Help - cat peeing outside litter boxes

[Changeusernameseeusernamehistory]

I have 2 male neutered cats, they are 3.5 years old. We live in a flat. We’ve had both of them since they were kittens. They are unrelated but get on well, groom each other, rough and tumble, sleep together (near each other), etc. one is a ragdoll who is pretty chilled, the other looks like a ragdoll/BSH mix but we’re not sure. This only matters because the ragdoll has the typical behaviour, the BSH mix is more active and demanding of play and attention, but also very loving and cuddly.
They have 2 litter trays, side by side in the bathroom. They are covered.

we also have an 18m old toddler. We made some mistakes once our son started walking as were concerned about him going through the litter tray and cat food (which had previously always been available to the cats). So we closed the door to the bathroom and they would have to ask to be let in. They also had to start asking for food and we would then put it on a high shelf/the cat tree for them. If our son wasn’t around, food and toilet were made available as before (door open/bowls always out).
We weren’t always able to open door/give food immediately on request (as a good member of cat staff would!) so sometimes they had to wait.

this went on for a couple of months, then the BSH mix started peeing on the bathroom floor almost exclusively. He poos in the tray, but only pees in there if we put him inside.

we never had this problem before.

this has been going on for a few weeks now and we have a vet appointment for later this week to rule out health problems but I’m pretty sure it’s behavioural. He pees right in front of the litter tray, or on the bath mat in our ensuite, and nowhere else. we started taking the bathmat off the floor after use, so he just stopped peeing there.

we’ve listened to this feedback and have put the food somewhere else, where it’s always accessible and with a fence around so the toddler leaves them alone.
The bathroom is more complicated as it doesn’t matter what we do, the cat now only pees on the floor which then requires cleaning.

any advice, please???? We never scolded him for it, btw, we understand he’s finding the changes to his life quite hard. But it’s a tremendous PITA to keep wiping pee off the floor, plus it stinks!

Try moving one of the litter boxes. They won’t like them side by side.

Poor cats. Genuinely have you considered rehoming?

Ragdolls are ruthless protest pissers/shitters ime, my sister's ragdoll shat on the floor next to the litter tray every day of his life and no amount of moving stuff about or attention seemed to make a difference, seemed pretty happy otherwise.

No advice sorry, my sister never cracked it

Don’t be ridiculous!

Try one of those Feliway plug in things. I was sceptical but it’s really helped with a similar issue I had with one of mine. Also one of my cats doesn’t like a litterbox with a lid and is fussy about type of cat litter.

Why is it ridiculous? They're clearly unhappy with the set up and they're acting out. Animals often make a dirty protest to show their displeasure.

You've created an incredibly stressful environment for your cats, and now they are displaying issues. Not really surprising.

Stop making them beg to go to the toilet or for food.

Get another litter box, and make sure all 3 are in separate, quiet locations around the flat.

Make sure there is always a way for the cats to get away from each other and your toddler.

And do get them checked for UTI's, to be on the safe side.

Not really. Making the cats beg to use a litter box is incredibly cruel.

Put a gate across door which cats can enter but child can't.

I don’t agree with expecting the cat to ask to use the litter tray no but I also think it’s cruel to get rid of two cats whose home is with OP! I’m sure they’d be much more unhappy being taken somewhere new. And presumably OP loves her cats too. Rehoming them should be a very last resort and only in the cats best interest.

Maybe a child gate on bathroom doorframe so cats can still get in and out freely? And try the feliway and pet remedy.

Yes I’ve considered rehoming the cats and giving the toddler up for adoption, for an easy life.

any takers?

🙄

it was a very stressful time for a number of reasons, we realised we made a mistake and passed the stress on to our pets. We have addressed it and continue to address it, in more ways than I have mentioned. Am here now asking for advice.

Thank you!
we didn’t do it out of not caring for them, it just ended up happening in the midst of lots of stuff and it was obviously a mistake. I’m trying to make it up to him

Op puppy training pads under and around the immediate area should catch any excess spillages

Do have them checked for UTIs though just in case

Get an internal cat flap to put on the bathroom door. We've just installed one of these

https://amzn.eu/d/7GN5AhQ

Cute af.

