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The litter tray

Cat pees everywhere

51 replies

ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 17:19

Hi there!

I adopted my DCat two and a half years ago and I'm finally at my wits end with her peeing.

A bit of background- I am DCat's 8th owner and she is now 8 years old. I got her unspayed and in awful condition and she was spayed within the first week of me having her. That week I also unexpectedly became pregnant with DS, who is now 18 months old.

She has always, throughout the two and a half years, had problems peeing (and occasionally pooing) everywhere. In my previous flat it was by every door and window, and in the house I have now she pees anywhere she can. Mostly at the bottom of the stairs and next to my bed, though also in DS's cot, any sink, the bath, DS's toys, sofa cushions, blankets, shoes, clean washing.

I have tried everything. I used Feliway for a year with no difference. Ive tried pepper, chilli, dry cat food where she pees, she just pees somewhere else. I've put the litter tray in dark, private places and open places. She has unscented litter, cleaned once a week and scooped the rest of the time. She wouldn't poo on clumping litter so she has non-clumping CatSan. She goes outside most of the day (unfortunately I cannot have a cat flap) and seems happy but fights often with other cats. If I keep her in at night she poos downstairs (her tray is upstairs and she goes in it during the day, and always has access to it) so I've started have to put her out at night which she hates.

She's also the fussiest cat I've ever known with food. She won't eat anything in jelly or gravy, will only eat pate's but hates Sheba and any "mixed" flavours like chicken and salmon, it has to be one or the other. As a result she's very expensive to feed.

But my main issue is that as DS is getting older it's so much harder cleaning up wee all the time. My house stinks of it as she pees no matter how much I clean it up, it's seeped into my wooden stairs and I don't think I'll ever be able to get rid of the smell. And worst of all, DS almost touched a pee puddle this moshed left at the bottom of the stairs as he's now walking everywhere. I'm just at a loss of what I can do.

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 17:20

Hit post to soon!

What can I do? I don't want to rehome her yet again but I'm a single parent to DS and I can't deal with looking after him whilst constantly having a house that stinks of cat pee.

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 17:22

Moshed was meant to be she'd!

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Itsjustabitofbanter · 19/06/2020 17:25

If she’s pooing downstairs at night can you put a tray downstairs? Regarding the food, she’s being picky because you’re allowing her. Just buy what you can afford. She’ll get hungry enough to eat it

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CuteOrangeElephant · 19/06/2020 17:31

We had a similar cat to yours and we ended up rehoming her. It was the very last option but it was really unsafe with a toddler.

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HappyHammy · 19/06/2020 17:33

Oh dear. I would try another tray downstairs maybe a covered one for privacy. I would keep all the doors closed at night except for where the tray is. I wouldnt put her out at night and she is nor happy if shes fighting other cats. She might feel threatened and is anxiously marking her territory. Has she been tested for a uti or kidney problems

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Zogtastic · 19/06/2020 17:33

In my experience, a cat doesn’t pee everywhere without there being an issue. Either physical or emotional. Have you ruled out physical causes like cystitis with vets? Is she allowed outside? Some cats prefer outside. Some cats like to poo somewhere differently to where they wee, some cats like to have really fresh litter and we have had to put a little in at a time and clean it out every day when they were little before they went outside when they had the choice.
There are a couple of fab cat wee deoderisers (sp!) we’ve found on amazon (we have one that occasionally wees when anxious on bonfire night etc).

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Zogtastic · 19/06/2020 17:34

Have you tried having 3 or 4 trays around the place so she can always find a clean one even if you’re out for a while or overnight?

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 17:36

Unfortunately if I put a tray downstairs DS could then get to it (only two rooms downstairs and the kitchen won't fit her tray in).

She's allowed freely in and out when I'm home during the day. I never stop her choosing except for at night.

She's been taken to the vets 10 times in the last two and a half years, there's nothing physically wrong with her at all.

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 17:38

@Itsjustabitofbanter Trust me, she won't eat it. For a month straight I gave her whiskers, she ate none of it and lost 2kg. I had to go back to her original food at the advice of the vets.

