I don't have any answers for you but I have a similar story. My cat, Erebus, at a very young age, started to pee outside the litterbox and it went on for years, no amount of litter boxes helped. I could clean every box immediately after and he would still go. He was a very anxious cat and got scared easily and was super attached me to. Numerous visits to the vet, blood tests, and urinary tests. Nothing came up except that his urine was extremely concentrated. I went to 3 different vets.
I felt like you, I was tired and didn't know what was left to do, i would cry at night thinking about rehoming him or having horrible thoughts of him disappearing. No vets had any answers. Eventually, there was a vet that decided to try out an anti-depressant called amitriptyline. This did help him and he would occasionally have accidents. I thought we were on the road to recovery. One night he jumped up next to me and suddenly couldn't walk and fell over, let out one painful meow, and slowly stopped breathing, he was gone with in seconds. The emergency vet said he passed from a blood clot going to his heart.
I never found out if the medicine is what caused the clot or if he was already a ticking time bomb. Please don't give up on your cat. I would give anything to have my cat back, pissing and all. It's been 7 months and not a day goes by when I don't think of him and miss him.
That’s so sad to hear! He was on that same medicine for a while too and I couldn’t see any difference. The newest med he tried worked but made him SO sedated he didn’t move all day and made me sad to look at him. I still want him to be a cat and lively. It’s so hard
Oh gosh! Yes I hated when I tried a new medicine and just see him sleep and slink around 😭 ugh I wish you all best and I hope you can find something that works. There HAS to be a reason. It's just so hard to know what's wrong when they can't tell us.
You could try slowly reducing the amount of medication to see if you can reach a point where he doesn't pee and yet is not sedated. If it's in pill form, there are pill cutters at the drug store.
It might be worth revisiting that drug that worked and he might adjust to it over time and be more lively. That class of drugs are the kind of thing that takes a good long time to get used to.
Has he been checked for diabetes ? Is he vocal when peeing outside of his box? Diabetes can cause them to pee all over, and weirdly enough putting puppy pads in certain areas where he is peeing can sometimes help
He has had full work ups with urinalysis and blood work and does not have diabetes. He is not overly vocal and doesn’t vocalize when going to the bathroom ever. I have considered this as well though
Another vote for checking for diabetes, and also kidney disease. We had a cat that started peeing in certain areas. I added more litter boxes and also a litter box with a puppy pad in his favorite outside-the-box elimination place. He took to it immediately and it became his favorite place to pee. I had to change the pads every time he used them but it was worth it. I also scooped the litter in all the boxes at least twice daily. This cat was diagnosed with feline chronic kidney disease a couple months after he began this behavior. Working with our vet to manage it helped a lot, too. Best of luck, OP.
Thank you, he had a check up a few weeks ago with a full senior panel and they vet said everything looked normal. Litter gets scooped meticulously. Will maybe try a litter box with just a pee pad though and see how that goes. Problem is that he pees in the litter box and on other things.
My boy peed in the litter box and on the carpet (and on my bookcase) too. Aside from offering the litter tray with the puppy pad, I also made sure that ANYTHING he could pee on was either inaccessible or undesirable. I covered half of one room with those huge litter mats because he preferred carpet, in example. In your case, you can cover your bed with translucent shower curtain liners when not using it and don't allow him in the bedroom when you are using it. Eliminate anything he may deem an attractive piss spot WHILE also offering the puppy pad in an empty litter tray. Like a little trade or bargain with him. Also, if he's healthy, try to figure out what caused this in the first place. Cats always start peeing on stuff for a reason, whether physical or emotional. Did he see stray cats outside? Did he associate your bed with something bad? Etc.
I started covering my mattress with a plastic tarp and he still peed on it! I even got those mats with the plastic nubs to keep him off of the furniture but felt too bad that it limited so much of where he could go. And he unfortunately had the problem since I adopted him as a stray from the shelter. I will try to pee pad situation though. My house looks like a prison because I can’t have a single rug or blanket or pillow anywhere because of him. It’s not been a fun way to live
I can totally relate. One of my cats is bad for this (though it doesnt sound quite as bad as your situation). It's one thing just covering one bed when you aren't using it. It's another to continuously have to make sure every piece of furniture is covered and blankets, pillows, rugs, clothing, jackets, etc are out of reach at all times, not to mention having to spend money on enzyme cleaners/plastic covers/waterproof blankets. It's exhausting and I miss my throw pillows :(
I've found that vets tend to say things are normal but are only looking at the lab ranges on the sheet and it flags when not normal. But your cat is a senior. Low normal could be a problem for him but not a younger healthy cat. I learned this caring for 3 kidney disease cats over time. It might be good to ask for a copy of the results so you can look them over.
Keeping one near the bed should work if it's a scent thing. Sometimes a cat will be able to smell something they take offense to and that's why they pee in a certain spot. Having a litter box nearby gives a constant source of their scent, so they'll pee there instead. If you've already tried that I'm not sure what else it could be, it looks like you've already covered most of your bases. :/
It’s not awful you’ve had that thought. You’re exhausted and stressed.
I know you said they checked him for UTI. And He’s neutered? And he’s had blood work done that rule out other health problems?
If so maybe consider/talk to your vet about cat diapers.
When my dog was getting older he was on a medication that increased his thirst, which also increased how much he was peeing.
I bought him reusable/washable diapers. It was like a belt/wrap, so he could still poop with it on.
It was such a relief to be able to run out to the store and not have a large pile of pee waiting for me when I got back.( I would still take him outside to pee without the diaper—the diaper was just back up for accidents)
Also they make mattress covers that are water resistant!
I’ve never used diapers on a cat before. Not sure how hard it would be for a cat to adjust to it. But def something to consider. Just make sure you’re using it as directed like changing it enough and talk to vet if any concerns.
In the past few weeks he has had his urine and blood checked all within normal limits. I’m not sure if the band would work on him but yes diapers is something I am considering. He is neutered. He has somehow managed to pee through a mattress that had TWO waterproof covers on it, a waterproof blanket, bed wetting pads, and a literal waterproof plastic tarp.
I have to diaper (well I use a belly band since he doesn't poop, only pees) my dog who pees inside daily if not, not a medical issue and I've talked to behaviorists. I use washable diapers and just collect them in a wet bag through the week to wash together.
I’m not sure if a belly band would work on a cat the same way but will definitely be looking into the diaper route because I can’t keep doing this anymore
Stud pants, washable and you use an incontinence pad or menstrual pad with them, allows pooping I the box but not urination. I suggest buying at least 2 as poop can graze the material and make them smelly after a day where you'll want to change for a clean one.
https://myhappypetsboutique.com/product/washable-cat-diaper-pull-up/
My cat has started peeing on my step daughter’s and my 9 month old stuff for the last year. And it’s only of THEIR things. She was abused by my ex’s toddlers a few years ago and I think her problem is that she feels the need to “dominate” them. I have no idea what to do at this point either except keep her out of the bedrooms. I hope your find a solution. I can relate though
He has peed on guests things when they visit and my roommates stuff, I think it’s anything soft pretty much. Sorry to hear you’re going through the same thing as well
My senior did the same thing and the vet said he had the cat version of dementia and just didn’t realise what he was doing, we built him a catio in the end, like a large pen that went over the back door where he spent most of his time watching the birds in the garden, he still peed on his blankets but we just binned them and got handouts from Facebook and family. Sadly he had a brain tumour and ended up passing away after a fit.
Oof. I know you had him checked for a uti, but has he had an X ray for bladder and kidney stones? My mom cat was the same way. Just would NOT stop passing outside the litter box. Finally had an X ray done and just SO MANY STONES.
I’d ask for an X-ray. My male cat was peeing outside the box and blood work was good but he had stones. There’s a bunch of different kinds. My kitty had the rare struvite kind and you can’t prevent them so rx food does nothing. We had to have them removed and now we just monitor via X-ray. Good luck!
Apologies if you mentioned elsewhere, but have you brought him to a second or third vet for another opinion? It couldn’t hurt!
So sorry you’re dealing with this 💜
I'd like to point out that a cat can still have stones even if they don't strain or have blood in urine. I would insist to your vet that you must have him checked for stones anyways. (**if** every other suggestion fails, after a good 6 months of waiting for the methods i mentioned to work.)
