HE PEED WHERE ?
Question: My cat urinated on the bathroom rug. How can I stop this behavior?
Urinating in odd places (out of litter box) could be a medical problem (infection, crystal formation), a behavioral problem, or a combination of both. The goal of this FAQ is to help identify and differentiate feline urinary medical and behavioral issues.
Answer: When cats urinate in odd places (rug, furniture, sink, etc.), strain to urinate, urinate frequently, excessively groom themselves in the perineal region or any combination of these behaviors, it is very important to rule out a medical problem first. This is especially true with for cats (neutered or not), since crystal formation and urethral inflammation can result in a life-threatening condition within hours!
Possible medical problems that relate to changes in urinary behaviors include a urinary tract infection or inflammation, blockage or partial blockage, kidney problems, or in the case of excessive thirst and urination, metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
Cats may urinate in unlikely places when stressed, such as a move, new member of the family (human or animal), construction or remodeling in the house, and so on.
Your veterinarian will examine your cat, discuss the behaviors at home, and do the appropriate tests, including an analysis of the urine. The urinalysis will check the concentration of the urine (make sure the kidneys are functioning), and look for red blood cells, inflammatory white blood cells, and crystals. Your veterinarian may also recommend additional blood work or radiographs.
If your veterinarian feels that an infection or blockage is present, prompt medical treatment is necessary. In the event of a blockage or partial urinary blockage, minutes and hours count! Urinary blockage can be fatal.
One thing important to note: cats that have had a urinary medical problem may continue to avoid their litter box even after the medical problem is resolved because they may associate pain or discomfort with the litter box. Or they may deem the box "too dirty" to use if they used it frequently. By doing a deep cleaning (or getting a new litter box) and "reacquainting" your cat with using the litterbox, these aberrent behaviors can be corrected.
Reaquainting your cat and modifying the litter box avoidance behavior requires patience, but a good start is a clean litter box and isolating the cat in a small space, such as a bathroom with the litter box available. It is important to remove rugs and other materials that may be more tempting than the litter box.
Care should be given to litter choice as well -- sticking with avnon-perfumed litter that your cat is used to is a good start.
In summary, please consult with your veterinarian any time you see your cat urinating outside of the litter box, urinating more (or less) frequently, or straining to urinate. Time is of the essence -- calling sooner is much better than later. By paying attention to litter box habits and acting quickly if there is a problem, you just may save your cat's life.
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/felinehealthcats/f/FAQ_felurinary.htm?nl=1
That rather high-falutin' term is what we use to politely discuss the problem of cats peeing everywhere but in their litter boxes. It is the largest single cause of consternation among cat aficionados right up there alongside clawing furniture and drapes. Indeed, shelters cite the largest reason given by people surrendering cats is "He pees all over the house."
Sad.
Sad because there are solutions other than euthanasia, which is another euphemism for "killing." Cats are fastidious creatures, and given a clean litterbox, will gravitate to it like magic. When a cat suddenly scorns the litterbox in favor of the new carpet or Junior's closet floor, it behooves us humans to investigate the cause.
More Than One Cat
1"If your household includes several cats, you and your veterinarian must first determine which cat is eliminating outside the litter box. In some cases, more than one cat may be eliminating outside the box. Occasionally, a few simple questions and some detective work can find the culprit. If the identity is still uncertain, your veterinarian can give each cat a product that will stain its urine marks with a color that can be detected by an ultraviolet light."
Eliminate Serious Medical Causes First
Although we may view cats as mysterious, infathomable critters, they do nothing without reason. One of the more serious reasons for cats urinating outside the litter box is a urinary tract dysfunction, known as FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease), formerly known as FUS (Feline Urinary Syndrome.) FLUTD will cause painful urination, which the cat may associate with the litterbox, thereby avoiding it. Therefore, inappropriate elimination may be your first clue that your cat needs medical care. If you ignore it, or, worse yet, choose to punish your cat, the disease can quickly become life-threatening.
