HELP! Cat pees everywhere when angry/punished

Kenzieprather

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I have a cat (9 months, male) named Joe and he has been a huge pain so far.
He responds very badly to any punishment for bad behavior. We’ve tried the angry “NO” , moving him to a good spot, and praising him when he’s in that spot. We’ve tried the nose taps, paw smacks (never hard enough to inflict pain), rubbing nose in pee, spray bottles with water, spray bottles with water and a little vinegar, distraction with toys, confinement to a certain room, and nothing has worked.
he tends to climb up on the back of the tv just about every time we’re in the living room and especially when we’re watching tv. We get him down and relocate him, sometimes bringing him back to the couch and cuddling him if he wants attention but he just runs away and does it again. Confining him to the bedroom where his litter box is just seems to piss him off and he pees. Everywhere. Dresser, closet, laundry basket, and the BED !!!!!
I absolutely do not want to get rid of him but now my boyfriend does so I have no time to try to change his behavior and I need help.
He is fixed, all pee has been on flat surfaces so he’s not spraying, he was just at the vet and all exams came back clear, pee seems normal (no blood, clumps, fouler smells, etc.), he has plenty of small mice/balls/fish toys, a track tower he loves, a big scratch post, and he’s allowed on our screened in balcony sometimes. We’ve tried switching his litter but nothing has helped. Currently using Fresh Steps non-clumping. He’s also had the Iams Kitten food his whole life and he has access to his food/water at all times.
I really need help, I’m willing to try new products or make any purchase.
 

ArtNJ

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He doesn't pee when your not discipling him? Its possible some of your techniques have stressed him out. You've got a lot of techniques you've tried that we do not recommend. I shudder to think what a water-vinegar mix would feel like in the eyes. That said, I've not really heard of this type of response and am wondering if you have two unrelated problems with some problem behaviors and peeing outside the box being separate issues?

As ar as your other techniques, a just loud enough to be somewhat startling "no!" (or a clap or other somewhat loud noise) is a good technique that we often recommend. An "angry no", might be the same thing, don't want to fuss over words, but *if* you are basically yelling, that could be scary enough to be counter productive. Nose taps, paw smacks and rubbing nose in pee are not things that are recommended here, and I think any of these could potentially be stressful to the cat depending on how they are done. More likely they would have little or no effect. Squirting I find can have an effect on certain cats IF the squirt gun is right there in the spot you want to discourage the behavior. If you have to run for the gun, I don't think its worth it. Many posters here say never to the squirt gun. Regardless, I certainly wouldn't load it with a vinegar mixture. The "pick up and put down" technique is one of the most effective techniques if you have massive patience and are willing to do this dozens or hundreds of times. Doesn't always work, but with great patience there is a good shot. Confinement and distraction stop an issue in that specific moment, but are basically always useless for future deterrence in my opinion. Distraction could even reinforce a bad behavior (I do this and mom plays with me. Yay!)
 

CatladyJan

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I don't think you need new products, it sounds as if maybe sometimes he is being disciplined for being a cat such as getting behind the TV. As A ArtNJ stated the methods you have used appear to be counter productive.
 

danteshuman

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First stop disciplining him besides a firm no! Second take him to a vet. Often cats pee out of the box because of health reasons.

Next stop stressing him out. He could be peeing out of the box from stress, poor dear! Give him an entire month with NO discipline and see what happens!

All that said I have a sometimes naughty twerp ... who is a PITA when he can’t get his daily outside time. You know what my harshest discipline to him is? Clapping my hands or calmly picking him up and giving him a time out in a room for 15 minutes. Squirting him (with water only) didn’t work to keep him off the darn counter. All he learned was to run over it real fast and to jump down into the kitchen. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Still Jackie trusts me completely and I don’t want to break that trust. Cats are trainable! However it is better to change their environment (so the no is there 24/7.) Give them a yes for every no. (Don’t go on the counter but do go on this high barstool where you can see everything.)

Once I kept him in the room for a half hour because the cute twerp was so naughty I actually yelled “No!” At him ...... making my headache a full grown migraine. I needed a break and time for my migraine medication to start kicking in!!! The room is not a punishment but a time for them to reset. It should have litter/food/water/bed/some toys in it. The maximum time ever, is 1 hour. The maximum time to keep a cat in a bedroom (not a bathroom) is 12 hours a day for a limited amount of time (like a few weeks or months as you do cat introductions.) Don’t put your cat in prison (bathroom!)

I suggest sticky tape (for cats) behind the tv. If that fails buy scat cat. It is a motion activated air puffer that blows a harmless puff of air when the jump near the tv. It works!

I had a super hyper naughty cat who knew “go to your room!) I never locked him in. I did clap at him or firmly tell him no or “go to your room!” until he got in my bedroom. The bedroom was his safe place. Once he crossed the threshold I stopped & ignored him for a few minutes. Then I loved on him like normal. I would do anything to have my “punk” back ...... even if he peed every where!
 

Cosmic76

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You have one stressed cat who is getting punished for normal adolescent behaviour. One thing I've learnt from having numerous cats over the years is, they are ALL pains at some stage in their kittenhood! I have one now who is 5 and is a complete rebel. But I never punish. They do what they do, and you have to adapt to living with it.

My cat started weeing on our bed recently, I believed at one stage it might have been because she was angry we weren't feeding her breakfast when SHE wanted it. No need to punish, I just started getting up earlier.

With the TV, is there any way you could pop a shelf behind it on the wall? It sounds like he just wants to be up high and in your space. You could consider catifying your living room to give him other options instead of your TV.

But you do need to stop punishing and find ways to please instead of curb. Theres a reason the joke says you never own a cat, a cat owns you!
 

ArtNJ

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I just wanted to ad a bit more on the vinegard mixture. In my prior post I mentioned that I feared what could happen if it got in the cat's eyes. However, cats are super sensitive to smell. If you are making the cat smell unpeasant to itself, the cat could get seriously freaked out. I recall the story of the rescue dog at 9/11 that was depressed for weeks, until his owner finally gave him a bath and washed away the scents of 9/11. Also, cats lick whenever something gets on their fur. Not sure how a cat would react to the taste of a vinegar mixture. Maybe its something folks do in your area, I don't know, and I can't claim to be expert on what the effects would be, but I would just worry that it would cause problems.
 

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Take a read through these TCS articles:


Inflicting pain, spraying water,rubbing the cat's nose in a pee puddle, etc do not work so please stop.

Is the tv a flat screen? If it is, make sure that you secure it to the wall or the furniture it is sitting on so it doesn't topple over when your cat climbs on it. At best, the tv will break and the cat will be fine if a little scared. At worse, the cat will be injured. There are tv safety straps you can buy.

Is the tv climbing the only bad behavior? Do you play with the cat with interactive toys? Solitary toys like balls and mice are great but some cats prefer interaction with their person. Fishing pole toys are great.
 
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Kenzieprather

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Thank you to everyone who replied, it’s been a huge help!
I am going to try the sticky tape behind the tv and bring up the idea of putting a shelf above it. I’m also going to buy a can of compressed air strictly for when he jumps on the tv. Also there was a comment about him laying behind it, we are fine with that, there’s just a ledge on the back of the tv he stands on and hangs his torso over the front and we’ve caught the tv halfway to the floor several times.
Joe does not respond to clapping or any random loud sounds, he just looks at us like we’re dumb. He also has become immune to the spray bottle but hates when I blow on his face, hence the compressed air.
The vinegar mixture was something an aunt told me way back to do, it was a tiny bit of vinegar to a whole bottle of water, the goal being he gets sprayed with icky water when he’s bad and stops doing it. Didn’t work, not gonna try it again.
I do admit he doesnt have many toys in the living room, my boyfriend hates clutter but his big tower is in there and his scratch Pads and cardboard scratcher. Any recommendations for toys to get him that wouldn’t make a huge mess but still keep him entertained and possibly distracted from the tv??
 

LTS3

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What worked for me was to get another cat to help with the naughty behavior. My cat was bored. A second cat gave him an outlet to use up all that energy. Something to consider if adding another cat is workable in your lifestyle / situation :) Fostering a cat for a shelter or rescue is a good step to see how your cat responds.
 

maggie101

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I have a few toys😊😊😊

5 different wand toys lazer light only one of my 3 cats likes. A cat that needs attention will get on counters,tv,meow constantly,pee from stress or uti, long list. No yelling hitting or squirting
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. Their hearing is far better than a dogs. I dont have to worry about insects or bugs
 

maggie101

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Have you heard the joke:

"I ran around the block 3 times,
picked up the toys then put them in a box"

I have an empty basket to put them in when I vaccume. If you do that, leave chew toys on the floor
My cats liked the ripple rug. Ofcourse no room for that now and the cats meow electronc toy
Clicker training him would be fun.
 
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Mamanyt1953

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I am going to try the sticky tape behind the tv and bring up the idea of putting a shelf above it.
That shelf may be the most important thing that you do. Cats generally respond better when a "no" is followed by a "yes.'' "Not this, but this, instead!" A dear friend finally kept her cat off of her kitchen counter by placing a small, simple cat tree next to the counter. The cat could "supervise" from an approved spot, and peace reigned again!
 

danteshuman

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I had a crazy hyper terror of a cat that just bugged/bullied his brother when he got bored. He drove me nuts until finally I let him go in the back yard (with supervision!) I trained him to stay inside the fence over a couple of years. If he got his daily afternoon bird watching time, he was a sweet angel.


My current cat is also hyper (in fact the reason I adopted him was because I knew how to deal with hyper cats. I didn’t want him to ever be returned again!) Jackie is a sweetheart provided he gets 2 hours outside every day. He is harness trained and that is way easier then training them to stay inside the fence. Even on his naughty days he is only a twerp ..... he never gets close to mayhem Dante could create!

