Peeing Problem :c

[kolie]

I just don't know what else to do.
Out door cat, buddy, has acclimated to living in doors with one exception.
She doesn't consistently use the litter box for peeing.
(I know she was an outdoor cat for years, but she does so well inside and doesn't want to go back outside. I love her. And my other furry child, Patches.)
We had gone a whole week with out an accident, and then I walked into the hallway and she has peed directly on the hall carpet. I am a renter.
This isn't the first, second, third, or fourth time. I've lost count. I have one area covered in plastic because she kept peeing right next to the litter box but not in the litter box. She uses it for #2, but not consistently for #1. I've taken her to the vet. Health isn't the issue, vet says it's behavior at this point and gave me no advise. I've cleaned, re-cleaned, vinegar, light bleach, soaked up, re soaked up, lemon scented, angry orange scented, rented a carpet cleaner, covered in baking soda and vacuumed, and covered in plastic once dry. She peed on the plastic the next day. Which was fine that's easy enough to clean, but she didn't pee on it again. It still smells like urine under the plastic. I am about to buy "Mister Max Original Scent Anti Icky Poo Odor Remover".
She JUST Urinated in the hall way, no where near any of the two litter boxes in the one bed room apartment. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to stop it. I don't know how to punish her, so I don't, but I didn't think cat responded to punishment, so I don't. I don't know how to encourage her to use the box more than I already have. I can not cover my entire apt in plastic to keep her from peeing outside the litter box. I've run out of dry towels and paper towels. I don't know what to do. I am in tears, because I don't know what to do.

TLDR:
Please, I need advise.
How to get a cat to pee in a litter box every time?
How to clean pee out of carpet? (the internet gives me a million options and conflicting information on how to clean cat pee, HELP)

 

[tabbytom]

Can you get some dried leaves or soil where she pee outside and place some in the litter box?

Get a good enzyme odor and stain removal. There are a few brands out there and here's a thread on what some members use :-

What Brand of Enzyme Cleaner Do You Use?

 

[poppyheart]

Tabbytom has good advice, soil from outdoors can help cats get used to the litterbox you just gradually mix the % of soil and litter until there is only litter.

Have you tried cat attract litter? How many litterboxes do you have? Could Patches be blocking Buddy from accessing the litterboxes (this can be hard to figure out)?

Does she ever wee in the litterbox or is it always in another place? Does she seem anxious or stressed?

You could try plug in Feliway diffuser it could really help if it is a possible territory issue or she is stressed in general.

For the accidents tabbytom is correct yiu must use an enzyme cleaner and really soak the area not just a light spray.

 

[Columbine]

There are some great points made here already. I have a couple of things to add. First of all, she may be avoiding the box because it simply isn't clean enough for her liking. Some cats are very fastidious, and won't use anything other than a totally clean box Her going right next to the box definitely backs this up - it's like she knows where she's supposed to go, so she gets as close as she can to it, using the nearest 'clean' (to her) spot.

Secondly, some cats don't like to poop and pee in the same place. This is because, in the wild, the scent left behind could give their location away to predators. Peeing and pooping in different areas is a survival instinct, and can be stronger in cats who've lived outdoors for any length of time.

Adding in extra boxes may well help matters, both by making sure that she'll always have a clean box to go to, and by giving her more options (especially if there's any litterbox 'guarding' going on). As a general rule, thr minimum number of boxes is one per cat plus one extra. This ensures that each cat always has somewhere to go. The less you scoop, the more boxes you need. After all, you wouldn't want to use an un-flushed toilet
How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
The Litterbox: What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know
The Dos And Don'ts Of Cat Behavior Modification

 

[kolie]

A lot of this is covered in bring buddy the feral inside.
https://thecatsite.com/threads/buddy-the-stray-feral-update.334919/
Okay, so to clarify, I went through the whole process of gradually introducing the cats to each other. Buddy acclimate faster than Patches and because of that there was a point where it became impossible to keep them separate. (I Iive in a one bedroom room apt barely 700 square feet with a spouse with hobbies. We have very little room.)
I did the whole teaching buddy about a litter box when she was housed in the bathroom, it took putting leaves and sand in it for her to realize that it was for the bathroom. We only had a two accidents before we figured out how to communicate that.