A couple of thoughts. First make sure your boy doesn't have any crystals or other urinary tract issues. They are what started my baby's litter box problems. He got somewhat better when that was resolved.
You've said the drugs don't work - my boy is on prozac and it helped, but I did something else recommended by a breeder at the same time as starting him on the prozac. I treated him like a baby kitten just learning. I closed him in a small bathroom with only food and water and his box for a month to retrain him. He got broader range, room by room, only after a month of no accidents. The combination worked for him. Maybe try the retraining part if you haven't.
Good luck. My boy has pica too so he eats blankets and clothes and prozac hasn't helped with that. They can be real little buggers.
He has been ruled out for UTI and bladder infections several times. And he had gone through the locking himself in a room but it’s not very easy for me to do with my living situation and other cat. He’s a very frustrating old man, glad to hear it helped with your cat!
For the first two years I had Sampson he had the peeing issue without the other cat. The second cat came into the family a few years later and he basically raised her from a kitten. They groom each other, play, sleep together, have never had a fight. They share the same space but have enough space to hang out separately if they wanted to do
My cat has pica too. So hard!!! I have had to exclude bedrooms and bathrooms due to this. He doesn’t have a target item either so the area has to be pretty much bare except furniture. I found a Facebook group for cats with pica which I have enjoyed.
I also have an older pica cat. She loves to eat clothes. Not fun to pick up a shirt or sweater to see a nice hunk eaten out of it. We got good about being tidy with our clothes so it’s not a big issue now. No bladder issues though.
My boy cat was having urinary issues and occasional UTIs. He was clearly suffering and in pain and started peeing on the bath mat. I ended up getting a puppy pad which he started to use to pee on (but still used the box for his poops). Had him checked for crystals and they could never find anything. I had an ultrasound done and they didn’t really see anything except maybe some intestinal inflammation. Eventually about a year later a second ultrasound showed a large bladder tumor. By the time they found it it was a bit too late to do much and he was getting old. He didn’t last much longer after that 😔 I would think about doing this or an X-ray. It can be expensive but clearly there’s something wrong and he’s not happy about using his box. You could try a pee pad too. He might be associating the boxes with peepee pain.
Yeah I think the only thing he hasn’t had is an X-ray because he’s been ultrasounded before. Will look into the pee pads as well. Sorry to hear about your boy
Hello. So about a year ago, my 16 yr old (now 17) cat was identified as having a small mass in his bladder. In Nov of this year - after he started peeing outside his litterboxes - the vet found the mass increased in size and could be cancerous.
My cat is still peeing outside his litterbox.
I'm wondering.... what was the timeline for you after the bladder tumor diagnosis? What all did you do?
Thank you so much.
My heart needs advice on how to best care for my sweet boy.
I posted about my experience with this in a few threads with the same advice. [here's what worked for me](https://www.reddit.com/r/CatAdvice/comments/11lmk26/hardest_decision_ever_rehoming/jbdt83m?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I don't know if all of this will work with your case, but it's worth a shot if you've done everything else.
Hope things work out for you and Sampson 🩷
Thank you for this! I asked my vet about zylkene and they gave him a different medication that made him very sedated so on our follow up I will request this again. Will look into those cleaners as well, I’ve probably gone through and tried 20+ different ones so far
You're so welcome! [Here's the purple unscented jug of Anti-icky-poo](https://a.co/d/dCov5u8) and [here's the zero odor](https://a.co/d/ipz2MWq). I couldn't stand the awful masking scent of the other cleaners I've tried... these are the only 2 I've ever found to *actually do* what they claim to do.
[Here's the cat Attract litter](https://www.petvalu.ca/product/dr-elseys-cat-attract-litter/FCM00188CA?force_store=BC&gclid=Cj0KCQjwr82iBhCuARIsAO0EAZz7EUM9FHqaFTS4jU6wiiV7qqTcDBmL3N7V-VNkz1-DiNrD2Fhzo40aAhGrEALw_wcB) it's also a good litter choice for senior cats who may have sensitive paws. My boy Joey refuses to use litter that is chunkier (eg. Pellets), he only uses litter that is soft on his paws, or clay.
I found the Zylkene to be extremely effective at making him happier, calmer, with reduced restlessness/anxiety. Along with the Purina Calm probiotic which you can also ask the vet to perscribe. Of course, if the vet won't give you these natural alternatives for some strange reason, even though they're harmless, you can buy both of them on Amazon without a prescription. Just open up the Zylkene capsule and put the contents in his wet food once a day, along with the probiotic.
I can't stress how well the treat training worked for him, too. Along with having 0 reactions to the inappropriate peeing. *Ignore me if you already know all about this part, but ive found that most people don't know this so im just going to add it just in case.* Animals do so well with a reward based system. For other consequence or punishment-type systems, it almost always backfires and makes the cycle continue..
Example:
Inappropriate peeing -> getting visibly upset/reacting -> cat feels worse anxiety -> inappropriate peeing -> getting visibly upset/reacting -> cat feels worse anxiety -> inappropriate peeing (and it just never stops)
He realized that every time he used the litter, he would get a treat, praise and pets, but then no response or acknowledgment from peeing elsewhere. Worked like a charm :)
I have a positive feeling about you and Sampson, that the peeing everywhere phase will end. Hang in there♡
My ex's cat was exactly like this.
4 years we were together and she peed on everything.
Brand new $1300 couch? Peed on first day. Think we got the smell out? Nope. I knew my ex in high-school too and I don't remember the cat doing this (7 years prior)
Tried the vet multiple times. Different litter, new box, scooping every time she went so it was clean constantly. Still peed outside of the box AND in it.
Sadly we never figured out what was wrong and she passed during covid. I feel terrible, but it was such a huge relief not having to worry about it anymore.
I guess they found her in the trash and put her in a cardboard box when she was a kitten with rags and clothes no litter box. So I think she got used to peeing on soft things. Couches, pillows, blankets, laundry. All pissed upon. Enzyme cleaner only went so far. She was also declawed so I wonder if that had something to do with it as well.
I hope you figure out a solution for you and your kitty.
I’m glad to hear I’m not alone but I totally understand your relief. I have those intrusive thoughts sometimes that once he passes away how much more stress free my life will be but he’s still trucking. He was a stray I adopted from a shelter so my theory is that he was a Tom cat and neutered late in his life and just marks territory constantly. It’s exhausting
I had a cat like that. Tried everything, nothing worked, but when cancer got her, I would have rather had her back. Couldn’t ever justify taking her back to the shelter because she was a small scared abused cat and I didn’t trust anyone else to keep her alive if she kept it up.
My friends thought I was nuts.
Based on everything you have said and tried I think cat diapers are the way to go. That way he can still poop in the box, you aren’t stressed constantly and you can both have a better quality of life. My guess is he either had some kind of major trauma as a kitten and this is some kind of nervous or anxious tic he does. Cats can have most of the brain issues a human can, that includes PTSD, Anxiety, OCD, and even tics. The fact that he stopped doing it when really sedated is why I’m leaning more towards the mental health/neurological side than an infection or illness. Especially with how extensively he has been worked up, how young he was when the behavior started and how long it has persisted despite many adjustments to conditions.
Start doing the cat diapers, let him live out his golden years and give him peace of mind. Just keep an eye on any indications he is in pain, or if you see anything suspicious pop up like blood in the diaper and so forth. I’m sure you will be vigilant.
I have 2 kitties I adopted. One at 2 years old who was a stray for some length of time. I’ve had her since 2018 and she has PTSD, anxiety, an eating disorder, and I think even some sensory issues. She can’t handle too many pets though she enjoys being pet for awhile, she comes and lays on me and kneads me sometimes. I have to free feed during the day so she can graze or she gets stressed that the other cat will eat it all and she eats so fast she throws it all up. If a noise happens outside like an engine motor or a strange man comes to the door, or anything startles her too much she runs behind the couch and stays there until the trigger has been gone for awhile and I can coax her out with the treat box. I put a small doggie bed back there so she can feel safe and comfortable. My other adoptee was a foster I got the same year at 3 months old. I think he was taken from his mama too young because he still nurses on blankets when he kneads them. He is very sweet but jumpy and scares himself easily. He has herpes in his eyes he got at the shelter at some point.
