# HELP! Cat Peeing ---



## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

I just went to do some laundry and when taking my clothes out of the basket I noticed they were wet - soaking wet and stinky - thinking maybe it was cat pee -- what would make them do that? I'm not sure which cat is doing it as I never see them in my closet?! But it's grossing me out terribly.


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

One of them could have a UTI. Teddy had one earlier this week and he started peeing in any cardboard box he could find.


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## morea (Feb 8, 2005)

When a cat stops using the litter box it is often a sign of a medical problem - a urinary tract infection or something similar as Rae suggested. They associate the pain from urinating with being in the litter box rather than with the act of urinating itself, so they use other spots in an attempt to avoid the pain. 

Best get them to the vet to have them checked out! Medical problems can be easily treated with medication. 

It's probably also a good idea to thoroughly clean the area because if they smell urine (they might even if you don't) they might continue to use that location.


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## CuteNCraze86 (Dec 29, 2007)

How old is the cat? How many do you have and how many litter boxes? My cat was doing this and when I added another cat box it completely stopped. 

But yes, it could also be a UTI. Do you feed a high quality pet food?


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

I have a seven month old and a three year old - not sure who is doing it - they both still use the litter box -- I've seen them both in the litter box today in fact. I have two litter boxes in the house..


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Happy New Year, Jan Rebecca! I'm sorry to hear of your troubles. I guess you'll just need to keep an eye on the two of them for a few days to see if you can figure out the "guilty party". If they're both still using the box, then let's hope this was just a one-time thing.


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## LaylaBB (Jan 2, 2011)

Morea - thanks for the info about WHY a UTI causes a cat to pee outside the box. I guess I figured UTI=more frequent and uncontrolled urinating, and not about the pain association.

Jan Rebecca - best of luck to you! I had a cat who did this, though I'm sure it was because her litter box was blocked by a bunch of fallen cardboard boxes. Then, I think she got used to peeing where the scent was. Any changes in environment, increased stress, etc. to possibly attribute the peeing?

Try some Nature's Miracle - it worked wonders in my brand new car when I discovered that car rides cause my kitty Lay to pee, poop, and vomit from anxiety or motion sickness. I'm packing a spray bottle now; going through my own trials and tribulations with my ladies, too.


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## CuteNCraze86 (Dec 29, 2007)

Mine was still using the box to poop but not to pee. So see what they are actually doing in there. My only assumption is that when I added a box he pees in one and poops in the other. Or maybe he just didn't like sharing. Whatever it was, adding a box helped. 

Also make sure it is clean at all times. I was going to check for UTI but adding the box cured it before I took him. All you can do for now is to take away all things that he might pee on. Mine was peeing on laundry (clean and dirty), any clothes, towels on the floor and in the dog crates (on the pads).


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

I have not figured out who did the peeing in my clothes basket - needless to say - the clothes basket is empty and put away - rug beneath that has been washed and also put away. I have not noticed pee anywhere else, but I haven't exactly got down on my hands and knees and sniffed my way around all the carpets. 

Neither of the cats are acting sick in any way, eating, playing normally. Is there any other sign to look for IF they have a UTI? 

I know they are still both doing their poo in the litter boxes because I know the diff. in their poo as wierd as that might sound. This morning when I checked the litter boxes it looks as if both are peeing in their too from the amount of wet. 

I read online that sometimes a female cat who has not been fixed will 'spay' around the house if she goes into heat and their is no male to 'take care' of her. (so to speak lol) How much do they let out when they spay? Could that have been the case? Does spay smell different than pee?


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## morea (Feb 8, 2005)

A cat can look completely healthy and have a urinary tract infection - or worse. My cat Martell had crystals in his bladder and the only sign he exhibited was occasional wetting outside the litter box. He was diagnosed by having a urine sample tested by the vet. I never would have suspected that anything was wrong with him otherwise, as cats are very good at hiding pain and he seemed healthy as could be.

The danger with crystals in the bladder is that they can block the urinary tract if left untreated, and this can actually be a fatal condition. There is more information via Cornell Feline Health Center here.

Be sure to watch the cats to see if one goes to the litter box frequently, seems to strain or cry in the litter box, or goes to the box only to pass a very small amount of urine (or sometimes even none at all). In some cases you may also be able to detect blood in the urine, but not always. 

I get my cats to the vet at the first sign of urinating outside the litter box. A cat's instinct is to bury its waste to avoid detection by predators, so urinating outside the box is often a sign that something is wrong. 

