Can’t cope with cat peeing on everything

[sugarpony]

I’m at my absolute wits end with my cat at the moment. He’s generally the loveliest boy, friendly, gentle and cuddly. But we have a massive problem with peeing on things. Not constantly, he does use a litter box sometimes, always poops in the litter box.

Usually, but not always, it happens when he’s left unsupervised. I’m considering shutting everything up when I’m at work and just giving him the hallway and small bathroom. He can have 2x litter trays, food, water and a scratching post in that area but it’s not a massive area, maybe 10x10m. Would this be cruel? Between work and the horse im probably out of the house for 11-12hrs a day on average. I already have to shut the living room off at night to make sure he doesn’t pee on the sofa, I relaxed this recently as he’s been good but don’t feel I can trust him again now.

He’s been in the same home with the same dog since he was 6wks old. He has 3 litter trays to choose from, they’re cleaned twice a day. He’s been to the vets, he’s had blood and urine tests, he’s had his bladder scanned. Nobody can find a reason for it. He has feliway diffuser, he’s on the supplement the vet recommended. He did have a very expensive urinary diet for a while but it made no difference so I stopped. Same with gabapentin, we tried it but he still peed on the dog beds and some clothes. He hasn’t done it for 1-2months now, I thought we’d solved the issue but now he’s started again.

he can’t go outside on a regular basis here, and there’s a busy road nearby so I’m always worried. Im currently renting with no cat flap, but I am looking to buy my own place this year. Once that happens I plan for him to have a cat flap and also plan to cat proof the garden for him, I hope that might help. I just don’t think I can cope with coming home to cat pee on my clothes, my bed, or my furniture (I already had to replace one sofa because of this problem!).

I’ve even thought about rehoming him, but rescues are full enough as it is. And who’s going to want to take on a cat who is likely to pee on their stuff?! He’d be no good as a farm cat because he’s a useless hunter (he has been outside, I just can only let him out if I’m around to let him back in!). I just don’t know what to do.

 

[Gloi]

Presumably he's been neutered. It seems like he needs to mark his territory for some reason.

 

[sugarpony]

Presumably he's been neutered.

Yes, was neutered at 6mo a good while before this started. It’s definitely not spraying, the few times I’ve seen him it’s a proper squat and wee

 

[Apercrumbie]

It may be that he just really doesn't want to be an indoor cat and this is how he expresses it. It must be infuriating for you, that smell is just grim.

I think your idea of shutting him in a smaller area while you're out is absolutely fine, at least until you move to a more cat-friendly area.

 

[sugarpony]

It’s frustrating because he’s been primarily an indoor cat since he was 6wks old, but you might be right. He’s a rescue, his mum was a feral who was hit by a car, so I suppose he’s “bred” to be an outdoor cat. It’s a shame because he’s so lovely otherwise, but it’s slowly making me resent him.

I’m glad it’s not totally unreasonable, I know he will use the litter box if he doesn’t have any other options. I feel bad I can’t give him a bed or anything, but he will 100% just pee on it. There’s an old piece of matting I’ll put down, but anything softer or fluffier and it will be ruined. And I’m hoping to start house hunting once my probation period for this new job finishes in April, so hopefully not too long now

 

[Boulty]

Have you tried offering him different litter substrates eg sand type, recycled newspaper, clay type, clumping, non clumping etc? Obviously not all at once but if you have 3 trays maybe a different one in each & see which he uses most.

Second question is how deep are the trays? Some cats prefer something literally plant pot depth or some find a modified large plastic storage box preferable to an actual litter tray. Some like an enclosed tray & some prefer an open one.

Are all of the trays in areas of the house that he actually goes into and are they in places that feel private to him where he’s not going to be disturbed but equally where he doesn’t feel like he can be cornered.

Are there other animals in the house & if so does he get on with & actively like them and is he able to get away from them / avoid them easily if he wants? (If there are dogs in the house does he have places up high that he can get to that they can’t reach & also does he have at least 2 “hiding places” where he can feel hidden & watch the world go by if he wants)

Does he play with toys either by himself or with you? (Sometimes providing lots of enrichment can really help with these kinds of issues)

Have you ever considered trying puzzle feeding at all? Would take time & patience to introduce but sometimes having to “work” for their food and use their senses to find and access food can help with behavioural problems and inappropriate urination.

Sadly some cats do struggle with being indoor only (same as some cats have zero desire to go outside!) and if everything medically has been ruled out then is likely to be behaviourally driven in some way.

