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The litter tray

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

Cat has started weeing in house. Help!!!!

131 replies

Britishsummertime22 · 08/08/2024 22:18

Had my rescue cat 6 years now. He's about 11 years old. Over the last few weeks he's started weeing in the living room and I have no idea why. He's an indoor cat. Has always used a tray absolutely fine. We moved 4 months ago and he's been fine using tray in new house. Haven't changed tray or litter or location of tray. Doesn't seem in pain or unwell. Eating and drinking as normal.
What do I do??? I don't want my house to stink of cat wee!! The only thing I can think of is there's a cat that comes in the garden and stares at him through the window. Could he be marking his territory??

OP posts:
Fosterfloof · 21/08/2024 02:56

I am sorry you are both going through this, from experience it is difficult to deal with especially if you are going through a hard time yourself for various reasons.

As our family fosters cats we have experienced all sorts of cats with various problems with regard to peeing outside their litter tray and so below are a few suggestions that might/might not be of help.

I would second the suggestion of getting him checked again by the vets for a UTI, Kidney disease or diabetes. He could still have a UTI.

Get yourself a UV light Cat Urine Detector as this will show up exactly where your cat has peed. You may find you have missed some areas of pee. You need to use an enzymatic cleaner on the area to get rid of the smell. As someone has suggested already try using Natures Miracle on the area - they do a wide range of products especially for cat urine if you go to their website you can see what is available . If you can't get hold of this, a solution of 50% white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) and 50% cold water left on the area for a few minutes then blotted up before using a solution of dilute washing up liquid to wash the area. You can also use Bicarbonate of soda sprinkled on and left for a while before hoovering up helps with the smell. (You may need to repeat several times) Also if it is carpeted area the pee might have gone through to the underlay and the flooring underneath so he may still be smelling it, so it might be worth checking in case you need to clean this area as well.

Just one thought, could the cat outside have marked/peed outside and your cat maybe still smell this - if so this would continue to put stress on your cat. I would give the outside area a good wash with a solution of white vinegar and water followed by washing up liquid (including walls/windows/patio) and see if this helps.

I know my Mum's cat suddenly started peeing by the front door and it was only when a friend came round on a sunny day and noticed that the doorstep/front door was wet on the outside that we realised that a neighbourhood cat that bullies all the neighbours cats was marking/peeing on the outside which was causing stress to my Mum's cat hence the reason for her peeing on the inside!!

Another possibility is how many litter boxes does your cat have and how often do you clean them? It is highly recommended that you have one litter box per cat plus a spare (especially him being an indoor cat). I know many cats that don't like using dirty (or what they think is dirty) litter boxes and will go elsewhere.

Also whilst taking about litter boxes - have you changed the type of litter that you use recently? It's just this can upset some cats and so cause them to go elsewhere.

Catsan - the cat litter manufacturers have a page on their website that gives useful hints on how to get rid of cat pee and the smell.

If you go onto YouTube, Jackson Galaxy has various videos giving advice on how to deal with cats peeing in the wrong area.

Sorry for the long post but I hope some of the suggestions above help. It is hard when cats start misbehaving like this especially when it is so out of character but hopefully you will get to the bottom of what is causing this and have a happy you, stress free cat and sweet smelling home again soon. X

Britishsummertime22 · 24/08/2024 21:55

Well, nothing has worked. I've tried everything.

OP posts:
FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 27/08/2024 09:32

Ok so what hasn’t worked so far? I am sympathetic I had a Bengal who was highly strung and I know all about puddles in areas you can’t clean easily which is why we had to take the stair carpet up and put laminate down he soaked through the underlay.

is the other cat still stressing him out visiting?

sunsetsandboardwalks · 27/08/2024 09:52

Is there a reason he's not allowed to go outside?

According to our vets, the vast majority of inappropriate urination in indoor cats is caused by the fact that their living situation means they're not able to behave like cats are supposed to behave.

Britishsummertime22 · 27/08/2024 18:14

@sunsetsandboardwalks he won't go outside. I never intended him to be a house cat, all my cats have always gone out. I got him as a rescue and suspect his previous owner kept him as a house cat as when I tried to put him outside he got really distressed and would run back in immediately. He just refuses to go out.

OP posts:
Britishsummertime22 · 27/08/2024 18:16

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 27/08/2024 09:32

Ok so what hasn’t worked so far? I am sympathetic I had a Bengal who was highly strung and I know all about puddles in areas you can’t clean easily which is why we had to take the stair carpet up and put laminate down he soaked through the underlay.

is the other cat still stressing him out visiting?

Food where he wees hasn't worked, tried simple solution cleaner, nature's miracle cleaner, citronella, surgical spirit. Have blocked off everywhere that other cat can see through even though since I started squirting with water pistol, other cat doesn't hang around anymore. Tried another litter tray in the area, he wees next to it. I just think he can smell his scent now and that's why he keeps going there and suspect it's gone through to underlay and I cannot get rid of it completely no matter what I try. I'm miserable.

OP posts:
Mia184 · 27/08/2024 18:50

Britishsummertime22 · 18/08/2024 21:32

Yeah, I just don't want puppy pads all over the house.

If it is mostly one area can you put a puppy pad there? My old cat pees on it and nothing goes through the pad so I just throw it away and put a fresh one there.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 27/08/2024 18:54

Ok so the other cats fucked off, that’s great. It shouldn’t still be smelling, you can rent a carpet cleaner and pet solution in tescos.

