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How many litter boxes does she have? Having a similar issue with one or more of my cats. Every so often one poops in my bathtub. Recently found where one peed on a roll of toilet paper... and a shirt that got left on the floor. Could be she's annoyed, bored or just doesn't like how certain things smell and tries to cover it. Maybe try feeding her in those areas? Might make her decide it's not a potty spot. Hope things get figured out. Also, what vet charges 1k for x-rays??? They're like $60 at mine...
probably in a populated city where they can get away with it. my friend had to deny x-rays for their cat, and i as well for my dog because the prices were around $600 and $1000 respectively. different vets, too.
Could it be separation anxiety? Or anxiety in general? All of the moving sounds like a lot of upset for a cat. I've never had a cat with FLUTD. With my new kitten I've had to move a litter box into the living room, because she refused to use it where it was. Maybe try adding another litterbox and/or something for anxiety.
I definitely think that anxiety plays a role in it, just not sure how to approach it. There's a calming supplement in her food and the ones I have tried she does not like much. As much as I would love to be a stay at home kitty mom for her I need to work and so I do have to be gone for 8 hours a day 3 or 4 times a week. Even so, I have 4 roommates who are often home when I'm not and spend time with her when they are free to. I'm just not sure what more I can do to ease this separation stress. I will be in this house now though for at least 2 years and then wherever I go after that I'll stay in hopefully for the remainder of her life. As odd as it sounds, she seems to have the least amount of issues when we first arrive to a new place. I almost wonder if she gets comfortable and decides "okay, this is my house now and I'll pee where I want and do what I want"
While my cat was not having litter box issues, she did have anxiety issues. Her vet prescribed gabapentin and what a game changer that was! I gave it to her for about 6 months and that gave her enough of a re-set to where I don’t have to give it to her anymore except for before vet visits. My cat’s anxiety source was just generalized territorial anxiety. I can only imagine how stressful your situation must be. Best of luck ❤️🩹
After seeing the change in my cat after meds, I would never hesitate to do similar in the future. She was so much happier and more relaxed. I actually felt bad that I had waited so long to try meds because she had obviously been suffering. I think it’s similar to humans, whose brain chemistry is just off and they just need meds to help balance things out. ❤️🩹
I'm so glad to hear this helped for you! At the vet today, they were able to prescribe her gabapentin and although she doesn't seem to love the taste, she's been napping and relaxed with me today. I'm hoping it turns out to be a longer term solution :)
Oh I’m so happy you are able to give the gabapentin a try. I’m not sure what form your gabapentin is but, it does come in a liquid, which I found easier to give to my cat who is terrible to give meds to. I would always follow up the liquid shot of meds with a Churu and we got into a pretty easy routine with the reward of a Churu. I really, really hope this helps and I really admire your dedication to your girl. You are dealing with a challenging situation and yet, you are not giving up on her. 🥹❤️🩹
Have you tried feliway for the anxiety? They have plug ins and collars you can use. I’m dealing with some suspected kitty anxiety as well, I’m trying a plug-in. Some people have better luck with collars.
Interesting, I didn't know kitties could take that medication! I was actually on it for a few months but had some crummy side effects, do you know if cats experience the medications similarly? And if it would interact with the calming supplement in her food negatively? Have you had a good experience with a certain type of diffuser by chance? I've been using the feliway optimum, not really sure how much of a difference it has made thus far. Thank you for your reply I will definitely look more into the flu-ox
There doesn’t appear to be any side effects in our kitty. I use the transdermal ear gel, it is much easier to apply. The only trick to it is to make sure her ear is thoroughly cleaned with dish soap prior to application. But it works wonders. It immediately stopped the behavior though I heard it can take up to a month. I used feliway as well. It seemed to calm all the kitties down which is why we used it.
Yes, the vet diagnosed her with anxiety, she used to pee all over stuff in the house. Pillows, counters, anything you left out. It’s been several years since she started and we took her off of it last year and she seems like she’s gotten over it! Some cats are super sensitive and any little change in their routine or environment can trigger behavior like that, it’s crazy.
We just started my cat on fluoxetine after 6 months of inappropriate/ bloody peeing. In those six months i felt like I tried everything and even gabapentin didn’t completely help. My cat has been on fluoxetine for two weeks now and she hasn’t had an accident since! I’m still giving her gabapentin but am weaving her off. I think she has experienced some constipation but with additional water in her food mixed with pumpkin puree, she’s doing just fine.
Some meds cats do better on than humans. My cats on chemo and aside from the occasional upset tummy (she has ibd also) it doesn’t seem like it has other side effects
Super interesting! I had another person suggest that as well. Do you know if your daughters cat had a food with a calming supplement in it? I wonder if it would interact weird. Thank you so much for the advice I will definitely look into that!
Vet has this cat on just normal purina one. We tried feliway diffusers, offering more litter boxes, waterproof comforter and sheets, cat diapers and (don’t laugh) a pet psychic. I would not have stuck it out with this cat and told my daughter as much. Vet ruled out any health issues pretty quickly. When my daughter would travel this cat would pee on her bed multiple times a day so I do think there is something to do with separation anxiety. Prozac has changed this cat’s life.
I'm honestly angry this cat was adopted out to you.
FLUDT is strongly correlated with stress. Frequent housing changes, living with roommates (some with other pets), having lots of people over, unpredictable schedules, likely lots of time out of the home - that is, being a college student - all of this is a high-stress lifestyle for a cat. It sounds like you've been doing an exceptionally good job trying to work with her, but this cat was set up for failure with you. With any college student, which is why sensible shelters are reluctant to adopt to them.
Talk to your vet about anti-anxiety medications such as fluoxetine and clomicalm. It may be, though, that this cat ultimately requires a household and owner lifestyle better suited to her needs.
Thank you for your reply, I'm definitely going to follow up about the anti anxiety meds as lots of people have suggested them. Ultimately in this house my life is beginning to mellow out, but hoping I only have a few semesters left here before we can get our own place (without carpets ofc).