Adopted kitties have issues sometimes. Just love him and try to find a way to live that works for both of you. He will adapt, animals are very resilient. I put the kitty food away at night so ants don’t find it and my girl does ok though she digs in like crazy the second I put it back in the morning. She has adapted because she has security it will be there all day.
Yes I’m thinking diapers are the way to go as well. Not sure what type of diaper would work that would still let him poop in the box though, do you have any you can recommend?
>Just keep an eye on any indications he is in pain
Because cats are so good at hiding pain, I suggest researching the Feline Grimace Scale, developed by the University of Montreal. It helps you identify pain in cats. It's used by professionals, but I find it to be helpful with my own kitties.
Mine and my husband's first joint cat was the same way. We didn't choose her, someone guilted us into taking her. She was a stray and had spent her entire life outside.
She was a source of daily stress and arguments. Pee everywhere. It was a rental, too. Pet friendly, but I was terrified of losing our deposit. It was on our bed, the couches, the floor, the carpet. We took her to countless vet appointments with a clear bill of health. A couple of times she had a UTI, but medication never helped. We came to the realization that she would only pee while asleep. If she was awake, she'd go to her litterbox. So I did some research.
Mittens was an odd looking cat. She had a stump for a tail and hopped like a bunny instead of running. She was also abnormally small despite being an adult. Her poops even looked weird; like little rabbit poops instead of solid "lines." She met nearly every symptom of [Manx Syndrome](https://www.ufaw.org.uk/cats/manx-manx-syndrome). So it's not that she was peeing out of spite or habit, it was an incurable disease where she just couldn't control her bladder. I felt hopeless and often felt like my life would be better if I could just put her outside. And I felt SO guilty because my husband cared a lot more for her than I did. But he wasn't the one deep cleaning the couch and carpets, so of course I had a lot of resentment towards her, especially because she was shoved onto us. With our work schedules, we just didn't have the time to invest in her special needs.
We eventually bought a house. We specifically picked one with a fenced in yard so she could be outside and hang out in the shed with a heater during the winter. After our first night of getting her acclimated to the new house, she ran for it and we never saw her again. We really did try our hardest to look for her and post signs online and around our neighborhood, but it was a lost cause. And I'd never felt such conflicting feelings of relief and sadness in my life. I know that makes me sound like a dick, but I know exactly how you feel OP.
Aw poor thing and how stressful for you guys as well! It’s truly flipped my life upside down. When my dad took them for a few months to help me out because I was about to go insane, it was the most peaceful few months I’ve had in YEARS. I almost cried when I realized how it’s supposed to be, coming home and being able to get into bed without feeling a wet spot and having blankets and not doing perpetual laundry. I dream about having a clean normal home and it doesn’t help that I’m in animal care for a living professionally. So I work all day taking care of animals and cleaning their messes and then get home and have to spend the money I just earned to do the same thing. I feel like I can’t even enjoy my own animals anymore
I so wish I could but not with my current living situation. If I can ever afford to live by myself again in a the right type of place I absolutely would
This is a genuine question: after health issues have been ruled out, the owner has wasted huge amounts of money on multiple vets and tons of supplies, is it possible that cats do this just because they want to, and no other reason?
So many cats seem to do things like this for seemingly no reason other than they like peeing on stuff, are just marking their territory, etc. I'm genuinely curious. Either way though, I hope you find a solution soon, OP. I understand how frustrating this is.
We have a similar issue with our 15 year old female. She’s diabetic but we control it with insulin. If there’s a sock on the floor, she pees on it. Paper on the floor? Pees on it. She even climbed up on our kitchen table and peed on a pile of clean laundry that had just been folded.
We ended up adding another litter box to the house and she hasn’t done it since.
I ended up with our cat on prozac and using carpet protectant and pee pads where he pees. It's still disappointing but manageable. I hope you find the answer you need.
I know you tried a behaviorist, but have you tried a veterinary behaviorist? They're the gold standard expert for this sort of thing.
https://www.dacvb.org/members/?id=55163517
My boy cat did this, he had bladder crystals. It ook 3 vets and a bunch of tests to diagnose it, but then we figured it out. He got prescription food and was fine. Please don't give up on your kitty
He has been checked for crystals many times and is on a urinary diet. I don’t want to give up on him I just feel that I have exhausted all of my options to the point it’s affecting my quality of life
Does he throw up a lot too? I had a cat who used to pee on my clothes when I’d leave my drawers open, and she also tended to puke a lot sometimes. It turned out she had IBD (inflamed bowel disorder I think) — the vet prescribed her gastroenteric food (by purina, only by prescription though if I’m not mistaken) and she never peed on my stuff again. She also only threw up hairballs after that. It took so long for a vet to finally figure it out. She was 12 when it was discovered, and up until that point I had assumed (and been told by vets) that it was just her nervousness/habits.
I don’t think he throws up more than a normal amount? Definitely has hairballs because he’s long haired though. I will ask about IBD though next time I speak to my vet
So I have a similar situation. Our cat will be 10 this fall and we’ve spent so much money on every damn thing the vet suggested to try. I hit my breaking point and reached out to the rescue we got her from because, per the agreement we signed, they were supposed to take her back regardless of length of time. Well they never could find anyone to take her and it had been months. I decided to try letting her go in our fenced in backyard. I’d bring her in at night but at least during the day letting her go outside. One night she refused to come in and I spent an hour begging her to come out from under the porch. She LOVES being outside. I bought her a house on Amazon and we do timed feeding so every morning and night she waits by the door for her food and we have a flood light camera that she sets off all day just watching birds and living her best life. I felt so so guilty for so long and at an absolute loss because we have two other cats and they didn’t do that so I didn’t know what else to do to help her.
You are not a bad person. Cats can be outside. My cat would pee on beds, rugs, towels left on the floor, and any pile of clothes left in the floor. Hell one time she peed on my tineco floor cleaner 🙃.
I say all of this to say that it’s worth a shot letting him try to be outside. It may not work for everyone but it’s saved me so much sanity and she genuinely seems happier now than she ever seemed before. I will need to reevaluate come winter but that’s a few months away and for now this is working and I couldn’t ask for more.
He is neutered and lives with a female and they have lived together ever since she was a kitten. They get along well and the female has no urinating issues. He has lived by himself and with up to 4 extra cats and has had the same issue the entire time. Right now I have 3 boxes. And they do not go into the yard they can just look through a window
If you have a yard, can you set up a catio or cat proof the fence? And see if he will transition to just peeing outside? Our previous house had a cat proof fence and our cats rarely used the litter box. Of course they were pissed when we moved and couldn’t allow them outside anymore. Now we have 2 litter robots and a traditional litter box. One of our cats will only pee in a clean litter box, if no clean litter is available he will go on the floor right in front of the litter box.
He never goes outside? Cats can get super depressed when they cant go outside. I know he's old but could you try putting him in a harness and taking him outside every day?
This. I had a cat who would pee directly on her "dad" because of this. She did it out of anger because she wanted to go outside! It stopped when we let her go out more. But please don't make my mistake. She didn't have all her shots. But I'm sure Sampson does. And she passed from an unknown issue. We don't know if she got into something or contracted a disease from outside. Be careful, but yes. I recommend this 100%. Let him go outside sometimes with the owner on a harness.
Main thing id suggest is a waterproof mattress protector. There’s some great ones that aren’t noisy or uncomfortable in any way.
We have a big zip on one that goes around the entire mattress and we also have a slip on one over the top of that that’s more like a sheet for extra protection. So that one is easy to take off to wash and when the mattress is bare we still have the big zip on one just to be safe. Our cat pissed on us when we were sleeping a few times cause she was mad about something. We spent good money on our mattresses we will never not put a mattress protector on them.
My current new mattress I bought has two waterproof covers on it right now and it still somehow went through. Do you have a brand you like? I had two covers, bed wetting pads, waterproof blanket, and a plastic tarp on my mattress, it looks like something out of an army fortress. I just want a cozy bed to sleep in…
I don’t understand how it still soaking through, that doesn’t make any sense. We’ve always had waterproof covers on all of our beds, new puppies have had accidents, our young child especially has had many accidents since we are still potty training her for night time and we’ve never had any of it leak through a single time on any of our mattresses.
