At My Wits End with Peeing Cat

SourSessions

In October 2022 I found a tiny, sick, injured kitten in a local playground with my nephew. I obviously couldn't just leave her and she took to my nephew and then to me so I could pick her up without issue. I brought her to the vet, got her the care she needed, and intended to foster her until I could find a permanent home (I'm allergic). Vet said she was 8-10 weeks old.

Well, the little thing really attached herself to me, literally lived on my chest, and slept in the crook of my neck during the night and I couldn't give her up. She used a litter tray from the start with no issues but did seem to have a problem peeing on soft furnishings (I had one of those soft, round beds from her that I had to get rid of because she would pee on it; if I left laundry folded on the bed without putting it away, she would pee on it; if I had a throw over the couch, she would pee on it). I thought once she was spayed it might help (a cat-knowledgeable cousin suggested so too) but it didn't. I was mostly able to keep it at bay by making sure blankets, clothes, bags etc weren't left out, and didn't mind this, as it kept me tidy too!

But then she started targeting the beds; several times managing to pee under my pillow while I slept on it. It was constant and the washing machine and dryer were on constantly. I live on Disability Allowance and limit my own washes to once every 7-10 days to lower electricity usage and one 'event' from her might have me doing 5 washes and dries in one night (if she hit all the pillows, that was two washes on its own and even though I have waterproof protectors on them, if she floods at a certain angle it could still need a wash - then white protectors/colored bedding etc). I closed off the bedrooms during the day and that worked but now she's peeing on the basket of shoes that lived by my front door.

My vet thinks it is anxiety (she was checked for a UTI and had an x-ray of her bladder, it was fine and they treated for a kidney infection to be safe). I have the feliway plugged in for several months now, I tried nutracalm, and the vet now has her on gabapentin and Kalm Aid gel, she has a catio, a cat tree, a tunnel, toys, she sleeps on my lap most evenings (and in the bed at night - she doesn't wet during the nighttime but is liable to do it if I dare go back to bed after I've gotten up to give meds/feed her) and gets lots of attention and scratches, she's on dry food put out for her to graze on all day and chicken mixed with psyllium husk in the evenings because she had real trouble switching from kitten food and happily eats all of it. I had real trouble getting the gabapentin into her at first but someone else recommended the Dreamies Creamy and she happily takes it all now.

I've never had a cat before and I love her but I just lost my mom in September after eight months of caring for her through cancer, I had cancer last year (found kitty just as I was going into remission) and it's all just A LOT.

I'll be reporting back to the vet but just thought I'd reach out here too to see if anyone has any advice.

Cat Tax: (her as a kitten and yesterday playing with her favorite Christmas toy - the box of rubbish)

Alun

I really feel for you, we had a female cat, one of two siblings who peed all over the house, floors, doormat, on the cooker, in the sugar bowl, you name it, she peed in/on it. In the end she ran away from a cattery we had her in, and we never saw her again, but to say we were at our wit's end would be an understatement. I'm pretty sure it was all down to being bullied by her sister, and at one stage we were thinking of rehoming the sister to see if that would help, but we never got to know if that would have worked.

Anyway, at one stage I paid for an ebook by a Dutch guy who had all kinds of useful tips, which I can send on to you if you like, just PM me an email address. Maybe there'll be something in there that might help.

Baybay

Our older cat periodically pees in places he shouldn’t, mostly on the landing. He’s neutered & only started doing this in the last couple of months. What seems to help is several little dishes, each with a makeup remover pad doused with a few drops of lemon grass essential oil. He doesn’t like the smell & I top up the pads about once a week. The downside is that the landing has numerous dishes dotted around each wall but the upside is that I do like the smell & it is so much better than that of cat pee! Maybe your cat doesn’t like citrus either & you might be able to find a way to use that to dissuade her.

i read 50-50 water & white vinegar spray helps remove any odour.

Btw, your little lady is beautiful & lucky to have you.

SourSessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121550868#Comment_121550868

I would appreciate that, I'll PM you now! Sorry you lost your little lady, as frustrating as it all is I would be heartbroken if she ran away.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121550888#Comment_121550888

Thanks, that's something I didn't try and will! I have heard citrus deters them but hadn't though to use essential oil.