There are two litter boxes. I can get a third, just not sure where to put it where either one might is it.
We didn't have accidents once they both shared space until I listened to my vet.
Once buddy had access to the whole apt she would out in the cat tree, which was previously much used by patches. This territory issue caused stress for the cats, but other than brief cries and hisses that was it. My vet gave me some advice about providing each cat with the same things, and honestly that made everything worse for both cats. They fought more and that's when the peeing started. Buddy peed on our clothes if we took them off to shower. She peed on the towels if they fell off the rack. She would pee of the towel used currently to soak up the pee from the floor.
After taking the items away that where causing stress between the cats. Buddy stopped using the litter box she had previously used and started using patches. No one was using buddy's box in a private place so I moved it to a more useful area. Then the cats switched litter boxes.
Patches original litter box stays in it's same place. Buddy's box was moved from the private bathroom area where she stopped using it, to the living room where she was peeing on our things. This way patches could not block both boxes at the same time. Seemed like success. Then about a week later, buddy started peeing on the floor right next to the litter box but pooping in it.
I clean the boxes every day. Buddy still peed on the floor but used a box to poop. This was the first times she started peeing directly on the floor and not a specific item.

I haven't simply "sprayed" anything. I have deep cleaned, deep cleaned, and deep clean again. Heavy objects on towels and paper towels to soak up the urine, deep within the carpet, then spray, and inject into the carpet and repeat the process. All kinds of cleaners and currently an enzyme cleaner.

Last night while soaking up a pee spot, I walked away to let the towel soak up the enzyme cleaner and within 20 minutes buddy had peed on the towel walking right by a perfectly clean little box that's she's peed in before.

I have re cleaned the spot and now placed the cat litter box directly over it. It's up against the hall in my short narrow hallway.
Patches is stressed. Buddy seems fine but then pees anywhere.
My spouse and I think it's because the hall way is quiet but the hall way leads to the bathroom that is even more quiet, but she won't use the litter box in the bathroom anymore at all. Neither cat will. So now I have a litter box directly in my hallway. I will get some leaves and stuff to help encourage her to use this box for peeing. I can get a third box on my way home today. That's not the issue. But what If it doesn't stop her from peeing directly on the floor, what else can I do at this point? Patches is very stressed and I am scared this behavior will give her behavior problems.
It's bordering the need to re-home her. Which is too painful to really consider.

 

[kolie]

There are some great points made here already. I have a couple of things to add. First of all, she may be avoiding the box because it simply isn't clean enough for her liking. Some cats are very fastidious, and won't use anything other than a totally clean box Her going right next to the box definitely backs this up - it's like she knows where she's supposed to go, so she gets as close as she can to it, using the nearest 'clean' (to her) spot.

Secondly, some cats don't like to poop and pee in the same place. This is because, in the wild, the scent left behind could give their location away to predators. Peeing and pooping in different areas is a survival instinct, and can be stronger in cats who've lived outdoors for any length of time.

Adding in extra boxes may well help matters, both by making sure that she'll always have a clean box to go to, and by giving her more options (especially if there's any litterbox 'guarding' going on). As a general rule, thr minimum number of boxes is one per cat plus one extra. This ensures that each cat always has somewhere to go. The less you scoop, the more boxes you need. After all, you wouldn't want to use an un-flushed toilet
How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
The Litterbox: What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know
The Dos And Don'ts Of Cat Behavior Modification

There are some great points made here already. I have a couple of things to add. First of all, she may be avoiding the box because it simply isn't clean enough for her liking. Some cats are very fastidious, and won't use anything other than a totally clean box Her going right next to the box definitely backs this up - it's like she knows where she's supposed to go, so she gets as close as she can to it, using the nearest 'clean' (to her) spot.

Secondly, some cats don't like to poop and pee in the same place. This is because, in the wild, the scent left behind could give their location away to predators. Peeing and pooping in different areas is a survival instinct, and can be stronger in cats who've lived outdoors for any length of time.

Adding in extra boxes may well help matters, both by making sure that she'll always have a clean box to go to, and by giving her more options (especially if there's any litterbox 'guarding' going on). As a general rule, thr minimum number of boxes is one per cat plus one extra. This ensures that each cat always has somewhere to go. The less you scoop, the more boxes you need. After all, you wouldn't want to use an un-flushed toilet
How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
The Litterbox: What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know
The Dos And Don'ts Of Cat Behavior Modification

A couple of things, I put a box right next to the box, that one was completely clean and she peed in the hallway instead. It could have been that because the boxes where beside each other she couldn't get to them.
I have put leaves in a box but then she poops in it and sometimes pees. It's too inconsistent.

