This cat is on my last nerve!

[Atethehalloweenchocs]

My younger cat (and only male) is driving me nuts and I am at my wits end. He habitually pees by the front door. This started several years ago, when I was away and the sitter, instead of cleaning the box every day as I asked, dumped more litter on top of the dirty litter. I guess the cat got desperate and peed on the door mat by the front door. Since then he sees every rug as fair game and I have tried everything to stop him doing this to no avail. If I take away rugs from doors (in addition to being a nightmare in terms of managing mud) he just finds the closest bit of carpet and pees there. And he stinks. I have tried various sprays, enzyme cleaners, essential oils, getting rid of non essential carpeting - even putting a litter box by the front door which is not what I would prefer. I thought the latest strategy had worked but discovered today he has been pissing away as ever. I clean the boxes daily (more often if I smell a poo) and completely change the litter once a week after scrubbing the boxes. I am just at a loss and as he is only 4, I have a lot of years to go with him. He also gets completely frantic if a door is closed and has pulled up the carpet by the door in the spare room, in addition to causing massive pilling in my bedroom carpet. I love him, but I dont think I can take another 10+ years of this.

You have two cats , one female and one male?
Are they both neutered?
Do they have their own litter trays?

How many cats?
How many trays? (Should be 1 per cat plus 1 if it's their main toileting place)
Are you using an enzyme cleaner?
Do they go outside?

I have 3 litter trays. 2 cats, 1 female, 1 male, both neutered/spayed. They have access to outside. The female older cat spends a lot of time outside unless the weather is very bad. The younger male who is the problem here hardly ever goes out but can if he wants. I have tried multiple different enzyme cleaners. Nothing has made a difference.

Oh that is frustrating then as you're doing all the things.

I wonder if he would be better as a singleton cat.

Maybe @SinisterKnitter , but I hate to think of rehoming him. He is a sweet boy (if not very bright) and is part of the family, but his destructive behaviour is just exhausting and I am finding it quite upsetting at times. I know it is easy to think pets will pine without us, but in reality they often do very well as long as they are well cared for. But I have never given up on a pet before, and it breaks my heart to think of doing it here.

I totally understand that, but sometimes we just aren't the best fit for whatever reason and cats are peculiar and particular in their preferences.

Yes, you may be right. Perhaps he would be happier elsewhere.

If he's only peeing at the doorway then that suggests territorial behaviour. Is there another cat outside peeing near your front floor or on plants? They might only visit at night. Can you borrow a wildlife camera or ring doorbell and see who visits?

Have you tried sprinkling pepper where he pees? Cats usually sniff where they intend to go and obviously dislike the pepper. It worked for a childhood cat of mine who had got into a routine of going in the wrong place. There is a risk that it could move the problem elsewhere but still possibly worth a try...?

And vets always suggest Feliway in these instances in case the behaviour is anxiety driven.

How old is your older girl cat? I think I'd put him outside for a little while in the morning and again late afternoon on nice dry days. Put a clean litter tray outside of the back door. I'd also make a sandy area in your garden he can toilet in. Cats like sand as it is soft for them to scrape. Have you tried Fuller's Earth in your litter tray? I'd not re-home him as he will trust you to care for him. Is the older female cat very dominant? Have you consulted the vet to make sure there is no infection?

Are you cleaning the litter trays really thoroughly? If so, try just rinsing them. They need to smell a bit toilety, rather than of disinfectant or soap.

Thanks all - older cat is 11. He is more dominant than she is. I have tried just rinsing the trays, but it did not make a difference. I have tried Olbas oil, grapefruit oil, curry powder, but will try pepper. It is not just by the doors, it is wherever there is a rug. If I move the rugs, he will still pee on them. If there are no rugs around, he will look for the closest carpeted area and pee there.

With the Fullers Earth, is that mixed with the usual litter or instead of? I have not tried this, what is the advantage of it?

I have some Feliway, but could try a plug in by the front door near the box he uses for pees most often.

There is another cat next door who he will have a screaming match with every now at then - they will each sit by the fence in their own garden and vocalize at each other, but that seems to be as far as it goes. I think the cat does come into my garden at times, but my pets see him off if he does. However, the problem predates this house.

I really dont want to rehome him, I have never given up on a pet but the thought of 10 more years of this at least......

I will put a tray of sand in the garden too. I wish he would go out more, but he has never been very interested in doing so. The other cat actually comes on walks with me and the dogs, she is very adventurous. But he has always been a content to stay in.

He was the runt of the litter, and is not very bright - when the kitchen was redone a few years ago I made a special place for his food - it took him weeks to look there first, rather than the previous place. The other cat worked it out in 2 minutes.

I had almost the exact same issue regarding a bad habit forming and cat peeing in certain places in the house. Male and around the same age too. It went on for almost a year and like you, I had tried all of the typical suggestions. By luck, we ended up moving house and installed hard floors throughout the ground floor before introducing him to the property. This did the trick and almost reset him back to good habits! Not suggesting you move of course, but have you considered placing him in a Cattery for a fortnight or so, and then either having all the floors professionally cleaned, or (more extreme) installing hard floors? The time away from home might give him that "reset". No science behind this by the way, just been a cat owner all my life and have some insight into their strange little ways.
PS. You wouldn't be failing him and I don't think anyone would blame you if you did consider rehoming. Nobody would expect you to put up with for several more years.

Thanks @thunderandsunshine01 ! I am going to be replacing all the flooring over time so I guess I will hope that makes a difference. It would just be nice to be able to have a door mat without it stinking! I like the reset idea. May consider having him go on a little holiday.