Bengal peeing issues, please help

[AC14MUZ]

Hi All

I am in desperate need of some advice, or a miracle. My situation is this.

I have three beautiful cats, a 3 year old male main coon, a 1 year old female tabby and a 1 year old female Bengal. All have been spayed/neutered.

We have had problems with our Bengal - Coco since we got her at 8 weeks, she pees, on the beds and one of our sofas. It doesn't happen with any pattern, it is completely random. We have tried the following:

More litter trays, different types of litter, trays with covers, larger trays, open trays, trays in different spots. The trays get changed and cleaned out several times a week and poop is scooped as soon as I can. I am a stay at home mum so it doesn't linger in the box for long.

I have tried feeding her in the spot where she pees, she got so used to this when I open her food she would run to the bed and jump up in anticipation of the feed, when I eventually moved the food to a different spot after around 8 week, she peed there again.

I've tried locking her out of the bedrooms for weeks on end, but when we open the rooms back up, within a few days she will have peed on the beds again.

I currently have the beds covered with tarpaulin. The sofa is more tricky to manage I cover it when not in use but yesterday I got up to pick up my baby, and she jumped on the sofa and peed. She also peed there again later in the day when I put my sons play mat on the sofa.

She seems to generally get on with out other two cats although our Main Coon can go for her every now and again when she is fussing around him and he is a bit fed up. He also does this with the tabby.

They are all indoor cats as we live in a two bed first floor flat and there is no reasonable way of letting them outside, they would have no way of getting back in.

We are due to be moving to a house with a garden in two months.

Can anyone help? Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

She has been to two different vets to get checked out but they have both said its not a UTI its a behavioural issue.

My DH is getting fed up of our flat looking like a camp site and I don't blame him.

I've read bengals don't like the company of other cats, need a lot of stimulation, can be prone to this type of behaviour. Is our home not the right place for her? What can I do to make her stop??

Sometimes cats mark their territory with their urine. She might be feeling stressed about having 2 other cats in close proximity, and by spreading the smell of her pee to her favourite 'safe' locations is making her feel less anxious.
Check out an anxiety medication for cats called zylkene. You can get it on Amazon and most vets sell it too. My cat also has behavioural issues like this and it has really helped to calm him down. Also try feliway diffusers or sprays around the flat as these mimic cat pheromones which makes them feel relaxed. They can be quite pricey but do make a difference.
My parents had a Bengal and he needed to be played with a lot more than a standard moggy. He was quite needy and wanted lots of attention or he would get stressed. He also absolutely loved going outside to the garden for hours at a time so maybe your flat isn't the right environment.
Don't give up yet and keep trying different things to calm her down, and if it's still bad in a few months time then perhaps consider rehoming her so she can live with a family by herself. X

Since you are moving to a house with garden in 2 months it seems like it would be worth hanging on to see if things improve with more space and some outside territory.

Thanks Belle, we have tried the diffusers already, all our reading suggests she may prefer to be the only cat in the house, I think if she would be happier it would make giving her up easier, at the moment I'm thinking she will be upset with me for rehoming her and she will think we don't love her.

I'm nervous about letting her out after a year of being a house cat, she is so beautiful I'm worried she might get stolen.

@AC14MUZ you could cat proof the garden

I'm half way through getting mine done.

What does that involve? Are you using a company to get it done or doing it yourself?

I looked into companies that come and do it for you but most of my garden has walls topped with fence topped with an overhanging wire section at the top so in most places I am repairing not building.

I do have a single story extension which needs to be secured because from that a cat could get next door and for that area I am going to buy a professional solution.

I had a thread here (think I called it cat proof fence or cat proof garden) and I was recorded a few companies, and kind MNers =posted photos to show how their gardens looked.

including:
protectapet.com/cat-fence/
www.katzecure.com/
www.purrfectfence.co.uk/products.asp

I feel like I like the look of the Katzecure best but protectapet looks like it might be easier to install around the extension.

Mine gets stress cystitis. You need to get a urine sample down to the vets.

They can have it with no other signs of illness.

Bengals don't usually care for company. Hopefully a garden will help her.

Would stress cystitis cause her to pee randomly every 3-4 weeks? I will try to get a sample asap for the vet, hopefully that will clear things up. If they don't care for company are we upsetting her by having her live with two other cats? The garden is small but I'm hoping just being outside will give her more entertainment and make her happier.

It's not as constant as you'd think, ours had it on and off for a year.

You need an oral syringe to suck the wee up if she wees on a hard surface, then into a urine sample pot. You can buy both from the chemists. A urine dip test is £8 at my vets.

