Peeing outside the litter box- help!

[luna tuna]

I've been a cat owner for less than a month, so I've been reading up on this, but not much is helping. One day, Luna suddenly decided that our shag rug was her new litter box. (We live in a dorm room, so we don't have much space.) This problem arose when we got rid of an old, large area rug and replaced it, but she's not peeing on the new one! The shag rug has been around since I got here and she never had problems before. We caught her defecating on the rug and yelled at her and now she uses the box again, but she still wants to pee on the rug! She doesn't do it while we're awake & in the room. I took her to the vet because I thought she hadn't been peeing at all- I even sniffed our rugs but didn't catch the scent. He didn't do blood or urine tests, just told me that she was going SOMEWHERE, so he didn't think anything was medically wrong and he claimed the tests would just waste my money. Should I go back and insist on a urine test? He clearly thought it was purely behavioral and not due to a UTI, but should I make sure?
If I flip the rug and leave her alone, she does go in her box, but I still moved it as suggested. Having an upside down rug kinda negates the whole purpose of the rug. She has also peed just on the plain old tile floor (along with some of my roommate's clothes, but mostly on the floor. I don't think she was aiming for the clothes) but only once, as I caught her and again, snapped at her. She CAN control her bladder; she can make it to the litter box and sometimes I take her to my boyfriend's room for a few hours at a time and she's never gone in there. Since it's not a new rug I can't understand why she ignored it in favor of the box for weeks and recently changed her mind. She's 10- she definitely knows she's supposed to use the box. I keep it very clean, although I'm not sure exactly how often I should do a total litter change. As a college student replacing the rug would probably break the bank. I'll try to clean it more thoroughly and see what happens, but why the sudden change and what can I do to prevent it??

 

[morganalefae]

Get a cleaner that is made to remove pet odours if you dont have one already as it has enzymes that break the smell down. Personally I would have thought the vet would say we can do a test for a uti but it will cost X amount so its up to you instead of what yoy claim he said. also most cats demand their boxes be cleaned everyday and normally a full liter change is maybe every 2-4 weeks depending on how good the litter is and the odour control is.

have you tried moving her litter box? is it covered or not covered? have you thought of getting more then 1 box if you don't have one already? and is the cat declawed?

 

[catpack]

Yes. I'd go back to the vet and have a urinalysis and culture done. Medical issues must be ruled out first., especially since she is a senior cat (I am taking the "10" to bean she is 10 years old.)

Is Luna by chance declawed?

Also, as frustrating as her accidents are, yelling and snapping aren't going to help. Cats don't do behaviors to spite us. Luna is trying to communicate something to you. She either has something medically wrong or is stressed.

In the mean time, I suggest investing in a Feliway diffuser or two and getting a good enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle. Make sure the product says "enzymatic". Clean the areas she has urinated/pooped on with this. It will take care of the smell of her and any other animal(s) that may have marked on the rug prior to you living there.

 

[luna tuna]

By yelling, I just mean I said "no!" so she would know that's not okay, and it did work. Mothanalefae, my vet literally said, several times, "we can do this, but I do not think it is necessary right now." He said there was no evidence of something medically wrong and that he didn't think we shoul do the tests, but we could. I even asked him more about it and he kept saying it was unnecessary. As I said, I did move her litter box, but I have very few options on its placement. There were definitely no animals living here before. We got our rugs new and my school only very recently started allowing emotional support animals. The most the last person in this room could've had would be a hamster.
She is not declawed and her box is uncovered. There's not room for two boxes. The litter has been change within the last 10 days and I clean the box at LEAST 3 times a day.
Also, the vet said for a urine sample he'd suggest leaving her there in their metal cage until she goes, and if anything would stress her out it would be that.

