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Adult cat with issues

26 replies

Katiecoooooo · 17/06/2020 17:02

We rehomed a cat a month ago who we were told had no issues with using the litter tray. Well he has only used the litter tray to wee in and he has also had a wee on carpet and my bed! It is always a hunt to find where he has pooed and it is always in a different place. We have feliway plug ins and a herbal powder which is supposed to relax if it is stress. We have moved the litter tray, changed the litter and covered it over but the house is beginning to stink. Does anyone have any advice?

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 17/06/2020 17:04

Has he been neutered?

Katiecoooooo · 17/06/2020 17:17

Yes, on the documents it says so.

OP posts:
Areallthenamestaken · 17/06/2020 17:41

I rescued a cat with this issue. He was the same, 'no problems' until he moved in with us. In the end he was a very stressed cat (who'd been dumped and re-homed too many times through no fault of his own) which caused chronic UTIs which can be deadly for male cats. Try taking him to the vet and see if they can give him a calming supplement for his food. We used cysticalm and it helped. They may also give you metacam if there is an infection to help with any pain.

We also got extra trays and then put puppy training pads around the outside so he could go on those. It seems whenever he was unwell he associated the litter tray with pain so looked for somewhere soft to go.

He was also a big boy so preferred the tray uncovered so he had more space.

I got him calming collars off amazon which seemed to help too. They're quite cheap and last 6 weeks and mean the calm follows him around rather than being in a specific room.

You might have to experiment with where the trays are placed and make sure his food and water aren't near the tray either as they don't like that.

We had to keep our doors closed for ages just in case so make sure he has somewhere to hide and then keep him out of the rooms you can't trust him in for now. Our cat loved sleeping under the spare bed.

Please try not to get angry with him - even though it's so hard. Our lovely boy ended up having blocked bladder and was really suffering so we had to have him put to sleep because we couldn't afford the massive vet bills for the operation.

I'm not saying that to scare you and it could very well be behavioural rather than illness but it's definitely best to get him checked over. Hopefully as he gets used to you he will calm down and settle.

Areallthenamestaken · 17/06/2020 17:43

Just to add our cat was quite old when we re-homed him. If yours is younger he'll probably settle quicker.

getoffmysocks · 17/06/2020 19:17

Do you clean the tray whenever it has been used (when this is possible). Some cats don't like using the tray if it is dirty.
If he's doing some wees in the tray then he obviously knows where it is. How has he settled apart from this?

Katiecoooooo · 17/06/2020 21:31

Thanks for replying. Awww so sorry to hear about your boy Areal. Our cat is quite old (12) so I really hope that’s not the case. We have a vets appointment next week so will see what they say. We notice straight away when the litter tray is used because it is such an event - so it is very clean. We were told he was friendly and liked cuddles but this isn’t a side we’ve seen. He tolerates a bit of a stroke but will then scratch and he has gone to bite but luckily we have quick reflexes. The collars sound good, I will have a look at those. So difficult, we love him and just want him to be happy.

OP posts:
Areallthenamestaken · 17/06/2020 21:52

Ours was like that. We were told he was a real lap cat but it took him a while to get used to us. He became really affectionate with my husband after a few weeks but was wary of me because I was the one that took him to the vet!

The last two months of his life (we had him for 8 months) we were both furloughed/wfh and just being in the house but giving him some space made him really relax and he became very affectionate with us. I got a cheap camera from amazon and put it in his favourite room so I didn't have to keep going in to check on him because that stressed him out (Wansview £21 on Amazon)

He also loved tuna and milk so little treats like that also help Smile

Katiecoooooo · 17/06/2020 22:01

Glad he got his treats and settled at the end. Who knows what their lives were like before they came home. Camera is a good idea.

OP posts:
getoffmysocks · 17/06/2020 22:23

Aw bless him. Scary how quickly you fall in love with them. We brought 2 rescues home last week and can't imagine the house without them now. Can you perhaps go back to basics and keep him in one room for 48 hours.

Katiecoooooo · 18/06/2020 00:08

Congratulations on your new additions Getoff. Will see how he is in the morning and have a think about the back to basics!

OP posts:
AwkwardPaws27 · 18/06/2020 00:59

We notice straight away when the litter tray is used because it is such an event - so it is very clean

This could actually be an issue - if the tray is too clean, he may be unsure if it is where he should actually go (although it's also true that they like a level of cleanliness - cats can be very fickle!)

I'd try;

  • adding another tray in a quiet place
  • trying a different type of cat litter in that tray and seeing if there is a preference (some cats find wood litter, for example, uncomfortable to stand one)
  • don't wash the trays too frequently, and avoid using any citrus cleaning products in or near the trays
Katiecoooooo · 18/06/2020 07:59

Too clean/not clean enough it is a minefield. If only I could have a 5 minute conversation with him it would be so much easier Smile going to pets at home again to investigate different litter today.