Your vet could give you instructions for collecting a clean urine sample from each cat which they may be able to test without even taking your cat in for an exam. 

My cats have all been spayed or neutered before being introduced to my household, so I can't offer any suggestions about that. It might be worth a call to your vet to ask their opinion on the matter. My vet has always been willing to offer advice over the phone, and to tell me whether she believes the cat should be examined or not.


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

I haven't been able to figure which cat was peeing outside the box - I'm keeping my eye on them both, even though I have to work today - ugh.


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

I wish I knew which cat is doing the peeing outside the box.


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## Stoutcat (Jan 3, 2011)

Yes, get your kitties checked out by the vet. A UTI could be the culprit.

To determine which one is avoiding the box, could you separate them for a few days, with one box for one cat, and another box in another room for the other?

Also, have you recently switched to a different kitty litter? Moved the litter box to a different location? Any big changes in the household? Any one of these things can cause a cat to avoid a box.

Good luck!


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

I've made no recent change in litter - and not moved any boxes. I did start changing to a different food but very slowly. 

I went home last night to find soemone peed in my bed. You can imagine how upset I was at that - finding it out at 10pm when I had to get up at 5am. I can't prove who is doing the peeing as I saw with my own two eyes both of them using the litter box last night - both peed with no problems. IN THE BOX. So why pee on my bed? 

Both spots that have been peed on are two of Tuffy's favorite spots - it is fair to assume he would not pee where he usually spends the night with me? He used to spend time in my clothes hamper too - he loved being with my things I think - but since Satin came he's stopped that. Mainly because she chases him out. 

BOTH spots have been 'my' things - MY side of the bed and MY clothes hamper. Don't know what to read into that either if anything. 

I added another litter box last night - in a different room , I now have three litter boxes in three different rooms of the house - oh joy! 

We closed the bedroom door so they were banned from the bedroom which is where all the peeing is taking place - BUT Tuffy came under the door at some point because he was on the bed at 5am. He's never spent a night without me in his life since he's been with me at 7 weeks. 

Do cats pee out of jealousy? Satin has been increasingly jeolous when I spend time with Tuffy - meowing loudy at me - etc, chasing him away from his bed at my chair so she can be in it. And yet, she barely allows me to pet her - I don't understand that. LoL. 

I wish I was a cat whisperere.


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## morea (Feb 8, 2005)

Is it possible that Satin is bullying Tuffy when he tries to use the litter box? If there's a territorial dispute going on, Tuffy might be trying to avoid going there to avoid being attacked.

A lot of cats don't like covered litter boxes because the cover makes them hunch over while using the box and that's not comfortable, plus the cover concentrates the odors from the box and the cats find that upsetting. If your box is covered, is it a good size so both cats can stand up in it without having to duck?


The following info is from an old packet my vet gave me:

Causes for inappropriate elimination:
• House soiling
• Marking
• Separation anxiety
• Iatrogenic causes of polydypsia/polyuria
• Primary medical diseases, including but not limited to:
- arthritis
- inflammatory bowel disease
- FLUTD
- diabetes
- renal failure
- incontinence
- cognitive dysfunction syndrome
- endocrine abnormalities

Diagnostics:
• Physical examination
• CBC, chemistry panel, urinalysis and fecal testing
• Imaging studies of the urinary tract
• Further diagnostic tests as indicated by the findings of the physical 

Note: 
• House soiling is not done out of spite or revenge.
• Any contributing medical problems must be identified and treated.
• Punishment is unlikely to resolve the problem and may worsen the problem.


And these quotes are from the book "The New Natural Cat":

"Urination outside the litter box is almost always caused by a physical problem: early FUS or, in aging cats, weak bladder, general debilitation or arthritis."

"The best advice I can give an owner is this: Any change in your cat's usual behavior patterns should be carefully watched. If it persists or if two or three questionable changes occur, have the veterinarian check it out. Remember, cats don't know that you have the power to make them better, so they are not going to come and tell you if something feels bad."



Here's an article that offers some ideas: Inappropriate Elimination in Cats




It is my understanding that cats do not soil the house out of spite or jealousy, or to "punish" their owners, as some people believe. They are actually very clean animals who instinctively hide their waste. Inappropriate urination is usually as distressing for them as it is for you.

I think you can be virtually certain that this is a coincidence and your cats are not trying to target you or your things personally out of spite. It would be more likely (in my opinion) that the cat is in pain and is seeking comfort and reassurance, and that your scent is comforting to them.

