Cat having behavioral issues - not peeing in catbox

[chickenannie]

I adopted the sweetest stray cat a few months ago (Maine Coon cat) and he has been amazing since I got him -- no problems, and well house-trained. Well I've been busy lately with less time to play with him and pet him (he's an extremely people-oriented cat). He started peeing on the floor and I thought maybe the litter box need to be changed (I clean the poo out every day, but the pee had built up). So I bought a different kind of flushable litter. He used it 4 or 5 times and since then has stopped using it entirely. He just pees on the floor next to it and I think he's been peeing on the carpet cause it smells! Now I think he's pooping somewhere too cause it smells like it but I can't find it (yuck!) and I've looked everywhere. He's a total house cat who follows me from room to room and insists on getting attention. He's been waking me up at night with his jumping on the bed, so I've been locking him on the first floor and not letting him sleep in my room for a week or two. I had also put that flea killing gel between his shoulder blades a few days ago and he doesn't like it -- I don't know if that is related to the peeing. He has plenty of room in the house to run around and lots of windows he can sleep in and watch everything outside, but he never actually goes outside. (He's too long haired and he gets unmanageable burrs etc and he eats grass then throws up inside). I actually let him out this morning and this evening for a half hour to see if that would help his behavior, but he promptly came in and peed on the floor again. There are no other animals in the house except him.

Can anyone tell me what's wrong and what to do about it? I don't want to have to give him away. Also, I wish I could get some flea killer that is organic and not so toxic for either him or me.

 

[texasreb]

Litter box issues are the number one reason people get rid of cats.

The first thing I suggest to you is to take the cat to the vet to rule out a UTI. Sick cats often have "intentional" accidents.

Once that problem is ruled out, look into the type of litter you are using, the size, shape and location of the box, the cleanliness of the box, etc. Cats are particular. Many have limited ideas of where they want to go to the bathroom.

Is this your only cat? If not, the general rule of thumb is to have one litterbox per cat plus one extra box. So if you have two cats, you should have three boxes, if you have 5 cats, you should have six boxes, etc.

If it is your only cat, try getting several different sized boxes and types of litter and place them in various spots through out the house. Keep them super clean. Cats don't like a dirty box.

Please try some of these suggestions and good luck. I know litter box issues are extremely frustrating, but they are nearly always fixable if you're willing to put forth the effort.

BTW, Maine Coons are big cats, make sure the box is big enough to accommodate him/her. The cat might be trying to use a box that is too small....just a thought.

 

[tiffanyh]

I have dealt with this many times as a CVT....

...I second everything texas rob says. Check UTI first.

Your vet should either be able to
1. Take him in for the day and get a urine with a needle or box
2. or send you home with something to use instead of litter that will not absorb the urine so you can take it back to them (packing peanut--not roosters---works for this)

But, if your vet hasn't seen him yet, most vets will not allow you to drop off a urine without having seen the pet before.

 

[Dar]

this could be many things but the good news is it can be helped but you need to be patient with him...

first off how old is he and is he neutered?

2) cats are funny about thier litter they dont like the sudden change ..have you tried changing back to the litter that was in the box when he was using it?

3)could he be "jealous" my male cat used to pee in my sons dirty laundry until i got one of the hampers with a lid (guess he did not like my sons "man" smell..lol)

4) is there any trace of blood in the urine? (it would appear a brownish color)

My suggestion go back to te original litter and slowly switch to your choice brand

if that does not work keep him in a room like a spare room (when you are not home)or a bathroom until he uses the box again ALL THE TIME then slowly increase the amount of space he has to roam in while you are not there..

for the pee smell in your carpet ...
there is a liquid called natures miracle it works great for small spots like around the litter box

also if the smell is not down to the wooden floor boards i used a mix of vinagar baking soda and water (about 1/4 cup vinagar , 1/2 box baking soda, 4L of water) i mixed all this in my BIG green watering can for my out door flowers and SOAKED the area waited about an hour then took old towels and soaked up as much as I can ten let dry and vacuume...

I hope any of this helps...if he still pees PM me and I wall try a few more tricks I have..

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Well, I would get another 2 litterboxes. and get new types of litter. Sit them next to eachother, and show him the box. It sounds like he doesnt like the litter. Also, what type of box is it. Most cats like a larger box, that is not covered.

 

[chickenannie]

This is so helpful to have some solid things I can try and I will work on these tommorrow.
I have put the cat in the laundry room tonight (which is where his litter box is). I'm such a softie though, and I can hardly stand to hear his meowing to be let out. I guess I just have to let him meow. He is normally such a lover-cat -- I've learned he gets VERY upset if I close a door in his face and won't let him be in the same room as I. He just wants to be wherever I am --kinda like a dog.

To answer some of your questions:

The vet estimated he was a year or year and a half old.
He is spayed -- never sprays (although his tail does that jerky thing sometimes, there's never any spray associated with it).

I don't 'think' he has anything to be jealous of.

I have a large litterbox but maybe he could use an even bigger one.

It's hard to tell exactly where he peed on the carpet without crawling on my hands and knees and sniffing the whole floor!! It's just that the room stinks and I know he peed/pooped SOMEWHERE.

It sounds like none of you are saying its because he is angry at me for not letting him sleep in my room at night.

 

[Akane]

If he's peeing next to the litterbox he isn't peeing out of it because he's upset with anything you've done and probably not because he dislikes the location. He probably dislikes the box or the type of litter and doesn't want to step into it. If your current box is covered remove it and if it's uncovered I'd go buy a 2nd covered box and small bags of 2 other types of litter. Set both boxes out next to each other and fill them with the new litters. See if he uses either one. You will probably have to find the spot he's peeing on and desent it with an enzyme cleaner and vinegar before he completely goes back to using the litterbox. Once the urine scent is there they will often keep using that spot even if you fix the original problem.

 

[Katy]

Have him checked for diabetes ASAP. I lost one of my cats last summer. She did the same thing....started peeing right by the box...once in the while in it. I thought she was po'd at me. Turns out she had diabetes, but we figured it out too late and I lost her.

 

[texasgirl]

Quote:
Although cats can seem hateful, I don't think any animal is capable of feeling "vengeance" in terms of getting back at you by peeing on the floor.
I agree get him vet checked first and foremost but I'd almost guarantee it is a box problem.
You said he was great until you changed his litter? Change it back to the old litter. I have a little trashcan next to the box so I can scoop it everyday but only need to take out the trash from the litter every 3-4 days. Some cats wont even go in the box if there is one little poop or pee in it so I'd make sure you're keeping it very clean, check it 2-3 times a day.
If he is the only animal in the house then he would definitely benefit from some interaction with you. Get a string or a ball of paper and play with him for a few minutes a night.
Good luck!

 

[Skyesrocket]

I agree with the problem being the box. Cats are clean animals and don't like climbing into a box that is going to get them dirty or wet.
Let us know how it turns out.
As far as looking for cat urine in carpeting...I saw something about using a black light to find the soiled areas. Check into this more before you go getting one, because I can't remember exactly what was said about it. It was a commercial for urine remover and it came with a black light so you could spot the soiled areas.
Has anyone here tried the black light?