OP posts:
AwkwardPaws27 · 18/06/2020 14:06

If only I could have a 5 minute conversation with him it would be so much easier

Oh it really would! I'd like to ask my DCat if she is enjoying being an only cat since our boy cat died, or if she'd like a friend. Also to say, could she please not eat bees.

Junenamechange · 19/06/2020 00:16

OP the only cat litter ours will tolerate is Worlds Best Cat Litter. I get ours from Amazon in the lavender scent.
It's brilliant as it's completely flushable - the clumps and poos go straight down the toilet and it only needs a little top up. It only needs changing completely every couple of weeks. They say once a month but I do it more often. (It's expensive but there no dust which we have to be careful of because of allergies)

Katiecoooooo · 19/06/2020 08:16

Aww sorry to hear your cat is now an only Awkward! I would think eating bees could be a bit if a hazard!

Lavender scented cat litter was the sort I avoided thinking it would put him off but obviously I know nothing so will get some and see! Last night he came into our room and pooped next to my bed like a ninja.....didn’t see him and we had only been in bed 2 minutes so still awake!

OP posts:
AwkwardPaws27 · 20/06/2020 22:40

I use Worlds Best Cat Litter too - but the regular type, not the scented one. It's really good, best one I've used.
I still can't decide whether to adopt a friend for her, but we've been home-checked by a couple of rescues and are keeping an eye out in case the right cat comes up.

RedRed9 · 20/06/2020 22:48

I would close off a lot of rooms to him and give him multiple litter trays (one in every room he goes in).

I also recommend worlds best cat litter but would keep one tray with what he origins had before he came to you at first.

Mine has a closed and open litter tray and uses the open one 99.9% of the time over the closed.

Katiecoooooo · 21/06/2020 09:45

Yesterday he did a wee in the litter tray which was a nice surprise. All bedroom doors are now closed all of the time as well. Just been called down to sort out poo next to the litter tray. Good job we have no visitors at the moment!

OP posts:
RedRed9 · 21/06/2020 10:26

If it’s right next to the litter tray then it could be that he was standing in the litter tray at the time.

Keep going with your closed doors etc plan for a while and see what happens.

Mary8076 · 21/06/2020 10:43

Usually not neutered cats do that, be sure he's not marking his territory.

Katiecoooooo · 21/06/2020 11:38

Didn’t even think that maybe he had been in the litter tray with a bad aim! That gives me hope. Thing is he is just so beautiful and so worth it. Definitely neutered Mary.

OP posts:
flack · 21/06/2020 19:51

can you post pic of the litter tray? With something to show how big it is.

MarkRuffaloCrumble · 21/06/2020 20:03

I rehomed two cats a couple of years back. The female would pee everywhere, sofas, beds, bags left on the floor, just not her tray. She would pop outside unless it was raining or windy etc when she wouldn’t go out, and ended up going somewhere inappropriate.

I’ve been giving her cystease tablets on her food after asking for advice on here.

I tried the collar too but the one I bought stank - she hated wearing it and everyone would moan when she came in the room wearing it as it smelled so bad, so I threw that out!

I’ve now taken the door off the under stairs cupboard and put her tray in there as a little cubby hole (CatSan clumping litter is amazing - doesn’t smell at all!) and she’s been great since then.

I can now leave the living room door open at night and let her sleep on my bed in the daytime, when previously both those things would have been guaranteed poop/pee trouble! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve washed the sofa covers Angry and all the beds now have waterproof protectors on them, but (touch Wood) so far not needed!

I did wonder if the sofas smell like bum, due to people sitting on them, and maybe the regular washing has helped that Blush but whatever it is, I think we’ve broken the pattern.

Jackson Galaxy also says you should play with them and pet them in the places where they’re weeing, not shut them out, so they feel like it’s a place for fun and affection, not poop! So I started letting her on the bed for a tickle and hopefully that’s helped.

BovaryX · 21/06/2020 20:11

OP,
It could be the kind of litter you are using. Cats often prefer soft and sandy rather than 'hard' litter. Is the tray easy for him to access? Jackson Galaxy suggests more than one tray, maybe try that? Does he have a scratching post and a basket? Somewhere that is just 'his' maybe high up? Good luck with him, hope he settles

MarkRuffaloCrumble · 21/06/2020 20:28

Yes - it’s always litter boxes, play/hunting and catification! We’ve put up some shelves for them with carpet on top (well, we currently have one, as DD pulled the other one off the wall Grin ) and they both seem to like them. Have also bought them a new car tower with lots of hidey holes and high perches. Do you have anywhere for him to hide away or get up high?

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