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 17:39

@Zogtastic what was the deodoriser? I'm desperate to get rid of the smell.

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 17:40

And realistically I only have the space for two trays in the house. I tried two and she ignored one consistently for six months so I put it away. She just didn't care.

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Pudding51 · 19/06/2020 17:42

I had a rescue cat with the same problem, she had had lots of owners who couldn't cope and had been kept in a room for months before I got her. I tried everything, spent loads at the vets, replacing bedding carpets etc .
In the end my vet said she had psychological problems that couldn't be resolved and was put to sleep.

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 17:51

@Pudding51 My girl was also kept in one room for a year before I got her and I think she's got psychological problems too. But she's healthy and I love her and I don't want her to be PTS. But I know there's probably no resolution here and new owners would give up a lot faster than I have.

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Pudding51 · 19/06/2020 17:56

The vet advised that passing the cat from owner to owner or keeping her in a room would cause her more distress and the problem would worsen, I have always had rescue cats that came with lots of problems, she was my only failure and although I felt guilty about putting her to sleep, it was a kindness.

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Zogtastic · 19/06/2020 18:05

Try Nature’s Miracle Advanced formula - pricey but worked. We’ve used “out!” as well.
(I must admit we’ve replaced all our carpet with wooden flooring so I can relax about the cat mess - more rodent parts than wee but still makes a yucky mess in carpet!)

She sounds very lucky to have found you. If it’s just a couple of places she goes, can you stack stuff up on them once you’ve deoderised the area so she literally can’t go there. The trouble is once they start going somewhere a few times, it’s because “their place” to go. We do find felloway plug ins help ours - maybe try a couple round the place. I was very sceptical of them and didn’t notice them having a benefit but did notice a change in behaviour when they ran out!
Our kids even when very little responded well to being told to keep away from litter trays...but I appreciate that approach depends on the child/household.

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GingerFigs · 19/06/2020 18:13

It sounds like you have tried to find a solution, and you love her. Peeing and pooing everywhere is a nightmare to deal with and can be hard to resolve especially with cats that are stressed (made worse by previous treatment).

What I would say is this....if you feel you have explored every avenue and either your cat is suffering (stress or psychological issues) or you feel you can't keep her...then considering PTS is not the worst thing. I'll probably get flamed but I've lots of animal experience and sometimes it is the best thing for them, rather than living in a state of heightened stress or being rehomed again. Animals do not have the ability to look ahead to the future or know that they 'won't have a tomorrow'. They live in the moment. If done quietly and sympathetically (some vets will come to your house although probably not during current lockdown) which means they are calm and in their own surroundings.

Do what is best for your cat, putting your own feelings aside. I don't mean to upset you so apologies if I have. Sending you hugs.

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 19:32

@GingerFigs I really think I'll have to. I honestly love having her around despite her issues. I love that when I first got her she wouldn't go near anyone, hid constantly, hissed and yowled at anything moving near her to now where she comes up to me all the time, snoozes on my bed, is friendly with DS. She's never been a lap cat but I don't mind.

But she is clearly upset, and scared a lot. I try so much to keep her home calm and stable. I barely shout, we have routine, she knows what happens when. But I've just put DS to bed and there's a patch of pee in my bedroom and one in hallway too and I just can't be cleaning up her wee 8 times a day anymore.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 19/06/2020 19:48

Have you tried ultra clumping litter? If she has sensitive paws normal litters will be off putting for her. They won’t go on a litter that’s uncomfortable if they can avoid it. The litter needs to be deep enough too, a nice deep layer is more comfy than a thin one.

You need two trays for one cat. That’s non negotiable. One trays not enough for them. If she only poos in it she might want a wee tray as well. I would wipe out with a damp e cloth daily as well. The trays need to be big as well, the cat behaviourist on the bbc used a 50l storage box as a tray.

Honestly I would get a urine sample off her next time she does it and get a second opinion off another vet.

If she’s a nervous cat why haven’t they suggested It would calm her a little. The fighting shows a very territorial cat unsettled by other cats.