Is he on Cystease? It stops the bladder lining getting sloughed off at stressful times. If his bladders sore he’s going to wee & all the carpet cleaning in the world won’t stop him. He’ll avoid his tray if it’s sore they all do.

In the end the Bengal had two capsules a day it was just easier.

Britishsummertime22 · 27/08/2024 19:03

Sorry yes forgot to say have been using cystease too

OP posts:
FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 27/08/2024 19:17

Ok well done. At this point I’d get a carpet cleaner and get as much out as possible then liberally put bicarbonate of soda on it when it’s dry (not wet or damp because it goes hard and it’s a bastard to get out)

Is he doing his poos in his tray?

Britishsummertime22 · 27/08/2024 21:04

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 27/08/2024 19:17

Ok well done. At this point I’d get a carpet cleaner and get as much out as possible then liberally put bicarbonate of soda on it when it’s dry (not wet or damp because it goes hard and it’s a bastard to get out)

Is he doing his poos in his tray?

Thank you I really appreciate your replies. Okay I'll get a carpet cleaner and do bicarb. Yes all poos in tray.

OP posts:
FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 28/08/2024 08:40

I’ve been there it’s hard and my mil response was to advise us to rehome but she’s generally cold hearted anyway.

Try one extra tray. If the Bengal did a poo in his tray overnight he’d wee on the cooker splash back & I never twigged at the time why.

Runningcommentary · 28/08/2024 08:52

Our cat does this when strangers come into the house (tradespeople, friends of DS etc, particularly when they go upstairs). She wees on beds, sofas, cushions, and it’s so hard to overcome. We have mattress protectors on everything (including sofas) and have to significantly reduce her access to rooms, bedroom doors all closed when we are not in there, living room door closed when not in there. It’s so hard, and we feel really mean carrying her out of living room when she’s sleeping so that we can close door and go to bed, but knowing we have some cat-pee free spaces helps reduce our stress (that she picks up on).

We soak up as much as possible, then wash with hot water and strong bio washing liquid solution, then simple solution, then carpet cleaner. We also only buy duvet covers that will fit in washing machine.

Our cat does it so often in a concentrated period of time, then nothing, then starts again. It does seem to have a link to strangers in the house though.

sunsetsandboardwalks · 28/08/2024 09:31

Have you tried D-Mannose supplements alongside the Cystease?

UrbanFan · 28/08/2024 09:51

Oh poor kitty, I think he's stressed about something if it's not medical. I feel sad for you too as it is a hard situation to deal with.

How is he generally? Does he play? Do you have time together doing catty things? What is his sleep pattern like? Is he a lap cat?

I don't have any advice as you seem to have quite a lot already. If only they could tell us what is wrong. Pet rehoming centres are full up so if you love him you must try to get to the bottom of this. NO one else will take him on. On the other hand maybe he would be happier elsewhere. He can probably feel your stress.

Pudmyboy · 02/09/2024 10:37

TenThousandSpoons · 17/08/2024 07:53

Can you put a litter tray in the spot he keeps using?

Came to say this: then gradually move the tray to your preferred spot?

Britishsummertime22 · 03/09/2024 20:36

Well, still got the same problem. Nothing has worked and now I just live in a house that stinks of cat piss.

OP posts:
FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 03/09/2024 21:27

I think you need to go to the vets with him, it’s unusual for them to keep doing this if their healthy.

Britishsummertime22 · 03/09/2024 21:34

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 03/09/2024 21:27

I think you need to go to the vets with him, it’s unusual for them to keep doing this if their healthy.

Yeah, I've already been to the vet with him but I'll go back again.

OP posts:
Isithalftermyet · 03/09/2024 21:55

We had this and it became a cycle of stress that we couldn't seem to break and we tried for years. If it is starting to impact your mental health and you can afford it there is a cat's retirement home in Lincs - google will find it. They will take in older cats that can't be looked after elsewhere.

LemonyCoughSyrup · 03/09/2024 22:05

Honestly, at this stage I would just put puppy pads down for a bit, I would have done that right away to save the floor. They have sticky backs and you can cover the spot he wees in and have thrown them away. The ones in pets at home are good. Puppy pads with a few drops of essential oils that cats don’t like, I can’t remember the ones but they can help keep a cat out of an area and the puppy pads will catch the urine and can be disposed of

Britishsummertime22 · 30/09/2024 19:35

Update. Nothing worked. I now live in a house that stinks of cat piss. I don't have people round anymore. I'm miserable with the situation and I don't think the cat is happy either. I feel so resentful towards him.

OP posts:
sunsetsandboardwalks · 30/09/2024 19:36

If nothing is working and he's healthy (according to vets) then maybe you need to think about finding him a new home as an outdoor/barn type cat, or having him put to sleep.

Britishsummertime22 · 30/09/2024 19:43

He's an indoor cat and has been for at least 6.5 years so I don't think he'd really be okay as an outdoor cat. It doesn't seem fair to put a healthy cat to sleep.

OP posts:
RaisinforBeing · 30/09/2024 19:50

Our cat did this - I ripped up the carpet and got rid then we stopped her going into the room she was doing it in - just kept the door shut 100% but this was manageable as it was the basement. The carpet was ruined anyway the wee had seeped right into the concrete underneath the underlay. I think it was caused by new cats in the neighbourhood and I am ruthless about chasing them away.

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