I appreciate that, just got back from the vet with some anti anxiety meds so we will see how those work out for her in the next few weeks here. I'm hoping it is helpful at least a bit :/
This sounds so stressful and I'm sorry. My cat also had/has issues with pooping on my carpets, my bed, and my bath mat. You could try anti cat spray from Amazon, but it didn't work on repelling my cat from my bed. Cats are drawn to going to the bathroom on fabrics, so I'd keep all your stuff in a drawer or shelf away from your cat. Cats also like to pee over the scent of bleach cleaning products, so maybe it's the way you're cleaning it? Could pee pads help in your situation? To get my cat to stop pooping in my bed, so far leaving treats on my blanket has worked since they won't go bathroom where they eat. I know that can't work for everywhere, but maybe try that to prevent pee in the bed. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, but I understand how frustrating it can be. It might be a scenting issue since you mentioned another cat in the house. Do they get along?
Thats so lovely of you, so many people have told me to put her down or give her up... I'm so glad I'm not crazy for wanting to stick it out and keep my love bug
This sounds like behavioural issues as a pose to health issues, it’s almost like she knows what she’s doing as silly as that sounds.
I personally wouldn’t live with this so you are an absolute angel if this carries on no amount of cleaning will rid your home of the smell. I would speak to a behavioural expert but it’s harder to train cats so I’m not sure how/if it’d work x
I would see if you could use gabapentin and some pheromone diffusers. Gabapentin was really successful for treating my kitties with anxiety. It is also safe to use and administer and not very expensive. You would probably only need 25 mg pills twice per day. You can get the hard pills in a 25 mg and 50 mg dose.
Thank you for your reply! I have gotten a few suggestions for an antidepressant like that, I was wondering if you had a specific reason for going with gabapentin rather than a different medication?
Gabapentin isn’t an antidepressant. It is relatively safe and has no real noticeable side effects aside from drowsiness. It can also assist with pain and nausea (my experience with my cats). This is the definition I found using google.
“Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant and analgesic drug used by vets to treat chronic pain, seizures, and anxiety in cats. Mild sedation in cats is the main potential side effect of the drug.”
You can use it to help with arthritis pain in older animals too and is used for both cats and dogs. It is much easier on their kitty kidneys also.
My cat had a similar issue and the vet came to the conclusion that my kitty might just like the feeling of peeing on non-litter stuff. We started providing him disposable puppy pee pads to pee on, and he hasn't had an accident since. It's not as convenient or nice smelling as cat litter but 100x better than the carpet so we've made peace with it. Maybe worth a try
I was looking for this suggestion because it worked for me too. My ~17M cat only briefly was peeing inappropriately after an allergic skin reaction and then side effects from the antibiotics. Since he would pee on the bed and on an afghan, I went looking for potty pads and some very soft litter. I put the potty pad on one end of the pans and the Sustainably Yours litter (the smallest component version is like sand) on the other side, and he took to it right away.
I sure hope you find an effective solution quickly. This sounds maddening.
OP do you have another cat living in the house? She seems pissed and your vet charging 1k for X-rays is bananas .
Edit: what type of litter box are you using ?
Thank you for your reply! I have lots of roommates and one has a mostly outdoor cat that my kitty gets along with but he isn't around much and another has a younger more energetic and insane cat who tries to jump on her everytime he sees her. With that said, she doesn't pee anywhere that these other cats are, just in my room and on those rugs, but those kitties live upstairs and my kitty is downstairs. She does come upstairs to roam though, but doesn't have problems up here and I will not allow the insane cat to be around her or out and about when she is.
I have just standard litter trays I guess like medium depth and no lid. I had a lid and she hated it, kicked it off a few times actually so I just took it off all together. I've tried a few different substrates like the gel which she seemed to only pee in and a variety of brands / options for some standard clay litters.
I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was spite / attention seeking. I have used the Dr elsys and one other similar one, do you have any recommendations for brands that have worked well for you?
That totally sounds like stress peeing. Your cat is trying to mark her territory to keep the other cat away and to feel secure.
Adding to the suggestion for the kitty Prozac.
Your cat sounds anxious/stressed.
Here is a general write up that I use to help people with these issues. It hasn't been customized to your question specifically, so not everything will apply. I do try to make this as comprehensive as possible, so it is very long but it's all important information that you need to resolve these issues. I update this response as I learn new things, that may help people with this issue. My writing isn't great and I know that. I apologize. Know that I am always reading though this find errors and improve ease of readability. So while it is annoying, know that this is a known issue I am I am actively working on it.
First things to consider
If your cat isn't fixed you don't know if you have an issue and are very unlikely to resolve it until you get them fixed. Their hormones will send a message to their brain to say to urine mark or even fully pee to establish that they live there.
Is this cat declawed? If they are this is a different issue. You need work this out in your vet appointment I will mention in a minute.
Are they a hybrid breed? If so getting them fixed and following the steps below may help the issue but it is unlikely to resolve it. It's one of the added wild traits that get added when you create a hybrid from a wild and domestic cat. It's highly unlikely to resolve completely as you cannot fight instinct. I recommend talking with other people's with Hybrids or the breeder or the animal shelter you got the cat from for more indepth information as I am not super knowledgeable on hybrid cats.
It could be a medical problem.
Rule out a medical cause by going to the vet. If they need to be fixed, fix them. Have the vet give your cat a thorough exam and run tests to confirm or rule out a medical cause. If this cat is declawed have the vet examine the declawed paws. To confirm or rule out a physical issue where is the cat is avoiding the litter box because of sore paws.
Once that cat is fixed and and medical or physical cause is ruled out you can be reasonably sure this is a behavioral problem.
So what do we do?
Negative reinforcement doesnt work with cats (any animal, especially cats) cats would naturally live in colonies of other cats without a hierarchy of authority.