Also, a cat with a UTI (etc) won't necessarily ALWAYS avoid the litter box. That tends to be done in an effort to avoid the pain they experience when using the box. They still want to use the box and have to struggle against their instincts when they don't.

The longer this behavior goes on, the more "acceptable" they may come to view it. Cats are naturally drawn to soiling places that have been soiled before, so I would really, really recommend having a urine analysis done on both cats to rule out medical problems and hopefully get to the bottom of it. The vet can tell you how to collect an individual sample from each cat. 

I know that money is tight for a lot of people right now (I can certainly relate) but many vets are willing to work with you about payment, sometimes allowing you to pay a little each month on your bill, or just running a test (like a urine analysis) without actually having the cat in for a physical exam. And if this is, in fact, a medical condition like a UTI, putting off the treatment can make it a lot more complicated and expensive (not to mention painful) in the long run.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Oh dear...clearly this is not a one-time thing. When it comes to identifying which cat is the culprit, I believe there is a dye you can obtain from your vet to give to one of the cats, whereupon their urine will flouresce under a Wood's lamp. If the urine flouresces, then you know the guilty party is the one to whom you gave the dye, and vice versa. 

If that approach sounds too complex, then the only other thing I can think of to identify which cat is doing the dirty deed is to separate them when you're away, leaving each with some laundry (some old clothes of yours with your scent...preferably a few old T-shirts or something similar that you don't care too much about) and see which are wet and which are dry when you get home.

I agree with morea when she says that peeing on your things likely happens because your scent is a source of comfort to the cat.


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

OK - I'm wondering if this is why my satin is peeing all over the house --- she has all the signs of being in heat -- 


*What are the signs that my female cat is in heat?
Any or all of the signs below may be an indication that your cat is in heat.*

*• *Your cat becomes more affectionate than usual
*• *Your cat rolls around the floor
*• *Your cat carries her tail to one side.
*• *Your cat becomes very vocal and meows a lot. (This is where the term 'Calling' comes from) This vocalisation can become very noisy with loud yowls day and night. Her voice may become more piercing than usual.
*• *Your cat assumes a position with her front quarters on the ground and her bottom pointing in the air. 
*• *Your cat's hind legs may 'tread'
*• *Your cat licks her vulval area more than usual
*• *Your cat rubs her face up against you or furniture more often than usual.
*• *If you pat your cat on her back near her tail your cat will raise her bottom in the air and may begin 'treading' with her hind feet.
*• *If she is a cat who is usually kept inside she will be desperate to get outside, waiting for any opportunity to escape.

AND even though my Tuffy is fixed he keeps trying to hump her and she gets this look on her face like she's in ecstacy. WHY is that- LOL - he's fixed for cryin out loud. 

Do you know - is she peeing to mark her teritory because she's in heat?


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

If it were me (which it may be soon if I find another accident and I'm unsure of the culprit, even though I think it is Nutmeg), I would do the following things:

1. Separate the cats and find out for sure who is doing the peeing. If you can't do that then I wouldn't feel comfortable assuming she is in heat and disregarding it even though it skill could be Tuffy doing it. 
2. Take the culprit to the vet ASAP. 
3. Treat the UTI if there is one and if it is Satin in heat, make an appointment to get her fixed.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

If Satin is displaying all the signs of being in heat and she hasn't been spayed, then chances are she's in heat. She could be spraying to attract a mate, since her urine contains pheromones that will "communicate" her availability. I would suggest you have her spayed as soon as you can.


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

Last night I found out for certain it IS Satin peeing - when she did it on the kitchten table right in front of me - I was so shocked that she just did it right there in front of me that I didn't hiss or anything. LoL - Usually if I hiss at her one time for doing something she learns and never does the thing again - she is one smart kitty. 

I know she is in heat for certain after her behaviour of last night - it was horrible. I feel bad for her because I know she probably doesn't like it either but OMG. The way she howled and rolled around and tried to get Tuffy's attention. I put her in her room for the night and shut the door, she seemed almost happy to be back there and unable to get out. She quieted down and went to sleep. She's been getting Tuffy up the past few nights with her howling so I figured this way they can both get a great nights sleep apart from each other and I only had to worry about her peeing up one room and not the whole house. I'm calling the vet today after work to see how soon I can get her in to get spayed. Poor kitty cat.


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

Thanks to all you for your help - you all make this form 'THE BEST'!!


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