I have had my cat for 3 years, nevered peed before and now he pees only in the kids room where he sleeps. The cat is fixed. What do i do?
Robert
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Animals will often urinate indoors to change the scent of the location to a scent they like (their own) and are familiar with. Have you by any chance changed the cleaning products you use in the kids room recently? If not, you might try pouring some straight vinegar on the area. Cats don't like the strong smell and will generally leave that area alone.
I also had this problem my cats decided after an unfixed male joined the group they no longer could use the litter.
I washed the area they were using as an alternate box with Pine-sol and also shut them in a room with box eventually got the hint to go back to box.
Are the litter boxes kept clean?
Male cats who only receive dry cat food will develope urine problems. Peeing on the floor or carpet is their way of telling you they are ill.
How to put this delicately... How old is the child, do the perhaps wet the bed? If so, the cat may be smelling it & trying to "Overwrite" the smell.
No one wants a litter box in their kid's room.
As the owner of four cats, and 8 more in the past, I thought I may have some knowledge that will help.
My first thought, since you said he is a nuetered male, is Feline Urilogical Syndrome. This is where too much magnesium in the diet causes the urine to form crystals and causes painful urination for the cat. It mainly happens in nuetered males and the first symptom is they stop using their litter box. Cat's are fastidiously clean and when they are sick, they like to be even cleaner. So, since their penis hurts, they do not want to go to the bathroom in a litter box, which usually has some residual waste already in it. So they see it as "dirty".
But before assuming this is your cat's problem, you need to ask yourself:
+ Have I changed the brand of litter I am using?
+ Have I changed where the litter box is located?
+ Have I added or subtracted anything to his litter (like baking soda, etc) ?
+ Is there a new cat in the house, even one just visiting (or was there just before the problem started)?
+ Have I changed the floor cleaner I use in the room where the litter box is?
+ Have I changed the litter box itself?
+ Have I changed his food?
+ Have I been cleaning the litter box more or less often then usual?
+ Have I added or taken away a mat/carpet in front of the litter box?
+ Do I feed him a low-magnesium food or a food meant for a cat's urinary health?
If your answer to any of these questions is YES (except the last one), you have a behavioral problem on your hands. And that is a good thing. Whatever you have changed, go back to the original. He must prefer it and is trying to tell you that. Remember, out in the wild, animals comminicate through urine. That is what he is trying to do with you. Unfortunately your sniffer isn't sensitive enough to get the message. So you have to use you brain to figure out his message.
The next thing I would do, is clean the area he has been marking with a enzymatic cleaner. They use enymes to break down the urine. Ask at your pet store or look around the web. Shop around for the most recommended. It may be a bit pricey, but get what people say works. There are many on the market that are crap.
For any residual smells, Fabreze Deep Clean works great.
Next, stop letting him have acess to your children's room. At all. At least until things are back to normal. The kid's may whine. But explain that he is being punished and they will have to understand. Keep the door closed during the day. And at night, if they can't sleep with the door closed, try a baby gate. Though he may be able to jump over that. I'm not sure what advice to give you. But keep him out so he gets the message. And PLEASE don't put another litter box in there! That gives him the message that it is OK to pee in there (as long as he does it in the box) and then you will never be able to take the box away, or he will start peeing on the floor again.
Sometimes cats decide they like a new place to pee. Either to act out and tell you they are angry or because ??? Who knows? They are cats! But cats can be trained! Don't give in to him!
He may be telling you that he wants his litter box kept cleaner. Sometimes males decide to boycott because they get choosey about the state of the cleanliness of the litter box. A great, easy way to keep it clean is to use scoopable litter (if he can tolerate it, some cats can't) and keep a bucket with a top (I got mine from the grocery bakery for 50 cents) and a garbage bag inside it next to the box and scoop it every day or even every time you go in the bathroom. Very easy and makes your litter last longer.
If your answer to ALL of those questions was NO, then you need to take him to the vet and tell him you answered no to all of those questions and tell the vet what he has been doing.
The sooner you get him to the vet, the better. The next stage of the disease, is the crystals all build up and block the flow of urine. He won't be able to pee.
If the disease isn't treated early on, the only treatment is a surgery that removes his penis (and isn't always sucessful and is expensive) or putting him to sleep.
I don't mean to scare you. I am NOT saying this is what he has. But it is nothing to fool around with. When I was a young cat owner with my first cat, I ran into the very same problem, and didn't take him to the vet on time because I thought it was a behavioral problem, not a health problem. I ended up putting him to sleep. He was 3 years old as well.
Good Luck.
Heather
Thank you for this post. We just got our first cat 3 months ago and he is amazing. But yesterday he walked in front of my husband and peed on the floor. So I have switched the litter back to the original and am looking into urinary tract health cat food.
He has never done this before so I am hoping that it isn't a urine problem. I will definitely be going through this checklist and taking him to vet. Better safe than sorry.
Heather
Just a comment on a past comment...dry food alone does not create urinary problems in male cats. It is something that is caused by several factors, diet included, but not alone. It is a myth that cats need wet food. They will drink plenty of water on their own. I was a veterinary technician for 2 years and I am sure of this. Cats who are fed primarily wet food will develop more dental problems, something that CAN be avoided with dry food. They also make special urinary health dry foods now that will help your pet to not develop urinary problems, but be aware, these diets will make your cat urinate MORE often. It changes the chemistry in their kidneys to flush things out better.
I also have this problem.
We have a 5 year old neutered female cat and she has started to pee in our children's rooms. First, she would pee on blankets, and now she is being on the carpet and on the kid's beds.
Is the cat somehow jealous of the kids?
Thank you,
Soon to be dog owner!
Connie - PINE SOL IS HARFUL TO CATS!!!!!!! It causes liver and kidney damage, and if they get fumes near them, can cause resp. problems.
NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER USE ANYTHING PINE SOL OR LYSOL IN A HOME WITH Cats.
My cat had this problem just over a year ago, where she was peeing at the back door (she is an indoor cat). I tried everything but in the end I bought some "eswcue remedy" which is good for acute stress and it worked.
My 8 year old cat has peed and ruined several pieces of furniture and now has started peeing in our bed and pooping on my daughter's bedroom floor. She has been on amitrptyline for 3 years and about two months ago we were told to double her dose. She has been examined and found to be healthy. We are trying to sell our house to move and are afraid to bring her to our new home. Any suggestions? I understand that they sometimes do this because situations change but she is on drugs and life is about change. Thank you.
Hi,
It troubles me to say that not only does my cat pee around the house but twice in the last 6 weeks when my son is in my bed (he is 19 months old) she has peed in the bed.
We are going to the vet tomorrow for the second time.
We also have an older cat, whose house we moved into.
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