Your cat is protesting

Will get a feliway asap and investigate a child gate, thanks for the suggestions!

they have places where they can escape the toddler and each other, they have 2 high trees and access to other high surfaces (eg bookshelves). We also educate our son and protect the cats from him if he’s getting boisterous. For some reason they always choose to be in the thick of it.

our son started playing with the BSH mix using a wand, and the cat really enjoys it!! So, the situation is improving

I was going to suggest this solution myself.

Feliway spray also helped with a similar problem with ours.

Whatever you decide, the cats should not have to ask to use the litter tray, or be obstructed from it in any way. That's just asking for trouble because they will associate it with stress and look for somewhere else to pee.

I agree that obstructing access to their litter boxes is likely to be a big issue for them.

Not only is it very stressful for cats - much more so than for example dogs, who can wait until they're taken out or ask to go outside; it is not in cats' nature to behave this way - but it might also mean that this cat is so bursting by the time he gets to his litter box that he misses the tray because he is so desperate.

I agree with the others who've suggested ways of obstructing access to the room for your child, rather than the cats. Most cats can slip between the bars of a baby gate, or leap over it, so that seems like a great temporary solution.

You might also want to separate their trays, generally for two cats it's recommended to have different areas for their trays especially as they get older.

Definitely puppy pads for the surrounding area as a PP suggested.

Amazon sells a spray called Bio Productions Sta-Kill that gets rid of cat pee smell.

One of mine is prone to UTIs - I give him a daily 0.25ml drop of Urinary Gold and we haven't had pee on the floor since. I know this doesn't help if it's behavioural though! Feliway plugin might help. I hope things get better soon: it's no fun to live with at all.

My cat started doing this and I blamed emotional issues.

long story short - she was very unwell. Ever after if I’ve had toileting-outside-litter-tray issues I’ve gone to the vet and there has been something physical underlying

My cat toilets outside the tray unless it contains a certain type of litter 😫. There's definitely no medical issue. There's also the 1 tray per cat plus 1 extra recommendation.

Maybe they don't like the lid cover? I have 2 older cats of different ages and both have stopped choosing to go outside, lazy things. I have 1 litter tray only and they've both used the same one for years, no accidents. I know they'd hate one with a lid though.

First thing to do is get an additional tray. You need at least three trays if you have two cats. Ensure you get the biggest tray possible. Put each tray in a different location not side-by-side.

Also ensure the trays are kept spotlessly clean. The poop needs scooping asap, as do the pee balls if you're using clumping litter. I'd recommend a full litter change at least a couple of times a week. Don't clean the trays with anything fragranced though.

You could experiment with different depths of litter (some prefer very shallow litter, some quite deep) or even different litter types - though most cats are happier sticking to what they know.

And if the trays have a 'flap' in the hood, get rid of it. Most cats hate them.

I also recommend cleaning the areas that have been pissed on with enzymatic cleaner (I use one called "Urine Off"). This helps get rid of the piss smell that attracts cats back to their previous spots. And the bathmat needs to be hung up when not in use. My cats are obsessed with pissing on the bathmat (nowhere else) because cats are weird.

You could also put something that cats hate the smell of (e.g. citrus or lavender) in favourite piss areas, so long as they are nowhere near their trays.

You need to make sure your cats can always access the litter trays; they shouldn't have to ask. Perhaps put a child gate in the doorways to the rooms where the trays are to allow the cats access but not your child if you're worried about that.

Your cats also need a place they can get to at any time that's away from your child. While cats and babies generally get on well, sudden movements and loud noises can be too much sometimes and the cats need a place they can escape to.

And keep the cats food and water well away from the litter trays.

There's no point 'punishing' a cat for pissing or shitting in the wrong place; they don't understand. Instead make toileting in the right place appealing and toileting in the favourite 'wrong' places unappealing.

A Feliway diffuser and spray are a good shout too - they can help to make cats feel more chilled

You're definitely doing the right thing getting your cats checked for UTIs - that's especially important in male cats as they can risk getting 'blocked'.

To me, it sounds like your cats are quite stressed by the changes over the past 18 months or so. Make sure you give them plenty of your time and give them space to get away from a busy toddler. Once you sort out some of the things above you should hopefully get them back to 'normal' (not that cats are normal).