New Kitty & some mystery bathroom issues

[Lola'sMom]

Hi, I am hoping this is an easy one but I need the help.
Background - I have Lola, now a 1 year and 1 month old darling cat. Never any litter box issues, even when I moved the box to the basement from the upstairs or when she might feel stressed about something. She always stuck to using the litter box - always.
Right before Christmas we brought home a new kitten, Coco, who is actually a half sister to Lola (same dad). Coco would be about 3 months and Lola 11 months at that time. I worked very hard to make the introductions positive and after a rough 3 - 4 days, I could see we were turning a corner and a friendship would be in the making. All great news.
About one month in with Coco and it was time for her vet visit. She hates the car, my vet is close by thankfully. Post visit - clean bill of health from the vet.
That night I wake up to discover one of them peed in my bed. I wasn't sure which one but my money was on young Coco. Weeks go by with no further incident so I chalked it up to not knowing for sure but if it was Coco maybe she was unhappy about the trip to the Vet's and this was her letting me know.

Weeks later and it is time to move her litter box from the guest bedroom to he basement with Lola's. I had discovered she had already started using the litter box in the basement instead of the one upstairs intended for her. I didn't move the box slowly as some suggest - I just handled it the same I had with Lola. I made sure they watched me take the littler box down to the basement. They saw both boxes and they used both boxes. Again great news. 24 hours goes by and I notice something stinky in the guest room where the litter box used to be. Someone left a nice turd on a blanket resting on our sleeper chair. I was assuming this was payback for moving the litter box to the basement. I cleaned it up. Used a good cleaner on the fabric of the chair in case any smells made it onto the chair. I put a clean towel ( just in case) and a new blanket back on the chair. This afternoon I found urine on the blanket/towel and this time it did soak onto the chair fabric (should have used a plastic drop cloth instead). Again I am cleaning everything - better.

My questions: I THINK but do not know this must be Coco upset about the litter location change. So is it possible she left me her turd but then could still smell herself even after I cleaned so she then urinated in the same spot on the chair? Therefore until I get this cleaned up with zero smell my guest chair will be a toilet?

A couple notes:
1. even though I made sure each cat had their own, food, toys, litter boxes....they end up sharing so while the little box was placed in the guest room for little Coco originally (until she got older) Lola also helped herself to it just like Coco started going to the basement earlier than I imagined and would use Lola's littler box in addition to her own upstairs.

2. There are no medical issues for either cat and both cats appear happy as can be. If Coco is acting out she isn't showing any other signs of it.

3. Both Lola and Coco have been seen on the chair playing and sleeping. Lola was suspiciously smelling it but she does that with everything - but she tonight she also picked that chair (minus all cushions now) to sleep on which isn't her normal spot and I read cats find there own urine comforting. So then I wonder - could it be Lola? But I guess I need to make sure that chair no longer is appealing to them as a litter box.

4. Both cats are using the litter boxes in the basement with no problem.
5. This problem hasn't happened anywhere else in the house. Just this one chair in the room where there litter box used to reside....and the one time on my bed after the vet visit.

Thank you for reading all of this - any thoughts, help, insight is appreciated!

Right now the door is shut to the guest room but I need to figure this out.

 

[vansX2]

Hi, I am hoping this is an easy one but I need the help.
Background - I have Lola, now a 1 year and 1 month old darling cat. Never any litter box issues, even when I moved the box to the basement from the upstairs or when she might feel stressed about something. She always stuck to using the litter box - always.
Right before Christmas we brought home a new kitten, Coco, who is actually a half sister to Lola (same dad). Coco would be about 3 months and Lola 11 months at that time. I worked very hard to make the introductions positive and after a rough 3 - 4 days, I could see we were turning a corner and a friendship would be in the making. All great news.
About one month in with Coco and it was time for her vet visit. She hates the car, my vet is close by thankfully. Post visit - clean bill of health from the vet.
That night I wake up to discover one of them peed in my bed. I wasn't sure which one but my money was on young Coco. Weeks go by with no further incident so I chalked it up to not knowing for sure but if it was Coco maybe she was unhappy about the trip to the Vet's and this was her letting me know.