 

[kolie]

Okay, so it's 50/50 sometimes she uses the litter box and we won't have an accident for a few days or even as much as two weeks.
She was checked out by the vet, and though she doesn't seem stressed, we put her on a food that has stress medicine in it. The doc said if this didn't work kitty Prozac was next.
To do the best I can here are three litter boxes.
The blue one is the one I first got for patches we she was the only cat. That whole entire area next to the box under the desk has been urinated on. The hall way is the second box. Yes right behind the automated feeder because that's where she peed twice. Apparently she doesn't care if she pees near where she eats. The other box is in an area that the one in the hallway used to be, they both used it, I am hoping this stops everything. If not kitty Prozac...
I do appreciate all the the suggestion and advise, and I hope I don't seem reactionary it's just had to deal with urine.

Tabbytom has good advice, soil from outdoors can help cats get used to the litterbox you just gradually mix the % of soil and litter until there is only litter.

Have you tried cat attract litter? How many litterboxes do you have? Could Patches be blocking Buddy from accessing the litterboxes (this can be hard to figure out)?

Does she ever wee in the litterbox or is it always in another place? Does she seem anxious or stressed?

You could try plug in Feliway diffuser it could really help if it is a possible territory issue or she is stressed in general.

For the accidents tabbytom is correct yiu must use an enzyme cleaner and really soak the area not just a light spray.

 

[Animal Freak]

I'm not sure if this could at all be related since she is using them sometimes, but it seemed worth mentioning. All the litter boxes appear to have hoods on them. Some cats don't like hoods on cat boxes. One of mine won't use the litter box with a hood. It's cramped and they can feel trapped. They're sightlines are blocked. Also, how big is the cat? Size matters. A bigger cat means a bigger litter box. They should be able to get in and turn around comfortably.

 

[kolie]

Patches (the og) is a big cat, I've gotten her to drop some weight down to 14lbs. She is a long big cat. She can fit in all three boxes with out a problem and turn. even in the small one, though honestly it's funny to watch her do that.
Buddy (newbie with the pee problem) is a whopping 8.75lbs. The smallest box in the hall way is plenty big for her.

I first taught buddy to use a box without a lid. She choose to start using boxes with a lid after watching patches. She stopped using the box without a lid completely. She does pee in the boxes, but sometimes she doesn't. I've watched her walk right by a clean box she has used for peeing the day before and pee in the hallway.

The only thing I can think of is it's something unspoken going on between the cats. They are both healthy and have been to the vet.
Patches has for five years, has been an only child and after months still isn't okay with buddy. She doesn't like to share, but gets even more upset if someone gets something period. Patches is a very spoiled child.

If this third box doesn't solve the issue, it's back to the vet for kitty Prozac next. I want to exhaust all options, because I brought buddy into this indoor world, and it's not her fault she doesn't understand :/

 

[kolie]

Things I may have forgotten to mention:

Enzyme cleaner is amazing.

Yes, I did try feliway, didn't seem to change anything for either cat.

Oddly, buddy seems pretty calm about everything when you watch her. Shes stopped being jumpy over every noise, every move. She's honestly a great thankful, loving and happy cat. Patches seems the most upset and hurt over everything, and boy she lets you know with hisses, demanding meows, and slaps... I've never met such a cat who wore every feeling on her sleeve like Patches. But it's buddy that's peeing on the floor.

Most importantly thank you to everyone for everything. Every suggestion and thought and advise. It means a lot.

 

[kolie]

It's Thursday, two days after my last post. And just right now... Buddy peed in the hallway right next to the litter box. Patches wasn't blocking her. She was watching her pee on the carpet. I saw patches looking around the corner and then thought buddy must be peeing on the floor , walked around the corner to find buddy was peeing on the floor.
Now I have taken the lid off to see if it has anything to do with the lid which would make any sense since she poops in a box with a lid and has peed in that same box more months. The new little box in the living room is completely untouched by both cats (even though it's in the exact place they were both using a week ago).