Can totally see why you may need to resort to restricting where he can access if it mainly happens when you’re not around. Would suggest try & make the area you’re shutting him into as interesting as possible in terms of ideally a multilevel cat tree for climbing, hiding & sleeping, (idea being that giving some vertical space will give him more total space), some toys on rotation (maybe some cardboard boxes sometimes), obviously the litter trays and if you’re able I would try to give him some food puzzles as well to occupy his time eve if it’s literally home made stuff with toilet roll tubes or as simple as hiding treats in different places for him to find. Fingers crossed it improves when you’re able to move somewhere with outdoor access. (It might do but tbh it depends on why he’s doing it which would probably require a feline behaviourist to work out which I am definitely NOT, I am doing a cat related qualification that has a few modules on behaviour but I’m not a specialist by any means!)

 

[Boulty]

Interesting re his mum being a feral (& I’m guessing likely dad too but guessing father unknown) as a lot of current thinking is that genetics does play a huge part in temperament and ability to cope with different lifestyles, how confident they are, how resilient & how prone they are to stress related behaviours. If it is driven by something like this then giving him as much enrichment as poss and as many opportunities as you’re able to practice natural behaviours and burn off energy may help in the long term (but can completely understand why you may still want to restrict his access to things he likes to pee on)

Maybe if and when you do move it might still be an idea to have a “safe” area to shut him in when you’re not around (not that you should choose your new house based on if your cat can have his own bedroom, will admit I’m weird enough to but probably nobody else is!)

Oh and as an addition Zeb who I used to have had a natural love of destruction… chewing stuff, throwing everything on the floor, pulling the carpet up specifically in the spot just behind the door etc. All his needs were met he just genuinely enjoyed chewing/ clawing things to pieces & was never happier than when he was surrounded by a sea of chewed cardboard! He basically was restricted to the conservatory when unsupervised (although he did have 24/7 outdoor access) as he just couldn’t be trusted. He had toys, food , a cat tree, his own 3 piece suite etc and was content with this. Horrid grew up with the same arrangement but is waaay less destructive (plus the heating bill was getting expensive) so he’s allowed free access to the living & dining room (he’s shut in on a night as he’s only got 1 eye & I worry… occasionally he decides to stay out all night/ to turn up at 3am of course!).

 

[sugarpony]

I’ve been doing a substrate trial recently actually, he definitely prefers clay to any of the others I’ve tried. Next on my list is clumping vs non clumping clay.

He’s currently got two deep litter trays (ones that are top entry but one with the lid left off). I’ve used a plastic storage tray before, but he didn’t seem to have a preference for this vs any other and he’s a litter digger so it was far too messy. There’s pretty much one tray in each room in the house, it’s a small bungalow so options are limited.

He’s got one massive (>5ft tall) cat tree, and two smaller ones. The big one has a bed on top and also a hide, which he uses sometimes but prefers to sit on my bed or the sofa. He also has a puzzle feeder, but I can try leaving him more creative homemade puzzles when I’m out. He’s never left home alone with the dog, but they are good together. She’s slightly scared of him so tbh they mostly avoid each other. He’s more likely to try and bother her to get her to play than she is him!

I’d love to speak to a behaviourist but sadly it’s out of my budget at the moment, and the insurance have said they won’t cover it as it’s not a medical issue. I’m really hoping having outdoor access will improve it, I do know that I can’t remember him doing it if I’ve been able to let him outside in the past 24-48hrs, which gives me hope.

 

[sbloom]

Vet bed is super easy to wash, you could leave some folded for him for a bed. I don't think it's unreasonable to shut him away when you're out.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Does he do it when you are around? Or only when he is left alone? Could be a separation anxiety.
How long have you lived at your current address? Any chance the previous occupants had a cat, and yours is now marking territory?
Is someone else's cat using your property as a loo?
I think you are right to suspect a behavioural issue. Something is upsetting his feelings of security.

 

[mini-eventer]

Is it possible to let him out, my boys are very good and don't even need a litter tray if they have access to outside. If I have to shut them in at all they can get a bit gung ho about where they can pee

 

[sugarpony]

Does he do it when you are around? Or only when he is left alone? Could be a separation anxiety.
How long have you lived at your current address? Any chance the previous occupants had a cat, and yours is now marking territory?
Is someone else's cat using your property as a loo?
I think you are right to suspect a behavioural issue. Something is upsetting his feelings of security.