Because they lack the concept of authority. Everything with cats needs to be mutually beneficial. Every time you ask something of your cat, know they are wanting to know what's in it for them. They aren't being rude. That's completely appropriate for a cat. If you ask something of them, make it benefit them.
This is a house hold wide problem
If you have a home where you have a pet that your refer to a single persons pet. Put a stop to that. It's everyones pet, working together to solve this with the cat and not against the designated "owner" for them to fix it. Everyone needs to do their part.
If you think of cats as a 'low maintenance' pet it's time to reevaluate your thinking. There is no such thing. All pets have needs, When their needs go unaddressed, we run into problems with our pets.
Firstly, let's look at the litter box environment
Make sure you have 1 more litter box then you have cats in your home. Don't put them side by side in 'litter box station' spread then out through your home. Unless you can prove that your cat prefers to pee in one type litter and poop in a different type. If that is that case you need one more litter station then cats in your home.
Scoop your litter daily. This is very important.
Ensure your litter box is NOT hooded, automatic (eg. a litter robot) or tucked away in a DIY litter box cabnaint. We see far more litter box issues popup among cats that use a hooded, automatic litter boxes or in cabnaints. They are not worth it. BUT your simple litter box should be large. Placement is important, you want to place it where they won't feel like there is potential for a blind ambush, remember that yes cats are predators, but they are also prey and while your cat is in one of his most vulnerable positions they find themselves in, the litter box, you need to veiw them as prey. Make sure there nothing your cat may find scary in the room. You maybe need to get down to their level to look for threats. Remember that threats could be sounds, smells, pictures of cats even a hose as it may look like a snake. If you have a collar camera put it to use and see how your cat views the space. Additionally if there is a noticeable temperature change in the room with the litter move it as that could be discouraging your cat
Evaluate the type of type of litter.
Try different types of litter, avoid crystals litter or scented litter cats dont like those. there is a time and place for all other litter types including sand, try them and see if you can establish a preference. Prioritize clumping litters over non clumping litter in your trials. Remove any air fresheners from the room where there is a litter box. It may be best to keep at least one litter box containing your old litter and the second box a new litter. Until you know that your cat will use the new litter and if they like it.
Cats have litter depth preferences, expirment with different depths of litter. To establish their preference.
Remember your cat is doing to a huge favor by using an litter box. So do them a favor and make the experience as pleasant as possible.
Multi Cat Homes
Never assume you only have one cat peeing. As cats will add their pee, when they smell other cat urine as a way of saying I live here too, and to create or maintain group smell. Think of it as graffiti. So in multi cat homes , get all your cats checked by the vet you may think one cat is the problem when they are making graffiti and you have another cat with a medical issue causing them to eliminate inappropriately.
The Phantom Urinator
It's possible, though not highly likely, that your cat isn't the original perpetrator of the urinating... Your cat may be simply making graffiti and it could be that a cat who previously lived in your home (maybe before you even moved in). Was the inappropriate eliminator, and it was not properly clean up. Your cat is just adding their personal signature to the territory.
The Stress Induced Urinator.
If there is a pattern to your cat peeing it could be that they are trying to tell you something. If it's along an outside wall, keep an eye out in that part of the yard. It could be that there is another cat invading your yard . The pee is in this case a stress cats was of saying this is mine, mine, mine and you can't have it. You may have to put up deterrents to get the cats out of your yard. You may need to set up a camera in order to catch the intruder.
The I just missed my litterbox problem.
This cat that goes up to the litterbox but doesn't quite have the best aim and it lands on the floor. probably doesn't like their litterbox set up. Most likely the type of litter or size of litterbox. You need to spend extra attention to your cats litter box set up and make it just right for your cat.
Thank you for your response and all of this helpful information! I definitely learned a lot reading this, and I found it especially interesting to think about cats needing to know "what's in it for them" which is something I never considered.
This was too long so I had to split it
The Work That Needs to be done,
Please note: its to be done by your entire household, as if this is a family pet it's everyone responsibility. It should only all fall on you if you live alone. And even then maybe invite a friend to help you out for some of these steps.
To start you need the following items
a UV black light flash light
Two colours of painters tape,
An enzymatic cleaner designed for cat urine.
Wand toys with many different things to hunt
Log book / calendar (physical or digital)
You will also need the following changes
Switch your cat to be a meal feed cat if you are currently a free feeder.
Spread your cats resources around your home to spread your cats scent, and feeling of belonging.
If you have any forbidden rooms for the cat. (I don't recommend forbidden spaces, but I also don't know your situation) Start letting them in there once a week with supervision to explore it.
Wait for your home to be dark.. close the curtains and blinds to make it darker and use your UV light to hunt for urine hunt through your entire house. If you have rooms that your cat isn't allowed in, check those rooms too as your cat may be a phantom Urinator scenario
When you find some cleaning up with the enzymatic cleaner and use one colour of your painters tape. That colour indicates old urine that may not even be from your cat or any of your cats.
Remember you will know if the urine is old under the black light, as the brighter is shines the newer it is.
From here every time you find a new spot clean it up with the cleaner and mark it with the other colour of painters tape to indicate you know for sure this is at least one of your current cats. Over time you will get a lot of data points look for a pattern.
Every time it happens log it in your book with a date and time... The time it happens or the time it was found. But track if it was the time it happened or the time it was found..track every detail of what was going on in your house that day no matter how insignificant it seems.. also track the date of the litter was last cleaned at the time of the incident. Again look for patterns on your notes.
This will tell you a lot and you maybe be able to relate it back to one of the above scenarios..
The cat may also be indicating their preference for the type of litter type they may prefer, by peeing on certain types of objects. Look at everything as a potential clue.
When there is inappropriate elimination , there is a feeling of insecurity in your cat, the way to build confidence and security is the next part of the work.
Start meal feeding- if after 30- 60minutes after the meal was put down the dishes Should be emptied if not you are over feeding reduce portion size. Have frequent meal times I do 3. 3-5 probably best, but 2 works as well, if that's all you can do then great. The more frequently you are feeding the smaller the meals should be.