Ok thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to get that done this week. I really hope it is something that is treatable. Did you find that after treatment your cats were fine and didn't have any accidents on the furniture?

I'd be devastated to get rid of her if it turns out she just isn't getting on with the other cats or just generally isn't happy with us :( but ultimately we want to do what is best for her and what will make her happy in the long run.

He's on two cystease capsules a day but if he's stressed he still gets them but he's been trained to wee in the bath. It's easily washable and if I need a sample you can easily collect it. Sometimes he wees in there because it's cold outside and he's a litter tray refusnik (he still has one but it's rarely troubled)

Ours is stressed because cats live next door. If he gets another one they've said they'll put him on antidepressants.

My Bengal came from a home where there were other cats, and she was rehomed because she would wee all over the house due to the stress of being with other cats.
I also don't believe that Bengals are suited to being indoor cats. They need more space and stimulation than they can get from being indoors all the time.
Perhaps you need to seriously look at rehoming if it's not working out.

Twilightcafe, I hate to admit this to myself but I think you are right. From all the reading I've now been doing about Bengals I do feel that our other cats and home set up is just not ideal for her. I am so upset with myself for not researching properly. When we went to buy her the breeder said she would be fine as an indoor cats and with other cats. The house was so awful and dirty I just wanted to take her away from there immediately. We also suspected they bread their cats constantly as he mentioned a lot of previous litters. We were very foolish and I regret it.

Do you have any advice on rehoming her? I want to make sure she goes to the best home possible. Preferably to someone who understands bengals and has had previous experience.

I hope that didn't sound too harsh. I didn't mean it to be. Owning a Bengal has been a steep learning curve and I will admit that there were a couple of times when she almost went back to the shelter.

Any shelter worth their salt should take her characteristics into consideration when rehoming her. Good luck with what you decide to do. You gave it your best shot.

Op Dont suppose you bought your Bengal in Bristol did you? Sounds exactly like where we got our girls from. One of them also had a peeing issue and is very timid but as time goes on she's getting better, I kept mine as indoor cats for a year too but for the last year I've let them out and roan and they are so Much happier and leas stressed

Personally I wouldn't rehome yet.

First I'd get a sample because if she has a uti she'll be in pain.

I suspect this is too many cats for the space and she is sensitive to this, as well as being kept indoors only. Some cats cope better than others. I have a friend with Bengals and they cope fine with being indoors only, but this is 2 cats in a 5 bed house. They have built an outdoor run off their sitting room window so the cats can get 'outside' using a cat flap but do not have free range access. Would something like that work for you (ground floor flat?) maybe after you move?

Do you know if your using the same cat litter that he had as a kitten? If not, it may help to get some of that in.

OP, when she wees does she do it again within an hour or so, or is that it for a few hours? Fluffy mentioned stress cystitis which may be different to ordinary cystitis, but when my girl had cystitis she'd start weeing more than often and then within a couple of days it would build up and she'd trying to go every few mins.

Make sure you clean all affected spots thoroughly with the right kind of cleaning solutions. Biological washing powder and surgical spirit are good ones to wipe or spray over the area (if the area can't be washed then soak up as much urine as you can with paper towels). Cats are attracted back to the same spot if they can still smell urine, so it's essential to clean up.

I have two bengals, one with a weeing problem. He's very particular and will only go if the tray is immaculate - he likes separate poo and wee trays so make sure you always have one that's clear in case she's a fusspot. You'll need to give the problem areas a really good soaking with urine off, buy it by the gallon and repeat treatments till you're sure it's clear. We had the wee get into awkward parts of a sofa and this helped massively reduce the occurrences as other cleaning wasnt getting it all. Eventually we threw out the problem sofa and have had no sofa accidents since.

I don't think bengals generally thrive as only cats, mine almost drove me nuts as an only cat which is why we have two but cats can have a personality mismatch so she might be a bit stressed if she doesn't get on with the others. Can you try increasing her one on one play time and cuddle time? They can get bored as indoor cats and need entertainment / interaction or they do get stressed. Favourite toy here at the moment is a scrunched up paper bag underneath an old towel

We've tried all sorts with the litter boxes, it's not a litter box issue, the other day I saw her pee on the sofa and then immediately go into the litter tray and pee in there as well. She seems to pee on the sofa if someone sits in that spot. Not that she sits there, she prefers the other end she hasn't ever peed on. I've also got through urinoff by the bucket load and had the sofa professionsally cleaned as well same with our bedding.

I have just caught my older cat swipe her for no apparent reason other than she was sitting there minding her own business, nothing too aggressive, but a firm swipe none the less.

