Help!!! Are Cats Too Lazy To Go Upstairs To Use Litterbox? They Are Pissing Downstairs Nonstop...

[rkd2design]

AGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH I need help!!!!!!
My husband is seriously threatening to get rid of ALL our cats, and for good reason. They are pissing on ANYTHING we leave on the floor lately and shitting by the back door on first floor of our house.
Backstory: Adopted cat #1 about 12 years ago, she was always fine going in her litter box UNTIL the arrival of dog/cat #2, then she started shitting in front of her litterbox... that was manageable.
Then we moved into a new house with 3 floors and put the litterboxes upstairs... it's like they are too lazy to go upstairs? She has recently started peeing on bags/things on floor in basement and downstairs.
Cat #2, rescue cat, I'm not sure what he's doing, but I think he might be taking part in these activities as well.
Cat #3 was a feral cat we recently adopted (and when a lot of this madness started-- but i dont think it's just him), he seems to understand how to use a litterbox, but I think he's also part of the cat activity of just peeing downstairs on anything on floor too if he's down there.

My next step is to quarantine everyone AGAIN (when i do this, things are fine-- i put them in upstairs bedroom with their separate litterbox and no accidents)

I really DON'T want to get rid of any of my kitty babies but we can NOT live like this... Any advice? Similar situation? Solutions? There's really no where on the first floor we can hide litterbox, so that's not really a great option... PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
I'm assuming you're using an Enzymatic cleaner? Nature's miracle, the Equalizer, etc

These are a lot of changes and a fair bit of stress for your cats from all that. Stress can cause behavioral as well as health issues. Have you had them in to a vet?

In all likelihood, in my opinion you'll need to keep them upstairs, or find a furniture lookalike hideaway for an additional litterbox downstairs.

By the way, the advised rule of thumb is a box for each cat plus one. In your case that's four boxes, but at the least can you do two? Which is to say, I assume you're cleaning the one you have frequently every day when they're using it?

Do the three cats get along? Do they like or hate the dog? Were there other animals in your house before you bought it and those people didn't clean well enough, so your cats are still smelling those odors? Are there wandering animals of whatever species outside that you may not even see bothering your indoor kitties?

Try the enzymatic cleaners, including Fizzion and scoex10, thanks to FeebysOwner

Also try something, or several something's from here;
For example, Only Natural Pet has a spray product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There are also treats, collars, and diffusers made by many companies.

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds

Music can be useful in helping a cat to relax (not 24 hours a day though, just now and then for a couple hours or so).
Low volume classical harp music, there is an app called Relax My Cat, and there's MusicForCats . com as some sources.

You could try one of these, only a small selection of a fast-growing section of pet products;
Richard's Organics Pet Calm-this one is drops that you put on the tip of the tongue. Also, Quiet Moments Cat treats, there is Calming Care, Calm-o-mile, Sentry, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-ease, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe.

Also Thunderease has diffusers as does Sentry, Comfort Zone and feliway although diffusers are expensive and not always the answer.
If it's legal where you are, you might want to check with your vet but some people have good results with CBD oil, plus there are vet-prescribed calming products too.
Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This discussion's post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat

 

[KarenKat]

Furballsmom had many great ideas. I totally understand litterbox issues and they can be a nightmare. Our kitty Trin had off and on issues, some because he was a weird cat (he may have had cognitive issues) some because he was unfortunately declawed and it got very bad when he got sick/stressed.

In addition to the guideline of one per cat plus one, they also say have one per floor. Maybe adding a litterbox downstairs and then if the issues are better moving it upstairs may help?

Cats don’t really go outside the litterbox out of laziness - it’s typically pain/illness, stress or territoriality. Or they don’t find the boxes clean enough or safe enough. So if they are threatened by each other, or by animals outside they could be trying to claim the area with their smell. Useful for them, disgusting for us.


It will be super inconvenient, but are there specific places where they pee downstairs? And if so, can you add a litterbox right there temporarily? A common solution is sometimes putting a box where they are peeing and slowly moving it to a more human friendly location. I think the guideline is 1 or 2 feet per day?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Lots of good advice above! And, I will echo the comments about more litterboxes. I am including a link about the most common litterbox mistakes from TCS to see if there is anything in there that might help.

16 Experts Reveal The Most Common Litterbox Mistakes (and How To Avoid Them)

Here is just ONE site that offers hidden/furniture litterbox look-alikes.
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/furniture-and-hidden-litter-boxes

Lastly, I also want to echo the comment about thorough check ups for all the cats, especially the oldest one. All kinds of illnesses can affect litterbox habits, and then those habits can spread to other cats in the house if the odors/stains are not adequately removed.

 

[rubysmama]

Sorry you're dealing with litter box issues. There's already been some good advice posted, so rather than repeat some of their suggestions, I'm going to post links to some (mostly short) TCS articles that may be helpful.

How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet
Inappropriate Peeing, Spraying, Toy Obsession And Leg And Hand Nipping
Spraying: When Your Cat Uses Urine To Mark Territory

Combat Cat Urine
How To Remove Cat Urine
How To Remove Cat Urine Odor From Your Home
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions
How To Get Cat Pee Smell Out Of Clothes And Linens

How Many Litterboxes Should You Have?
Litter Box Location Secrets

 

[rkd2design]

Thanks everyone!!!!! I bought one of those hidden litterbox sidetable things that should be coming today, I am hoping that should help! I think the issue is territory and our middle child cat is the problem--he's a rambunctious boy who likes to pounce and play and bugs everyone, and he often teams up with our dog and scares the other cats, prob which makes the other cats scared to go upstairs... cuz the new feral cat and our old girl, are totally fine when I bring them upstairs and keep them there. I also think it's time to take our old girl into the vet for a checkup, I'm just not sure what/how they test? I feel like cats are hard because they don't talk and unless they are in major pain/distress it's hard to tell... any tips?

 

[rubysmama]

I bought one of those hidden litterbox sidetable things that should be coming today, I am hoping that should help!

Fingers crossed it helps.

I also think it's time to take our old girl into the vet for a checkup, I'm just not sure what/how they test? I feel like cats are hard because they don't talk and unless they are in major pain/distress it's hard to tell... any tips?

Here's a few TCS articles that might be helpful:
What To Expect As Your Cat Ages
The Healthy Cat: Eight Things You Should Check
35 Signs That Your Cat May Be In Pain

 

[KarenKat]

Awesome! Hope the new box works out.

As for the vet, does she have any symptoms you could observe and bring up to the vet? Sometimes taking videos of anything (stiffness, limping, weird breathing) helps the vet see what you see. If she doesn’t have any symptoms and this is more of an old girl wellness check, usually they do some bloodwork, take a urine sample and physical exam. You could bring in a stool sample just in case they want to check it, I’m not sure if that’s normal. We had to provide one for our old guy because he was having diarrhea.