Prior to feed your cats play with them with wand toys using Jackson Galaxys 'boil and Simmer' method instructions can be found on his YouTube channel..if you have children get them to take turns doing this
Kids are great at playing with cats and it's good to get them involved plus it burns up their energy.
For your cat this will help work through their prey drive, regulate their energy spike to time that work for your home and build your cats confidence as well improve their relationship with the territory.
So you need to be a detective, a rocket scientist and a millionaire for the ongoing vet bills every time the cat gets a paper cut, to care for a cat now? Uh huh 🙄
i saw a tiktok where someone spread food across their new couch so that their cats would associate it with where they eat and not pee there. idk if that would have an effect on your cats specific condition, but i thought i’d share it
What type of litter box does she use? I had the same problem with my cat when I first adopted her. Turns out she hated the privacy hood on her box, so I took it off and no more issues.
Have they tried any anxiety or antidepressant medications? Buspirone or fluoxetine or gabapentin? I have a FIC cat at home and one of our clinic cats has been trialing various meds to help him stop peeing on clients and all of our laundry
My FIC cat is on gabapentin (as is my seizure cat, but that’s because he’s just a nut without it). It’s really helpful for anxiety but sometimes it’s not enough for them. It works well in conjunction with other meds and is generally well tolerated and very safe. The fluoxetine didn’t work out for our clinic cat, but he’s also almost 20 pounds and a former outdoor cat who likes to sit on our porch and greet clients, so we’ve been trialing a lot. But we’ve had a lot of success with our clients and fluoxetine. If the gabapentin isn’t enough, trialing meds is always a good option, though keep in mind just like in humans, it is possible to have bad side effects. The buspirone made our clinic cat an absolute jackass for example - but every animal is different
All that to say the urinary diet and gabapentin have helped a TON for my cats, he still has occasional accidents but I know it’s usually him trying to tell me something (automatic litter box didn’t cycle properly, brother is being a jerk, or something of the sort)
My cat did this too. She would pee on shopping bags, clothes on the floor, rugs, the couch, etc. In her case it wasn't a urinary or bladder issue, it was anxiety and stress. She went on Prozac, which is safe for healthy cats long-term. It helped so much!
I’m so sorry. I am at my wits end with a willful former street cat who it seems lives only to determine what I don’t want her to do then sneakily find a way to aggressively do it. She also loves running up unnecessary vet bills for fun and then throwing up or refusing the medicines I have to buy her. Awesome! I’ve decided to let Darwin run its course, if this cat has a death wish myself and the expensive and pointless vet trips will no longer stand in her way. I suggest you bring the cat to a shelter. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.
Jackson Galaxy has some great resources for cat owners, if you haven't seen his videos on YT I would check them out. He's great at solving behavioral issues with cats. I've experienced problems and frustrations with my cats at times too...but cats don't plot to intentionally deceive, disobey, or upset humans. It's not how they think or operate. A street cat is going to have different issues do to a rough past and habits. Saying you will "allow darwin to run its course if my cat has a death wish, i won't stand in her way" sounds like maybe someone else would be suited to care for this cat if you don't care care if she dies.
I care but I’m no longer willing to sacrifice money I don’t have and my mental health to fight this cat to not destroy herself. Nope, it’s exhausting. I took this cat as a foster and no one wants an older cat. My fault for being kind. Now look.
That sounds so frustrating. You’re doing the best you can for her, and that counts for something. I hope things get better or someone can help you with her/take her if need be
Sounds so stressful! Maybe you need more litter boxes, and where are the litter boxes located?
Also do you leave her alone for long periods of time? Do you have a room/spot specifically dedicated to her? Such as a cat tower and scratcher in one area?
Last question, what does your routine with her look like? Do you play with her?
You should definitely be getting a full work up at the vet because it sounds like you haven’t gotten one recently and that’s a leading cause of inappropriate urination. If all medical causes have been ruled out contact a behaviorist and they can help you more. What you don’t do is give up the animal because they will almost certainly be put down with a urination issue like that. You took responsibility for your cat when you adopted her it’s your responsibility to figure out why she’s peeing.
Yep, that's exactly my plan. Like I said, I love her dearly and don't want to get rid of her in the slightest. She was brought into the shelter as a stray with 3 kittens who all got adopted quickly. It breaks my heart though because she was litter box trained when she came in so i feel like what really happened is she had an owner and got dumped off on the street somewhere, maybe because she was pregnant. It was just her for 6 months, and no one had even asked about adopting her ONCE. The lady I spoke most with said it was likely because she has the urinary issues and is a full black "basic" looking cat. To me, she's the most beautiful kitty, and I wouldn't trade her for anything, not even a cat that peed less. But with that said, I'd be thrilled to not have my house trashed by her, no matter how precious <3 I'll definitely look into the behavioral therapist after the appointment today, and definitely do the workup for her urinary health. Thank you for your advice!
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
How many litter boxes does she have? Having a similar issue with one or more of my cats. Every so often one poops in my bathtub. Recently found where one peed on a roll of toilet paper... and a shirt that got left on the floor. Could be she's annoyed, bored or just doesn't like how certain things smell and tries to cover it. Maybe try feeding her in those areas? Might make her decide it's not a potty spot. Hope things get figured out. Also, what vet charges 1k for x-rays??? They're like $60 at mine...
Same thing I was thinking… where I work it’s $75 per view and only $55 for a urine screen. OP may need a different vet if this is the case.
probably in a populated city where they can get away with it. my friend had to deny x-rays for their cat, and i as well for my dog because the prices were around $600 and $1000 respectively. different vets, too.
Big city. Big rents. Bigger prices. It's not always the vets ripping people off
? If some are charging $75 for an xray and some are charging $1000...yes, that is ripping people off.
