Bloody cat

[FancyPants20]

We got aone-year-old rescue cat in January. She was picked up off the streets by a reputable rescue and was recommended to us as being a total sweetie.

About a month after we got her, she took a pee on the carpet in my daughters bedroom. Her litter tray was clean, and there was no obvious other reason for her to do so. We cleaned the carpet as thoroughly as possible and put it down to settling-in woes.

In early March, I went away for a week with work, and the day after I came home, she did a poo in my poor girl's room. Again, her litter tray was clean. She did another in the same place two days later. We put it down to her possibly being stressed at me being away.

We cleaned it up and put tin foil down in the place she did it. The smell hung around for a while despite our best attempts at getting rid of it, but finally went properly last week.

She's just pissed on the carpet a-fucking-gain. I am (internally) furious with her. WTF is her problem? Why does she keep doing this? And what can I do to make her stop? I'm so fed up and really dislike her just now. N.B. I have not shouted at her - I really want to tbh - but I know that wouldn't help matters at all.
If it was anywhere else in the house, I possibly wouldn't mind so much, but a.) it's the only carpeted room in the house and b.) it's my baby's room.

Again, her litter tray is clean and she now goes outside quite a bit as well. (We kept her in for the first month.) She gets on fine with DD, snuggles up to her and everything, and there's no reason that I can see for her being stressed atm. We've been on lockdown here for nearly 4 weeks now, so it's not like that's a sudden change.

What can we do? I'm really fed up and (irrationally, I know) upset.

[Veterinari]

Cats urinate and midden as a stress response. As she's a relatively recent rescue it's likely she's showing signs of separation anxiety.

Think about it from her perspective - she lost her family went to a shelter, got a lovely new family and now when they behave outside of the usual routine she panics that she's being abandoned again. I know it's unpleasant for you but her behaviour actually comes from a place of affection and anxiety

This is a professional article but has some good info in it
journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1098612X14539092

[FancyPants20]

She was picked up on the streets as a stray, so doesn't lose a family afaik.
We haven't behaved outside of our usual routine for weeks now. We've been on lockdown since the 15th of March and we've all been around all day everyday since then. She hasn't had any other 'accidents' since the 17th either, and I was hopeful that that as an end to them.

I will read the article, though, thanks for the link.

[Veterinari]

Then it may possibly be another trigger (or more than one different trigger) but regardless middening and urinating are classic stress behaviours so have a read of stress reduction techniques, feliway etc

[Mrskcam]

Omg my cat does this in my daughters room too! She's peed on her bed a couple times and she pooed under her cot once before a year ago! I thought it might be down to a territory thing? We had our cat from a teeny kitten so I think it's just deep rooted behaviour?

[Sallyjo27]

Does she usually use the litter tray?
This is going to sound a bit strange lol put her in the litter tray and move one of her paws in the litter as if she were scratching it. We did it with our cat and she has never dirtied in the house since

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Is there any chance another cat has got into her house? She might have to re-assert her authority.

DD told me our male cat had peed on my bed (little swine) but though it was yellow , in a patch, on my side it didn't smell like pee.
Gave him the benefit of the doubt (DH had left an anri perspirant on the bed which might have leaked ?)

[JKScot4]

Close the bedroom door, crazy idea I know🙄

[FancyPants20]

@Veterinari Thanks again for your replies and for posting that article, it really sorted my head out about this issue. I suspect now that she probably saw our other cat (an outdoor-only cat, which was the cat's choice*, not ours) out the window and she was probably marking her territory. It was only a little pee, comparatively, and nearly right under the window, so that makes sense to me.
Poor little mite. All my anger has just melted away.

*complicated back story

@Sallyjo27 She does nomally use the litter tray no probs, so that was why I was confused about her doing it outside.

[FancyPants20]

@JKScot4 OMG, if only we'd thought of that! Thank goodness you're here with your overdeveloped sense of superiority to educate us!

My daughter is 4 and her bedroom is adjacent to our main living area. If your 4-year-old would carefully shut the door behind her each of the fifty times she runs in and out if her bedroom during the day, then congratulations, you win at parenting!

[Veterinari]

@FancyPants20

Glad it was helpful - I know it's intensely frustrating for you but it really does come from a place of anxiety. The other cat could absolutely be the trigger. Could you perhaps apply a strip of the fake stick on frosting to the bottom of the window so she can't see out?

[FancyPants20]

That's an idea, i might try that. She can see out from other windows, but that doesn't seem to perturbe her as much. I'll cover the bottom half of that window and see if it helps.

[Vinorosso74]

Poor girl it does sound stress related. Have you tried Pet Remedy or Feliway at all? They can reduce stress.
Assuming you are able to get other types of litter at present. Maybe try two trays with different litters in eg. One Catsan type and another wood pellet in case it's a litter preference thing. (This may be unlikely from what you say but an option).
When you clean the carpet use biological laundry liquid as the enzymes will break down the urine smell so less chance of her peeing in that exact spot again.
You could speak to the rescue for some advice too. It is a tricky time as they are running on low human numbers right now.
Disclaimer: I've not read the article Veterani posted.