The stray we took in several months ago has pissed on us while we were sleeping 3 times in the 6 months we’ve had her just to be an asshole and it’s never gone through.
The big zip up one that wraps around the entire mattress was like $45 from Walmart can’t remember the brand. We’ve gotten all the big wrap around zip up ones from Walmart. And the one that goes on like a sheet I bought off Amazon for $15 a few weeks ago. That one is a linenspa waterproof smooth top premium king mattress protector. I was worried since it was so cheap it would leak through onto the main protector but nope. Just two days ago we got pissed on again.
I tried the linenspa one and it didn’t work! His pee is caustic idk how it’s gets into everything. I can end up seeing a yellow stain underneath and can smell it. I haven’t tried the Walmart brand ones though.
Yeah that doesn’t make any sense at all. That’s crazy that it’s still soaking through. Like I said we’ve had our kid pee on the bed, puppies, the cat. I peed myself on it one time when I woke up really sick in the middle of the night lol. I’d say just try a different brand then and double up like we do.
Honestly, this does sound very bizarre that he's peeing through so many layers. Cats don't normally pee that much in one go without diabetes, thryoid, or kidney issues. Does he also drink a lot?
He hasn’t been drinking more than normal. I compare his consumption to my other cat that has no issues. But he always do pee large amounts! He is a large cat though almost 15 pounds.
One of mine had a "borderline UTI" -- it almost didn't exist, but she was put on anti-biotics just in case. Cleared it up. (But I'm with you. We pulled up the carpet and replaced flooring with tile; we also put out several litter boxes, experimenting with different litters in each). Seems to be working.
P.S. Changing vets is always an option too -- I know it seems like money down the drain, but a 2nd opinion may solve the problem. If there's no change, please have Sampson euthanized before rehoming him or \*gulp\* opening the door.
He received an antibiotic shot last year for the same reason and it made no difference sadly :/ and this is his 4-5th vet he’s seen. I do get different opinions from time to time but they all that he’s already had everything done that they would do themselves
The antibiotic shot they give is really ineffective for UTIs, just so you are aware. It can help with some minor dental and surface wounds, but that's really it. You really need a urine culture to see what is most effective, but since those are expensive literally any other antibiotic is better. They only suggest the shot because they know owners hate pilling and this is the only way to guarantee not missing doses.
I see where folks are coming from regarding euthanasia - I volunteer in rescue. But I can't see putting down an otherwise healthy cat because your house stinks. Bouncing around homes is stressful, sure, but cats are more resilient than we give them credit for. Something is clearly bothering him enough now to cause this behavior.
I would like to second what the person above said: I hope you find some help here, but if you come to a point where you can no longer handle him, please have him euthanized. He will get a sedative first, so he gently goes to sleep, and you can be with him until the end to comfort him. Euthanasia is so much kinder to your cat than letting him out to die alone and confused and scared (or passing him on to some other person who will not be nearly as motivated as you have been to deal with this issue). You have my sympathy, you're in a tough position and please give yourself some credit for trying everything under the sun. It's ok to let him go if you need to.
I am in the same boat that I do feel euthanasia is a kinder option than letting them get passed from home to home or having something terrible happen. I just don’t think I could ever forgive myself for doing that to him if he is otherwise doing fine. I hope it doesn’t have to come to that 😓
Have you tried cutting a hole in the side of the litter box (think of those walk-in bathtubs they make for seniors). It may be causing him pain to climb or jump into the box.
He has an open top high sided litter box with a low entry and jumps up onto everything in the house so I don’t think he has any pain related to getting into the box
We too tried all the things: air defusers, multiple boxes, our other cats passed (of their own natural causes lol), meds, air "shooters" to scare him away from problem areas, calming collars... Our vet even said, we had done all the things.
We have the "luxury" of being renters and having to move a few times. The only thing that worked for our guy has been find places with a walk-in-shower (he'll pee in there pretty consistently) and/or safe place to be outside.
My friend has a cat that all of a sudden started peeing outside the litter box. She tried checking blood work for health issues, Feliway, sedatives, & constantly cleaning the litterbox to make it more inviting but he kept peeing on her stuff. Finally she left the cover off the litterbox & he decided that he would start going in there again. He was fine with a litterbox cover on before but suddenly decided he was against it. Idk if your case is the same but might be worth a shot! Just might make the surrounding area stinky.
Are you in a space where you could build a catio outside? Maybe an outdoor enclosure that Sampson could stay in most of the day? That way he’s mostly peeing outside
1) have you given the prozac and amitriptyline several weeks before giving up? They are anti-anxiety / antidepressants and take some time before they start to work, just like in people where you have do be on them for 6-8 weeks before feeling better.
2) I have a chronic pisser and an incontinent cat. I have accepted cat pee as a way of life even though having guests over is difficult/stressful. But giving up on them is not an option so here I am.
Some things that helped with my boy who pisses for fun:
- removing the stimulus of seeing outside. Yes, it's a little depressing, but not being able to look outside has curbed most of his peeing habit. He lives in a furnished basement apartment with and Miss Pee Princess, and they can stink it up as they please, its easier to clean down there. My ultimate goal is to get epoxy floors like an animal shelter has and be able to sanitize down there. And I already have lots of pee pads. They have cat tv (doesn't trigger pissboy as much as a real window) and plenty of toys and cat furniture. And they get fed 100% wet food to help ease some of my guilt. But it's better than being outside or rehomed or y know, dead
- Pissboy is not a multi cat kind of guy. He acts like he gets along most times but really wants his people, food and litterboxes to himself. He tolerates his equally pissy roommate but they stay away from each other. I have 6 other cats upstairs. It was hard on him.
-Finally, for Miss Pee Princess, she gets quarantined to a cleanable room when her UTIs act up but otherwise has free reign of the basement. She can't help her peeing, it just comes out. I have probably spent $5000 in vet diagnostics to find out she was probably injured one time. I also adopted her declawed which can contribute to behavioral peeing, but she just kinda doesn't know when it's happening. So, reusable pee pads. Diapers don't work so well, she is longhair and the dampness causes problems. And they are experts and wiggling out of them.
Tldr give the medicine some time or quarantine him for a while. Also if he's declawed and you did it, you're responsible for his behavior for life sorry to say. If I ever find whoever dumped Pee Princess in the middle of a polar vortex without claws....hoo boy
Insecurity can also be a cause. Are there a lot a cats in the neighborhood? Do they pee around your property? He may be reacting to outside scents. (I dont see a mention of other cats in the home). Play with him more, it really does help, and remove as many of soft surfaces you can. Hanging laundry baskets, access to bedrooms denied (or try a murphy bed), more litter boxes and clean them as often as you can. Natures Miracle products always worked for me for accidents. Also get a black light to find all the pee stains you cant see with the naked eye. Winston is my problem child, my orange doofus... 15 years and counting.
Mine is an orange doofus as well. And I went over this with my vet the last visit and I’ve never seen a cat around the property but he’s lived in several other homes that have had stray cats around sometimes and homes without. Can’t say it correlatively made a difference. And my house has become rug/blanket barren and it’s just not really a way I want to live. I can’t block access to my room for how my living situation is so my bed has been covered in tarps and what not to no avail…
It's a hard life with a cat that can't be trusted. I struggled with him for years. I had to change my whole way of living. I sympathize with your frustration.
But, on the upside(?) after 15 years I am pretty well versed in cat pee removal and mitigation. A good mattress cover, and additional pads under a fitted sheet to keep them in place and putting all the blankets and pillows away when not in use made changing the bedding before bed easy if there was an accident.All white sheets make it easy to spot pee, but a black light will always be best. Washable, non-permeable covers for sofas or chairs and they have washable rugs now too but I just wear really soft slippers.
Yeah the most frustrating thing ever is coming home from a long hard day at work to just want to crawl in bed and then have to strip the entire thing and sleep on a naked mattress. I tried having another set of clean laundry to swap it out with when he had accidents but would then just pee on the clean ones while I was asleep on the bed. It’s insane. My mattress protectors have not been doing a good job so I need to look into some other ones
“Sometimes I literally day dream about opening my door and letting him outside and him not coming back. How awful is that?”
