Spraying And Peeing :(

[Lya]

Hi everyone. I have four cats, two males (8 and 6) and two females (7 and 5). All rescued, that came a year appart from each other, and since a couple of years we foster a stray dog 'cause she refuses to be adopted. I'll avoid names 'cause I think it's more confusing.

All spayed and neutered, they used to behave properly and be mildly ok with each other with the exception of a minor bullying from male(6) and female(5). Most part of house had to be remodeled, and after that male(8) and female(7) started spraying EVERYWHERE. Doors, furniture, and if anything "strange" is left around, like a bag, suitcase, umbrella, it's sprayed.

Male(6) on the other hand rarely sprays, almost never but actively bullies both girls, female(5) mostly to the point where she sees him and flees. Also, his bullying results on an ear cut in female(7) and both are scared of him.

Female(5) doesn't spray, but pees on rugs, if there's any cloth item, or something large and leathery (like boots) on the floor she pees on it as well. I had to take her pillow 'cause she also peed on it

We have 6 litter boxes around the house, they do use them but it's hard to keep track on who is using them, I'm only 100% sure female(5) uses hers since she is attached to me and I see her using it, the other litter boxes are scooped and changed often and I do see that someone uses them often as well.

We have a small closed patio with ladders, boxes, scratchers and high "catwalks" in which all spend time withe exception of female(5) that is very shy and usually plays with a ball toy and mouse in my bedroom.

I thoght about kenneling, but were I live kennels are a little expensive to get, I could get one but four is way off my economy plus the older one meows compulsively if locked down anywhere. I've been told bathrooms can work too but I don't know.

Please help, my family is patient and they love the cats but they are getting really tired of this.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. So sorry you're having litter box avoidance issues with your cats. I can only imagine how frustrating this must be for your family.

Am I correct, that they all either pee or spray somewhere other than the litter box?

With 4 cats, the recommended number of litter boxes is 5. So with 6, that shouldn't be the problem, as long are they are cleaned often.

How Often Should You Clean The Litter Box?

Are the litter boxes distributed in various places around the house? Or all in the same general area?

Litter Box Location Secrets

TCS has several articles on inappropriate peeing that may be helpful. Also, ensure you are cleaning with an Enzyme Cleaner, as that is the only type that will totally remove the urine scent.

How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet
Inappropriate Peeing, Spraying, Toy Obsession And Leg And Hand Nipping
Spraying: When Your Cat Uses Urine To Mark Territory

Combat Cat Urine
How To Remove Cat Urine
How To Remove Cat Urine Odor From Your Home
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions
How To Get Cat Pee Smell Out Of Clothes And Linens

 

[abyeb]

Hi there! The first thing I think you need to do is get all your cats checked out at the vet. Inappropriate urination can be a sign of underlying health issues.

Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet

When Physical Problems Turn Into Behavior Problems

Anxiety can also be a cause of inappropriate elimination. And, I think, that for your eight-year-old male and seven-year-old female that could be a possibility, as they started doing this after the renovation. Change can be very stressful for cats. A Feliway diffuser might help.

 

[Lya]

All the cats are checked out, and apparently fine. The litter boxes are on 5 different places.

The one who pretty much never sprays or pees is male(6), the bully.

I don't think the elder male is anxious at all, the female maybe since she is being ocasionally bullied by the other cat. The litter boxes are scooped every other day mostly, sometimes dayly and fully cleaned once a week, we also wash the whole box most times. The one that pees is very anxious but she uses her litter box with no issue unless she finds something weird on the floor.

My grandmother needs light exercise, so we got a treadmill for her to walk and they sprayed on it! Almost twice or three times a week. Sometimes my grandmother cleans it by herself not to bother anyone but she can't be doing this kind of things .

I'll read the articles, thank you very much. Any aditional tips are welcome.

 

[rubysmama]

Did the vet have any suggestions? Have you looked into any type of calming products - i.e. Feliway or calming treats?

 

[maggiedemi]

With my cats, these problems were usually caused by too much dry food and not enough canned food. Can you increase their wet food and decrease the dry for a few days and see if the extra moisture helps? What is their diet like?

 

[di and bob]

There is always a reason for spraying. Either the remodeling upset them greatly, there is a new animal around, (maybe outside), something that has upset them and they are frustrated and marking what he their's to feel more secure. It can go away once they are feeling secure again, although one of my males took almost a year to stop after a move. You might try keeping them confined to one room to get them back in the habit. I got plastic carpet runner with those little nubs on the back and put it nub side up where I didn't want them to go, the nubs hurt their feet, and the runner is easily removed or moved. You have to find out what is upsetting them. Don't leave clothes laying around, get a hamper, and get a cat deterrent spray for the really bad places. A good enzyme cleaner that removes cat urine is a must too. Some smell about as bad as the urine, so try a few. All the luck!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Either the remodeling upset them greatly,

I absolutley missed that part when I read the post, and it could certainly be the root of the issue!

 

[Lya]

Yes, but the remodeling was over a year and a half ago! I'm positive it was the trigger, but after numerous sprays, like Feliway, cleaning the areas and increasing number of litter boxes ('cause until around 7 months ago there were 4) this still keeps happening ):

I do the cleaning with a regular cleaner, since I'm afraid this will damage some of the surfaces but I will definitely try the enzymatic cleaners. Can I find them in regular stores? 'Cause someone told me this are on hospital/vet supplies stores.

I forgot to mention the vet recomended the feliway, and due to the failure other brands but no luck ):

 

[Lya]

There is always a reason for spraying. Either the remodeling upset them greatly, there is a new animal around, (maybe outside), something that has upset them and they are frustrated and marking what he their's to feel more secure. It can go away once they are feeling secure again, although one of my males took almost a year to stop after a move. You might try keeping them confined to one room to get them back in the habit. I got plastic carpet runner with those little nubs on the back and put it nub side up where I didn't want them to go, the nubs hurt their feet, and the runner is easily removed or moved. You have to find out what is upsetting them. Don't leave clothes laying around, get a hamper, and get a cat deterrent spray for the really bad places. A good enzyme cleaner that removes cat urine is a must too. Some smell about as bad as the urine, so try a few. All the luck!

Since all of them don't quite get along, can this be done in parts? I mean, doing the locking thing "one cat at the time". I'm afraid that my bully cat would also react bad about this and attacks the others more often.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

but I will definitely try the enzymatic cleaners. Can I find them in regular stores?

You certainly can. You can find them in any pet store, Walmart carries a couple of brands (not sure how good they are), or you can order them from Chewy, Amazon, or Petsmart, and probably several more places.

 

[Lya]

So, I bought the enzymatic cleaner. I was very excited since there was no visible spraying until this morning; two! One on the corner of the bef, which is awful since I had to change the covers ): and other on my dresser.

Later I discovered one on a side of my laundry basket. This is very frustrating ):

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Um...when was the last time these guys were in for a check up? I'm wondering if one of them may have a UTI, and the others are spraying/peeing in response to that one doing it because of an infection. Just a thought.

 

[Lya]

Around two months ago; given that the elder ones are the sprayers I'm assuming this is a territorial thing or hierarchy thing? The third cat hardly ever sprays and the youngest never does (she mistakes rugs occasionally but over all the two young ones are the cleanest ones). I'm 100% sure this was triggered by the house remodeling, but it's been so long, they ruined some furniture and a PC so far, it's exhausting ):