This peeing problem has literally (litterally haha) cost me several hundred so far.

If patches ends up peeing on the floor from the stress of this... I don't know what will happen. This cannot go on. It just cannot.

 

[Columbine]

Thank you for all the additional information. It helps a lot and you don't seem reactionary at all - after all, we can't help you with only half the picture

One question health-wise - when you took Buddy to the vet, did they take a urine sample? One possibility is FIC, something that's not the easiest to diagnose. I'm 99% certain my girl has it, so I know how frustrating it can be trying to get a diagnosis. It's very good at mimicking a straight behavioural problem - even my vet thought it was territorial rather than physical. It was only Asha's vocalising whilst peeing that tipped me off - she showed no other signs of stress.
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis - How To Improve Your Cat's Quality Of Life It's definitely worth raising this specifically with your vet if it hasn't been previously discussed.

The other possibility, especially as Buddy's mostly going right by the boxes (if I understand you correctly ) is that this is a territorial dominance issue. Whilst you're working to correct it, try putting puppy per pads around the boxes. I've never had an issue with these attracting a cat to pee (I used them a lot near the end with my old greyhound, and also in front of a litterbox as one of my old boys was a master at going into the box but somehow peeing out of the door ), but they will protect your floors and make clean-up a ton easier.

Given how stressed Patches is, is get them both thoroughly checked over by a vet. It's always possible that Patches' stress is somehow triggering Buddy's inappropriate peeing. A lot of cat-to-cat communication is virtually imperceptible to us humans, and it's very easy indeed to miss the more subtle 'conversations'. A mere look can be a block in some circumstances, so its incredibly easy to miss - even if you're watching for signs.

I can't imagine how frustrating this must all be for you. I really hope you find a solution soon

 

[kolie]

You are right there are things I just might not be able to see. The stress between the cats is causing more escalations.
If this is a territory issue, then what if anything can I do?
And lol! Patches is a big cat, so sometimes she accidentally pees out of the box while squatting in the box. She is very picky about everything she does, when this happens she gets so confused.

Thank you so, so much for all the support!

 

[maggiedemi]

What is her diet like? Enough canned food? Just wondering, since my cat had peeing problems on too much dry food.

 

[poppyheart]

I have been keeping up with your post and think Columbine has great advice about the extra urine test for Buddy.

If the extra boxes, boxes without lids, cat attract litter, feliway and special food are all still not working I think you may have to go back to the vet (I would take both cats as Patches being stressed may be causing Buddy to urinate inappropriately as Columbine mentioned) and at this point possibly think about looking at kitty Prozac as an option if the urine test again come back clear. Often both cats have to be treated to help the issue to resolve.

The other option would be to consult a cat behaviourist. They can see everything in action and will be able to actually see the layout of your house etc and offer advice directly related to Buddy and Patches not just the generalised advice that we can offer here.

 

[Columbine]

You are right there are things I just might not be able to see. The stress between the cats is causing more escalations.
If this is a territory issue, then what if anything can I do?
And lol! Patches is a big cat, so sometimes she accidentally pees out of the box while squatting in the box. She is very picky about everything she does, when this happens she gets so confused.

Thank you so, so much for all the support!

Interactive playtime is one of the best tools to help cats work through territory issues. Give them each at least one individual session each day, and be sure to follow each session with a meaty treat or snack (to complete the hunt-kill-eat cycle). Anyplace a cat hunts and eats its prey becomes their territory, so doing this around the house (and especially in any particularly disputed areas) is a fantastic way to help a cat claim and own their territory in a healthy and positive way. It won't work overnight, but you should start to see an improvement over time.

Another easy way to help resolve territory issues is to open up more vertical space for them. Doing this effectively makes your home bigger as far as the cats are concerned, and the bigger the space, the less likely it is that they'll have territory disputes, as they'll both have plenty of space to own
How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

With Patches 'missing' the box from time to time, a bigger box might help. I can't say for sure that it will, but it's definitely worth a try

It's definitely worth another vet visit for both Patches and Buddy too, both to discuss anti anxiety measures (my instinct would be to start with supplements like Composure before moving on to pharmaceuticals, but that in part depends on any test results ), and to be certain that neither of them has any sort of medical issue that could be contributing to this behaviour.

Good luck, and keep us updated