Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Help me before I send her back to cat protection

39 replies

LuckyStarOfBethSalem · 09/12/2007 19:20

I'm losing my temper with one of my cats. About a year ago we got 2 cats from cat protection mum (Lucky) and her son (Salem)

For a year now Lucky keeps peeing on stuff - clothes, covers, etc.

We always gave her the benefit of the doubt that perhaps her litter box wasn't up to her standards or something. Well for the last couple of months - her litter box gets the droppings taken out every day and the whole box emptied every other day.

I've just got a cover (leather sofas) out of the dryer (from last time she peed on it) and then went and made myself a butty (1/2 hr at the most) i've come back to see she's peed on it again!

I didn't notice straight away, I sat on it and it wasn't till I got up and saw the wet patch on my trousers I realised she'd done it. The trouble is this time I watched her go in her litter box while I was eating my butty so there is no way on earth that the litter box is full or something.

Please help. I've got a baby due to come out on the 2nd Jan and I can't have the worry that I might put the baby into it's crib/moses basket only to find that she's already peed there or something.

We've tried all the tricks in the book - we've tried telling her off and putting her in her litter box. we've tried ignorning the behaviour. I've cleaned the space where she's peed (although it's not like it's the same place all the time) and then fed her there for a while. I'm out of ideas now!!

OP posts:
dinny · 09/12/2007 20:18

yes, cats always like to wee on soft absorbent things - they are fastidiously clean!

LuckyStarOfBethSalem · 09/12/2007 20:18

Dinny - Never had her poo on anything, just pee. DP caught her once. She quite happilly walked onto the sofa, crouched over the cushions and peed. DP was shouting while she was doing it and she just looked at him. It wasn't till he got up and smacker her bum that she stopped and moved (straight to her litter box to finish )

I'll take her to the vets one last time to ask about this pheromone stuff and i'll pop into cats protection as well and ask them if there was ever any problems while she was there.

OP posts:
dinny · 09/12/2007 20:20

oh, sorry - that did make me laugh, her looking at your dp whilst piddling - cats are so self-possessed!

can you ban her from the living room and bedrooms maybe?

LuckyStarOfBethSalem · 09/12/2007 20:23

She's banned from bedroom (although no door) but can't from living room cos DP works nights and sleeps all day and he goes nuts if they wake him up tear-arsing round the house.

OP posts:
DrNortherner · 09/12/2007 20:25

Is she weeing or spraying?

Weeing is squatting down, spraying is standing up and the tail twitches (females do this too)

LuckyStarOfBethSalem · 09/12/2007 20:27

Weeing - she's definatly sitting down. It's hard to tell whether she's peeing or getting comfy sometimes - hence me kicking her off sofas every now and again for now reason. lol

OP posts:
DrNortherner · 09/12/2007 20:30

you can download an interesting leaflet here

It says to not tell them off. This is counterproductive - they feel more stressed/anxious and will do it gain.

LuckyStarOfBethSalem · 09/12/2007 20:34

So it looks like its better to ignore her, clean it and feed her there for a while instead then - although that is for spraying.

OP posts:
beautifulgirls · 09/12/2007 20:58

The pheromone plug in/spray that is being mentioned is called feliway.

Your vet should be able to refer you to a behaviourist about this is they have ruled out a physical cause and if the pheromone does not help.

You may find it cheaper to buy online??

coldtits · 09/12/2007 21:03

DON'T USE BLEACH it will encourage her to pee there again!!!

LuckyStarOfBethSalem · 10/12/2007 21:06

Well come home today and she's peed on the sofa again!

I'm off to cats protection tomorrow for some advice and if they can't help will get some of that pheromone stuff.

She's on her last chance now as we can't chance the thought she might pee on the baby's stuff or in the crib or something.

OP posts:
Mincepiedermama · 10/12/2007 21:46
Sad
chloemegjess · 22/12/2007 17:40

Have you had any luck with your cat problem? Can I ask what breed she is?

I have the same problem with my persian cat - persians are prone to doing this.

I was given a bottle of the feliway spray, which is similar to the plug in, but you can put it where ever you like, which I found handy. You need to spray the area once a day, for a month or so (although the problem seemed to have stoppped from day one, I think its to make sure its well and truely stopped). You can use it pretty much anywhere. We used to have issues with the cat peeing on the bed, and although they are kept out of the bedroom, when we got our spare bed, about 2 weeks ago, I have just sprayed it a couple of times with the feliway spray and there has been no wee on there so far! The problem was such an issue before, that we had to replace our douvet and mattress! We have also been spraying everyday in a couple of areas downstairs that she wees on. We haven't caught her since.

I would also recommend that you have several litter trays for them. You are meant to have one per cat, plus an extra one. They should be different sorts/sizes. Eg, if you have a covered litter tray, you should also have an uncovered tray. The bigger the better too and they should be scattered around the house, so you know she isn't being "caught short"

I know exactly what you mean when you say that she looks at you while doing it, ours has done it while me a DH have both been there, and she had no worry about us seeing her!!

When we got our cat flap installed, this definatly helped too, alothough she doesn't go out much in this whether, it means she is happier as she can come and go as she pleases. She has also been seen going to the loo outside, which is great as hopefully by the summer, she will go to the toilet more.

I will also use the fliway spray when baby arrives too (I am due tomorrow) as I am worried about her getting jelous and the problem getting worse. I prob wouldn't put it inside the pram etc, as wouldn't really want baby breathing it in, but will give the outside a spray, so the general scent is there. It calms the cats and makes them feel comfortable, and should take away the need for them to urinate on the item. Have kept the door closed to the baby's room, and kept all baby stuff in there for now, untill it is needed. Except stuff like the bath etc which can be cleaned. You could use the spray to spray on your sofa too, to stop her going there.

Let me know how you are getting on and I seriously recommend all the above, it's really worked for us. As I said, I am due tomorrow so I understand the worry of it all.

chloemegjess · 22/12/2007 18:08

Oh and another thing that might be a good idea if you have more than one cat, is to provide plenty of food and water. Obviously I am not saying you don't feed them enough, but I mean having dry food out constantly, instead of being fed 2-3times a day for example. Also, having lots of bowls, in different places can help too. This means that the cats are not competative and will feel more comfortable and if they want to, they can eat on their own.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page