written a very good article on How to Remove Cat Urine which might be a big help to you.

 

[jazzythecat]

Since my cats go outside I've watched them go toilet. I haven't seen any difference between the way they do it outside and indoors in the litter box. But none of mine do the "trailing" the way Ginga does. The problem may be more about health than behavior.
Sometimes though, I've seen my spayed female Joji, spray (outside) when she gets upset over an aggressive intruder cat. 
Hope I've helped?

I think you have helped me a little, thanks

I'm wondering if the episode with the other cat spooked her to the point where she felt she had to mark? Is she still peeing that way? Does she pee more than normal? If so, you might want to call the vet, just to be on the safe side.

You're probably right, she must have felt the need to mark her territory, to keep cats away, since the cat was right up against a glass door, she may have believed it to be inside. She doesn't use the litter box inside very much, although when she has I've never noticed urine on the floor except after the night before last. I don't think she urinates more than normal, she doesn't do it very much, from what I can tell. She just urinates in strange places, like marking on the glass screen door (not the same one that cat was at). Is she definitely marking? She sits then eventually stand all the way up until she's standing like normal and just keeps urinating.

Marking outdoors isn't odd behavior for either castrated male or spayed female cats if other cats are intruding on their territory. Is she raising her tail and giving short sprays, often in a number of places? Some will also defecate in prominent places. They may mark indoors if they've seen another cat hanging around their property.

Other than blocking her view of the outdoors, which isn't always feasible, you could try Feliway diffusers to calm her. Sometimes just putting an extra litterbox in a favorite indoor marking spot will work, or putting pots of basil plants there.

LDG has written a very good article on How to Remove Cat Urine which might be a big help to you.

Ah, thank's for the information, Tricia! They're not exactly short sprays, she just keeps urinating until she's finished. She hasn't defecated anywhere, not in places where it can't be buried. Ah, that must be it, thanks Tricia.

I've tried keeping her inside but if we have visitors, she just pretends that she has to go to the toilet or something and then races outside, running all around our backyard :lol3: I'll try those suggestions, thanks again.

I think that article will help, thanks!

Thank you, all of you, I think she most likely is marking her territory to try to tell cats not to come here, although they don't seem to be getting the message :lol3:

 

[Willowy]

Most of my cats (male AND female) do the same thing. I'm not sure if it's a marking behavior or not. But I used to tack puppy pads behind the litterboxes to catch the overshoot. Now I use tall Sterilite bins as litterboxes, and that contains the mess.