My Cat Peeing on the Floor

[Raina]

Hello all! Haven't been here in a little while - I tend to drop in whenever I have a problem or just some general questions. I hope everyone and their cats are doing well.

Anyway, I have 3 female cats. They're all indoor cats and spayed, and all 3 of them are younger cats; 2 are between 1 and 2 years, and the other is under a year. My one cat, Muffin (she is a year and a few months), has always peed on the floor. Everyone here suggested getting 3 litterboxes, incase it was a territorial issue, but that didn't help because instead of each of them picking just one to use, all 3 of them would use each litterbox randomly even though they were in completely separate areas. My youngest kitten would use each of them right after they were scooped out to mark her scent. I tried getting a littermaid automatic litterbox, so that it'd be clean for her all the time, but she is afraid of it (Probably because of the sound it makes, which is very understandable.) and refuses to use it at all. The other two were skeptical at first, but they both use it now and like it just fine. I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to get out the regular box again so that she can use it, and the other 2 can keep using the littermaid since they like it.

But that still doesn't solve her peeing on the floor, which she has always done. We also moved about 6 months ago, from a house to an apartment (but she did it before the move just as often, so I don't believe it can have anything to do with the move). The entire carpet in my bedroom closet where the litterbox is is now completely ruined (it's all torn up and no cleaner I use will get the smell out of the carpet completely) and I had to move my clothes out of the closet because it smelled so terrible in there. Luckily our landlord needs to replace the carpet throughout the house anyway, and didn't before we moved in since we had cats. Her favorite place to pee is in front of the litterbox wherever I put it, but she goes in several other places throughout the apartment as well. I've tried everything I can think of. I've gotten multiple litterboxes for them to use, I've tried several kinds of cat litter (fresh step, tidy cats, arm and hammer, litter clean, countless generic brands that I don't remember, kinds that use crystals, etc) and nothing works. She still persists about peeing on the carpet, and it seems randomly when she does it. Half the time she'll use the box, half the time the floor. I tell her 'no' or 'bad' firmly whenever she does it and pick her up and put her in the litterbox, but she gets right back out and still keeps doing it. Now whenever I catch her doing it and she sees me coming, she runs off. We keep things relatively quiet around the house, and there doesn't seem to be any reason for her to be stressed out, nor does she seem stressed out. In 5 more months I am moving again out of state to go to college and they're coming with me, but there is no way this can keep going on where I'm going. I have tried everything I can think of. I read a recent post that was similiar to my problem, but it was different than mine too. If anyone has any suggestions for me, it would be very appreciated!!!!

Thanks

[Traci]

Raina, can you refresh my memory...when was her last vet checkup and was a complete urinalysis done? Regardless of whether or not a UTI could be the cause, there are other health issues (re: bladder problems) that could be contributing, (i.e., crystals, bladder wall thickness, urine retention, etc) and should be ruled out.

Since she seems to want to mark in front of the boxes, try placing a plastic mat or runner in front of it. Also, do give her a seperate litterbox, but maybe place it in an area she is accustomed to using (private, away from the other box, away from heavy traffic, easily accessible).

As for litter types, try using simple paper towels for about a week or so. It could be she is sensitive to a variety of litter types, or her paws are overly sensitive. (I have a female who will not use any litter of any type, she will only use paper towels). Since she always uses the box directly after you've cleaned it, this is indicative she prefers a spotless box, and most likely, one she alone can use. (the paper towels placed on a liner inside the box would be easy to change, thereby keeping it spotless for her)

As for cleaning, try using woolite oxy-deep....then you could try using feliway diffusers in the rooms she is urinating in. Unfortunately, once carpet is marked, it seeps to the backing and onto the sub-floor and the only way to resolve it is to replace the carpet.

Don't miscount stress in the environment....even though you may not feel there is any stress, that may not be the case. Since she runs from you when you catch her marking, she probably understands the marking is not acceptable to you, but her reaction does indeed indicate that other stresses may be involved. Try to determine what is going on in her environment before her marking behavior..this could be minutes to hours before the occurance.....is there anything unusual occuring before she does it, etc.

Do you spend quality time with her....are there other people in the home that she is uncomfortable with....how does she interact with the other two cats...are either of them intimidating her in any way....look for clues that may be making her uncomfortable, causing her undue stress, etc.

