He is peeing everywhere :(

malinkonija

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I have been a cat lover since I know for my own existence and was always surrounded by cats since early childhood. This type of cat behavior I am dealing with, is definitely something new, and it's pretty complicated in terms of possible triggers.

Anyway my lovely little boy who is now 8 months old (Scottish fold) is peeing everywhere around the house. And I mean literally everywhere, every room - every corner.

When he came into our home, he met an older cat (she is now 8 y.o. and she was founded in the streets as a kitten) and she is a very smart little kitty that is not using a litter box, but a toilet, and we never trained her to use it, she just started using it by herself. He was obviously very confused seeing her doing that so he started peeing next to the toilet even though the litter box was 50cm away. Then he moved those peeing places step by step to many other new places all around the house.

I bought the cleaning spray with enzymes which is supposedly good for removing the odours completely, I was even counting hours and putting him in the litter box every 3-4 hours and then when he pees I give him a treat that he loves, the litter box is always clean and it's a big box, he is not experiencing any stress, he is just like this from the very beginning, he is a happy and healthy cat but I am becoming a pretty stressed out owner. I had a major surgery lately and I find myself babysitting my little furry baby too much and I am cleaning and bending over too much which I shouldn't been doing.

Please advise, I am pretty desperate about how to teach him the right thing...

Wishing you all a happy New Year 🌲
 
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malinkonija

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Hi M malinkonija and welcome to TCS!
Has your boy been neutered?
Thank you 😊

No he hasn't, vet advised to neuter him at around 9-10 months, so we will probably go end January, beginning of February. I don't know why, but I fear this will not have much impact... This lasts for months, even when he was a 2-3 month old baby. First few days when he came from the breeder, he was using the box all the time. But when he met his roommate and saw her doing her business... He is copying her in many other things as well. Well, he is trying to at least.
 

mani

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I have no idea why the vet said that.. here in Australia the latest we leave it is 6 months. I normally have boys done around 5.
I do understand what you're saying about how he's learned from your girl, and that definitely could have an effect, but honestly, if you don't get him neutered soon he'll be not just urinating, but spraying everywhere.
Is there any way you can get the girl to use a box?
 
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malinkonija

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He said that officially it is advised to do it around 6 months but he prefers waiting 9 until they fully develop, as those hormones are affecting the growth as well. I really tend to trust him, he saved and helped many of my or fostered animals when some local vets in town had no clue what to do. But yes that could definitely become a problem, the season of mating is approaching and I don't know if we will make it one more month without spraying. The girl is of course neutered long ago... After month or two of having him, she sometimes used the litter box as well but I think it was too late. Seems like he already picked up those patterns and I really have no clue how to teach him to use the box only. I am literally cleaning every single day at least twice a day and this lasts for 6 months already...
 

mani

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I'm sorry, but I really do recommend neutering sooner rather than later, especially with this behaviour.
This is what my Cat Vet's site says:
The best time to neuter your kitten is around six months. Many veterinarians prefer to wait until the kitten is around six months because he will receive a general anaesthetic for the operation. It’s preferable to neuter your kitten before he reaches maturity, however.

I'll stop harping on about it now. :lol:


We have some great articles on litterbox issues.. while you're waiting for more responses, have a look through them. :)
 
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di and bob

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Neutering would definitely help. Some cats mature faster than others too. My vet believed the same thing too, neutering at 9 months, but I have had MANY more cats neutered much younger than that with absolutely no health problems.
It may be he won't use a box she is going in and vice versa, You really need two or even three litterboxes. Change the litter in a couple and make sure it isn't the litter he doesn't like. To train a cat it would much better to confine them to a small room until they consistently use the box. Or at least close off most rooms. Use the enzyme cleaner with each accident. You might try training him to use the toilet too or putting a box close by the toilet. I really think he is getting his hormones and starting to mark. if there are places he consistently goes, get some clear carpet protector with the nubs on the back, cut it and place it nub side up, cats won't walk on it. once cats settle down, and they still might be nervous around each other, my cats took a year to stop spraying when we moved, but they did stop. Get him checked for a UTI, get him neutered, get several boxes at least for now, and I think he will stop, All the luck!
 
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malinkonija

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Thank you both for your advices 😊

I will definitely visit the vet sooner, however I cannot go before ~11-12 as we have holidays soon (mostly Orthodox population), until then is there anything else I could put in the corners instead of carpet protector, I am pretty sure I never saw this thing before (had to Google it)?..