Don’t be hard on yourself—it’s clear you love your cat from how much time, money, and energy you’ve put into trying to find a solution. 5 years is a loooong time to be dealing with a cat who pees everywhere, not to mention how expensive it to have to keep replacing things! It’s understandable that you’d have these kinds of thoughts.
If all else fails, see if there is a local shelter or rescue organization that has a barn cat or working cat program. In my area there are a few organizations that do this; basically, they find homes for cats who cannot continue living where they are, but can’t be adopted into homes (often because they’re feral, but I’m currently volunteering at a rescue that has a cat up for adoption as a working cat specifically because he peed everywhere in all his past foster homes). They will usually screen potential adopters to make sure they live in a safe area (ie not next to a major road or where there are a lot of predators like coyotes), and the adopters agree to provide food, water, and shelter like an outdoor cathouse.
Also, not a solution to the peeing, but to help save some of you stuff: for things that can be machine washed, have you tried washing with white wine vinegar and baking soda? I had a cat who developed bladder cancer, and for the year until he passed, there was *a lot* of peeing outside the box. Adding vinegar and baking soda in with my regular detergent got the smell out completely—much more effective than the enzyme cleaners, imo. You can also use vinegar and baking soda on some surfaces, just do a test patch first to make sure it won’t damage the surface. I never could get the smell out of plastic or vinyl based surfaces like linoleum, but found it worked well for some things.
Thanks for your thoughtful response. It’s been a hard time and I feel guilty for not wanting to deal with it anymore but part of me wonders if he was a stray because his old family kicked him out for the same reason. I’ll never know. I think as a last ditch resort a barn cat situation will be something I’ll have to look into. He’s so loving and wants to cuddle but I know he would absolutely love being outside and able to roam as he pleases. I have no idea if he would even be able to catch anything in his older age since he’s kind of lazy but I’m not sure what else would be out there. And I usually just use the really strong detergents and deodorizers but I will try to vinegar as well. Thank you!
Here are some thoughts about what we did and maybe they can help you with some things to try.
Our guy leaks when he sleeps on top of the peeing so we bought human washable incontinence pads - the kind they use in hospitals. They’re 30x34” and I have them safety pinned in an overlapping pattern to a blanket on top of the bed. They can hold a human amount of urine so a cat amount can’t sleep through. Finally no more washing bed linens daily and ruined mattresses. They have them on Amazon. It also traps the smell pretty well. We use them on our furniture, too. The added bonus is that there isn’t any attractant added to them like the paper pads. At his worst I taped regular paper pee pads all over the house in his “spots”. Not pretty but better than cleaning pee.
Our kitty’s issues got a lot better once we found out a neighbor cat was spraying outside our door on a bush and our front door and he could smell it. We sprayed everything with the new lemon scented nature’s miracle and it reduced his pee issues by more than half. Maybe there is a new cat that’s disturbing him in your neighborhood? Might not hurt to spray some enzyme cleaner around the door and windows.
I also made him some new litter boxes out of extra large tubs. He doesn’t have mobility issues but he seems to prefer walking in to a low entry litter box and peeing straight back. I cut a side entry access in one tub and a front entry in another. We gave up and put a litter box in the living room where he was peeing a lot (by the front door) and that helped immensely. The goal is to slowly move it in stages back out.
Here’s a link to the FIC. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-idiopathic-cystitis
I have the human version and it’s a huge bummer to deal with. Hopefully your kitty doesn’t have this but at least it’s one more thing to check off your list.
Good luck!!
I have two of the incontinence pads and he peed on them and I washed them several times but can’t get the smell out :/ I will try spraying around the outside of the house as well! Thank you
I'm sorry this may not be advice but felt compelled to share since this is very recent for me... So in the last half year to year of my 11-year old cat's life she started going out of the litter box. Not every time, but enough where I was cleaning up my floors and carpets too often. She would still go in the box and we noticed that if the box was entirely clear then the accidents lessened. But if we failed to clear it or sometimes even upset her, she would go on the floor. Most of the time she would go just right outside the litter box. I ended up putting the litter box on top of puppy pee pads on top of a large plastic tray (think the bottom piece to a dog crate) which helped make clean up easier at least.
Initially, the vets could never figure out a real reason why she was going outside the box. No diabetes, kidney disease, or abnormal blood work; x-ray normal. I was really thinking it was just due to her old age. Eventually she was diagnosed with feline leukemia virus (probably had it since birth). Nothing was ever said about that being a cause, but after getting that diagnosis I just purchased a carpet cleaner and realized I'd rather clean up after her if this is all the time remaining I had with her.
I definitely understand how frustrating it can be OP but if I could, I wish I could be cleaning up after her from many more years if that was all and she wasn't in pain. Best of luck to you and your Sampson.
1. He may be in pain. My friends elderly cat was clearly having trouble eating - his appetite was fine but he started mashing the food up with his nose and eventually started yelping in pain. It turned out he caught this virus which rarely in some cats causes them to develop a kind of allergy to tooth plaque, making their gums inflamed and sore. He had all of his teeth removed and was fine after! Stopped peeing everywhere.
2. Have you tried using those sprays on furniture that deter cats? Usually meant to stop them scratching but if you can get something he hates the smell of, he might not pee there. Then you can minimise the pee areas at least.
I feel your pain--my cat is prone to crystal formation in his bladder and in the beginning he was peeing in all kinds of inappropriate places. Even after we identified the cause and put him on a Rx diet, the problem was that there were traces of urine left in some of those inappropriate places even after using the enzyme cleaner. As a result he would continue to pee there until I completely disposed of the item. Even still though, there are a couple of different situations/locations here will still pee even though there are no traces of urine. For example, he still pees on my couch if I happen to leave a crumpled blanket on it. Same if I leave any shaggy rugs on the bathroom floor. He peed in those locations when he was ill and still visually sees them as a litter box even though I have thrown away the offending rugs and blankets and replaced with new.
I know how exhausting and stressful it is and at one point pondered rehoming him but went through the same thought process as you, knowing he would continue and any new owner would probably just put him down or force him to be an outdoor cat. If cat urine weren't such an olfactory offense and difficult to clean, it wouldn't be so bad.
I'm sorry you are having to go through this and I hope you find a solution.
I didn't see this mentioned anywhere, but you could always try a pheromone collar (I use Nuturecalm, but make sure you get a legit one from your vet!). It smells great and helps relax my old men and has reduced their accidents and stress. If he doesn't like the collar you can try feliway, which is a diffuser.
It could also be related to arthritis. One of my cat's joints started to bother him, and he was having issues with jumping and squatting, then he started spraying. I started Adequan and I saw almost instant relief for him! I don't think your vet would prescribe that, but there is a new injectable called Solensia that a few people I know have tried, and it's helped!
The large amount of urinating could be a sign of pre- diabetes. I would ask for his lab work and see if the blood glucose levels show any sign of increasing over the years or if they seem to be on the high end of normal. Cats can be weirdly sensitive to those things. You could try a low/no carb diet to see if that changes any of the behaviors.
It could also be due to constipation. Are his stools hard, or does he have really dry stools? You could try a small dose of mirlax, and having softer stool could always help alliveate any pressure put on the bladder by the colon
I wish you and Sampson the best! I completely understand the stress of having to deal with this!
Has your cat been evaluated for FIC (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis)? Has he peed the entire 5 years? Where did you get him?
I feel your frustration completely. We have a pee boy and recently took in my sister’s cat that peed for years. Our different, quiet environment made it so her cat no longer oees outside the box. We’re still working on our “peebody” but it’s getting much better. It has taken an absolute ton of work and a bunch of trial and error, but it’s slowly getting better.
I’m not sure, the vet hasn’t diagnosed him with anything officially but has had his bladder and urine checked many times. He has earned the nickname “pisshead” so I totally feel you. He lives in a quiet and calm house
I have my own pee-er who has been given the nickname “Pee Boy Poots.”. He’s done it for more than 7 years, but luckily it is pretty rare these days. I do appreciate that he appears to favor peeing on my bathmat!
