"Special" Cat with peeing problems

[mitsumura]

By special I do mean I love him dearly but more importantly, he is special because of how I think he may be a little crazy. I will try to make this as short as possible.

About 3 or 4 years ago I adopted my husband's great grandmother's cat. He is a beautiful dark gray manx and he will be 14 in March. Yay! Unfortunately for me, he has a peeing problem that may stem back a very long time, possibly his whole life for all I know. I have been dealing with it since I took him because grandma couldn't care for him anymore because of her age.

The Fuzz (the manx) was abandoned by his mother because he was the runt and she had 9 other kittens. The mother's owners then proceeded to bottle feed him but all of the other kittens and his mother shunned him. Therefore, besides what is probably instinctual, he lacks all feline social education. This is why I feel he may be a problem case.

We have moved 3 times since we have had him and I realize that is very hard on him. He usually doesn't start peeing in the new house for weeks though after we move. What he will do is find a particular spot he likes (usually by a door and right up against the wall) and he will pee there. He does not defecate anywhere but the litter box. I don't know if he pees in the litter box or not but I am constantly cleaning and have called service master recently.

We have had 2 other cats at different times with him. One was a grown cat and the one we have currently just turned 1 year. We did have him for a time with no other cats at all and he still peed on the carpet. We have 3 litter boxes and I scoop them daily. I HATE nasty smells in my house so I try to be diligent. I use a very fine cat litter because they are both declawed in the front. He has been checked for urinary health issues and is surprisingly healthy for his age. We use Feliway plug ins in the outlets everywhere but in the vicinity of the litter boxes (that was tricky!).

I currently have painter's plastic down on his current favorite spot so I can at least tell when he's using that spot.

I am at my wit's end with this cat but I love him and don't believe in killing an animal because it does something that annoys me. Animals are living creatures too. I can't let him keep doing this though! I vaguely entertained the idea of giving him to someone who thinks they can handle him but I worry what might happen to him.

If you have read all the way down here then you are already my hero for listening to the issue.

If you have suggestions, even better! Thanks!

 

[threecatowner]

Did I read somewhere on here recently that urinary problems are somewhat common in Manx cats? You say he's been checked out?

 

[sk_pacer]

I read the same thing - something about taillessness or very short tails and spinal deformity, maybe stenosis, can't recall the exact condition, but with age, bladder control becomes tougher and tougher as does getting in and out of a litter box. Had a roommate that had a Manx (supposedly registered) and he LEAKED pee after a few years.

 

[mitsumura]

Originally Posted by sk_pacer

I read the same thing - something about taillessness or very short tails and spinal deformity, maybe stenosis, can't recall the exact condition, but with age, bladder control becomes tougher and tougher as does getting in and out of a litter box. Had a roommate that had a Manx (supposedly registered) and he LEAKED pee after a few years.

To answer both of you, yes. He has been checked out and is in excellent condition for his age. I believe this is a behavior that he has done since a kitten and it was never rectified.

For now, I am plastic-ing a room for him to live in with everything he needs until I have a better idea and better ideas are sure welcome. (my husband is not excited that I'm doing this to his office!)

Thanks for reading!

 

[ldg]

Well, if it's not because of a phyiscal problem (and given he poops in the litter box and intentionally pees some place, it wouldn't seem to be), here's my main question:

what have you used to clean where he's peeing?

..because if you don't get all the scent up according to his nose, it encourages him to continue going there. And given he keeps going in the same place, it would NOT seem to be stress peeing.

I would clean up the spot using Nok-Out or Anti-Icky-Poo. They are expensive, but the best enzyme cleaners out there (and they are NOT created equal). Neither can be purchased at a pet store or supermarket.

Anti-Icky-Poo: http://www.catfaeries.com/cleanup.html
Nok-Out: http://www.nokout.com/odorelim/pets/

ANY PLACE you know he's peed, use these products - and a LOT of them. I mean you have to soak down to the floor boards, and the carpet should be squishy wet. Let it soak for 10 - 15 minutes, blot it up, and let it AIR DRY. No cheating or it won't work right. ...and even then, even these products may require a second application.

Purchase a black light. At night, go through your house and find all the places he's gone you don't know about. Pee turns up as orange in the black light (so do lots of other things, but you'll know it when you see it).

Have you tried Cat Attract litter? Find a dealer near you that sells the Dr. Elsley's Cat Attract litter: http://www.preciouscat.com/ This has helped countless cats even when stress peeing.

Because he seems to prefer to pee outside the box... try a lower-sided box. Get one or two that is TOTALLY different than the type you've been using. Many of us simply purchase sterilite boxes from WalMart or wherever. Find a large-ish one that is low-sided, and try that. Use the cat attract litter. And buy several - any reason they cannot be placed in his favorite spots to pee? Actually, that really is the best idea. IF he uses them (put them there just to determine if he'll use the box(es) for peeing), move them 6" a day towards where you want them. Inconvenient in the short run, worth it in the long run.

Then, finally, purchase Feliway spray. Cats mark their scent by rubbing on things - and by peeing and pooping. Feliway is a synthetic hormone that mimics the "friendly" markers in cats' cheeks - it is the "wrong" scent for pee and poop places (territory marking). So spray Feliway where you do NOT want him peeing and pooping - and leave a rather wide berth for the litter boxes where you DO want him peeing and pooping.

Personally, I'd put new boxes where he's been peeing and slowly moving them where you want them (we had to do this for one of our cats - ours started on the bed

), and then spray the Feliway where he was going and where the litter boxes aren't. Did that make sense?

...but it seems to me this isn't stress, and it isn't health. He pees often in the same place, and he's not sick. I don't know about the issue with Manx cats - but he uses the box for poop. Since he obviously does not want to pee and poop in the same box, I'd definitely make the "pee" litter box very different than the poop box.

...and if you're using covered boxes now, uncover them and try the cat attract.

Hope this helps! Keep us posted!