Weeks later and it is time to move her litter box from the guest bedroom to he basement with Lola's. I had discovered she had already started using the litter box in the basement instead of the one upstairs intended for her. I didn't move the box slowly as some suggest - I just handled it the same I had with Lola. I made sure they watched me take the littler box down to the basement. They saw both boxes and they used both boxes. Again great news. 24 hours goes by and I notice something stinky in the guest room where the litter box used to be. Someone left a nice turd on a blanket resting on our sleeper chair. I was assuming this was payback for moving the litter box to the basement. I cleaned it up. Used a good cleaner on the fabric of the chair in case any smells made it onto the chair. I put a clean towel ( just in case) and a new blanket back on the chair. This afternoon I found urine on the blanket/towel and this time it did soak onto the chair fabric (should have used a plastic drop cloth instead). Again I am cleaning everything - better.

My questions: I THINK but do not know this must be Coco upset about the litter location change. So is it possible she left me her turd but then could still smell herself even after I cleaned so she then urinated in the same spot on the chair? Therefore until I get this cleaned up with zero smell my guest chair will be a toilet?

A couple notes:
1. even though I made sure each cat had their own, food, toys, litter boxes....they end up sharing so while the little box was placed in the guest room for little Coco originally (until she got older) Lola also helped herself to it just like Coco started going to the basement earlier than I imagined and would use Lola's littler box in addition to her own upstairs.

2. There are no medical issues for either cat and both cats appear happy as can be. If Coco is acting out she isn't showing any other signs of it.

3. Both Lola and Coco have been seen on the chair playing and sleeping. Lola was suspiciously smelling it but she does that with everything - but she tonight she also picked that chair (minus all cushions now) to sleep on which isn't her normal spot and I read cats find there own urine comforting. So then I wonder - could it be Lola? But I guess I need to make sure that chair no longer is appealing to them as a litter box.

4. Both cats are using the litter boxes in the basement with no problem.
5. This problem hasn't happened anywhere else in the house. Just this one chair in the room where there litter box used to reside....and the one time on my bed after the vet visit.

Thank you for reading all of this - any thoughts, help, insight is appreciated!

Right now the door is shut to the guest room but I need to figure this out.

I think that I would continue to Keep the door shut to the guest bedroom . It doesn't Sound like there's any reason that either cat needs to be in there. My older boy Was 16 months when I added a 3 month old playmate. Their litter box has been in the basement All along without any issues. What helped is that I used Dr. Elsey's Kitten Attractant clumping Litter. Both kittens loved it. They would go in the litter boxes frequently . Wether they needed to do their business or not. Both litter boxes have covers for privacy.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I will say this...Cats, in general, do not "pay back." I'm more of the opinion that a kitten went to an area where she expected a litter box to be, it was gone, and she used the most available soft surface since she couldn't make it to the basement. Once a cat is accustomed to finding their box in a certain place, a quick change can be confusing...even if she watched you carry it down to the basement.

Also, unless you use an enzymatic cleaner, which is specifically designed to remove pet odors, your cats can smell where they went, and will be attracted to it.

Have you considered having a box upstairs and a box downstairs? With a good, odor-controlling litter this is very possible, and there are some lovely pieces of furniture that will disguise the box in public areas. They are available to fit all decors. This is just one example:

 

[Lola'sMom]

Thank you for the replies and a quick update: It is Coco (kitten) who is the culprit. I just watched her pee on my bed as we all woke up this morning. She is litter box trained so I am thinking Mamanyt1953 might be right about the smell still being on the bed from the fist time she peed out of the litter box? Same thing with the chair in the guest room. She pooped there once expecting to still find a litter box in the room and returned a second time becasue she could still smell her smell? I am using an enzyme cleaner now.