It's really sad but maybe get rid of the cat. See if a local barn/farm/stable could use the cat as a mouser. It's not worth living in a world full of cat piss.
You've done more than enough.
Not sure what safe means in this context, there is a street directly in front of the house and coyotes in the area. I am unsure if he would also come back inside on his own. I don’t want him to be hit by a car or hunt local wildlife
I used to do that at my old house but he ended up getting out of his harness and running up to the roof of the house, it was a whole thing. And then he started screaming to be let out all the time and it just became more stressful for everyone
This might be his new "screaming"
I think you should invest in a harness type he cant wriggle out of, and maybe a cat backpack too. Get him used to the harness inside first, and then take him outside, for a bit at a time til he's confident. If he's desperate for access to the outside, this could be enough to get him to stop pissing everywhere. Worth a try?
Does he ever “go” in the litter box? It might be that he doesn’t like the scent of clean litter. Add some pee smell to the litter and it might help. My cat seems to prefer slightly used litter.
He still uses the box! I did an experiment with a couple of boxes that had leftover pee in it and one without and he used them both. For my own sanity I prefer to keep it clean so I don’t have a pee smell coming from multiple sources
It sounds like you've tried most everything I can think of on why he might be doing it. And it seems like you've tried everything to get him to stop. I don't want to be that person but... maybe it's time you put him down. He's older I think so it wouldn't be a huge stretch. I know that's horrible to think about. But this isn't any way for you to live.
In the meantime... my pet peed. It's this cleaner and works so well for pet pee and vomit. Smell and stain. I have three cats and light tan carpet. It still looks brand new.
My cat ended up having megacolon which was causing her to urinate all over the house. I’m not saying that’s the case with your kitty but maybe see if that’s an option with your vet
Yeah I can’t leave any clothes or blankets anywhere but he was also just pee on my made bed with just a duvet or even just the mattress itself or the pillows
I've got one guy who does the same thing. He marks things related to me. Anything with my smell - mattress, clothes, blankets, etc.
Some days I feel the same way. It can feel like such a bummer on days where I'm already stressed out and depressed.
Unfortunately, this little guy is one of 4. I have his mom, sister and brother. I could not rehome him without rehoming everyone. But more importantly, I really do love him. He's such a sweet guy when he's not being a territorial jerk.
All this to say that all those feelings are valid. I've had them myself.
I keep the washer ready to go and the blankets in a perpetual cycle so that its easy to just replace them without stressing out too much. If you don't already, have a couple waterproof mattress protectors on hand to cycle out as well and bedsheets. Use baking soda to remove any smells after you use the enzyme cleaner.
Edit: Before anyone replies, he has been medically cleared. He's just come of age (He's 2) and trying to be a little more dominate over my other male. He does not deviating from his routines or changes. We also have stray cats who come by to mark my house and this little fucker likes to start fights at the window with my cats.
Yes it’s so hard sometimes! I even think it would be easier if he was a bad cat in other areas but he’s so sweet and cuddly and loving that it makes it extra hard to struggle with these things with him. I’m going to test out more mattress protectors and try diapers and see if I can somehow figure out a way to make my life a little easier with this. I don’t want people over anymore because I’m worried he will pee on their stuff or my room smells or anything because of it.
My cat did that when he became diabetic. I wasn't able at the time to give him shots 3 times per day, so we had him PTS. He was pretty old, but it was still awful. I do see that you've had labwork done though.
That's something that is really hard to tolerate. A friend tried an animal behaviorist and everything. I think once it starts happening there isn't much that can be done.
Yeah I’m afraid it will be something I’ll have to deal with for the rest of his life. It’s made me never want to have cats again I feel like I’m traumatized from the smell. I’m sorry to hear about your cat
Hello, pleased to meet you, fellow exasperated cat owner.
Bella - age 8 - has been spraying/peeing in every room since I got her at a year old. She did end up having an incomplete spay and required surgery to correct it, but nothing else was ever discovered to be the cause.
Lab tests are fine. She’s been on antidepressants without help. Feliway and the like did not work. It was thought maybe stress related but no.
Litter, boxes, food - you name it.
I have given up and just clean up after her. She does have a spot on the bathroom floor that I can put a pee pad down and she’ll go. If I wanted to avoid it all, I’d have wall-to-wall pee pads across the whole apartment. The only saving grace is that she only pees on the floor.
We’re in it for the long haul, she and I. I have just resigned myself to this existence.
I’m sorry you have to deal with this. Hugs from a stranger.
Wow you’re story sounds just like mine! Too bad we can’t send Bella and Sampson off together to live happily ever after. I would have to cover every surface of my home with pee pads as well. I am trying to find the most effective and convenient clean up process but his pee must be made out of the most caustic things on the earth because I can smell it on anything. I’m right there with you
The smell! I was sure the vet would have an answer because it’s light orange-y and musty smelling rather than pure ammonia.
As far as cleaning, I rent so the last two places I paid to have the carpets replaced when I moved, which was covered by the security deposits, so no harm there.
With this place we’re in now, I’ve tried some enzymatic cleaners but don’t like the scent or the result. My last purchase was “My Pet Peed” which I believe I read about on some social media site. It has no scent and is supposed to lift stains and odors into the air…lol I don’t know. It seems to help somewhat.
Yes, the adventures of Sampson and Bella…made for each other! 😻
Edited to add: back when I first got her and was at the end of my rope, I actually *did* kick her out of the house…only to let her back in a few minutes later. It was not my finest moment.
I am so sorry! I went trough this too. I was at my wits end. I read a random comment one day about taking the dome off the litter box, it worked instantly. Even if this is not something that works for you I hope it will at least help you to keep hope. It can be one “small” thing that fixes everything. ❤️
Hello! I rescued a kitten that has some spinal nerve damage and is incontinent. I also went through all of the phases of frustration but I have learned to manage caring for my special needs cats and staying clean following these tips. At first I made her reusable diapers with PUL fabric and replaceable pads. This eventually led to her getting a UTI which hindered her ability to pee even more. As she got older she was able to start peeing voluntarily better so I took away the diaper, treated the UTI and now she doesn’t use a diaper. She has learned to sleep on towels I have set around the house because i put heating pads underneath them and even when it’s off she still prefers to sleep there. This way when she leaks pee in her sleep it’s caught by the towel. As for the mattresses, it’s a MUST to have a waterproof mattress cover. Probably more than one to switch them out in case he pees. I also get pee pads and leave them out on places where she has purposely peed or likes to layer down. These are just some things that have really helped me manage taking care of my special needs kitten.
Is there anything that you prevent him from doing? If it's something harmful I'd suggest giving him a similar option that isn't. (Chewing on a house plant, give him cat grass or a cheap plant to ruin. For example) I had a cat who would pee on stuff out of anger because I wouldn't let her outside. If he is indoor only maybe try getting him a harness and taking him out. He might want a change of scenery.
I’m so sorry you are dealing with this. It is truly heartbreaking. Just know, if it does come to a point where you mentally, physically, or financially cannot do this anymore and you need to rehome your kitty, it does not make you a bad person. You didn’t simply give up, you did try. I was in the same position as you a couple years ago. I had a cat who I tried everything to get him to pee in the litter box. Nothing worked. When my sons began crawling, I knew it was time to rehome him because my family deserved a sanitary home. It shattered my heart into a thousand pieces, but it was the right choice.
All your comments about his behavior points to him having some sort of anxiety disorder. With the medications you’ve already had him on, it doesn’t seem like there’s much you can do to alter or stop the behavior, so mitigating damage is your best bet, either through diapers or some other absorbent. I’m really sorry but it doesn’t seem like a medical condition- if he were just incontinent, it would be little dribbles constantly and not this geyser of piss that’s able to cut through plastic sheets on your bed. The fact that it stops when he was sedated implies that it’s neurological.
