Spiteful Behavior

VespersMamma

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 17, 2018
Messages
5
Purraise
3
Hi there,
My 7 month old kitty uses peeing as a tactic to try to get his “way” / as a result of not getting his “way” I.e. going outside, getting more food, going into off limit rooms. Often times he pees on my shoes and occasionally on the bed. This morning he was cranky because he wanted to play outside, but he is not allowed out until the sun is up. He was really annoyed about having to wait, and must have gotten more upset after I left for work. The end result... he pee’d ON my boyfriend to wake him up out of bed!!! This behavior seems so spiteful. The rest of the time he is playful and lovey.
Any advice?
 

danteshuman

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
5,030
Purraise
6,077
Location
California
First it isn’t spite. I think you need to take him to the vet to check for crystals or a bladder infection.
If he gets a clean bill of health then unforgently you need to play clue and figure out what is upsetting him so much that he feels the need to graffiti your house with his pee, to mark it.
:goodluck:
:hangin:
 

Kieka

Snowshoe Servant
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11,394
Purraise
19,968
Location
Southern California
It's not spiteful behavior, cats simply aren't spiteful. We tend to apply human behaviors or characteristics to animals but generally they just don't speak the same emotional language we do. A lot of things we see as spiteful are really driven by other factors and we see spite because we'd feel spite on their position. It could be:

  1. Territorial - is he neutered? Unneutered males will pee on things to make their territory commonly. Less common, neutered cats will also pee to mark their territory. It's a "this is mine" indicator. Fix, get him neutered. If already neutered set up scent soaks in the pee prone locations. Start with litter boxes at each spot and leave litter boxes in the three most used spots. All other spots replace litter boxes over time with cat trees, beds or blankets that will absorb his scent so he doesn't feel the need to pee.
  2. Learned behavior - If I do X, humans will do Y. In this case, if I pee in the house, humans let me out of the house. He's trained you to respond just as much as you've trained him to do it for response. Fix, when he pees just clean it up and don't let him get his "reward" by acknowledging or reacting beyond cleaning it. Always use an enzyme cleaner designed for cat pee to ensure you clean it all. Do not allow him to get the "reward" such as letting him outside early.
  3. Medical - Sometimes peeing in inappropriate places is because the litter box is associated with bad things. A cat with a UTI who hurts when peeing will associate the litter box with pain and stop using it because of the connection. I've heard of ear aches, dental problems and even joint problems leading to litter box avoidance. Fix, see a vet to ensure a clean bill of health and treat any problems.
  4. Accidental - I really have to pee and can't hold it any more slips. If he really is focused on going outside to pee and is waiting by the door it isn't unheard of for him to opps pee by the door. Or opps pee on the human whose attention he is trying to get. Fix, put litter boxes near the door and maybe let him out to pee earlier for a quick pee and back. I know cats who can go outside will hold out for outside. My cats hold it all night despite having litter boxes. Accidents happen.
Personally, I'd set up litter boxes in all the spots AND stop giving in when he does pee AFTER having a vet check. Since my crew is daylight outsiders who will hold their bladder I tend to think he just can't hold it and happened to run to your boyfriend when his bladder slipped. We keep two litter boxes for emergencies but sometimes the cats have accidents because they forget where the litter boxes are.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

VespersMamma

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 17, 2018
Messages
5
Purraise
3
First it isn’t spite. I think you need to take him to the vet to check for crystals or a bladder infection.
If he gets a clean bill of health then unforgently you need to play clue and figure out what is upsetting him so much that he feels the need to graffiti your house with his pee, to mark it.
:goodluck:
:hangin:
I have taken him to the vet and he is all clear for urinary issues.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

VespersMamma

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Oct 17, 2018
Messages
5
Purraise
3
It's not spiteful behavior, cats simply aren't spiteful. We tend to apply human behaviors or characteristics to animals but generally they just don't speak the same emotional language we do. A lot of things we see as spiteful are really driven by other factors and we see spite because we'd feel spite on their position. It could be:

  1. Territorial - is he neutered? Unneutered males will pee on things to make their territory commonly. Less common, neutered cats will also pee to mark their territory. It's a "this is mine" indicator. Fix, get him neutered. If already neutered set up scent soaks in the pee prone locations. Start with litter boxes at each spot and leave litter boxes in the three most used spots. All other spots replace litter boxes over time with cat trees, beds or blankets that will absorb his scent so he doesn't feel the need to pee.
  2. Learned behavior - If I do X, humans will do Y. In this case, if I pee in the house, humans let me out of the house. He's trained you to respond just as much as you've trained him to do it for response. Fix, when he pees just clean it up and don't let him get his "reward" by acknowledging or reacting beyond cleaning it. Always use an enzyme cleaner designed for cat pee to ensure you clean it all. Do not allow him to get the "reward" such as letting him outside early.
  3. Medical - Sometimes peeing in inappropriate places is because the litter box is associated with bad things. A cat with a UTI who hurts when peeing will associate the litter box with pain and stop using it because of the connection. I've heard of ear aches, dental problems and even joint problems leading to litter box avoidance. Fix, see a vet to ensure a clean bill of health and treat any problems.
  4. Accidental - I really have to pee and can't hold it any more slips. If he really is focused on going outside to pee and is waiting by the door it isn't unheard of for him to opps pee by the door. Or opps pee on the human whose attention he is trying to get. Fix, put litter boxes near the door and maybe let him out to pee earlier for a quick pee and back. I know cats who can go outside will hold out for outside. My cats hold it all night despite having litter boxes. Accidents happen.
Personally, I'd set up litter boxes in all the spots AND stop giving in when he does pee AFTER having a vet check. Since my crew is daylight outsiders who will hold their bladder I tend to think he just can't hold it and happened to run to your boyfriend when his bladder slipped. We keep two litter boxes for emergencies but sometimes the cats have accidents because they forget where the litter boxes are.
Thank you for your thorough response. I guess spite is the wrong word to use. My aunt told me his breed is prone to spiteful behavior and it seemed quite fitting.
Anywho...
he is fixed, so it’s not exactly spraying and I have also taken him to the vet to be checked for urinary problems. He is all clear there. We live in a open floor plan studio and keep the litter boxes next to the door. I think we are dealing with learned behavior. It truly feels like he’s training us!
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,584
Purraise
22,966
Location
Nebraska, USA
Cats simply aren't programmed to be spiteful, they live in the moment. I think it is a matter of him doing everything he can to get your attention and is so occupied with doing that he simply can't make it to the litterbox and goes where he is. Or if he senses you are upset, like when he gets yelled at for going into off limit rooms, he may be marking your belongings for comfort. Especially if he isn't neutered, the marking will increase because he can't get outside to mark and he will anyway. So will the increase in yowling and pacing. Marking innapropriately is usually a sign of being under stress, and it sounds like he is. Not being let out when he wants to so bad is stressing him out. Neutering would take care of that, or if already neutered research the calming aides availabe for cats, I get mine as treats on Amazon and use them for vet visits,.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 22, 2015
Messages
10,061
Purraise
10,250
Thank you for your thorough response. ... We live in a open floor plan studio and keep the litter boxes next to the door. ...
Some cats do not feel safe with a litter box placed by a door. Feeling safe, or not having the feeling of possibly being interrupted while using the box, could be paramount to your young guy. Have you tried moving the location of the litter box maybe to, say, a quieter corner of your place -- even behind a decorative privacy screen or such? He may prefer having it be out of the way of human foot traffic.

One thing that helps with the cats I've had is for me to clean her box several times a day, e.g. as needed to keep it as pleasant-smelling and as "unencumbered" as possible. I know a lot of people recommend having at least two litter boxes per cat, but I've always only had one box per cat and have never had any issues with them peeing elsewhere! Amazing. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I guess I also attribute that success with me being real diligent with cleaning the box.
:blush:
 

Etarre

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 25, 2018
Messages
759
Purraise
1,865
From what you've said about the litter boxes' location, it sounds like you have at least two, but they're in the same spot by the door. Is that correct? If so, you might want to move one of them. As PushPurrCatPaws PushPurrCatPaws points out, there may be something about the location that he dislikes, and if both litter boxes are there, having an extra one isn't really offering him any choice.

Also, if multiple litter boxes are placed right next to one another, then if one is dirty, the other may also smell 'used' to a cat who is picky.
 

Kflowers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 28, 2018
Messages
5,772
Purraise
7,617
Male cats, who aren't neutered tend to mark their territory by peeing on it. BF should be pleased kit considers him part of kit's world. Getting him neutered would seriously help with this problem.

See for an unneutered tom cat, it isn't spiteful, it's actually love. He's telling the world you and your stuff belongs to him. Anyone who wants to take you or your stuff will have to fight him.
 

Kieka

Snowshoe Servant
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11,394
Purraise
19,968
Location
Southern California
Anywho...
he is fixed, so it’s not exactly spraying
It still could be. My fixed female will spray in the house when's she's nervous and she sprays all over outside. Just yesterday I was walking in the garden and she came running up to me. She wanted to get pet and wanted to spray the bush at the same time. Poor thing almost fell over trying to reach the bush and me with opposite ends at the same time. We don't stop her spraying outside, she's fixed so it doesn't have a strong odor and keeps other cats away, but inside we've had to do enzyme cleaners and worked with her to reduce it.
 
Top