Yet another animal question for Jeanette X

[Drev]

Say, Ms. Jenette.

We have 3 cats (2 tabbys both male, and 1 female persian) and for some weird reason, they have this urge to piss on anything BUT in the litter box. :(

we have to leave the bathroom run hanging because one of them will pee on it. they peed on a coat, crapped on a blanket, and there's other places too. We're about to put them outside, but they are declawed, so they can protect themselves much. :(

What should I do? :(

[Jeanette X]

In the wild, cats mark their territory by urinating and defecating. When marking, they will usually "spray" urine by sending a powerful jet of it backwards onto a stationary object while standing up. Doing it in the same spot every few days is an attempt to remark it when the scent fades. Domestic cats often instinctively bury their feces, which indicates that their territorial urges are subdued. Do your cats try to bury or cover their shit, or do they leave it blatently displayed? And are your cats spayed and neutered? If not, doing so may help with this problem.

Often, cats do this because they are insecure and feel a need to make the home "their own". Have you only recently moved into your house? Are your cats newly adopted? You should try to avoid changes in their environment, and try to make your cats feel as secure as possible by giving them a great deal of attention and affection.

Furthermore, keep the litterbox clean, as cats may not want to use it if it is filthy. Clean it everyday, and avoid using ammonia based products in it, as the smell of ammonia irritates cats. Try to regulate their feeding schedules, so that you can catch your cats using the box, and give them rewards for doing so.

[Drev]

Well, all 3 are fixed, so they can't spray, and we do try to clean it regularly.

[Jeanette X]

Hmmkay...but what about my other questions? I need more info.

[Drev]

Oh ok.

No, we haven't moved. Yes, they bury their poop. The persian is 8 years old, and we adopted her, but usually at times, she pees and poops in the bathtub, which isn't that bad since it can be washed out.

[Jeanette X]

Has this been happening on a fairly even basis since you got them, or did this start fairly recently?

[thebiggameover]

The persian is 8 years old, and we adopted her, but usually at times, she pees and poops in the bathtub, which isn't that bad since it can be washed out.

maybe she wants a bigger shit box...


:(

[Drev]

Well, before these 3 came in, we had about 5 other cats during the time (not all at the same time), and the peed on other places too. I'm guessing that they smelled old spots, and thinking it was acceptable.

[camacazio]

I had a declawed outdoors cat for 8 years and she never had problems with the neighbor kitties.

[Jeanette X]

Well, before these 3 came in, we had about 5 other cats during the time (not all at the same time), and the peed on other places too. I'm guessing that they smelled old spots, and thinking it was acceptable.

You have AGAIN failed to answer my questions. >: How long have you had the cats, and is this something new or has this been going on for a long time?

[Drev]

I've had one tabby for 2 years, the other for 1 year, and the persian for like 3 months.

[SupaFlea543]

It is so interesting to hear about your cats. How color are they? How big around the waist?

[Jeanette X]

I've had one tabby for 2 years, the other for 1 year, and the persian for like 3 months.

And is this problem something new or has it gone on for a long time?! Jesus Christ. >:

[Drev]

I'm sorry. :(

It's ben happening for a while. We'd only see it a few tmes, but now it's frequent.

[Jeanette X]

Can you think of anything that coincided with the increase in this behavior and may have caused it? Something that may have induced anxiety in the cats?

[Drev]

Well, when we had out first tabby, we has 2 seiamese (sp?) which someone killed both with a gun in our front yard for no reason. :( He acted depressed for a while, but my mother found the second tabby as a kitten in the park. he looked less than 6 weeks old. We took him home, and in a few months he was better. I doubt that could be it.

One guess is that one of the cats is having a urinary problem, and is peeing on thngs to tell us that he doesn't feel good.

Also, the first tabby was an indoor/outdoor cat before the seiamese (sp?) were killed, and we kept him indoors since. Now both tabbys keep trying to sneak outside when we open the door.

[Drev]

Also, the Persian is a bit of a loner. Before we had her, the previous owner said her other cats would attack her, and I think she's intimidated my the 2 tabbys.

[AChimp]

I think the cats hate you. :/

You should rub the cat's face in it's own urine pool. They hate that. Show it who's the boss. >:

[kellychaos]

How about getting a couple more litter boxes? I don't mean to anthropomorphize cats but they DO seem self-centered and picky about things such as where they eat, sleep and relieve themselves.

[eggyolk]

Cat stew. :/

[Cap'n Crunch]

WILLIAM HUNG HOW HILARIOUS

[Jeanette X]

One guess is that one of the cats is having a urinary problem, and is peeing on thngs to tell us that he doesn't feel good.

Also, the first tabby was an indoor/outdoor cat before the seiamese (sp?) were killed, and we kept him indoors since. Now both tabbys keep trying to sneak outside when we open the door.

I suggest that you have them looked at by a vet. If it's "spraying", however, then it probably is territorial marking and not incontience.

[Hobo Renee]

Is it scented litter? Maybe you could dry switching brands and surround the box with cat nip to lure them in.

[Drev]

we use Tidy Cats Crystal Blend

[Jeanette X]

Well is it scented or not?! >:

[Zhukov]

Jesus wept man! Just answer the fuckng question!

[glowbelly]

i betcha ten to one it's a dirty litter problem. if you have 3 kitties and the litter box is teeny and you don't clean it out every day and change the litter at least once a week, you're cats are gonna go elsewhere. that's just the way it is. they are clean animals and don't like to walk around in their own, let alone others, piss and shit.

[Drev]

No. :/

[glowbelly]

clean out the litter every fucking day and after they eat put them in the litter box and scratch their paws around in it a little. if you catch them coming out of the litter box after going in it reward them with a little kitty treat. do not give your cats milk or else they will squirt poos everywhere.

i recently had the same problem with my little sly guy. he was a stray who was found outside and was used to "going" wherever he damn well pleased. i followed the above instructions and he hasn't peed or poopied outside of his litter box in 2 months. it only took about 2 weeks to completely cure.

[kellychaos]

I concur. Milk is bad for cats. While the calcium is good for teeth and bones, the sugar in it weakens same ... plus, as mentioned, it gives them the shits. There's enough calcium in most brands of catfood anyway. Don't buy canned catfood either. Most of them are filled with throwaway cuts of meat and fillers and also give them the shits. They need the hardness of dry food to maintain good dental health and to keep them regular.

[glowbelly]

not true about the wet cat food. it's good to give them a mix of the two. just make sure that you don't get the crap from the grocery store. get the good stuff from petsmart. science diet is good.

[Dixie]

"fixed" cats can spray i have a 13 year old female DSH that sprays, everything.

[Anonymous]

If you just give them dry cat food, a lot of it is just ash and it'll clog up their urinary tracts and either kill them or make you spend $1000 on an operation to unclog their peepee.