I would suggest you secure your tv like you would for a toddler. Sell it to your bf as you can mount it to the wall and turn it to face any direction. 🤷🏻‍♀️

If your kitty gets a male kitten Buddy, he gets to buy a bigger tv?

Yes to the cat furniture & toys! I found a cheap 7 foot tree for my tree climbing cat with the first stimulus check.

I bought Jackie this, this month for rainy days. It includes a remote control mouse! You could encourage your bf to use it to play with your kitty. You can also start clicker training your cat.

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A large kickeroo he can bite and bunny kick is always good if he is a single kitty. A wand toy is great to!

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The best gift you could give him is a buddy. Nick & Jackie are littermates and bff. Jackie is less stressed when his brother is around. Nick gets to beat up his brother every weekend when we visit. He doesn’t pick on his sister if he can play with his brother. When Nick had to loose half his tail, Jackie comforted him. When I was stuck in the hospital for a week, Nick comforted Jackie.

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This is them playing. It looks tough but they are just wrestling.

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Rabbit fur toys are a favorite! They love their rabbit fur weasel and their jumbo rabbit fur mice (they are the size of rats!) I bought Nick & Jackie a weasel the year before. It was so loved that I bought them a new weasel & jumbo mouse bot their birthday. (I order them off amazon.)

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Don’t forget the good catnip that is catnip and silvervine.
 

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eva21513

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Any recommendations for toys to get him that wouldn’t make a huge mess but still keep him entertained and possibly distracted from the tv??
I'm a bit of a neat freak too, but I have loads of cat toys, so I'll share what works for me. My cat's absolute favorite toy is Da Bird - Official Go Cat Feather Toys Website (dabird.com) - it's on Amazon but apparently not on Chewy! My girl goes absolutely nuts for it. It's only out while we're playing; I don't want her to eat it. I also have tons of little glittery pom-pom balls, which she's learned to fetch. They don't hurt if you leave them out and step on them, and they're out all the time. Some people use ping-pong balls with holes cut in so the cat can carry them, but I'm afraid I'd step on one in the middle of the night and die! Every cat I've ever owned has adored the Yeowww! Catnip Yellow Banana Toy. Cat wands/flirt poles are great because you can just put them away at the end of the play session (and you should - some cats will try to eat the string.) Millie doesn't like balls with bells inside, but most cats seem to really enjoy those, so you might want to grab a couple to try. Other ideas - some cats also enjoy wrestling with soft toys that are about the same size as they are, or carrying around small soft toys. Paper bags and cardboard boxes are great for letting the cat hide and stalk his prey ;) Get a nice-looking box that you can put toys away in, aside from the few (maybe plushies and soft balls) that are out all the time.

I love these window sills, too - they're not toys of course but they are great enrichment - K&H PET PRODUCTS Kitty Sill Cat Window Perch, Tan - Chewy.com. A cat tree / cat tower is an absolute must - it's easier to wear them out when they're climbing, and climbing is an instinctive cat behavior; they're driven to do it!

Try establishing a routine - give him a 10- or 15-minute play session in the morning, and another at night. Bonus points if you feed him right after playing. It's okay if he just watches and doesn't engage - even watching toys is beneficial and engaging for them. Play has SO many benefits - it'll help him bond to you, increase his confidence, wear him out, and give him appropriate outlets for his energy.
 

Mamanyt1953

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Cat Dancer is another favorite toy. It is incredibly simple...four little hard rolled paper tubes on one end of a curved wire, and one on the other as a handle. But...put it in motion, and it looks very like a moth fluttering around! It's a rare cat who can resist a moth! Hekitty loves it when I make the "moth" flutter around in a circle above the lamp, and then dip back down to pounce level.
 

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Some cats just have attitude! My first cat has always pee'd on anything that smells like a man, he just doesnt like the smell of other guys i guess! He was fixed and everything and hes like 6 now.
we just have his own cat room for him where everything smells like him so he doesnt feel the need to pee and protect his territory at all.


Aside from just not liking that anything in the house smelled like my partner (who had known the cat as long as i had!) He also used it to let us know we had annoyed him, He would run over and pee on my boyfriends stuff if we picked him up and put him on his cat tree to scratch that rather than our stuff for example, or if he saw another cat sitting near or on his stuff!

I will agree that only ever saying no, clapping or simply moving him gently or distacting him are the best options, some cats aren't bothered by noise but dont make him associate you with fear or irritation! Because if hes simply telling you he's upset then it'll just exacerbate the issue
I wouldnt give up so soon some cats are just special
Especially if you've noticed a trend in his behavior!
 

maggie101

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Not surprisingly, my cats favorite toy is a wand with a leather string. Finally after 4 years I had to cut off the end part of her Purrfect leather bouncer. They love it even more!
 

Mamanyt1953

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