Peeing in places he shouldn’t be..

jessteroni

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Mr. Nuggs has been caught at the scene of the crime after weeks of trying to figure out which cat has been peeing on top of our washer and dryer.

He’s been peeing up on the Laundry Machines, in a closet, and just now, on a dresser. These are the only places he’s peed thus far, none on the same level as his litter boxes. He doesn’t do this every day, it’s about 1-2 times a week at most. The closet has been fixed by making sure the door is closed at all times. But the Laundry Machines is the constant issue. He just peed on my mother’s dresser(top floor) today for the first time.

I should add, he has been using his litterbox just fine, we have two, one in my room where he spends a lot of his time, as he gets locked in here with me from 12-7am, and another litterbox on the same floor(both in basement). I’m wondering if maybe putting another litterbox on the main floor, where most of the peeing is occurring might help?

Is there anything I can do to stop him from peeing in these spots?
 
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FeebysOwner

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I would most certainly add another litterbox on the main floor. And, I am sure you know the 'rule' of a litterbox per cat plus one. So, maybe more than just one is needed, depending on the number of cats you have? Cats preferences can change without reason, so some of his using other areas to pee might have to do with the amount of "stuff' in the other boxes when goes there to pee. Making sure they are scooped out frequently might help too.

Keep on eye out on him otherwise to ensure he is not heading toward a urinary issue, such as a UTI. Peeing in places other than the litterbox is a classic sign.

You can also try using plastic mats to cover the areas where he is peeing. Try to get ones that have nubs on the underside, then place them upside down. Most cats aren't too crazy about walking on those little nubs. But, get another box or two at the same time - otherwise he might start going other places when his current locations are blocked. Can your mother keep her door closed as much as is possible too?
 
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jessteroni

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I would most certainly add another litterbox on the main floor. And, I am sure you know the 'rule' of a litterbox per cat plus one. So, maybe more than just one is needed, depending on the number of cats you have? Cats preferences can change without reason, so some of his using other areas to pee might have to do with the amount of "stuff' in the other boxes when goes there to pee. Making sure they are scooped out frequently might help too.

Keep on eye out on him otherwise to ensure he is not heading toward a urinary issue, such as a UTI. Peeing in places other than the litterbox is a classic sign.

You can also try using plastic mats to cover the areas where he is peeing. Try to get ones that have nubs on the underside, then place them upside down. Most cats aren't too crazy about walking on those little nubs. But, get another box or two at the same time - otherwise he might start going other places when his current locations are blocked. Can your mother keep her door closed as much as is possible too?
Thanks! I scoop both boxes every other day, and change the litter fully every week. I actually just put a litter box up on the main floor, so fingers crossed. We used to have 3 litter boxes but after some renovations we took one away, there wasn’t ever an issue then so hopefully this will help.

He spends most of his time out on the screened porch since it’s been warm, and I’m wondering if he was just too lazy to go downstairs to use a litterbox.

My mom’s door is usually closed at all times, it just so happened it was open and she was in there reading when he wandered in, normally he’ll just lay on the bed if she’s in there but this was a first.

My bedroom used to be upstairs by hers, he had a litterbox in there too, so I think with the changing of everything, he’s still a little confused, though it’s been a few months.

We have an upcoming vet appointment so I’ll run things by his vet and see what she thinks too.
 
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jessteroni

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Maybe place another box on the screened in porch too??
I was actually thinking about that, normally around this time of the year it’s usually too cold to keep the door open to the front porch but this years weather has been weird. There’s a good chance there will only be 1-2 weeks max more of front porch time for the cats. I’ll probably go ahead and buy one for now, as we’ll probably end up needing it for next spring anyways.
 

GustifursMom

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When my cat was peeing in random places - it turned out he wasn't well. Maybe try the vet?
 
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jessteroni

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When my cat was peeing in random places - it turned out he wasn't well. Maybe try the vet?
He’s been peeing in the same two places for about 2 months now, no other signs of distress or sickness. We weren’t sure which cat it was until we caught him in the act today. He does have a vet appointment next week though, so I’ll double check everything with the vet then just in case.
 
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jessteroni

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Little update.

I ended up adding a third litter box on the main floor and not a single accident since then, except when Nugget got locked in the guest room for a few hours, snuck in while my mom was wrapping presents and hid under the bed lol. So things are perfect.
 
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