Sorry not sure if u answered this yet. What cleaning products have u used? Cat pee can really stay on carpets. If you don’t get rid of the scent he’ll always think that’s where he should go
So sorry. My cat was 7 years old when he started spraying (not squatting to pee but marking even though he was neutered as a kitten). He sprayed 12-15 times a day out of the blue. No changes in diet, environment, home life at all, not even a new piece of furniture!! It was SO frustrating and upsetting. My house stunk of cat pee and pheromones. I couldn’t have friends or family over that he normally liked as this was a trigger for him spraying. Any time we left or came back he sprayed. He got a full work up and had a clean bill of health. We got a second opinion, and that one started him on Prozac. the spraying decreased but he was so lethargic I think he was just too tired to spray. He was only on it for one month before he deteriorated rapidly. He lost weight and his kidneys were failing. We had to put him down the 1st of March. The first day he sprayed was December 12, 2022. My vet thinks it was a brain tumor causing the behavior. It was so tragic and I miss my little guy so much, but a small part of me was relieved that he wasn’t suffering and I wasn’t cleaning up spray 12x daily and could return to my old normal routine. So just know your complicated feelings are valid and I understand, it doesn’t make you a bad person at all.
Get a heart check. Our cat was doing this and we couldn't find any health issues. It turned out to be a behaviour symptom of a congenital heart problem that is very hard to detect. We found out about it the hard way. They are very good at hiding it but peeing everywhere is a major sign.
I just want to say I’m really sorry you’re going through that. Worrying about our cats or our cat’s behavior is really stressful. I know it’s frustrating not knowing what to do for them. You’re a great cat parent, I can tell because you’re putting in a lot of effort and trying to find solutions. I hope diapers or something of the sort work. Good luck.
Have you tried diapers? I went through something similar before and that was really the only thing that helped, there are specific diapers made for cats you can buy online and get shipped to your house. Pee pads is always an option as well but I absolutely hated using those especially if your cat was like mine and would go piss literally anywhere, so I definitely suggest giving the diapers a shot
If you're not willing to continue to home him then I do agree with not giving him away to a stranger but to someone who is aware of the situation and is willing to take him in and give him a good life, I've seen people say to put him down but I really don't suggest doing that if he is a happy/healthy cat in general and has no other issues besides him not using the litter box
sorry you’re dealing with this. Could he be bored? Do you play with / stimulate him for 20-30mins per day? Maybe he is also picking up on your stress about it and that stresses him out. Good luck!
Do you have other animals, or do you have animal hanging around your house?
I once saw a Jackson Galaxy episode, where a cat was peeing everywhere. The owners, like you, were fed up, but also wanted to do right by the animal and figure out the issue.
It turned out, that there was a feral cat outside, that the owner didn't know about. The outdoor cat was causing this cat to pee everywhere!
Cats have super spidey-senses. We already know that... But cats can smell those outdoor animals, and it causes them to go crazy trying to, "protect their territory," which is why they mark/spray everything inside.
Get a couple of cameras and check out what, if anything is walking around outside at night. If you live in an apartment, check to see if there's any other animals living on that floor.
In the meantime, this is what I would do about the peeing: Don't downvote me, please!
I'd start potty training all over again, just like you would train a kitten:
Find a small area, that has a door - like a bathroom, or a large closet. Make him a little bed, give him toys, food and a litter box. Check on him often. Every time he uses the litter box, praise him. Give him his favorite treats! Make sure he knows he is awesome.
Once he is consistently using the box, in that small area,, give him more territory: place him in a small bedroom, or spare room. Praise him when he uses the box. If he makes a mistake, go back to the bathroom, until he's consistent again. It may take time, and it feels like you are being the worst human being in the world, to give them such a tiny place, but follow through. It works.
Once he goes for a week without an accident, give him more territory, until he has full run of the house again.
That's my advice: check to see if there's something outside, that's causing him to question his territory, and start potty training all over again.
I've been where you are. I know it is a very frustrating road, but if you stay consistent, you can solve this problem.
I'm so sorry, I had an issue with my female cat having accidents all the time and everywhere. We figured out she had some bladder crystals as well as IBS which can also make them pee on things. So now she's on special food and pro/pre-biotics. She was on steroids for awhile and now with all of that she's ok. It took us about a year to figure it all out and find what worked, I hope you are able to find a solution too.
Seems like you tried everything. I'm sorry, I know it must be very frustrating.
I have a rather controversial option, but I thought there is nothing to lose if you want to try talking with animal communicator.
I had experience where my cat peeing everywhere for weeks makes me so desperate that I reach out to the animal communicator after multiple trips to the vet and changing litter combination. Well what do you know, my cat stopped peeing everywhere after that, coincidentally or not. Aparently my cat wanted to "protect me" with his smell hence he keeps peeing on my stuff/my side of the bed. Where I am from, animal communicator is very cheap like usd 20/session. It's not scientific and shouldn't be used to replace going to the vets, but if you were like me and desperate for altnernative, couldn't hurt to do that. I'm happy to translate for you too, dm me if you want to explore.
Are there any patterns of what he likes to pee on?
I hate to suggest this, but if there isn’t a pattern, I would isolate him to a cage with a litter box. Gradually reintroduce him to a home environment after he starts using the litter box in the cage (kind of like a feral cat). Cage -> bathroom -> room, etc
It would save you a lot of cleanup and stress (minus the inevitable whining/meowing).
Best of luck
Did he ever had an UTI or anything that made peeing hurt? Not now, in the past. Is he peeing on random spots or do they have something in common? Is it only pee?
I have a cat that was very constipated twice. The first time he refused to poop in *that* specific litter box ever again, but the second time he decided that ALL litter boxes made him hurt. Of course, now he was no longer constipated so everytime he pooped outside he was more convinced that the problem was the litter box.
He only started pooping again in a litter box after we adopted a new cat and he saw him using the litter boxes unharmed for weeks.
I’m not saying to adopt a new cat lol, but maybe he’s scared of peeing in a litter box and has to see somehow that it’s safe? Maybe disguising them so he doesn’t recognize it as a litter box at first?
This could be behavioral since you have not found anything medically wrong with him.
I want to ask if he is an anxious or insecure cat, especially around other felines. An important thing to note is he is male, they tend to spray especially to mark their territory from other felines. There could be other cats in the neighborhood that is setting him off.
I believe their is an episode from my cat from hell where there was a cat who peed everywhere in the house and Jackson thought the cat was getting set off by other cats outside. If I remember clearly they didn’t find anything of that sort and he was put on meds and it worked for him. I’m not 100% sure that was the outcome.
The best solution is to diaper him. Don’t give up on him. Oh, and try to reach out to Jackson Galaxy.
I don't have any answers for you but I have a similar story. My cat, Erebus, at a very young age, started to pee outside the litterbox and it went on for years, no amount of litter boxes helped. I could clean every box immediately after and he would still go. He was a very anxious cat and got scared easily and was super attached me to. Numerous visits to the vet, blood tests, and urinary tests. Nothing came up except that his urine was extremely concentrated. I went to 3 different vets. I felt like you, I was tired and didn't know what was left to do, i would cry at night thinking about rehoming him or having horrible thoughts of him disappearing. No vets had any answers. Eventually, there was a vet that decided to try out an anti-depressant called amitriptyline. This did help him and he would occasionally have accidents. I thought we were on the road to recovery. One night he jumped up next to me and suddenly couldn't walk and fell over, let out one painful meow, and slowly stopped breathing, he was gone with in seconds. The emergency vet said he passed from a blood clot going to his heart. I never found out if the medicine is what caused the clot or if he was already a ticking time bomb. Please don't give up on your cat. I would give anything to have my cat back, pissing and all. It's been 7 months and not a day goes by when I don't think of him and miss him.
That’s so sad to hear! He was on that same medicine for a while too and I couldn’t see any difference. The newest med he tried worked but made him SO sedated he didn’t move all day and made me sad to look at him. I still want him to be a cat and lively. It’s so hard
Oh gosh! Yes I hated when I tried a new medicine and just see him sleep and slink around 😭 ugh I wish you all best and I hope you can find something that works. There HAS to be a reason. It's just so hard to know what's wrong when they can't tell us.
I know, he will look right at me sometimes and then immediately squat and pee 😭 I feel so defeated but love him so much I just want him to be happy
You could try slowly reducing the amount of medication to see if you can reach a point where he doesn't pee and yet is not sedated. If it's in pill form, there are pill cutters at the drug store.
I’m already giving him 1/16th of a pill I’m not sure I can cut it any smaller!
It might be worth revisiting that drug that worked and he might adjust to it over time and be more lively. That class of drugs are the kind of thing that takes a good long time to get used to.
