Persistant peeing in the house

[adam scott]

Hi there,

My partner and I have a 6/7 year old Ragdoll, and she insists on peeing EVERYWHERE in the house!

Its got to the point where I cant cope anymore, and the cat needs to either stop, or be got rid off.

Dont get me wrong, I love cats and have grown up around cats, and getting rid of one is the last thing i want to do. 

She has apparently always had this problem. She used to live at my partners fathers house (partner also there) and used to periodically just decide to pee on beds, sofas, the floor, you name it. She uses her litter tray, and does her business outside too. She moved in with us about a year ago, and was only spayed about the same time. So the spaying hasnt helped. She has had vet checkups with no obvious problems. She is now confined to the garage and outside alfresco because I cant trust her in the house (she peed on the couch and shopping bags right in front of us!) in case she ruins yet another couch, or god forbid gets on our bed. We do also have a 1 year old cocker spaniel, but she has no interest or interaction with the cat. The cat also has her own escape area away from anywhere the dog can get. The addition of the dog has not made the problem better or worse, just the same as it has been for years now. 

My partner is getting rather upset about the prospect of potentially getting rid of the cat, and i dont want to be the boyfriend to have to ask her, but I cant cope and live in a house with it anymore and it is putting a big strain on our relationship.

Any help would be greatly received!!

 

[goblinsmom]

I can suggest a few things that I've heard, although I don't have any personal input.

Have at least two litter boxes in different locations. Some cats like to have an option of where to do their business, and some even prefer to pee in one box and poop in another. You could also try a different kind of litter, maybe she's showing her protest to what you're using now. Make sure all the boxes are cleaned at least once a day, and don't place them near her food dishes. When you see her using a box you can try praising her with a treat.

There is a product called Feliway which has been recommended by every vet I've ever seen (but I've never tried it, because Goblin doesn't have any chronic anxiety issues.) It's basically pheromones that calm anxious cats and help with behavior problems, from what I understand. It's a bit expensive, but I've heard great things.

I know it's frustrating, but don't try to punish her when she pees in the house. All that's going to do is add more stress and possibly exacerbate the problem.

Good luck, I hope you guys will soon be able to go back to being a happy family!

 

[margd]

There is a product called Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter that has brought many a cat back to the litter box.   http://preciouscat.com/product/cat-attract/   Many of our members have had great success with it.  You don't have to use it forever, just until your girl uses her box regularly.  Then you can transition to your litter of choice. How many litter boxes do you have?  The rule of thumb is one per cat plus one, so you should have at least two.  For awhile, you might even go with three litter boxes so one is always convenient.

It is essential to use an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle when you clean up after the pee.  Enzymatic cleaners break down the urine molecules so there is no scent left to draw cats back to the soiled area.  Because cats have such a sensitive sense of smell, what smells clean to us may still have a detectable urine smell to them so you really do need to use the enzymatic cleaners.  There are a lot of these on the market.  

The following article should help you with some ideas:  
[article="32366"]How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats The Ultimate Guide  [/article]
Does your cat seem anxious or stressed?  Stress is a big part of cats peeing outside the box.  UTI's are another cause but I'm assuming your vet has already checked for those since you said she has a clean bill of health.  There are several calming products on the market - below are three our members recommend.  They don't work for all cats unfortunately but many people have had great success with them.

Feliway is based on pheromones cats emit when they are happy or content.  It's available as a spray or diffuser with each diffuser covering from 700 - 900 square feet.  Here's their website:  http://www.feliway.com/us/#redirected   The cheapest prices are usually at amazon.

Composure is available as treats or drops.  It's ingredients have a calming effect on cats.  http://www.vetriscience.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=9008103030

Rescue Remedy is available as drops.  It's made by Bach's Flower Essences.  http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/

As a last resort, sometimes treatment with an anti-depressant like prozac or an anti-anxiety medication like valium helps.  If your cat is stressed, consider discussing medication with your vet if the above remedies don't work.  
[article="30323"]Anti Anxiety Medication For Cats  [/article]
Litter box issues are among some of the most frustrating but they can be resolved with patience.  Since your girl has been doing this for so long, it has become a habit and might take a bit longer to fix, but it should be possible.  The following article might be of help.
[article="32493"]The Dos And Donts Of Cat Behavior Modification  [/article]
Good luck!   

 

[cocobutterfly]

Looks like you've already received some great advice from the previous posts. I second Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract. 

I've posted many times on this topic. Long story short, we now have 4 boxes for 1 cat. Yes, you read that right. We just kept testing different boxes and litter, and that's how many we've accumulated. And we finally found the litter that our cat is happy with - Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract. I really didn't want to go the clay litter route, but that's what she likes.

When we first got it, she ran right into it. After many trial and error, we finally found the litter that she loves and can't stay away from! We seriously can't keep her away from of it. She constantly goes in there whether she needs to go or not. She often just walks by and scratches the walls of the box just to show her love for it. That's how much she loves going in there. And this coming from a cat that was unhappy with every other litter. 

Her overall demeanor has changed for the better. She is now the most relaxed and happy cat, much less needy and less yowling. We realized quickly that she was constantly anxious because she was probably very unhappy with her litter. 

I also recommend Feliway. We use both the diffuser and the spray. 

 

[adam scott]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. 

Its very strange as she goes through stages. One minute she will use the tray/outside fine and nothing in the house, then will suddenly pee everywhere an anywhere in the house. Having more than one litter tray isnt really practical for us.. We live in a pretty small unit, so without having the house cluttered with them, or having them in places we use/sit often isnt really an option. Like i say she does use her litter tray, and purposefully goes off to find it so she knows how to use it and seems comfortable doing it. Also, the tray in the garage is on a ledge, so the pooch doesnt get to it. Dogs being dogs, ours likes to "clean out' the litter tray for us if we are not watching! 

We will try some of the products you have suggested.

She doesnt seem stressed, and theres nothing that changes to trigger her to start peeing. Only got told off when she peed where she shouldnt, and im sorry im not the sort of pet owner to be sympathetic and treat her like its ok when i catch her..  She used to get plenty of attention, so cant see it being for that.. She did it long before we got the dog, so cant see it really being her marking her territory..  :/