 

[luna tuna]

Also, they're not so much "accidents." This morning I heard her scratching around in the litterbox, and then she apparently chose to leave the box and go on the rug instead, since the box is empty and the rug is not. I haven't changed litter type, and I'm still using the original bucket of it so it has not changed at all. The earliest I could get her back to the vet would be Wednesday, but I find it unlikely that she would have the time to consider her box, scratch around in it, and then move to the opposite side of the rug if she had a UTI. She's a very healthy cat for her age, and she has far fewer stressors now than were present the first two weeks in the dorm, when she was using the litterbox perfectly. I do plan on getting an enzymatic cleaner

 

[catpack]

I think I'd find a different vet. I'd actually recommend a cystocentesis, which sounds way worse than it actually is. This makes it much less likely for the urine to be contaminated. Your kitty most certainly would not need to stay at the clinic all day.

If she were mine, I'd start with the urinalysis, just to be sure. Stress can lead to urinary issues such as cystitis; but, like I said, your kitty is also a senior, so kidney disease should be ruled out as well.

I'd also still suggest the use of Feliway. And cleaning the areas really well.

You can also try Cat Attract litter to see if this helps.

 

[morganalefae]

Luna tuna it's morganalefae not mothanalefae. And if you look in your post original post you just said and I qoute "just told me that she was going SOMEWHERE, so he didn't think anything was medically wrong and he claimed the tests would just waste my money" so it's not that hard to think one would assume that that is all he said.  Thankfully the cat is nor declawed so that rules out she dont use the box cuz it may hurt etc. But you said the box is uncovered, some cats like covered boxes so maybe try a covered box.

 

[luna tuna]

If a cystocenteses is drawing urine from her bladder with a needle, he said that was possible too. The vet said her kidneys felt fine- I'm aware that's not conclusive at all. As for feliway, it's not exactly cheap and in these dorms I'd have to chose between that and charging my phone. Sorry, morganalefae, just typos. Also, I was just clarifying what my

 

[luna tuna]

Vet said.

 

[luna tuna]

The box is uncovered, but it was under a desk which gave her the feel of a covered box, and now it is out in the open so I have tried both. Plus, the box was just fine before

 

[catpack]

Amazon has the best prices for Feliway. Yes, the initial kit is pricey; but, can definitely help or correct the issue. You can also try Composure treats or Composure Liquid Max (both available on Amazon and Chewy.com); however, I personally have seen better results with Feliway.

As for outlet space, you could get a surge protector, many come with USB outlets now.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OJGBDN4/?tag=&tag=thecatsite

 

[catpack]

The fact that this is new behavior is why I'd want to rule out a urinary issue.

Have there been any changes in the dorm or in Luna's routine? New roommate? Louder neighbors?

Another reason for older kitties avoiding the box is arthritis. So, this might be something to consider as well.

 

[luna tuna]

We got a new rug (we have two) but it's not the new one she's peeing on. I don't think the neighbors are getting louder and my roommate is the same

 

[molly92]

I know you said you don't have room for another litter box, but you might want to try adding one or two where she's urinating just temporarily to see if that helps. They don't have to be real litter boxes. You can use any similar container with low sides. Fill it with litter and put it on top of the spot on the rug. If she's using that consistently, you can then slowly move it closer to her real litter box, then place it inside her litter box, and then get rid of it all together to get her back in the habit.

The reason it could be a medical issue is if she tries going in the litter box and something hurts, her first thought is that the litter box is hurting her and she tries to go somewhere else. I do agree she should be tested to make sure there is nothing wrong.

 

[luna tuna]

I replaced the rug she was peeing on with an identical one and she hasn't shown any interest in it. But is there a way to keep her from wanting to use it again?? She's doing fine when someone's in the room, and we've been flipping the rug at night and when we're both out. I can't tell if she just doesn't want us to catch her or if she actually has no interest in it. But it can't keep her completely off the rug because she has to walk across it to get to the box!

 

[talkingpeanut]

You are trying to fix the end result of her peeing on the rug, which is understandable. However, you are treating a symptom and not the cause. She is either stressed or something is medically wrong. Cats do not pee to spite you; this is your cat attempting to communicate. You have some great suggestions above.