He does both, more often when I’m not around but that’s most likely because when I’ve seen him do it before I’ve shooed him off and he knows it. Plus he’s less likely to have unsupervised access to his favourite areas as I’ll be near the sofa and the dog will be in her bed.

I’d lived in my last place for 4yrs (so since before I got the cat), they did have a cat but I’d lived there for a couple of years without a cat before I got my boy. We moved into current house about 6mo ago, initially thought moving had solved things as he was perfect for about 6wks before starting again. Previous occupants of this property definitely didn’t have a cat and it was redecorated just before I moved in, including flooring etc. The neighbour has a cat but I’ve not seen him in my garden (though granted I’m not around often when it’s light!)

 

[sugarpony]

Is it possible to let him out, my boys are very good and don't even need a litter tray if they have access to outside. If I have to shut them in at all they can get a bit gung ho about where they can pee

I can let him out when I’m around (though proximity to main road makes me nervous) but sadly I don’t have a cat flap and the property is rented so I can’t easily put one in. If it was a long term property I might ask, but I’m hoping to move to my own place in the next 6mo or so

 

[poiuytrewq]

When we had one that used to wee in the wrong places It was suggested i use one of those plug in things, Feliway is it? Apparently they are really helpful if its a stress type response. Ours did it if he got nervous, so if there was someone new in the house he would wee on my bed
He was super nervous though and had a feral back ground.

 

[Esmae]

I used to breed cats years ago and one kitten in one litter did this. I have no idea why. He always did it until he was allowed out to be a cat. My take on it was that being in just stressed him. Not sure what you can do in a rented property with a busy road, other than try to rehome to a rural spot where he can have his freedom. It was really difficult for his owners but we rehomed him and once he could roam he was fine.

 

[Shady]

I can let him out when I’m around (though proximity to main road makes me nervous) but sadly I don’t have a cat flap and the property is rented so I can’t easily put one in. If it was a long term property I might ask, but I’m hoping to move to my own place in the next 6mo or so

He is telling you he is frustrated and unhappy in the most classic way .
You have to work out why

I feel your pain as I have been there with a cat who peed on everything , every day for 12 years. I lost count of how many electrical items he blew up, and he only stopped when we moved to France and he got to be with us every day. He was an Oriental, and very dog like in his love for us. He hated us going to work
I have another now who went through a period of this, as the mostly outdoor Persan cat really bothered him with his uneven presence in the house. I realised I had to get them together more, so started getting the Persan in early at night and getting everybody to interact. It took about a month and now the Persan is happy being in more, and the Oriental doesn't feel like he's a part time visitor who eats his dried food and smells funny. No more peeing , and he would do it right in front of me, up the bedroom wall and on the front door. Telling them off btw makes them worse. I can vouch for that as I felt quite demented sometimes with the first cat, and did yell at him once for peeing on the toaster right in front of me

It is an emotional response to whatever is bothering him. In your cats case, it could well be that you have let him out sporadically and he is now frustrated being in for 11/12 hours. That is a long time for any animal to be inside , without you, and with nothing to do .
Locking him in a small space for that amount of time is an option, but will not help him, only you , which I totally get , but the result will probably be that he pees more when you let him out of it, and he will get even more stressed. When they pee right in front of you on something, it is to get your absolute attention so you know how they are feeling, and in their way they are asking you to help them
There is no easy answer to the problem unless like me, you pin point the reason, and can act on it
If you can't let him out ( I understand why) and don't feel you can find him more of a flexible lifestyle with somebody else, I would consider putting up a catio if the landlord would agree to a cat flap, so he can at least go outside, getting a kitten to occupy him ( could be risky option ), or sadly confining him to the smaller space until you move, as long as it's not a long term solution, as it is no way for him to live.

