# new cat peeing on sofa



## solarcat1 (Apr 19, 2005)

We have a new cat, Milo an neutered 1 year old male, for three weeks now. He is very lovable and friendly, follows me everywhere, sleeps with me and loves to hang out and being pet. 

However, he is peeing on the sofa. He knows where the litter box is and uses it for the most part, but also goes on the sofa. I tried cleaning it with detergent and vinegar, rubbed citrus on it, but today he peed on it again.
I soaked the sofa in stain and odor remover, but I am afraid this is a permanent problem and he will eventually go on other furniture or the bed. The cat seems to be happy, content and comfortable. the litter box is cleaned every time I see something in it, he has tons of toys, windows to look out of and we play with him.
rcat
Like I said, he seems happy. Any ideas what I can do to make him stop using furniture to pee on?
Thanks.
:catmilk


----------



## AnaPanda (Feb 23, 2011)

There must be something in/on the furniture that he finds as an interesting smell.
Cats have great sense of smell, so even if you cover it up, he will still smell it, and probably continue to pee on it until the scent goes away.

It could also be a territorial thing.. I'm not sure.

Try to put foil on that part of the couch he pees on, the sounds will make that part of the couch less desirable to him. You could also spray some of that "Keep off" spray -- the scent usually keeps cats off of the sprayed area.


----------



## solarcat1 (Apr 19, 2005)

Thanks AnaPanda, but we don't have other cats or dogs (just some fish, which he loves to look at), so it can't be territorial. Can it?

I was told that cat pee smell will always be there even if humans can't smell it. Does that mean we need a new sofa?


----------



## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

When was the last time he has been to the vet? You need to make sure he doesn't have a UTI or something else health related before you can address any behavioral issues. Cats don't like to urinate outside of the litter box and usually when they do it they are trying to tell you something is wrong.


----------



## solarcat1 (Apr 19, 2005)

We just adopted him and the adoption place said he was seen and he is healthy. I don't think he has an UTI because he doesn't pee very often, about two clumps per day in the litterbox and the sofa pee every so often.
The adoption place said that the previous owner didn't want him because he peed and just kept the sister and returned him to the shelter.
But the adoption place also said that the foster place didn't report any peeing outside of the litterbox.
Could it mean he just don't like to live with us?


----------



## solarcat1 (Apr 19, 2005)

Also, we had a cat, Maggie, for 12 years and she never peed on the sofa or anywhere else. She just died a little over a month ago.
Before we got Milo I washed down everything so there wouldn't be a competitive smell on blankets, litterbox or toys etc.


----------



## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I sympathize. I had the same problem with our first cat, and after many attempts to get the smell out, I gave up and bought a used couch on Craig's List. I know you don't want to sink a lot of money into a new couch, only to have your kitty pee on it again! Fortunately, once we got the "new" couch she didn't pee on it.

An idea for you. Once you've ruled out a UTI (which we did also), I realized that she might be telling us she wants to pee on something soft. I set up a second litterbox next to the first one, but put only a liner and a couple sections of folded newspaper in it. I kid you not, within half an hour she was peeing on the newspaper like a champ. It might be worth a try, because there isn't a whole lot to lose.


----------



## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Still take your cat in to the vet and ask to check for a UTI. Shelters/rescues don't really check for that. UTIs are serious and can be fatal, and male cats get them more often. I wouldn't trust an adoption place on this--I would go to the vet asap.


----------



## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

Did you use a cleaner like Natures Miracle that is specifically for pet urine? If not, try that. Also put a throw over the sofa cushions so at least the urine won't soak into the cushion. 

October has a good suggestion about setting up a second litter box. Where is the litter box? (ie not down in the basement, where he has to interrupt playing to run down there?)


----------



## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

I concur with previous posters about getting Milo checked for UTI first to rule that out. 

In the meantime, cover the sofa with a plastic sheet and then a cotton sheet over top. Did you_ really soak_ the sofa with Nature's Miracle? It's not sufficient to just surface-clean the upholstery fabric, as the pee has likely soaked into the upholstery fill as well. You really want to try and break this habit as soon as possible. You might also set up another litter box, and also try _Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter_. Unfortunately, some male cats (neutered or not) will have an obsessive urge to mark or spray especially around his age, as it's a natural instinct when they are establishing a territory. He may outgrow the urge to mark in a few months (at least for your sake I hope so!). When you do see him using the litter box, praise him lavishly and/or give a treat. If you need to get another sofa, most cats that want to mark won't do it on a_ leather_ sofa. Let us know how it goes. Good luck!


