# My cat is going to the bathroom, everywhere!



## Mekers (Jan 11, 2010)

_So my cat has lived here for 7 months with me, in our new home with my bf. I've owned Baby for almost 5 years now. Just recently these passed 2 months he has been going to the bathroom in the hallway on the clothes; his evil little siblings leave everywhere. He's even going on the clothes in the bathroom! He even peed near my laundry hamper by our bed and got urine on our bed spread!

He never did this at our old house. NEVER! 

Here recently he hasn't done it since I bought him a new litter box thats contained. The stray Paul thats here, might have put some stress on him, but he's been around Paul for almost 4 months now, why would he be doing this suddenly? Paul doesn't even spray or go to the bathroom even in the house. We leave our door cracked at night so he can get in the room and use the litter box, but he ignores that!
What do you think the problem might be? Any suggestions?_


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Welcome to CatForum and I hope we can help your kitty with his problem. 
First, I need to apologize because what I post may come across as being blunt. I am sorry, it isn't meant to be blunt, it is simply the most expedient way for me to share the information you need to know and understand so you can help your kitty.
Heidi

Inapropriate Urination / UTI

*The NUMBER ONE REASON CATS PEE INAPPROPRIATELY = Urinary Tract Inflamation. (UTI)* 
Diagnosis is with a vet checking a urine sample. There is no other way to diagnose this medical problem. Depending on diagnosis (_infection, inflamation, crystals_) treatment can include antibiotics, anti-inflamatories and/or a diet change to help get more moisture into the cat.

Cats are naturally neat and tidy animals.
They *know* what a litterbox is for.
If a cat is *not* using their litterbox, they are trying to *tell you something* and you need to listen.

AFTER a UTI has been eliminated as a problem, then you can move on to examining other areas:
Has the home been stressful for the cat? _...cats can develop UTIs due to stress..._
Does the cat like the litterbox? _...open-tray, hooded, deep enough litter, large enough box..._
Does the cat like the location of the litterbox? _...is it in a quiet area, low traffic and no sudden noises..._
Does the cat like the litter used? _...some cats prefer different litters..._
Does the cat approve of how clean the litterbox is kept for it? _...many cats will refuse to use 'dirty', and especially *smelly* litterboxes..._

Cats WANT to use a litterbox to hide their waste. If they are not, it is because there is some sort of problem and avoiding the litterbox is The Only Way for the cat to tell you It Is Having A Problem. If you and your family are annoyed at this behavior, imagine how *frustrating* and *painful* this is for your cat, who is trying to tell you in every way he has available to him: He Is Having A Problem. UTI's are painful and the kitty tries to find places to pee where maybe it *won't* be painful, like soft piles of clothes, bedding and rugs. When the pain *still* isn't going away by peeing on soft things, they start to pee on 'smooth' things like floors, tables, stoves and countertops. IMO, when a cat reaches the point of peeing on your countertops AND/OR peeing *_right in front of you while looking you in the eyes_* ... please don't get mad, the kitty is simply trying to tell you he has something wrong with him.

After medical treatment, diet can play a large role in helping to keep UTI's at bay; more moisture, as in a wet food or RAW diet. Even a better quality dry food and not feeding "McKittyCrack" (_which is what I call grocery-store available catfoods_) can help the kitty stay healthier but generally more moisture is the best of all. There are plenty of topics in the Health/Nutrition Forums to help you find a good catfood and/or diet for your kitty.

Good luck, we really *want* you to be able to help your kitty. Please let us know how things go...the information you share could help other people in similar situations, too.
heidi =^..^=


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

Nothing to add, just: Ditto.
Oh, I lied! One thing to add! You may want to check out the sticky at the top "Things That Saved My Home..." which will give you a good step by step on properly cleaning up the pee areas you already have. If they smell urine anywhere, they will often continue to pee in that spot so it needs to be removed with a good enzymatic cleanser. Regular cleansers just won't do it.
Good luck!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Mekers said:


> _The stray Paul thats here, might have put some stress on him, but he's been around Paul for almost 4 months now, why would he be doing this suddenly?_


I read elsewhere in the forums about how Paul *did* act aggressively towards your kitty AND that your kitty has been neutered and declawed, while Paul is entirely, entire. Keep in mind that in addition to stress being a factor for causing a UTI in your kitty, there could also be some "dominance" issues going on ... or your cat is feeling threatened by Paul and is marking everything as 'his'. 

I suspect a UTI and once you bring your kitty to the vet to rule out UTI, *then* we can move on to addressing the tense home situation between the cats.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

If Paul is not yet neutered, it might be beneficial to go and get him "snipped". Not only can the presence and smell of an intact male upset an already neutered male and encourage him to pee in inappropriate places, but Paul's "manly bits" are encouraging him to go out wandering and looking for mates. He can get lost, injured, hit by a car, attacked by another cat/animal, get into poison... the list of possible dangers is endless. Not only that, but he's out there breeding with other cats, creating even more kittens to add to the growing and never ending surplus of cats out there. There are hundreds to thousands (dare I say millions?) of kitties dying in shelters every year because of this over population and lack of space/available homes for them. It's so sad. 

Don't let Paul contribute to the problem! Get him neutered. You will be so much happier, as will Baby _and_ Paul. Did I mention that the procedure can prevent or even fully eliminate the chance of him developing certain reproductive cancers? :wink: Not only that, but Paul will lose his desire to wander far and wide, and to go off and get into fights with other toms.


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## Mekers (Jan 11, 2010)

_Thank you all so much for your help! This brings a new perspective to light for me. I will make a vet appointment for Baby and see what he has to tell me. 
I have no clue whether or not my bf's mom plans on getting Paul neutered or declawed. She said if she did, it would be in Feb. Which maybe too late. My cat is an inside cat, and Paul would be too if he were to get done. 
Then there is the point if she doesn't know if she's keeping Paul or not. She says it's her cat, but then wants to get rid of him. Though I would need to find someone to take him in, or a good shelter. 

I have a concealed litterbox, that he has no problem getting in and using. My cat has never had a problem going to the bathroom in front of people, it's almost as if he's saying "Yea, Yea, lookit me." I keep his litterbox as clean as I can, changing it when necessary.

I'll look into the right kind of cleaner for the spots. Which seems to be all of our clothing! So... thats going to be a wonderful time!
Thanks everyone, I'll in form you of what the vet has to tell me!

-Michaley
_


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Yay! Please keep us updated so we can follow along with his progress.
h


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