I read on this site about confining to a small room before registering few days ago, and tried it, and he still preferred the corners of the room or the shower (which is his favorite)... He is really making this so hard...
 

di and bob

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I feel do sorry for You, you might try different litters to see if that is it. Or evendirt for a while, it might be different. They sell that protector at most places that sell rugs and carpet, it is online at Wal-Mart, Amazon, and bldg. Centers like home depot and Menards. It really works. You could try tinfoil some cats don't like to walk in it.
 

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I have had good results with young cats and tin foil (aluminium foil) - in small rooms and on sofas. Scottish folds can suffer from a lot of health problems so you might be advised to look for a vet who has a particular interest in this breed and is keen to treat them. Not all vets are willing to make a special effort.
 

lutece

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It's normal for many male cats to start to pee everywhere when their hormones come in. The pee also becomes much more stinky... if that hasn't happened yet, you will probably notice it soon.

Hormonal spraying / peeing is instinctual, not a behavior that you can change by better litter box training. It would be best to neuter him as soon as possible so that it is less likely to become a habit. Most boys stop the spraying / peeing when they are neutered, although it can take a few weeks for the hormone levels to diminish. In the meantime, all I can advise is to keep him in an easily cleaned space!
He said that officially it is advised to do it around 6 months but he prefers waiting 9 until they fully develop, as those hormones are affecting the growth as well.
Neutering doesn't have an adverse effect on growth. Early neutered cats tend to grow slightly taller on average (the leg bones continue to grow a tiny bit longer), but the difference is extremely small... not something you would notice. That is the only difference in growth that has been seen in studies.

There is evidence that neutering can adversely affect dogs, depending on the dog's breed and age of neutering, and many vets erroneously assume that cats must be affected in the same way... but cats and dogs are very different in this regard. Research studies done on cats have failed to show any adverse effect for early spays or neuters before the age of 6 months, and there are many benefits.

Here's another good web site with many resources
 

fionasmom

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My cat vet will not neuter before 4 months and I have stuck to that timeline and never had a problem. As lutece lutece says, the idea of waiting to neuter is in breeds like labradors and often the waiting time is 2 years.
 

mani

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Yes, I should have mentioned, cats often won't wee where they poo. I found this out years ago when I had a cat who would poo in the litter and wee in the shower bay.. your mention of that M malinkonija made me think that may be the problem.
I have four boxes for two cats.
 
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malinkonija

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It's normal for many male cats to start to pee everywhere when their hormones come in. The pee also becomes much more stinky... if that hasn't happened yet, you will probably notice it soon.
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I am familiar with this, but is it really possible that he started marking when he was 2 and a half months old?... This is why I am afraid that neutering won't help much, he was a tiny kitten when all of this started.

Anyway I wanted to thank everyone one more time, I scheduled the surgery and check up at the vet on next Monday. Will write after some time, to update you guys ☺

P.S. I added new box when he was still very small, he didn't want to use it at all. It just stood there. However I noticed that he used the first box for pooping very often, but he is peeing everywhere else, just not in the second litter box that I added.

P.P.S.
Hope the surgery will go smoothly 🥺
 

lutece

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I am familiar with this, but is it really possible that he started marking when he was 2 and a half months old?... This is why I am afraid that neutering won't help much, he was a tiny kitten when all of this started.
No, hormonal marking wouldn't start as early as 2.5 months old. I wasn't aware it had gone on that long!
 
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malinkonija

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Just wanted to let everyone know that we went to the vet and the neutering had to be postponed as he has cystitis ☹

This could also be the reason why he pees everywhere, I just hope this doesn't last to long as he was not giving any other signs of illness...

He got antibiotics, and he will be neutered after we finish the therapy.
 

gilmargl

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More likely than not, cystitis has been causing him so much discomfort and pain that he has been acting this way.
Hopefully it will clear up completely. ❤
 

mani

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That makes a lot of sense. As di and bob di and bob mentioned, he did need to be checked for a UTI. He may have had it for quite some time.
Hopefully once that's clear and he's neutered, he'll get his toileting sorted out. :)
 

di and bob

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Yeah, cystitis could definitely have started long ago and caused all these problems! once this clears up and he is neutered, I'll bet he is a whole different kitty!
 

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I don't think sticking him in the litter box is helpful. I mean, being confined somewhere you don't want to be is unpleasant, right? So you are linking the box with an unpleasant memory. Once you get him neutered, I would get him set up in a different bathroom, if you have one, as his recovery room. Food and water in one corner, a comfy box with a blanket in another, and the litter box in another. Hopefully, he will use the litter box there. The idea is a reset with no distractions.

In the US, the last couple decades the consensus advice has been towards neutering younger and younger. Now before 6 months is the recommendation, but its also commonly said that experienced vets can safely do so MUCH younger.
 
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