Wish I could be more positive, but peeing issues that aren't medical are trickier to fix

 

[sugarpony]

He is telling you he is frustrated and unhappy in the most classic way .
You have to work out why

I feel your pain as I have been there with a cat who peed on everything , every day for 12 years. I lost count of how many electrical items he blew up, and he only stopped when we moved to France and he got to be with us every day. He was an Oriental, and very dog like in his love for us. He hated us going to work
I have another now who went through a period of this, as the mostly outdoor Persan cat really bothered him with his uneven presence in the house. I realised I had to get them together more, so started getting the Persan in early at night and getting everybody to interact. It took about a month and now the Persan is happy being in more, and the Oriental doesn't feel like he's a part time visitor who eats his dried food and smells funny. No more peeing , and he would do it right in front of me, up the bedroom wall and on the front door. Telling them off btw makes them worse. I can vouch for that as I felt quite demented sometimes with the first cat, and did yell at him once for peeing on the toaster right in front of me

It is an emotional response to whatever is bothering him. In your cats case, it could well be that you have let him out sporadically and he is now frustrated being in for 11/12 hours. That is a long time for any animal to be inside , without you, and with nothing to do .
Locking him in a small space for that amount of time is an option, but will not help him, only you , which I totally get , but the result will probably be that he pees more when you let him out of it, and he will get even more stressed. When they pee right in front of you on something, it is to get your absolute attention so you know how they are feeling, and in their way they are asking you to help them
There is no easy answer to the problem unless like me, you pin point the reason, and can act on it
If you can't let him out ( I understand why) and don't feel you can find him more of a flexible lifestyle with somebody else, I would consider putting up a catio if the landlord would agree to a cat flap, so he can at least go outside, getting a kitten to occupy him ( could be risky option ), or sadly confining him to the smaller space until you move, as long as it's not a long term solution, as it is no way for him to live.

Wish I could be more positive, but peeing issues that aren't medical are trickier to fix

I totally understand. I don’t think it’s being let out sporadically, as the reason I started letting him out was to see if it would help the peeing.

He could potentially be an outdoor cat at my parents house, but not so much human interaction. He’d have to have his bed in one of their outbuildings as their dog is not good with him and barks and chases him if they’re sharing a house. This might be a temporary solution until I can move I guess. He would get little/no human input, so I worry he’d struggle with that because he’s a friendly little man really!

I could ask the landlord, but I don’t think it’s ideal as would have to replace 2 doors at my own cost to put cat flaps in (there’s only one front door and it leads into an enclosed porch, both doors need to be closed as porch is extremely damp and causes mould in the house if connecting door left open) and I’m planning to move in the next few months anyway.

I guess my question is mostly, am I being selfish NOT trying to rehome him? Given I’m likely to be able to improve his living situation in the next 6mo to something more suited, and giving him safe outdoor access will 100% be a consideration when house hunting. Much as he frustrates me, the thought of not having him around makes me want to cry, but his welfare does come first

 

[mini-eventer]

Could you let him out regularly when you are around? we haven't always had a cat flap and have managed this

 

[AmyMay]

It’s why I’d never, ever have a male cat again.

 

[sugarpony]

Could you let him out regularly when you are around? we haven't always had a cat flap and have managed this

I can but the problem is if he doesn’t come back before I have to leave, then he has to stay outside for >8-10hrs. It’s not so bad in the summer, but in the cold and pouring rain I’m not sure how fair it is. Though I suppose he will find shelter somewhere… that’s how I managed him last summer, letting him back in or having a window open when I’m home. But the weather has just been so dire for the last few months!

 

[Shady]

I totally understand. I don’t think it’s being let out sporadically, as the reason I started letting him out was to see if it would help the peeing.

He could potentially be an outdoor cat at my parents house, but not so much human interaction. He’d have to have his bed in one of their outbuildings as their dog is not good with him and barks and chases him if they’re sharing a house. This might be a temporary solution until I can move I guess. He would get little/no human input, so I worry he’d struggle with that because he’s a friendly little man really!

I could ask the landlord, but I don’t think it’s ideal as would have to replace 2 doors at my own cost to put cat flaps in (there’s only one front door and it leads into an enclosed porch, both doors need to be closed as porch is extremely damp and causes mould in the house if connecting door left open) and I’m planning to move in the next few months anyway.

I guess my question is mostly, am I being selfish NOT trying to rehome him? Given I’m likely to be able to improve his living situation in the next 6mo to something more suited, and giving him safe outdoor access will 100% be a consideration when house hunting. Much as he frustrates me, the thought of not having him around makes me want to cry, but his welfare does come first

Hmmmmm difficult, and i'm not sure at all about him going to your parents
No I don't think you are being selfish not trying to rehome him. You love him and he almost certainly loves you, which could of course be part of the problem , like mine was. I have another Oriental who spends most of his time on my shoulder. We do many things together, and I know he would be a chronic sprayer if I was out of the house more
So cat flap not an option either. I get why. Possible in glass maybe? but then again if you plan to move do you really want to invest in a catio.....
Sometimes you do have to go with the short term less pleasant situation and deal with the outcome. I had to keep 7 cats in for 6 months once and it was unpleasant for everybody .
I see that you did used to let him out after a fashion, so you could try this again despite the weather. Maybe put a shelter out for him. I know you also run the risk of him getting hurt but the other option is a more confined space. Only you know if you want to try more time outside and accept the risks. If he stops peeing then there is the reason. If it makes no difference, or you are too worried about him, it still leaves reducing his space to try.

