Cat people - PLEASE help me!

[punk-a-doodle]

I allow my animals a great deal of leeway...but cat pee in the house is one thing I won't tolerate. I did years ago with a neutered and deaf male found as a stray who could not be allowed outside as we lived on a busy road in the city. No yard to put an outdoor enclosure in either. After years of sitting soaked in cat urine (he managed to pee on top of cabinets and underneath gaps of speakers), and trying every suggested vet test and training technique from human toilet training kits to treat training, my husband and I had enough. He ended up going to a no-kill shelter which was a big house with a huge run and outdoor romping room in the country where cats were allowed to pee everywhere and freely. I did require that they be open to any adopters about his preference to pee everywhere, and they do take back any animals that do not work out. Would hate for anyone to walk blindly into that. Thought I'd be broken up about his leaving, but honestly, it was a huge relief. It helped that he wasn't a very affectionate cat and also tore up our furniture down to the wooden frames. Had we lived in the country, I would have been happy keeping him as an outdoor-only cat. He completely wore out any tolerance I had for cat pee in the house. Completely. I feel terribly for anyone dealing with trying to do right by their pet while dealing with that smell.

I hope that either training or medical intervention can help with your kitty, but do remember that *you* are the one who is living with constant and unhealthy cat pee puddles. Not anyone giving you advice, not your vet, not your friends, etc. Sounds like you can offer your cat a life outside. If concerned about being fully outside, a large run and a warm cat home is an alternative.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Sometimes a cat peeing/pooping around the house is not necessarily a cat marking it's territory. In my experience, it's not as common for a cat to mark it's territory by defecating, but it does happen and can be more difficult to treat.

That's why I think it may be worth a shot to talk with a behaviorist/vet to see if you can find the root of the problem. I can certainly understand how frustrating it is to live with a cat peeing outside the box though. Unfortunately it's one of the most common reasons cats are given up for adoption and sometimes they do ok in new situations. However, sometimes they just keep getting returned to the shelter and you'll have to ask yourself if you would be ok with that. Sometimes animals are more stressed going from house to house.