When Bubba started peeing on the floor a few years ago, we attributed it to jealousy of another cat, and disregarded it. A few days later my husband came home to find Bubba "sleeping" on our bed, and discovered a lethargic, weak, close-to-death cat. We rushed him to our veterinary clinic 10 miles away, and he remained there for ten days. There was little warning, other than the inappropriate elimination, and had it not been for Asa's symbiotic relationship with Bubba and his sharp eye for the unusual, we would have had a dead kitty in just hours.
1From the FDA Veterinarian web site. Used with permission.
He Peed WHERE?
Getting A Clean Bill of Health is Your First Task
By Franny Syufy, About.com
First things first, and the most serious possiblecause of inappropriate elimination is always pain in urinating, which translates to avoidance of the litter box, which is a symbol of the pain in the cat's mind.
We'll assume your cat got a clean bill of health from your veterinarian because this article is about peeing in all the wrong places. (FLUTD and FUS are covered elsewhere.)
Eliminate Other Likely Causes
Next, your task is eliminating all the other causes of your cat's missing the litterbox. He missed the whole room, you say? Well, bear with me. You need to ask yourself a number of questions involving what has changed to disturb my cat? Cats are fussy little critters who like to have everything orderly in their home. The slightest change which you may accomodate or even enjoy will upset your cat's applecart and he will let you know loud and clear, by peeing where he darn well pleases, even though he ordinarily would prefer his litterbox. Here are some questions to consider:
- Has your cat been declawed? Declawing is a painful, mutilating surgery, and phantom limb pain can linger for years. A rough substrate in the litter box will cause severe pain to the nerve endings in a declawed paw, and the cat will associate pain with the litter box. Always use "gentle" litter for declawed cats, such as one of the newspaper-based litters (PaPurr or Yesterday's News are both good).
- Have you recently moved? - This is a biggie. Your cat will feel very insecure in new surroundings and it will take some time for his comfort level to return to normal.
- Is there a new baby in the house? Cats are very jealous of their attention and he will need lots of extra love and cuddling so he knows that he is still first in your heart. (You may feel a little differently, but humor him, okay?)
- Is there a new cat in your home? A new dog? The above applies equally to these situations, and in the case of another cat, make sure it has its own litterbox. Cats hate to share, particularly if they've never had to before. The general rule of thumb is one litter box per cat plus one extra. Don't ask why-- it just works.
- Is his litterbox meticulously clean? Have you ever had to relieve yourself in one of those portable facilities at a fair, when the deodorizer has failed its job? Cats are every bit as disgusted as you were and their sense of smell is better, by far. I rest my case.
- Have you changed your brand of litter? Cats tend to be creatures of habit, and any changes should be done gradually. In the case of litter changes, just sprinkle a bit of the new litter on top of the formerly used brand. Then gradually add more until the cat has accepted the change.
- Have you moved the litterbox? Likewise, cats are used to their normal routines.
- Has another cat in the household recently had surgery or been ill? I know this sounds strange, but the odor of anasthesia and medication can linger and create fear in your other cats.
- Is it possible any form of trauma has occurred when your cat was using the box? Such as attack or intimidation by another cat? Again, a cat will avoid any source of discomfort, whether it be physical or emotional. His mind will link the location with the trauma.
These are all questions designed to make you think like a cat. Consider the things that might make you uncomfortable in the same situation. If one of these questions makes you pop to attention, your problem may be solved quickly by elimination the source, i.e., switching back to his old brand of litter, or moving the litterbox back to its original place. However, if the problem has been longstanding, you may need to dig deeper and the retraining may take a bit more time.
Territorial marking or spraying by cats is a whole different subject, as you will soon learn, if you haven't already noticed.
So, you've eliminated all of the above potential causes, and your kitty is still indulging in his perverse activity. It could be that he is not urinating "normally", but spraying, or marking his territory. This is common, particularly among un-neutered mature male cats, and in some male cats that were neutered after reaching sexual maturity.
Spraying or marking territory involves a distinct posture not found in normal urination. A cat will back up to a vertical surface, stand with his tail quivering, and direct a spray of urine on the wall or other vertical surface. Often he will make little mincing steps in place while marking. He will then leave the area without sniffing. (He's made his statement and knows it.) This behavior is not limited to male cats, as females will also sometimes spray, but for different reasons.
