My dear cat Bitsy who I adopted from humane society 3 years ago (so she's about 5 yrs old), she is getting out of control with thinking everything is a litterbox/something to pee in.
When I first brought her home I realized she thought my shaggy chenille bath mat was something to "dig into" and pee on, and I've read that's not totally uncommon with some cats so I just tossed it.
But over the past year she's using the darndest things to pee in. I can no longer have ANY kitchen mat of any type, whether low pile or even a rough coir-type as she'll soon squat down and pee on it. Hardwood floors beneath it, I use Nature's Miracle or Anti Icky-Poo spray to clean up the floor beneath to ensure no cat urine residue to attract her back. Twice now she's used a plastic storage tote that contained quite a collection of assorted cat toys in it as a litterbox. I blamed myself as I use the large clear rectangular storage containers (rubbermaid, sterlite) as litterboxes and thought maybe she just figured that all clear plastic containers were suitable boxes. She ruined a large expensive shag area rug in my living room ($500), had had it for a good 2 years with no issues then she started peeing on it. Despite all of the Nature's Miracle and properly cleaning, I had to just haul it to the dump.
I can't tell you how many times she'll climb onto a pile of clean folded clothes, like in a laundry basket, and pee. There's nothing worse than grabbing a top from the laundry basket and putting it on only to find you smell like cat pee.
She's even parked her butt onto a few pairs of my shoes and peed on them. She even peed into an expensive leather Fossil purse! (which I obviously then had to toss). In the past she's even peed on cat beds that for 2 years she'd previously never bothered with. I pretty much toss everything that she's peed on (clothing, mats/rugs/shoes).
Plastic grocery bags are a big hit for her, too. Long gone are the days of coming home from Target or Walmart with items in a plastic bag and leaving them on the floor somewhere for a couple days.......doesn't matter what's inside the bag........how many times I've found out the hard way when I go to pick the bag up, the waft of urine inside it hits me.
Last week I'd received a package in the mail, it came in a large yellow envelope that was lined with bubble wrap. I left the torn open envelope on the floor while I was putting things away, next thing you know I see her with her butt parked over the open end of the envelope and she's peed into it! I did again pour this urine into a container and took it to vet the next day to have them run a urinalysis.............and again, no bacteria/no crystals. Vet says this is definitely behavioral.
I have 6 cats in total...........7 litterboxes, all kept very clean. 3 with corn or wheat litter, 2 with clay-based, 2 boxes with the hoods on them.
2 of my female cats do like to chase her relentlessly through the house at times, and she'll growl and come running to me to 'protect her.' I suspect she's stressed. I've tried Feliway plug-ins. I've tried putting an extra litterbox in other areas of the house. I just don't know what more to do. Tonight I found her with her butt squatted over a shabby chic wooden decorative box, taking a wizz.
Winter is coming and I can't even have a rug/mat at my front door for peoples wet footwear because I know she'll eventually just pee on it......and sometimes in the past if she's peed on something and I didn't know about it right away, my other cat Hootie will then pee there too thinking it's the place to go.
There have been times I see her snooping around like she's looking for someplace to pee and I'll quickly scoop her up and take her down into the basement where the litterboxes are and put her into one and she'll pee........but I can't possibly catch her each time, I'm not always home. She's the sweetest girl, I never ever scold her, I give her lots of love and attention.
I've considered consulting w/ cat behaviorist............like Mieshelle Nagelschneider.....even though it's not cheap........don't know what else to do to figure out why she's doing this and then what I can do to stop it. Do you think that would help? http://www.thecatbehaviorclinic.com/
Please help!
Thank you
When I first brought her home I realized she thought my shaggy chenille bath mat was something to "dig into" and pee on, and I've read that's not totally uncommon with some cats so I just tossed it.
But over the past year she's using the darndest things to pee in. I can no longer have ANY kitchen mat of any type, whether low pile or even a rough coir-type as she'll soon squat down and pee on it. Hardwood floors beneath it, I use Nature's Miracle or Anti Icky-Poo spray to clean up the floor beneath to ensure no cat urine residue to attract her back. Twice now she's used a plastic storage tote that contained quite a collection of assorted cat toys in it as a litterbox. I blamed myself as I use the large clear rectangular storage containers (rubbermaid, sterlite) as litterboxes and thought maybe she just figured that all clear plastic containers were suitable boxes. She ruined a large expensive shag area rug in my living room ($500), had had it for a good 2 years with no issues then she started peeing on it. Despite all of the Nature's Miracle and properly cleaning, I had to just haul it to the dump.
I can't tell you how many times she'll climb onto a pile of clean folded clothes, like in a laundry basket, and pee. There's nothing worse than grabbing a top from the laundry basket and putting it on only to find you smell like cat pee.
She's even parked her butt onto a few pairs of my shoes and peed on them. She even peed into an expensive leather Fossil purse! (which I obviously then had to toss). In the past she's even peed on cat beds that for 2 years she'd previously never bothered with. I pretty much toss everything that she's peed on (clothing, mats/rugs/shoes). Plastic grocery bags are a big hit for her, too. Long gone are the days of coming home from Target or Walmart with items in a plastic bag and leaving them on the floor somewhere for a couple days.......doesn't matter what's inside the bag........how many times I've found out the hard way when I go to pick the bag up, the waft of urine inside it hits me.
Last week I'd received a package in the mail, it came in a large yellow envelope that was lined with bubble wrap. I left the torn open envelope on the floor while I was putting things away, next thing you know I see her with her butt parked over the open end of the envelope and she's peed into it! I did again pour this urine into a container and took it to vet the next day to have them run a urinalysis.............and again, no bacteria/no crystals. Vet says this is definitely behavioral.
I have 6 cats in total...........7 litterboxes, all kept very clean. 3 with corn or wheat litter, 2 with clay-based, 2 boxes with the hoods on them.
2 of my female cats do like to chase her relentlessly through the house at times, and she'll growl and come running to me to 'protect her.' I suspect she's stressed. I've tried Feliway plug-ins. I've tried putting an extra litterbox in other areas of the house. I just don't know what more to do. Tonight I found her with her butt squatted over a shabby chic wooden decorative box, taking a wizz.
Winter is coming and I can't even have a rug/mat at my front door for peoples wet footwear because I know she'll eventually just pee on it......and sometimes in the past if she's peed on something and I didn't know about it right away, my other cat Hootie will then pee there too thinking it's the place to go.
There have been times I see her snooping around like she's looking for someplace to pee and I'll quickly scoop her up and take her down into the basement where the litterboxes are and put her into one and she'll pee........but I can't possibly catch her each time, I'm not always home. She's the sweetest girl, I never ever scold her, I give her lots of love and attention.
I've considered consulting w/ cat behaviorist............like Mieshelle Nagelschneider.....even though it's not cheap........don't know what else to do to figure out why she's doing this and then what I can do to stop it. Do you think that would help? http://www.thecatbehaviorclinic.com/
Please help!
Thank you
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