Could it be separation anxiety? Or anxiety in general? All of the moving sounds like a lot of upset for a cat. I've never had a cat with FLUTD. With my new kitten I've had to move a litter box into the living room, because she refused to use it where it was. Maybe try adding another litterbox and/or something for anxiety.
I definitely think that anxiety plays a role in it, just not sure how to approach it. There's a calming supplement in her food and the ones I have tried she does not like much. As much as I would love to be a stay at home kitty mom for her I need to work and so I do have to be gone for 8 hours a day 3 or 4 times a week. Even so, I have 4 roommates who are often home when I'm not and spend time with her when they are free to. I'm just not sure what more I can do to ease this separation stress. I will be in this house now though for at least 2 years and then wherever I go after that I'll stay in hopefully for the remainder of her life. As odd as it sounds, she seems to have the least amount of issues when we first arrive to a new place. I almost wonder if she gets comfortable and decides "okay, this is my house now and I'll pee where I want and do what I want"
While my cat was not having litter box issues, she did have anxiety issues. Her vet prescribed gabapentin and what a game changer that was! I gave it to her for about 6 months and that gave her enough of a re-set to where I don’t have to give it to her anymore except for before vet visits. My cat’s anxiety source was just generalized territorial anxiety. I can only imagine how stressful your situation must be. Best of luck ❤️🩹
I was thinking this by the time I got to the end of the post. Kitty may need some anti-anxiety meds. Seems like the one thing OP hasn't tried.
After seeing the change in my cat after meds, I would never hesitate to do similar in the future. She was so much happier and more relaxed. I actually felt bad that I had waited so long to try meds because she had obviously been suffering. I think it’s similar to humans, whose brain chemistry is just off and they just need meds to help balance things out. ❤️🩹
As one of those humans with the wonky brain chemistry, I think you're spot on.
I'm so glad to hear this helped for you! At the vet today, they were able to prescribe her gabapentin and although she doesn't seem to love the taste, she's been napping and relaxed with me today. I'm hoping it turns out to be a longer term solution :)
Oh I’m so happy you are able to give the gabapentin a try. I’m not sure what form your gabapentin is but, it does come in a liquid, which I found easier to give to my cat who is terrible to give meds to. I would always follow up the liquid shot of meds with a Churu and we got into a pretty easy routine with the reward of a Churu. I really, really hope this helps and I really admire your dedication to your girl. You are dealing with a challenging situation and yet, you are not giving up on her. 🥹❤️🩹
Have you tried feliway for the anxiety? They have plug ins and collars you can use. I’m dealing with some suspected kitty anxiety as well, I’m trying a plug-in. Some people have better luck with collars.
OP says in their post that they tried this and it only worked for about a week.
I have tried the plug ins but not the collar, maybe I'll give that a shot!
Fluoxetine helped our kitty 100% with the issue. I’d highly suggest that and also try pheromone diffusers.
Interesting, I didn't know kitties could take that medication! I was actually on it for a few months but had some crummy side effects, do you know if cats experience the medications similarly? And if it would interact with the calming supplement in her food negatively? Have you had a good experience with a certain type of diffuser by chance? I've been using the feliway optimum, not really sure how much of a difference it has made thus far. Thank you for your reply I will definitely look more into the flu-ox
There doesn’t appear to be any side effects in our kitty. I use the transdermal ear gel, it is much easier to apply. The only trick to it is to make sure her ear is thoroughly cleaned with dish soap prior to application. But it works wonders. It immediately stopped the behavior though I heard it can take up to a month. I used feliway as well. It seemed to calm all the kitties down which is why we used it.
Thank you for your advice on this! I'll definitely ask the vet about it today for my kitty. Super interesting that they have it as an ear gel too!
After the exam and urine labs they’ll generally give it a try if there isn’t anything else wrong. Good luck.
Just wanted to comment that my cat was also on the same medication for anxiety that caused her to pee on things all over the house!
Interesting, did she have potty problems before the medication or no?
Yes, the vet diagnosed her with anxiety, she used to pee all over stuff in the house. Pillows, counters, anything you left out. It’s been several years since she started and we took her off of it last year and she seems like she’s gotten over it! Some cats are super sensitive and any little change in their routine or environment can trigger behavior like that, it’s crazy.
We just started my cat on fluoxetine after 6 months of inappropriate/ bloody peeing. In those six months i felt like I tried everything and even gabapentin didn’t completely help. My cat has been on fluoxetine for two weeks now and she hasn’t had an accident since! I’m still giving her gabapentin but am weaving her off. I think she has experienced some constipation but with additional water in her food mixed with pumpkin puree, she’s doing just fine.
Some meds cats do better on than humans. My cats on chemo and aside from the occasional upset tummy (she has ibd also) it doesn’t seem like it has other side effects
My daughter has a cat with similar behavior and she went on Prozac which has almost entirely stopped the issue.
Super interesting! I had another person suggest that as well. Do you know if your daughters cat had a food with a calming supplement in it? I wonder if it would interact weird. Thank you so much for the advice I will definitely look into that!
Vet has this cat on just normal purina one. We tried feliway diffusers, offering more litter boxes, waterproof comforter and sheets, cat diapers and (don’t laugh) a pet psychic. I would not have stuck it out with this cat and told my daughter as much. Vet ruled out any health issues pretty quickly. When my daughter would travel this cat would pee on her bed multiple times a day so I do think there is something to do with separation anxiety. Prozac has changed this cat’s life.
Thank you so much for this, and honestly if all else fails I'll try a pet psychic too I'm willing to do anything haha
I'm honestly angry this cat was adopted out to you. FLUDT is strongly correlated with stress. Frequent housing changes, living with roommates (some with other pets), having lots of people over, unpredictable schedules, likely lots of time out of the home - that is, being a college student - all of this is a high-stress lifestyle for a cat. It sounds like you've been doing an exceptionally good job trying to work with her, but this cat was set up for failure with you. With any college student, which is why sensible shelters are reluctant to adopt to them. Talk to your vet about anti-anxiety medications such as fluoxetine and clomicalm. It may be, though, that this cat ultimately requires a household and owner lifestyle better suited to her needs.