Alun

You might want to experiment with different types of cat litter and/or having more than one litter tray. Sometimes they can be quite fussy about using the tray for both number ones and number twos, or even using it again after using it once. We used a clumping litter which makes it easier to remove any evidence as soon as possible after use.

looksee

We have a very elderly cat otherwise identical to yours and she has a pee problem, though it is now intermittent. I put it down to neurotic behaviour, she really is a very nervy cat without, apparently, very many brain cells. I have come across other all-black cats with similar personalities. She had a thing about peeing on plastic bags for a good while, so we are aware not to leave plastic shopping bags or anything wrapped in plastic lying around, she doesn't do it now, but we are very good at not giving her the opportunity. She was also obsessed with peeing on a particular spot on a rug, she went through two wool rugs which had to be thrown out, now we have a new one that is rolled up and pushed under the settee every evening at bedtime.

We haven't solved it, though we have not had an accident in a good while, other than her peeing on my bed - could she not have peed on the floor? -when she got shut in the bedroom. She peed exactly on the spot she often sleeps on, which is strange. It cost me a new quilt and pillow. She is mostly very good about using the litter box, it doesn't seem to be associated with actually needing to pee, more like a 'marker' activity. I put it down to anxiety, she goes into a complete funk if there are visitors or workmen in the house. I can only suggest you keep her out of the bedroom (easier said than done, and if she is used to sleeping on your bed she will probably pee elsewhere in protest) we never really completely solved the problem.

Headshot

Has the cat stopped using the litter tray altogether?

SourSessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121559837#Comment_121559837

No, she uses it 95% of the time. I clean it daily. She just seems to pick moments at random/opportunity. She does it in front of me and away from me. Before the shoes incident, she primarily favored soft spots like couch throws, the bed, etc and removing access/the softness stopped her (ie, she hasn't peed on the couch since the throws were taken away)

Alun

As I mentioned above, have you tried a second litter box? A human's idea of what is clean and the cat's idea may well be very different!

SourSessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561228#Comment_121561228

I live in a small bungalow and don't really have the room - but it feels like the only thing I haven't tried so I've just ordered some new kit for her and I'll make it work. Thanks!

Alun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121562467#Comment_121562467

Good luck! Also, if you haven't already, try a clumping litter. It makes it much easier to clean, and you can remove both pees and poops very soon after they've been deposited making it available for re use rather than cleaning out once a day.

looksee

Agree, I buy 'World's Best' cat litter from Zooplus, its expensive but lasts for ages. I clean it out daily and top it up every few days, only completely replacing about every 2-3 weeks or so, its very economical to use. I reckon I get much better milage out of it than using the cheaper ones.

Alun

Any updates, OP?

SourSessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121582702#Comment_121582702

Her new litter box is coming this week. She peed on the draft excluder the other day and I'm worried I'm going nose-blind as I can't even tell the difference between the cleaner and the pee anymore, I'm just so used to both. Hoping the second litter box will be the little nudge she needs. Thanks for all the advice and I'll keep you updated!

Also got some lemon essential oil and working out the best way to utilize it/where to put it. Tried it on my bed where she likes to pee (under the pillows) but it understandably deterred her from the bed at all - and she's like a toddler, if she doesn't come to bed, she runs around the house like a lunatic and jumps on me etc. Am thinking of putting a few dishes on the guest bed so she can look out that window (I had screens installed so she could look out the open window) without going near the bed.

Alun

Any luck, OP?

SourSessions

She's using the second litter box but I haven't 'tested' her yet (I had to remove basically anything she could pee on from the living spaces). I have to go away this weekend so I'm planning to slowly introduce things back into her environment after that (like the basket of shoes) with the hopes of giving her access back to the guest bedroom (with the essential oil on the bed to hopefully keep her off it). Her favourite window is in that room so I'd love to be able to let her back in there.

Alun

Fingers crossed 🤞 Hope it works out for you!

SourSessions

Well, I went away last weekend and gave her access to my bedroom the whole time (someone was over multiple times a day to feed her/play with her, etc). I had taken the pillows off the bed and laid towels down with blankets on top so it wouldn't be as big a clean-up if she did pee. But lo and behold, she didn't pee! And I've given her full-time access to my bedroom all week and she still hasn't peed anywhere outside her litterbox. I also got her one of those little enclosed beds, and she loves it. So, slowly, I'm going to introduce things back into her environment like the shoes and hopefully, she'll keep it up! Thanks for all the help here!

Alun

That's great news!