Marking, like inappropriate elimination, may be triggered by psychological reasons or by the more prosaic. I recently read a list post by a woman who, in a tender "togetherness" moment with her cat, had him back up and spray her leg. She treated this bit of indiscretion with good humor, as she realized it was her cat's way of marking her as *his.*
1"Doors or entranceways frequented by you or other cats may be marked. Placing urine on stoves or vertical surfaces is usually a type of marking behavior. Often, objects that smell like you such as bedding or laundry may be marked. Marking behavior can be triggered by stress or anxiety. One example of this is the cat that picks up cues that the owner is preparing for a trip and urinates in the suitcase. Another example is the cat that marks a piece of furniture after a new cat is introduced into the household."
Treatments for this type of behavior needs to be individualized to the cat and its particular circumstances. Usually, the treatment revolves around modifying the stresses in the environment or trying to modify the cat's response to them. In some cases, anxiolytic drugs may be prescribed to help the process. As with all therapies for behavior problems, the treatment plan may evolve as the therapy progresses.
There are two commercial products designed to discourage territorial spraying by cats. I have reviewed them here.
How to retrain a cat
First a caution about what you should never do. Never, ever punish a cat for peeing in the wrong place, by yelling, rubbing his nose in it, or forcing or throwing him into the litterbox. You'll create far more problems than you'll ever cure, even if you catch him in the act. You'll teach him nothing but fear and distrust for his human bully, traits you want to avoid at all costs, and you'll only reinforce his fears of the litter box by throwing him into it.
Two Step Training
Washington State University, College of Veterinary Medicine suggests a two-step program for retraining a cat that is urinating inappropriately. It's a pretty simple concept: make his litterbox more attractive to him while making his current spot as unattractive as possible.
Make His Litterbox Irresistable
First, give him a new litterbox with clean litter. Cats usually prefer a fine-grained litter, and are not particularly fond of scented litter. Once you've found the brand of litter your cat prefers, don't change brands. (Save your coupon-shopping for products less critical.) Pour about two to three inches of litter into the box--more is not only wasteful, but ineffective.
Put the litterbox in a quiet place--cats are very private about their elimination and don't care to be observed. Make sure it's not next to noisy appliances, as that will distract and disturb him. There are a number of new litter box products on the market that feature privacy in one way or another. Just be sure the box is placed in an area where other cats can't sneak up and intimidate the cat who is using it.
If the box sits on a hard, cold surface, you should consider putting a carpet remnant or washable rug under it, as cats like to scratch around the box. It should be in an easily-accessible location. Young kittens and senior cats may not be able to climb stairs easily.
Multi-cat households should ideally have one litterbox per cat plus one extra. (We have five boxes for three cats.) Most important: scoop the solid particles out at least daily, and change the litter completely every three days or so, washing the pan thoroughly with plain detergent and water or a mild bleach solution (rinse well).
Make The Inappropriate Area Unattractive
Next, you need to remove every bit of evidence of his urine from the place he's been using. There are a number of cleaning products marketed for this purpose, but you can start with plain dishsoap and water on a hard-surface floor, and a regular carpet cleaning solution on carpets, provided the urine is fresh. Caution: don't use a cleaning product containing ammonia. The cat will smell it as urine and attempt to cover it with his own scent by peeing again. Plain soda or seltzer water can be effective in neutralizing fresh urine odor, but for badly soiled carpeting , you'll need an enzyme-based product. There are a number of new products on the market for removing the scent of urine. I've reviewed what I consider to be the best in my Top Urine Odor Eliminators article. For more information on removing the odor and stain of urine, also read Cleaning Kitty Accidents.
You can finish by temporarily putting aluminum foil over the area where the cat has peed. Cats don't like the noise and feel of aluminum foil, and as long as they have a new, clean litter box, the switch should be successful.
Once you've set your plan into action, watch your cat and praise him every time he uses his box. This retraining can take time, but with dedication and patience, you and your cat can once again live in peace.