I'll try more playtime but she hates cuddles and being picked up, she is picky about being stroked too, she was like that from when we first got her. They only time she ever came and sat on me was when I was pregnant. So I don't force it now, just stroke her as much as possible when she lets me.

Peeing twice is unusual. I'd be worried about illness in that case.

Have you tried different types of litter?

Hi, yes, clumping, non clumping, wood based litter, clay based litter you name it. We currently have tarpaulin on our sofa and as I was typing this post she just crawled under the tarp and peed. She has never crawled under before.

My parents are visiting and I don't think she is happy about them being in our flat. I'm stabbing in the dark now.

I'll be on guard today and put a litter tray on the sofa to see if I can get a sample asap to get over to the vets...

The additional stress could have caused her to be more persistent. Is she quite people shy? Have you tried the feliway friends version? It's supposed to help ease tension between cats so may be worth a shot if you think that could be the cause.

The only other thing I can think of is retraining, it could be a habit by this point. How do you react when she wees?

You have my sympathy, wee problems can be exasperating but you're doing everything right.

I just came across this thread in a Google search. I'm in the same situation. My beautiful little Bengal whom I love dearly has turned into a monster the past two months and will piss all over the house. She has peed on my sofa several times (if she is upstairs the sofa must be covered by comforters)...I've gone through gallons of Nature's Miracle. She was a perfect angel her first 5 months with me (I got her over the summer), and then this started. I spent over $1,000 in vet bills...multiple urinalysis tests, multiple blood panels, multiple x-rays, even an ultrasound! Medically, she is in perfect health. I managed to correct this behavior for 12 days when I discovered Feliway. I confined her to the basement room (it's her own little room...her litter box, cat condo, beds, and food are all in this room long with a little sofa), with the diffuser and I would spray any spot she went. After just a few days she completely calmed down (oh, and insane howling at all hours has begun too), and I reintroduced her to the main flat, and she was fine again. I even was able to let her sleep in bed with me and the dogs. Then for no apparent reason this past weekend, she decided to pee on the sofa again, and is howling like a banshee, and pissing anywhere she can. She goes to great lengths to find new spots I haven't sprayed with Feliway. There HAVE been changes in my home during this time. I had/have two dogs...an elderly dog and a 2 year old pup...both of whom the cat has gotten along great with since I got her. My elderly dog died early December, and through November it was quite stressful at home...she had cancer and was having anxiety attacks triggered by dementia. I'm sure my cat picked up on the stress. The day my elderly dog died, my Bengal was rubbing against her and cried...my dog was going to pass away naturally very soon and the cat could sense it...and the cat was there when my dog went to sleep that night (a doctor came to the house to handle that). Not long after I brought home a new dog (my younger pup's actual biological sister, in fact). My younger dog was very lethargic and depressed after losing her "momma." I knew my younger dog's breeder decided to not keep the sister for breeding and was looking for one of her clients to take her in, so I brought her home and it immediately cheered up my younger dog. I'm sure my cat was intimidated by a new dog in the house, but the new dog is very submissive and gentle and pretty much stays away from the cat. The other one chases my cat around, but they have played together ever since I brought the cat home. The cat's breeders are planning to take her back, which breaks my heart...they, my vet, even a cat behavioral specialist I spoke to, have said I've really done all I can. The medical tests, adding multiple litter boxes, using sprays, the Dr Elway litter attractant, the Feliway, isolating her to her room and re-introducing her to the dogs as if it was the first time....the only thing I have NOT done at this point is medicate her. The doctor gave me a liquid Prozac to give her...the med could take several weeks to really kick in (after two months of this, I don't think weeks more of this behavior) ... and I don't feel right about giving her this med. She is clearly not happy right now, and much as I love her, I'm making peace with the fact that going back to the breeders may be best for her. They love her and will care for her, I know....but she won't have the attention and the comforts she's come to enjoy her. They will not take a chance on letting her go to another home...they are mortified I have been going through this. By the way, she was not a kitten, she was one of their Queens and they retired her. I got her about two months after she was spayed. Interestingly, she had an unexplained behavioral change with them earlier this year, which is why they retired her. She developed an unexplained hatred for her sister Queens. The females & kittens are all in the breeder's house, and their males are in zoo like enclosures in their barn (it's actually a modern heated building and the enclosures are quite nice...even have trees in them in the outside sections). They had to move her into the barn with the males, where she was then quite content...at this point she was spayed so the males left her alone. They never had issues with her peeing, but I think this was a similar unexplained personality change.

It's all been very stressful and very heart wrenching. I will miss her terribly. I just think of anything else that will work.