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ComfyCosyGood · 19/06/2020 19:53

@Fluffycloudland77

I have already said she won't go on clumping litter. I've tried many different ones over the past two years and she won't. She has a 50 L hooded tray, and I put 5L of CatSan in at a time, it's definitely deep.

She did have 2 trays and completely ignored one (always the same one) for 6 months. It was a complete waste and was always untouched.

She has been checked 8 times for any urinary issues, she has none.

I don't know what you mean by it but anything that can calm her, I've tried.

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Confused866 · 19/06/2020 20:06

We have similar problems with one of our cats on and off, she’s quite an anxious cat too. This is one product I’ve tried that really did help...

www.petplanet.co.uk/p18727/feliway_cystease_tabs_30.aspx?ptm_source=google&ptm_medium=shopping&ptm_campaign=under10_63633&campaign=324014531&adgroup=24641921891&keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6Myn2ceO6gIVyu7tCh1a_g6FEAQYCyABEgIzP_D_BwE

You just sprinkle a capsule on to their food once a day - my cat stopped weeing on the floor within 3 days. It’s worth a try, you can buy them lots of places including amazon.

You definitely need to use a special cleaner to get rid of the smell too as the cat will keep returning to wee in the spot again if they can smell it. It’s worth the effort to properly get rid of it, for your sake and hers. I know how you feel though, it drives me mad. I would stop putting her out at night if she doesn’t like it and fights with other cats, this will only increase anxiety. Just put her tray downstairs at night and move it in the morning? Or buy a covered tray for downstairs and teach your child not to touch it? He will understand. I had to have trays in a place where my toddlers could reach for a while and they understood to leave them alone. It’s not ideal but preferable to poo and wee on the floor!

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Confused866 · 19/06/2020 20:09

Just to add as well even if you think she hasn’t got cystitis or any UTI’s it’s still worth trying those capsules. My cats urine sample came back clear from the vets but these capsules still stopped her weeing on the floor! They help with stress and related bladder issues.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 19/06/2020 20:51

Good point @Confused, I forgot Mine took two a day. Pets at home sell it. Lighter cats only need one but you can give two for the first week.

As an emergency you could try compost. As an absolute last resort, their wired to seek out soft substrates, we used this sanicat after crystal litter put my cat off the tray fetch.co.uk/sanicat-gold-ultra-clumping-cat-litter-5l-75921011?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl9uT7s-O6gIVAuDtCh2ITAkNEAQYASABEgKEiPD_BwE. I’ve also used kiln dried sand too.

Amitryptilines a very old type of antidepressant, you can use small doses to calm stressed cats if the Cystease doesn’t work.

If a cat does this it’s either physical ie infection or behavioural. I’ve seen my departed boy have a huge fight & come in to wee in our bath (he was trained to wee in the bath when he was sore so I could get a sample) straight away & he's not exhibited any signs of infection before.

We used simple solution to clean up wees, after cleaning I used a pump spray bottle to spray it on neat. It’s really effective. I have a poor sense of smell but Dh has much better sense of smell and I would have heard all about it if he could smell something so it must have worked.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 19/06/2020 20:52
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TibetanTerrier · 24/06/2020 02:06

If this little cat has had 8 homes in 8 years it's no wonder she's confused and frightened, and she's very lucky that you're trying so hard to help her. Have you consulted a cat behaviourist? An expert in feline psychology would be worth a try, because the answer to this kind of problem can be different with every cat. As a last resort, rather than considering PTS, you could rehome her to a farm. As a farm cat it wouldn't matter where she peed, and farm cats can have a good life with barns with haybales to snuggle up in, plenty to hunt, enough space for every cat to have its own territory etc. That's certainly what I'd do rather than PTS.

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caringcarer · 24/06/2020 09:06

I would buy a litter tray with hood. That way your toddler will not play with it. Use zoflora to kill enzymes in cat wee which are very strong. If a cat gets s whip.of their previous pees they will use same spot again. Why can't you get a cat flap put in so cat can go in and out when necessary? Try the medication mentioned above. Give cat option of second litter tray. Change litter tray twice a week and rince out in-between uses. Don't put cat to sleep. It is not her fault she has been mistreated in the past.

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