----------



## tigressbythetail (Dec 1, 2010)

October said:


> An idea for you. Once you've ruled out a UTI (which we did also), I realized that she might be telling us she wants to pee on something soft. I set up a second litterbox next to the first one, but put only a liner and a couple sections of folded newspaper in it. I kid you not, within half an hour she was peeing on the newspaper like a champ. It might be worth a try, because there isn't a whole lot to lose.


What a great idea! I have a cat inherited from my mother who has this problem with peeing on anything soft, but only if she can dig on it so she's never gone for the sofa, thank goodness. If I forget to make the bed and she has the opportunity, she will pee on the blankets but never if the bed is made. Otherwise, anything else that we might leave on the floor. 

A question for Solarcat: Is he actually just peeing or is he spraying? That's an important distinction. Unfortunately, males may continue to mark territory even after they're neutered, especially if it was done after sexual maturity and that's a tough behavior to change. I had one cat a long time ago that was like that and he was given hormone shots. I wish I could tell you it worked, but to tell the truth it was so long ago I don't remember but you might look into it if he is spraying.


----------



## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

tigressbythetail said:


> A question for Solarcat: Is he actually just peeing or is he spraying? That's an important distinction. Unfortunately, males may continue to mark territory even after they're neutered, especially if it was done after sexual maturity and that's a tough behavior to change.


I was going to point that out as well. He may just be marking his territory and asserting his sexual prowess. If that is the case, you will need to provide an alternate desirable (for the kitty) location for him to mark instead of the new couch.


----------



## solarcat1 (Apr 19, 2005)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

I will make an appointment with a vet to check for UTI. Meanwhile he peed again on the cleaned sofa.

I used Petastic "stain and odor remover" which obviously didn't work, because the cat chose to pee right next to the old spot.

It is rather impossible to saturate the entire 72 inch sofa, especially since only the seat cushions come off and not the back. It is one peace filled with foam and goose down. I have thrown as much cleaner and then water on as possible (as it states in the directions), in fact so much so that it dripped out of the sofa onto the floor and crept into other parts of the back and seat that I hadn't saturated.

The litter box is in a quiet cut out in the kitchen and is kept very clean. Area around the box and also the litter itself. We live in an apartment in NYC and do not have our private basement.

Unfortunately we don't have the money to buy more products or a new sofa since my husband has cancer and can't work and I am the caregiver and that's a full time job in itself.

I am now in the process of machine washing the seat cushion and seat cover again and hope that will take the stink after the stain and odor cleaner has soaked in for an entire night and day.

The adoption place suggested that he has adopted me and claimed me and therefore marks the space on the sofa where I usually sit instead of showing dislike toward me. I am flattered but Milo has a shitty way of showing his love, if that's the case.
I'm afraid if we were to get another cat the other cat would start urinating also.

They also suggested to cage him for a few weeks to break the habit.

The pee is released into the sofa and not vertical, so my guess is it is not spraying but urinating.

A second litter box would be kind of hard having it in the living / diningroom, but for a few days I'll do it.

Plastic over the sofa is just gross I think, but if that helps I'll do that too in hope that once the plastic comes off he doesn't pee on it again.

We had a troubled cat for 12 years, she recently died, and she never peed or pooped anywhere but attacked my husband. We kept her and loved her anyway, all her life. But I can not live with cat pee stink all my life.

Let's hope it is medical and can be cured with a pill.


----------



## tigressbythetail (Dec 1, 2010)

I wouldn't cage him but I would put him in the bathroom with a litterbox to retrain. Also, try a different litter. Maybe he doesn't like the type of litter you're using.


----------



## solarcat1 (Apr 19, 2005)

I'm using the same litter (World's Best) as the adoption place.

When he came I had left over litter from my "late" cat Maggie and he was fine with the litter but now he's not. Maybe he doesn't like the familiar litter because he associates it with being up for adoption and not at home or maybe he just got comfortable enough to behave naughty.

Putting him in the bathroom is a problem since he cries when he's all alone in there. He can't look out the window (fogged glass) and we can't go in when we need to without him running out the door and hiding for hours.

Tomorrow he's going back to the adoption place who's taking him to the vet. I will get him back in a few days. They want to keep him under observation for a while and treat him if needed.

Will keep you guys posted what happens.


----------



## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I agree that this sounds like it could be crystals/UTI. The adoption place may have had him looked at but it doesn't mean it was recently or they caught everything. My guy came straight from the shelter with a glowing health record and he had raging ear infections in both ears as well as a raging UTI and food allergies.

It couldn't hurt to just have a vet take a look see at him and make sure he's healthy before you start saying his peeing is behavioral. If it is UTI/crystals he's hurting and needs help.


----------