 

[susanm9006]

Litter box changes should be done very slowly. I would do the enzyme cleaning and return a litter box to the spot where it used to be. Then you start moving it a few inches at a time every couple days until it is close to the new box. If she goes back to a spot where the box used to be, repeat the process.

 

[Lola'sMom]

Thank you for your reply. Ideally I do realize that is the best method for moving a litter box however due to the floor plan of our house this is not realistic and another approach is our only option. And it depends on the cat. My now one year old had zero issues moving to the basement (friendly basement not scary) when we mover her box down there. Granted she was about 10 months old when we did it. Little Coco is just hitting 5 months old in a couple weeks.

 

[ArtNJ]

In my experience, kittens aren't always perfect at the best of times and habits can form even if you use an enzyme cleaner. So you clean properly, and take steps to make sure a habit doesnt form. That means keeping the kitten off the bed for a while. I'd also be careful about other common temptations, not leave clothing on the floor, and sniff rugs and bathmats to see if you might have an issue there as well. I obviously also recommend having enough boxes, moving boxes slowly, and all that jazz as well.

 

[Lola'sMom]

Well, here is a doozy of an update - I just took Coco to the vet for urine testing to officially rule out anything medical and solely concentrate of behavioral issues like that darn littler box. The vet just called and told me that while my kitten had been previously spayed (by another veterinarian) today they found an underdeveloped penis with a very narrow opening. Coco may be a hermaphrodite who is having trouble getting urine out. Although the amount of pee she is leaving on my bed sheets would suggest she has no problem storing up urine and letting it out. She left a puddle this morning and then stepped in it.
My vet said they need to get more information and she wants to consult with another vet who specializes in theses cases but it seems like this may be the problem with the urination they think.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[ladytimedramon]

Definitely sounds like a specialist call. I watch a lot of vet shows and haven't seen that come up.

 

[ArtNJ]

I'd continue to treat it in the standard way just in case one thing has nothing to do with another. And kittens really do go on the bed for no reason at all, and it really can become a habit if you don't keep them off.

Internet says 1 in 10,000 cats are hermaphrodites, so I wouldn't necessarily expect any learning from any of us. 1 in 10,000 is actually more than I guessed. Not sure how a vet eats specializing in something so rare, but maybe there are other rare things within whatever the specialty is.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

We've actually had several posts regarding hermaphroditic cats, but I did not see any reference to litter box issues with them. I suspect your vet may be onto something, but you'll want to have...um...him/her/them checked by that specialist. And, as A ArtNJ says, kittens are not the most reliable with a litter box. They have tiny bladders, and if they are on one end of the house when that bladder signals, they may not make it all the way to the other before an accident happens.

 

[Lola'sMom]

Agreed about kittens and their bladders. It's just that it is a new issue. She has slept upstairs with me and Lola in the past with no bathroom problems. And when she waits to pee in front of me she really waits to make sure I am up and she pees where I was sleeping. I feel like she is trying to tell me something. We will see what the urine test results are today and my vet will consult with the specialist (I think it is a reproductive vet who does focus on feline sex organs) to determine what she says. There are no observable testes so did they not form? Are they on the inside? Should anything be done with the undeveloped penis and finally where is her urine come out of? A vagina or this narrow penis? I suspect a vagina due to the amount of pee but my vet seems worried about how narrow the penis is and is that proving difficult to pee out of. Coco has no problem going to the bathroom - all day long she is fine and uses her litter box. Its just this new morning pattern she, excuse me, they have gotten into. I think an ultrasound might be suggested to answer a couple of these questions.

I would LOVE to read the other posts regarding hermaphrodite cats. Its a new one for me. I'll go looking. Thank you @mamany1953

 

[ladytimedramon]

I think I did see an episode of Critter Fixers where they had a hermaphrodite dog. They removed the penis because it was sending urine into the vagina and causing chronic infections.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Not meaning to make light of ANYONE, but...has your kitten chose pronouns yet? Something about calling a kitten "it" just goes against the grain, even if it might be anatomically correct.