Lastly, moving can cause much undue stress for any cat. Despite the fact she may seem adjusted, it can take months for a cat to become totally comfortable, secure in a new environment after a move....litterbox issues are common after a move and can persist for months because of hidden stress issues or a combination of other stressful events. Since you are planning yet another move, you will really have to work hard to retrain her to use her litterbox. At the time of the new move, I would suggest confining all the cats to one room with litterbox, toys, food/water for several days before allowing them access to other areas in the new home. Then you can slowly introduce them to the area(s) where you will want the litterboxes kept.

[Raina]

Her last checkup was about 8 months ago. I don't know if she had a urinalysis or not - so I assume she didn't. What do they do in a urinalysis and should I take her to the vet to get one then? As for stress in the environment, it could be my dad. He pets her and gives her treats sometimes, but sometimes he'll make noises at her. He thinks it's all in fun or that he's playing with her and I don't think he realizes that this scares her (she runs and hides) and that it's not funny. I've talked to him about it before, but he refuses to believe that there's anything wrong with it, and I think there is. When I move though, she will be away from that, thankfully.

I do spend quality time with her, petting her or playing flashlight tag with her (when she feels like it, she is picky about when she wants attention or not). The other cats and her are kind of neutral. I have always sensed tension between her and Princess, and she doesn't seem to be close to Tessie either. They'll often chase eachother around or once in a great while bathe eachother, but they don't seem like they're good friends. I don't know if this is normal or if they have some sort of issues with eachother though. I also wonder if all 3 of them have dominant natures (even though Muffin acts reserved, she always wants to be the first to mark her scent in the box) and they have an ongoing competition with eachother or something.

What would you suggest be my plan of action right now?

[Traci]

Most importantly is getting her examined by your vet and getting a urinalysis. You have two options.....calling your vet in advance and asking him if he will accept a urine sample you collect at home, then take that with you at the time of her appointment. Or, you can take her in and see if they can get a urine sample from her by expressing her bladder. If they can't get urine from expressing her bladder, they may want to keep her for a few hours until she produces, or may perform a cystocentisis (a needle is inserted into the bladder to draw a sufficient amount for testing, this procedure is quick and simple)

To collect a sample at home, try using no litter in the box, or a tiny amount of litter in one side of the box)...you can also call your vet and ask if he can give you some silicon crystals to use in the box, they will not absorb the urine, making it easy to collect....when you see her go, collect the urine from the corner of the box using a syringe or eyedropper, then put it in a clean plastic or glass vial or container, and place in refrigerator until time of appointment. The sample should not be kept in fridge for longer than 8 hours. Ideally, the fresher the sample, the more accurate the testing. Most cats will generally produce sufficient urine amounts first thing in the morning, either directly before or directly after their morning meal.

A urinalysis only takes about 10 minutes in your vet's lab....the urine is checked for color, volume, transparency/concentration. It is also checked for specific gravity, glucose, protein, ketones, pH, etc. Then it is spun in a centrifuge and the sediment is checked on a slide for cell structure, crystals, RBC/WBC's, etc.

It does sound like she does have some stress in the environment. Tell your dad that stress can induce health problems, and that cats are more sensitive to stress than humans. Also tell him he can help by stopping the way he approaches her (regardless of his thinking it is playful) in your quest to solve the litterbox issues.

You are the only one who can determine if there are alpha-female issues between them, but based on your post, it sounds like the relationship is fairly normal. What you would want to be concerned with is intimidation, or constant fighting, where one cat is extremely shy or withdrawn, or seems to choose certain times of the day to eat, use the litterbox, play etc, when the other cats are not around. If this isn't the case, you can probably rule out intimidation issues between the cats.

Another thing you can try is buying completely new litterboxes and starting over, or at least one new box and introducing that one to Muffin only. When you catch her urinating in places other than her box, place her and the box in a bathroom or other closed area for a short amount of time each time (about 15 minutes) so that she can associate the unacceptable behavior with a time-out. Do praise her for good behavior when she does actually use her box. Try to use enzymatic cleaners only, as most home chemical cleaning products will only mask the odors and will not truly prohibit cats from remarking the areas. Lysol, ammonia, bleach, etc will not really deter a cat from re-marking the areas. Carpet cleaners, powders etc are the same, so try using enzymatic cleaners, those that are mild and pet-friendly, not heavy with scents, etc.

Try to get a vet appointment for her as soon as possible.