 

[luna tuna]

At this point, there's nothing medically wrong. It's entirely possible she had a UTI, but she's fine now. She's been using the litterbox well, except last night when she did pee on the new rug, which I know she did because she had diarrhea on and in front of the box. She is already being treated for this.
While I know pretty much everyone here has more experience with cats than I do, I know psychology. If she was avoiding the box because urinating was painful, she would not have continually used the same rug because she would have the same pain association with it! I realize cats don't pee to spite people, but they also can't know what they aren't allowed to do if you just ignore their behavior. I did take her to the vet before I posted anything here. She's not acting any differently in any other way. She's not in pain, more lethargic, hiding, or being more aggressive than usual so I see no reason to think she's stressed.
I appreciate everyone's opinions, but a lot of what I've said has been ignored.

 

[margd]

One thing you might try is to make the litter more attractive to her than the rug.  There is a product called Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter that a lot of our members recommend for litter box problems. I'm not sure exactly how it works - it has something to do with the texture of the litter and a herbal attractant mixed in with it.  You don't have to keep using it forever - only until your girl is using her box regularly.  At that point, you start gradually shifting back to your original litter.  Here's the manufacturer's website:  http://preciouscat.com/product/  It's available at pet stores and amazon.  

I'm also including an article on litter box issues.  I know you've tried just about everything, but there might be something in there that gives you an idea.
[article="32366"]How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats The Ultimate Guide  [/article]
Also an article on behavior modification - again, in case you see something helpful
[article="32493"]The Dos And Donts Of Cat Behavior Modification  [/article]
Good luck with this.  Litter box problems can be among the most frustrating to address, as I know from experience.   If only they could speak!   

 

[molly92]

At this point, there's nothing medically wrong. It's entirely possible she had a UTI, but she's fine now. She's been using the litterbox well, except last night when she did pee on the new rug, which I know she did because she had diarrhea on and in front of the box. She is already being treated for this.
While I know pretty much everyone here has more experience with cats than I do, I know psychology. If she was avoiding the box because urinating was painful, she would not have continually used the same rug because she would have the same pain association with it! I realize cats don't pee to spite people, but they also can't know what they aren't allowed to do if you just ignore their behavior. I did take her to the vet before I posted anything here. She's not acting any differently in any other way. She's not in pain, more lethargic, hiding, or being more aggressive than usual so I see no reason to think she's stressed.
I appreciate everyone's opinions, but a lot of what I've said has been ignored.

If she did have a UTI and it got better, that would explain why she avoids the litter box-it got better while she was peeing on the rug. I understand that litter box issues are frustrating and they take a while to correct because they are habit forming. She will never associate her inappropriate elimination with any response you have. You can't communicate to her that the problem you have is with her urinating on the carpet. She might just think you don't want her to do it in front of you.

Cats are very good at hiding pain and symptoms, which is why everyone has been suggesting a vet visit, because inappropriate elimination is one of the few noticeable signs of some illnesses.

It's very possible that what started from a negative association with the litter box, whether it was discomfort or something else that spooked her, has become a strong habit which I think you'll need to subtly correct. Placing a litter box or tray directly on top of where she is peeing for now may get her reaccustomed to peeing in litter, and then after she has been very consistent for several days/weeks, you can move this box closer to/into her original litter box, and then remove the new box entirely.

 

[molly92]

 
One thing you might try is to make the litter more attractive to her than the rug.  There is a product called Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter that a lot of our members recommend for litter box problems. I'm not sure exactly how it works - it has something to do with the texture of the litter and a herbal attractant mixed in with it.  You don't have to keep using it forever - only until your girl is using her box regularly.  At that point, you start gradually shifting back to your original litter.  Here's the manufacturer's website:  http://preciouscat.com/product/  It's available at pet stores and amazon.  

This is a great idea! I think they also make an additive that you can add to your existing litter.