Weeing in the house. Help!

[Fallingdownhouse]

I’m having a real toileting headache with my cat and I’m hoping you ladies might be able to help. We got our Bengal over a year ago as a 3 month old kitten. He was spayed by the breeder just before we got him. He came into a house with a 2 year old Golden Retirever and 12 year old cat. He gets on like a house on fire with our dog and they hang out together. He is mostly ignored by our old lady with the occasional hiss when he snuggles next to her.

The trouble is that he often goes to the toilet in the house, no particular spot. It could be in the sink, the hall carpet, a shoe box, a suitcase. He sometimes does this in front of us, sometimes we come home to it, sometimes we find it weeks after the event. He has access to a small back garden, I also have a cat litter tray in the shed and he can access other gardens. We are surrounded by other cats but he doesn’t seem too bothered by them. The vet suggested that he might be stressed, but honestly he couldn’t be more laid back!

It’s driving us bonkers, has anyone else overcome a problem like this?
Thanks!

Do you have a litter tray actually in the house? I would start with that. It
Could just be that he doesn't like the shed!

Have you tried different types of littler too? And altering how much you put in the tray? My fussy cats will only use the trays with a small amount of litter in (just enough to cover the bottom) and if we put too much in they use the floor instead little shits

It's usually stress. Just because he looks chilled doesnt mean he is.

You need a litter tray in the house OP, he might not like the shed.

Get a plug in as well to help calm him.

Get a urine test at the vets to rule out an uti.
We thought our boy was stressed because we decorated the bathroom but he had a mild uti.
Antibiotics will clear it up.

I agree litter tray in house, feliway plug in and some kind of Neutralises Urine Odour product so he can't smell he's been there before.

You need a litter tray, or ideally two, in the house. And clean everywhere he's peed with an enzyme cleaner to make sure the scent is properly cleaned or it will attract him back to the same spots.

My goodness! Thanks for all the prompt replies!

I've avoided the litter tray in the house because the dog will try to eat the cat poop (Gross I know, but that's another thread!).
The shed is actually attached to the house and the cat flap goes straight into it before he goes through another into the garden, so he has to walk past the litter tray! I might have to look at a way to put one inside where the dog can’t get to it.

Interesting that some of you are saying he might be stressed even if he doesn’t appear to be. How would I tell? He always seems quite sure of himself, walks into rooms and meows hello. Tries to sit on top of our old lady if she’s picked the warm spot. Tries to come on walks with the dog until I send him home (other dog walkers around and he’d be dumb enough to try to make friends with a rottweiler).

The weeing has been going on since he moved in and he’s been to the vet a couple of time and they haven’t picked up a uti.

I've never heard of the plug in thing before. Seems a bit gimmicky? Do they work? Part of the issue I have is that our house has lots of rooms over 3 floors, do I need 1 in each room?!

Thanks again for the advice. I’ve had cats for 25 years and never come across this issue.

I've never heard of the plug in thing before. Seems a bit gimmicky? Do they work? Part of the issue I have is that our house has lots of rooms over 3 floors, do I need 1 in each room?

They release a pheromone that is calming and yes they work quite well. They're not cheap but there is a cheaper version that does the same job (around £20 for 2) I generally just have one on each floor of the house when she starts to pee or crap in the house. Works quite quickly in my case.

That's great. Thanks so much everyone. I'll try a combination of litter tray and plug in and hopefully he'll settle down.
Here are a couple of photos of him in all his handsome glory!

Would a top entry litter tray help with the dog?

The plug in seem to work with our cats.

Do you have one litter tray for two cats?

You need an extra litter tray ( the rule is usually 1 litter tray for each cat + 1 ) and perhaps try putting them inside the house

bigKite the top entry litter tray is genius! I'm going to get one of those. It should definitely keep the dog out.
Hilts Thanks for the tip. My older cat never uses the litter tray, she has always used the garden.
The plug ins arrive on Friday. If he's stressed it should help, if not it might help our old lady settle down and less prone to hissing at him.

Bear in mind this could likely just be a habit. He just views the house as his very own litter tray

I'd restrict him to as few a rooms as possible as you can't have him using your house as a giant toilet. I'd also try a litter tray indoors

Thanks BatFaced I think you might be right. It's hard to restrict him during the day. Between the dog and kids all the doors are left wide open, but I will definitely do a better job at closing doors at night.

Thanks everyone for the advice. The plug ins and top entry litter tray arrive tomorrow so I might pop back and let you know how they go.

Just reading all the toileting didaster threads ( it's not just me having trouble ! ) and came across a mention of capsules

Feliway plug in, Cystease capsules which you can sprinkle on their food every day (made by Feliway, I buy on amazon, not expensive) and keeping the tray very clean! Also use some special spray to clean the area which eradicated the smell to the cat as if they can smell their urine still they’ll keep going there again.