 

[sugarpony]

Ooo an outdoor shelter isn’t a bad idea… It’s so difficult! a combo of shelter and GPS tracker might be a viable option. Although it won’t keep him safe from the road, at least I’ll know where he is and if he’s safe or not. He has been taught to “come” off the sound option in his tracker, but although he knows it in theory, he’s a cat and if he doesn’t want to come back he will ignore it

Again, if I’m going to let him out, the dilemma is if I let him out overnight or when I’m at work during the day. Day he’ll be easier for cars to spot (he’s black) but the roads will be much busier. It’s a residential area so roads are fairly quiet at night. From what I’ve noticed previously he’s fairly traffic shy (no bad thing!) so he’ll probably avoid the busiest roads but there’s still a risk.

 

[I'm Dun]

you can get cat flaps that go in a window. You'd just have to replace the pane of glass when you moved out then which shouldn't be too expensive.

 

[Shady]

Ooo an outdoor shelter isn’t a bad idea… It’s so difficult! a combo of shelter and GPS tracker might be a viable option. Although it won’t keep him safe from the road, at least I’ll know where he is and if he’s safe or not. He has been taught to “come” off the sound option in his tracker, but although he knows it in theory, he’s a cat and if he doesn’t want to come back he will ignore it

Again, if I’m going to let him out, the dilemma is if I let him out overnight or when I’m at work during the day. Day he’ll be easier for cars to spot (he’s black) but the roads will be much busier. It’s a residential area so roads are fairly quiet at night. From what I’ve noticed previously he’s fairly traffic shy (no bad thing!) so he’ll probably avoid the busiest roads but there’s still a risk.

From personal experience , the ones i've lost to a rta have all been at night. Most cats will stay out and roam/ hunt, and then head for home just as it's getting lighter and busier on the roads. Sometimes the most dangerous time is when cars are sporadic, but faster . It's a tough call though, and you know your area best.
I like the idea of a tracker. I never even thought of that as I live in the middle of knowhere now, with no roads near. I still always get my cats in at night, otherwise I can't sleep!

 

[sugarpony]

From personal experience , the ones i've lost to a rta have all been at night. Most cats will stay out and roam/ hunt, and then head for home just as it's getting lighter and busier on the roads. Sometimes the most dangerous time is when cars are sporadic, but faster . It's a tough call though, and you know your area best.
I like the idea of a tracker. I never even thought of that as I live in the middle of knowhere now, with no roads near. I still always get my cats in at night, otherwise I can't sleep!

Yes, I think if I let him out it will be during the day. I can’t guarantee he will be home before it gets dark but he’s a greedy beggar and I’m hoping the hope of dinner might tempt him

 

[saddlesore]

Haven’t read all the replies so sorry if this is a repeat but have you tried a felliway plug in? They’re honestly amazing at stopping ‘odd’ behaviour

 

[Highmileagecob]

My friend bought a dog kennel for her cat to head back to, when she wasn't around. Tucked it in a sheltered spot by the door, with a fluffy blanket, and she also added a feeding dish on a timer. She couldn't guarantee that her cat ate the food, but at least he had the option! Like the idea of a tracker.

 

[sugarpony]

Right, tracker and outdoor kennel ordered. It’s not a perfect solution given the roads, but I think it’s probably better than shutting him in a small area for 12hrs a day. At least with it being residential, theoretically the speed limit is 30mph and there’s usually traffic so it’s often slower than that

 

[Goldenstar]

Might You try a calming collar on him ? Or a plug in if you are leaving him in a small space .
One of our neutered female cats sprays when she stressed for her she does it if we leave her for a longer while .

 

[sugarpony]

Might You try a calming collar on him ? Or a plug in if you are leaving him in a small space .
One of our neutered female cats sprays when she stressed for her she does it if we leave her for a longer while .

Hes got a feliway plug in, and he’s had zylkene/gabapentin before for anxiety but it didn’t make much difference sadly