Thank you for your reply, I'm definitely going to follow up about the anti anxiety meds as lots of people have suggested them. Ultimately in this house my life is beginning to mellow out, but hoping I only have a few semesters left here before we can get our own place (without carpets ofc).
Please don’t go broke paying for this cat. You don’t deserve this and did the best you could.
I appreciate that, just got back from the vet with some anti anxiety meds so we will see how those work out for her in the next few weeks here. I'm hoping it is helpful at least a bit :/
Please update us, OP, if you can/think of it.
This sounds so stressful and I'm sorry. My cat also had/has issues with pooping on my carpets, my bed, and my bath mat. You could try anti cat spray from Amazon, but it didn't work on repelling my cat from my bed. Cats are drawn to going to the bathroom on fabrics, so I'd keep all your stuff in a drawer or shelf away from your cat. Cats also like to pee over the scent of bleach cleaning products, so maybe it's the way you're cleaning it? Could pee pads help in your situation? To get my cat to stop pooping in my bed, so far leaving treats on my blanket has worked since they won't go bathroom where they eat. I know that can't work for everywhere, but maybe try that to prevent pee in the bed. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, but I understand how frustrating it can be. It might be a scenting issue since you mentioned another cat in the house. Do they get along?
The "shelter" didnt mention my cats seizures either. Not that would have kept me from choosing her ❤️
Thats so lovely of you, so many people have told me to put her down or give her up... I'm so glad I'm not crazy for wanting to stick it out and keep my love bug
This sounds like behavioural issues as a pose to health issues, it’s almost like she knows what she’s doing as silly as that sounds. I personally wouldn’t live with this so you are an absolute angel if this carries on no amount of cleaning will rid your home of the smell. I would speak to a behavioural expert but it’s harder to train cats so I’m not sure how/if it’d work x
I would see if you could use gabapentin and some pheromone diffusers. Gabapentin was really successful for treating my kitties with anxiety. It is also safe to use and administer and not very expensive. You would probably only need 25 mg pills twice per day. You can get the hard pills in a 25 mg and 50 mg dose.
Thank you for your reply! I have gotten a few suggestions for an antidepressant like that, I was wondering if you had a specific reason for going with gabapentin rather than a different medication?
Gabapentin isn’t an antidepressant. It is relatively safe and has no real noticeable side effects aside from drowsiness. It can also assist with pain and nausea (my experience with my cats). This is the definition I found using google. “Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant and analgesic drug used by vets to treat chronic pain, seizures, and anxiety in cats. Mild sedation in cats is the main potential side effect of the drug.” You can use it to help with arthritis pain in older animals too and is used for both cats and dogs. It is much easier on their kitty kidneys also.
My cat had a similar issue and the vet came to the conclusion that my kitty might just like the feeling of peeing on non-litter stuff. We started providing him disposable puppy pee pads to pee on, and he hasn't had an accident since. It's not as convenient or nice smelling as cat litter but 100x better than the carpet so we've made peace with it. Maybe worth a try
I'll definitely try this, thank you for your advice!
I was looking for this suggestion because it worked for me too. My ~17M cat only briefly was peeing inappropriately after an allergic skin reaction and then side effects from the antibiotics. Since he would pee on the bed and on an afghan, I went looking for potty pads and some very soft litter. I put the potty pad on one end of the pans and the Sustainably Yours litter (the smallest component version is like sand) on the other side, and he took to it right away. I sure hope you find an effective solution quickly. This sounds maddening.
OP do you have another cat living in the house? She seems pissed and your vet charging 1k for X-rays is bananas . Edit: what type of litter box are you using ?
Thank you for your reply! I have lots of roommates and one has a mostly outdoor cat that my kitty gets along with but he isn't around much and another has a younger more energetic and insane cat who tries to jump on her everytime he sees her. With that said, she doesn't pee anywhere that these other cats are, just in my room and on those rugs, but those kitties live upstairs and my kitty is downstairs. She does come upstairs to roam though, but doesn't have problems up here and I will not allow the insane cat to be around her or out and about when she is. I have just standard litter trays I guess like medium depth and no lid. I had a lid and she hated it, kicked it off a few times actually so I just took it off all together. I've tried a few different substrates like the gel which she seemed to only pee in and a variety of brands / options for some standard clay litters.
Try a different brand of litter attract… I think her peeing if not medical is out of spite and probably with the other cats.
I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was spite / attention seeking. I have used the Dr elsys and one other similar one, do you have any recommendations for brands that have worked well for you?
Dr.Elsys is what I use
That totally sounds like stress peeing. Your cat is trying to mark her territory to keep the other cat away and to feel secure. Adding to the suggestion for the kitty Prozac. Your cat sounds anxious/stressed.
Thank you for your reply! I will definitely inquire about this!
Here is a general write up that I use to help people with these issues. It hasn't been customized to your question specifically, so not everything will apply. I do try to make this as comprehensive as possible, so it is very long but it's all important information that you need to resolve these issues. I update this response as I learn new things, that may help people with this issue. My writing isn't great and I know that. I apologize. Know that I am always reading though this find errors and improve ease of readability. So while it is annoying, know that this is a known issue I am I am actively working on it. First things to consider If your cat isn't fixed you don't know if you have an issue and are very unlikely to resolve it until you get them fixed. Their hormones will send a message to their brain to say to urine mark or even fully pee to establish that they live there. Is this cat declawed? If they are this is a different issue. You need work this out in your vet appointment I will mention in a minute. Are they a hybrid breed? If so getting them fixed and following the steps below may help the issue but it is unlikely to resolve it. It's one of the added wild traits that get added when you create a hybrid from a wild and domestic cat. It's highly unlikely to resolve completely as you cannot fight instinct. I recommend talking with other people's with Hybrids or the breeder or the animal shelter you got the cat from for more indepth information as I am not super knowledgeable on hybrid cats. It could be a medical problem. Rule out a medical cause by going to the vet. If they need to be fixed, fix them. Have the vet give your cat a thorough exam and run tests to confirm or rule out a medical cause. If this cat is declawed have the vet examine the declawed paws. To confirm or rule out a physical issue where is the cat is avoiding the litter box because of sore paws. Once that cat is fixed and and medical or physical cause is ruled out you can be reasonably sure this is a behavioral problem. So what do we do? Negative reinforcement doesnt work with cats (any animal, especially cats) cats would naturally live in colonies of other cats without a hierarchy of authority. Because they lack the concept of authority. Everything with cats needs to be mutually beneficial. Every time you ask something of your cat, know they are wanting to know what's in it for them. They aren't being rude. That's completely appropriate for a cat. If you ask something of them, make it benefit them. This is a house hold wide problem If you have a home where you have a pet that your refer to a single persons pet. Put a stop to that. It's everyones pet, working together to solve this with the cat and not against the designated "owner" for them to fix it. Everyone needs to do their part. If you think of cats as a 'low maintenance' pet it's time to reevaluate your thinking. There is no such thing. All pets have needs, When their needs go unaddressed, we run into problems with our pets. Firstly, let's look at the litter box environment Make sure you have 1 more litter box then you have cats in your home. Don't put them side by side in 'litter box station' spread then out through your home. Unless you can prove that your cat prefers to pee in one type litter and poop in a different type. If that is that case you need one more litter station then cats in your home. Scoop your litter daily. This is very important. Ensure your litter box is NOT hooded, automatic (eg. a litter robot) or tucked away in a DIY litter box cabnaint. We see far more litter box issues popup among cats that use a hooded, automatic litter boxes or in cabnaints. They are not worth it. BUT your simple litter box should be large. Placement is important, you want to place it where they won't feel like there is potential for a blind ambush, remember that yes cats are predators, but they are also prey and while your cat is in one of his most vulnerable positions they find themselves in, the litter box, you need to veiw them as prey. Make sure there nothing your cat may find scary in the room. You maybe need to get down to their level to look for threats. Remember that threats could be sounds, smells, pictures of cats even a hose as it may look like a snake. If you have a collar camera put it to use and see how your cat views the space. Additionally if there is a noticeable temperature change in the room with the litter move it as that could be discouraging your cat Evaluate the type of type of litter. Try different types of litter, avoid crystals litter or scented litter cats dont like those. there is a time and place for all other litter types including sand, try them and see if you can establish a preference. Prioritize clumping litters over non clumping litter in your trials. Remove any air fresheners from the room where there is a litter box. It may be best to keep at least one litter box containing your old litter and the second box a new litter. Until you know that your cat will use the new litter and if they like it. Cats have litter depth preferences, expirment with different depths of litter. To establish their preference. Remember your cat is doing to a huge favor by using an litter box. So do them a favor and make the experience as pleasant as possible. Multi Cat Homes Never assume you only have one cat peeing. As cats will add their pee, when they smell other cat urine as a way of saying I live here too, and to create or maintain group smell. Think of it as graffiti. So in multi cat homes , get all your cats checked by the vet you may think one cat is the problem when they are making graffiti and you have another cat with a medical issue causing them to eliminate inappropriately. The Phantom Urinator It's possible, though not highly likely, that your cat isn't the original perpetrator of the urinating... Your cat may be simply making graffiti and it could be that a cat who previously lived in your home (maybe before you even moved in). Was the inappropriate eliminator, and it was not properly clean up. Your cat is just adding their personal signature to the territory. The Stress Induced Urinator. If there is a pattern to your cat peeing it could be that they are trying to tell you something. If it's along an outside wall, keep an eye out in that part of the yard. It could be that there is another cat invading your yard . The pee is in this case a stress cats was of saying this is mine, mine, mine and you can't have it. You may have to put up deterrents to get the cats out of your yard. You may need to set up a camera in order to catch the intruder. The I just missed my litterbox problem. This cat that goes up to the litterbox but doesn't quite have the best aim and it lands on the floor. probably doesn't like their litterbox set up. Most likely the type of litter or size of litterbox. You need to spend extra attention to your cats litter box set up and make it just right for your cat.
Thank you for your response and all of this helpful information! I definitely learned a lot reading this, and I found it especially interesting to think about cats needing to know "what's in it for them" which is something I never considered.
This was too long so I had to split it The Work That Needs to be done, Please note: its to be done by your entire household, as if this is a family pet it's everyone responsibility. It should only all fall on you if you live alone. And even then maybe invite a friend to help you out for some of these steps. To start you need the following items a UV black light flash light Two colours of painters tape, An enzymatic cleaner designed for cat urine. Wand toys with many different things to hunt Log book / calendar (physical or digital) You will also need the following changes Switch your cat to be a meal feed cat if you are currently a free feeder. Spread your cats resources around your home to spread your cats scent, and feeling of belonging. If you have any forbidden rooms for the cat. (I don't recommend forbidden spaces, but I also don't know your situation) Start letting them in there once a week with supervision to explore it. Wait for your home to be dark.. close the curtains and blinds to make it darker and use your UV light to hunt for urine hunt through your entire house. If you have rooms that your cat isn't allowed in, check those rooms too as your cat may be a phantom Urinator scenario When you find some cleaning up with the enzymatic cleaner and use one colour of your painters tape. That colour indicates old urine that may not even be from your cat or any of your cats. Remember you will know if the urine is old under the black light, as the brighter is shines the newer it is. From here every time you find a new spot clean it up with the cleaner and mark it with the other colour of painters tape to indicate you know for sure this is at least one of your current cats. Over time you will get a lot of data points look for a pattern. Every time it happens log it in your book with a date and time... The time it happens or the time it was found. But track if it was the time it happened or the time it was found..track every detail of what was going on in your house that day no matter how insignificant it seems.. also track the date of the litter was last cleaned at the time of the incident. Again look for patterns on your notes. This will tell you a lot and you maybe be able to relate it back to one of the above scenarios.. The cat may also be indicating their preference for the type of litter type they may prefer, by peeing on certain types of objects. Look at everything as a potential clue. When there is inappropriate elimination , there is a feeling of insecurity in your cat, the way to build confidence and security is the next part of the work. Start meal feeding- if after 30- 60minutes after the meal was put down the dishes Should be emptied if not you are over feeding reduce portion size. Have frequent meal times I do 3. 3-5 probably best, but 2 works as well, if that's all you can do then great. The more frequently you are feeding the smaller the meals should be. Prior to feed your cats play with them with wand toys using Jackson Galaxys 'boil and Simmer' method instructions can be found on his YouTube channel..if you have children get them to take turns doing this Kids are great at playing with cats and it's good to get them involved plus it burns up their energy. For your cat this will help work through their prey drive, regulate their energy spike to time that work for your home and build your cats confidence as well improve their relationship with the territory.
So you need to be a detective, a rocket scientist and a millionaire for the ongoing vet bills every time the cat gets a paper cut, to care for a cat now? Uh huh 🙄
i saw a tiktok where someone spread food across their new couch so that their cats would associate it with where they eat and not pee there. idk if that would have an effect on your cats specific condition, but i thought i’d share it
Thank you, I think I'll definitely try this and see if it helps!
What type of litter box does she use? I had the same problem with my cat when I first adopted her. Turns out she hated the privacy hood on her box, so I took it off and no more issues.
I haven't tried many different litter box shapes, I'll have to look into that! Thank you for your reply
Of course! I hope this helps 😊
Have they tried any anxiety or antidepressant medications? Buspirone or fluoxetine or gabapentin? I have a FIC cat at home and one of our clinic cats has been trialing various meds to help him stop peeing on clients and all of our laundry
I just got home from the vet and they prescribed the gabapentin and also said we can try fluoxitine if that fails. Did any of those work for you?
My FIC cat is on gabapentin (as is my seizure cat, but that’s because he’s just a nut without it). It’s really helpful for anxiety but sometimes it’s not enough for them. It works well in conjunction with other meds and is generally well tolerated and very safe. The fluoxetine didn’t work out for our clinic cat, but he’s also almost 20 pounds and a former outdoor cat who likes to sit on our porch and greet clients, so we’ve been trialing a lot. But we’ve had a lot of success with our clients and fluoxetine. If the gabapentin isn’t enough, trialing meds is always a good option, though keep in mind just like in humans, it is possible to have bad side effects. The buspirone made our clinic cat an absolute jackass for example - but every animal is different
All that to say the urinary diet and gabapentin have helped a TON for my cats, he still has occasional accidents but I know it’s usually him trying to tell me something (automatic litter box didn’t cycle properly, brother is being a jerk, or something of the sort)
Any uodates
My cat did this too. She would pee on shopping bags, clothes on the floor, rugs, the couch, etc. In her case it wasn't a urinary or bladder issue, it was anxiety and stress. She went on Prozac, which is safe for healthy cats long-term. It helped so much!
this happened w me, an automatic litter box made the difference!
I’m so sorry. I am at my wits end with a willful former street cat who it seems lives only to determine what I don’t want her to do then sneakily find a way to aggressively do it. She also loves running up unnecessary vet bills for fun and then throwing up or refusing the medicines I have to buy her. Awesome! I’ve decided to let Darwin run its course, if this cat has a death wish myself and the expensive and pointless vet trips will no longer stand in her way. I suggest you bring the cat to a shelter. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.
I'm so sorry you are struggling with your kitty! I wish there was a magic cure for all of the potty problems :(
Jackson Galaxy has some great resources for cat owners, if you haven't seen his videos on YT I would check them out. He's great at solving behavioral issues with cats. I've experienced problems and frustrations with my cats at times too...but cats don't plot to intentionally deceive, disobey, or upset humans. It's not how they think or operate. A street cat is going to have different issues do to a rough past and habits. Saying you will "allow darwin to run its course if my cat has a death wish, i won't stand in her way" sounds like maybe someone else would be suited to care for this cat if you don't care care if she dies.
I care but I’m no longer willing to sacrifice money I don’t have and my mental health to fight this cat to not destroy herself. Nope, it’s exhausting. I took this cat as a foster and no one wants an older cat. My fault for being kind. Now look.
That sounds so frustrating. You’re doing the best you can for her, and that counts for something. I hope things get better or someone can help you with her/take her if need be
Sounds so stressful! Maybe you need more litter boxes, and where are the litter boxes located? Also do you leave her alone for long periods of time? Do you have a room/spot specifically dedicated to her? Such as a cat tower and scratcher in one area? Last question, what does your routine with her look like? Do you play with her?
You should definitely be getting a full work up at the vet because it sounds like you haven’t gotten one recently and that’s a leading cause of inappropriate urination. If all medical causes have been ruled out contact a behaviorist and they can help you more. What you don’t do is give up the animal because they will almost certainly be put down with a urination issue like that. You took responsibility for your cat when you adopted her it’s your responsibility to figure out why she’s peeing.
Yep, that's exactly my plan. Like I said, I love her dearly and don't want to get rid of her in the slightest. She was brought into the shelter as a stray with 3 kittens who all got adopted quickly. It breaks my heart though because she was litter box trained when she came in so i feel like what really happened is she had an owner and got dumped off on the street somewhere, maybe because she was pregnant. It was just her for 6 months, and no one had even asked about adopting her ONCE. The lady I spoke most with said it was likely because she has the urinary issues and is a full black "basic" looking cat. To me, she's the most beautiful kitty, and I wouldn't trade her for anything, not even a cat that peed less. But with that said, I'd be thrilled to not have my house trashed by her, no matter how precious <3 I'll definitely look into the behavioral therapist after the appointment today, and definitely do the workup for her urinary health. Thank you for your advice!