Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Cat Peeing Everywhere

55 replies

AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 16:04

We are at our wits end. Our 4 year old male cat has always had an issue with urinating on carpeting. We have been in our house for 4 years and have replaced all the carpeting twice!

We have sold our house and are moving in 3 weeks. He is peeing on the landing carpet - the brand new landing carpet. So we are now going to have to replace that piece before we move.

We have tried everything we can think of - numerous litter boxes, scooped 2 or 3 times a day, feliway plug in, cleared by the vet.

I don't know what else we can do but we cannot afford to be replacing carpets every year or two. Has anyone else had this issue and, if so, what did you do to fix the problem? Thanks.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 03/08/2015 16:16

Just to check - is he neutered? And does he live indoors?

Micah · 03/08/2015 16:17

How many cats do you have?

Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 16:26

He is neutered. He was a rescue cat so that was done by the SPCA. We have two cats. Our other cat is a spayed 9 year old female. Both cats are indoor cats.

OP posts:
chockbic · 03/08/2015 16:27

Have you tried various types of litter?

I would keep him confined, maybe in a big cage. Put a tray in with him to try and retrain him to use it.

The only other thing we did with one of our cats, was to put plastic sheeting with knobbly bits on. She wouldn't stand on it, so didn't pee. That was in one spot though.

MagpieCursedTea · 03/08/2015 16:28

We're getting laminate flooring. It seems our cat objects to the carpets in our house (moved 10 months ago). She used to pee in the hall and it got so bad we needed to replace the carpet, we got laminate and she stopped peeing there and moved her peeing to the living room. That's being replaced next week. Not sure if it will solve the problem. We've also tried different litters, feliway and putting a big box of grass outside (she has access to the outdoors, we have a yard rather than a garden but she's not that outdoorsy anyway).

cozietoesie · 03/08/2015 16:29

I'd have to be guessing that he doesn't like your other cat much. How do the pair of them seem to get on? And how long have they been living together?

Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 16:33

He does use the litter tray but uses the carpet as well. He is a nervous cat so I am not comfortable caging him - he would have a nervous breakdown I think.

We will try the plastic and see if that has any effect.

DH wants to re-home him but it makes us both very nervous. He is a skittish, naughty cat but we love him and treat him kindly. There are no guarantees that his next owner would be so nice to him.

OP posts:
Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 16:34

We have hard wood and tile throughout our house. The only carpeted areas are the stairs and hallway.

OP posts:
Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 16:35

The two cats adore each other. They each have their own beds but they cuddle up together in one bed. Constantly cleaning each other too.

OP posts:
Micah · 03/08/2015 16:41

Cuddling up and grooming doesn't necessarily mean they don't fight over territory.

Does he have his own part of the house?

I'm afraid the only solution for us was to split ours up. Both were far happier alone and he hasn't sprayed since getting his own place.

Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 16:42

How do I separate them? We have tried gates before but they both just jump over them.

OP posts:
Janeymoo50 · 03/08/2015 16:49

He may have ongoing feline cystitis, you can get stuff online which helps (Cystease or similar), plus sounds like it's possibly a stress thing, most cats who get cystitis are stressy cats (including my own) and I tried something called Zylkene - again get on line from one of the vet medicine places as no prescriptions are needed.

Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 16:53

Janey he has been tested repeatedly by the vet and there is no medical explanation.

OP posts:
Jux · 03/08/2015 17:00

He sounds stressed. Ask your vet about (very) mild sedation - cat equivalent to Valium.o

cozietoesie · 03/08/2015 17:02

Once you have a territory/dislike thing going on I'm not sure that there is a reasonable way to separate them and keep them both inside the house - unless you had some ruddy great place with wings etc. Sad They know that The Other is there somewhere. (I've been there.)

Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 17:27

DH and I were taking and we are wondering whether it would help if the male cat was introduced the new home first. Would being the first in be enough to let him assert his dominance?

We love him but we don't know what else we can do. And re-homing isn't really an option so that only leaves the unthinkable option. Sad

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 03/08/2015 18:21

I can't guess that one, I'm afraid because I can think of reasons why it could go either way - and I would be loathe to even think of putting a cat to sleep on the basis of what was, after all, only someone else's guess about their behaviour and not a certainty.

Why is there only talk of rehoming him, by the way?

cozietoesie · 03/08/2015 18:22

PS - are they to be allowed outside in the new home? That can often improve a situation dramatically.

Tiptops · 03/08/2015 18:30

I disagree about this being something to do with your other cat. If they're so closely bonded they snuggle up together then they aren't stressed by each other's presence.

Does he do it on hard flooring? One of my old cats got into the habit of weeing on a carpet but once it was replaced with laminate it didn't happen again.

Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 19:10

Our female cat is not the issue and, at the risk of being horrible, we are far more attached to her than to our male cat. Our female cat is one of two cats we had in the UK. To the shock of family and friends, we spent a small fortune bringing them with us when we moved to Canada. We lost the other UK kittie over 4 years ago and we cannot imagine parting with our remaining English girl.

No, they absolutely will not be allowed outside at the new place. They have always been and will always be indoor cats.

OP posts:
Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 19:10

And no, he doesn't do it on hard flooring - hence why our current home is 99% hardwood.

OP posts:
MagpieCursedTea · 03/08/2015 19:18

I really would see how it goes at the new place before even considering having the poor boy PTS.
I know how horrible it is when cats pee everywhere. I get embarrassed inviting people to our house because of the smell. I don't want to be judgemental or tell you what to do, but I would never personally consider that option for my cat and I would certainly exhaust every other option again and again.

cozietoesie · 03/08/2015 19:21

I suspect that, if practicable, you may have to allow him to try outside despite your misgivings. Has he never shown the slightest inclination?

Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 19:30

Magpie please don't think having him PTS is something we want to do. It is the absolute last resort. We love him desperately and will not be making any decisions until we have been in our new home for quite awhile.

OP posts:
Original poster
AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 03/08/2015 19:31

Cozie neither cat has ever shown an interest in being outside. Allowing cats outside is not the norm in Canada from my experiences. TBH, I was shocked when I moved to the UK and saw so many cats outside - I assumed they were all strays!

OP posts: