Pee and spraying.

[karleem]

My cat Simba has picked up the habit of peeing in the bathroom sink even though his litter box is clean. And both Jackal and Simba have started to spray even though they are fixed. What should I do to fix these behaviors?

 

[betsygee]

Have there been any strange cats or other animals around that might be spooking them or making them anxious?  Even animals they see out the windows or something?  

 

[karleem]

Well now that I think about it, I open the blinds so they can look outside. All my neighbors have dogs and I've seen cats around. But they are all outside. I don't have a window in my bathroom though.

 

[betsygee]

If you've had them to a vet and have confirmed they don't have UTIs or anything like that, it could be a new outside stressor.  Are they strictly indoor cats?  We had a problem with these kinds of behaviors from our cats and it turned out a neighborhood cat was coming in through their cat door and terrorizing our guys.  

If yours are indoor only, maybe there's a new neighborhood cat or dog around that's getting too close to Simba and Jackals' territory.  Keeping the blinds closed for now, and using a Feliway diffuser to calm them down might help.  

 

[gcat]

I agree with betsygee. First be sure to check with the vet to see if the spraying is caused by the development of a urinary disease (e.g. UTI, bladder stones, cystitis).

If it’s not, it most likely means that your cats are stressed out, whether it’s something inside the house or (most likely) outside. I had this problem with Baloo when he was a kitten and the Feliway diffuser as well as some nice soft music really helped when he started spraying out of stress.

If there’s a new neighborhood dog or cat that they’ve been watching they may also be stressed- perhaps try closing the blinds for a while to see if they have any reaction or if they still go to that area.

Best wishes for Simba and Jackal (nice names, by the way!) 

 

[karleem]

Thank you and I haven't had a chance to take them into the vet since we were surprised with snow and ice. But I will once the roads are clear. And I have **** the bliss but they push them aside so that they can look. I just happened to get lucky with cats that have health issues so it maybe that they have a UTI. I heard about this oil that give off calming pheromones and I wanted to try it since they have a bit of separation anxiety. I'm wondering if it will help with the spraying as well.

 

[betsygee]

Feliway is the calming pheromones.  You can get it as a plug in or a spray.  If the problem isn't medical, the Feliway could help.

 

[karleem]

Where do you get it?

 

[gcat]

You can order them online through PetCo or Amazon, or you can just buy them in-store: they’re basically available in most pet stores (PetCo, PetSmart, etc.) and even places like Target and Walmart.

 

[karleem]

I will have to Go look for them.