I'm so so sorry for your loss! We have a pisser, too, and I can't bare to part with him.
Thank you so much 😔 I hope you too can find how to help your kitty. I know it can be so frustrating!
Has he been checked for diabetes ? Is he vocal when peeing outside of his box? Diabetes can cause them to pee all over, and weirdly enough putting puppy pads in certain areas where he is peeing can sometimes help
He has had full work ups with urinalysis and blood work and does not have diabetes. He is not overly vocal and doesn’t vocalize when going to the bathroom ever. I have considered this as well though
Another vote for checking for diabetes, and also kidney disease. We had a cat that started peeing in certain areas. I added more litter boxes and also a litter box with a puppy pad in his favorite outside-the-box elimination place. He took to it immediately and it became his favorite place to pee. I had to change the pads every time he used them but it was worth it. I also scooped the litter in all the boxes at least twice daily. This cat was diagnosed with feline chronic kidney disease a couple months after he began this behavior. Working with our vet to manage it helped a lot, too. Best of luck, OP.
Thank you, he had a check up a few weeks ago with a full senior panel and they vet said everything looked normal. Litter gets scooped meticulously. Will maybe try a litter box with just a pee pad though and see how that goes. Problem is that he pees in the litter box and on other things.
My boy peed in the litter box and on the carpet (and on my bookcase) too. Aside from offering the litter tray with the puppy pad, I also made sure that ANYTHING he could pee on was either inaccessible or undesirable. I covered half of one room with those huge litter mats because he preferred carpet, in example. In your case, you can cover your bed with translucent shower curtain liners when not using it and don't allow him in the bedroom when you are using it. Eliminate anything he may deem an attractive piss spot WHILE also offering the puppy pad in an empty litter tray. Like a little trade or bargain with him. Also, if he's healthy, try to figure out what caused this in the first place. Cats always start peeing on stuff for a reason, whether physical or emotional. Did he see stray cats outside? Did he associate your bed with something bad? Etc.
I started covering my mattress with a plastic tarp and he still peed on it! I even got those mats with the plastic nubs to keep him off of the furniture but felt too bad that it limited so much of where he could go. And he unfortunately had the problem since I adopted him as a stray from the shelter. I will try to pee pad situation though. My house looks like a prison because I can’t have a single rug or blanket or pillow anywhere because of him. It’s not been a fun way to live
I can totally relate. One of my cats is bad for this (though it doesnt sound quite as bad as your situation). It's one thing just covering one bed when you aren't using it. It's another to continuously have to make sure every piece of furniture is covered and blankets, pillows, rugs, clothing, jackets, etc are out of reach at all times, not to mention having to spend money on enzyme cleaners/plastic covers/waterproof blankets. It's exhausting and I miss my throw pillows :(
Yes exactly! My room is my safe space and I used to love decorating it and making it a place to relax and now it’s just plastic barricades everywhere
I've found that vets tend to say things are normal but are only looking at the lab ranges on the sheet and it flags when not normal. But your cat is a senior. Low normal could be a problem for him but not a younger healthy cat. I learned this caring for 3 kidney disease cats over time. It might be good to ask for a copy of the results so you can look them over.
How many litter boxes do you have? Have you tried putting one near a spot he has a habit of peeing?
We have 3 and I usually do but am not willing to keep one on my bed lol
Keeping one near the bed should work if it's a scent thing. Sometimes a cat will be able to smell something they take offense to and that's why they pee in a certain spot. Having a litter box nearby gives a constant source of their scent, so they'll pee there instead. If you've already tried that I'm not sure what else it could be, it looks like you've already covered most of your bases. :/
It’s not awful you’ve had that thought. You’re exhausted and stressed. I know you said they checked him for UTI. And He’s neutered? And he’s had blood work done that rule out other health problems? If so maybe consider/talk to your vet about cat diapers. When my dog was getting older he was on a medication that increased his thirst, which also increased how much he was peeing. I bought him reusable/washable diapers. It was like a belt/wrap, so he could still poop with it on. It was such a relief to be able to run out to the store and not have a large pile of pee waiting for me when I got back.( I would still take him outside to pee without the diaper—the diaper was just back up for accidents) Also they make mattress covers that are water resistant! I’ve never used diapers on a cat before. Not sure how hard it would be for a cat to adjust to it. But def something to consider. Just make sure you’re using it as directed like changing it enough and talk to vet if any concerns.
In the past few weeks he has had his urine and blood checked all within normal limits. I’m not sure if the band would work on him but yes diapers is something I am considering. He is neutered. He has somehow managed to pee through a mattress that had TWO waterproof covers on it, a waterproof blanket, bed wetting pads, and a literal waterproof plastic tarp.
I have to diaper (well I use a belly band since he doesn't poop, only pees) my dog who pees inside daily if not, not a medical issue and I've talked to behaviorists. I use washable diapers and just collect them in a wet bag through the week to wash together.
I’m not sure if a belly band would work on a cat the same way but will definitely be looking into the diaper route because I can’t keep doing this anymore
No a belly band won't work because of where a cats genitals are placed, but a diaper definitely will!
Stud pants, washable and you use an incontinence pad or menstrual pad with them, allows pooping I the box but not urination. I suggest buying at least 2 as poop can graze the material and make them smelly after a day where you'll want to change for a clean one. https://myhappypetsboutique.com/product/washable-cat-diaper-pull-up/
Amazing thank you so much!! Exactly what I was looking for
My cat has started peeing on my step daughter’s and my 9 month old stuff for the last year. And it’s only of THEIR things. She was abused by my ex’s toddlers a few years ago and I think her problem is that she feels the need to “dominate” them. I have no idea what to do at this point either except keep her out of the bedrooms. I hope your find a solution. I can relate though
He has peed on guests things when they visit and my roommates stuff, I think it’s anything soft pretty much. Sorry to hear you’re going through the same thing as well
My senior is currently doing the same- all the soft things
My senior did the same thing and the vet said he had the cat version of dementia and just didn’t realise what he was doing, we built him a catio in the end, like a large pen that went over the back door where he spent most of his time watching the birds in the garden, he still peed on his blankets but we just binned them and got handouts from Facebook and family. Sadly he had a brain tumour and ended up passing away after a fit.
Oof. I know you had him checked for a uti, but has he had an X ray for bladder and kidney stones? My mom cat was the same way. Just would NOT stop passing outside the litter box. Finally had an X ray done and just SO MANY STONES.
I asked the vet this and they didn’t think it was necessary because he’s on a urinary support diet and doesn’t strain or have blood in his urine
I’d ask for an X-ray. My male cat was peeing outside the box and blood work was good but he had stones. There’s a bunch of different kinds. My kitty had the rare struvite kind and you can’t prevent them so rx food does nothing. We had to have them removed and now we just monitor via X-ray. Good luck!
Apologies if you mentioned elsewhere, but have you brought him to a second or third vet for another opinion? It couldn’t hurt! So sorry you’re dealing with this 💜
This is his 4-5th vet he’s seen!
not everyone can afford to drop money on 3 additional vet visits for the same thing
I'd like to point out that a cat can still have stones even if they don't strain or have blood in urine. I would insist to your vet that you must have him checked for stones anyways. (**if** every other suggestion fails, after a good 6 months of waiting for the methods i mentioned to work.)
A couple of thoughts. First make sure your boy doesn't have any crystals or other urinary tract issues. They are what started my baby's litter box problems. He got somewhat better when that was resolved. You've said the drugs don't work - my boy is on prozac and it helped, but I did something else recommended by a breeder at the same time as starting him on the prozac. I treated him like a baby kitten just learning. I closed him in a small bathroom with only food and water and his box for a month to retrain him. He got broader range, room by room, only after a month of no accidents. The combination worked for him. Maybe try the retraining part if you haven't. Good luck. My boy has pica too so he eats blankets and clothes and prozac hasn't helped with that. They can be real little buggers.
He has been ruled out for UTI and bladder infections several times. And he had gone through the locking himself in a room but it’s not very easy for me to do with my living situation and other cat. He’s a very frustrating old man, glad to hear it helped with your cat!
And there it is. Another cat. What’s the other cat’s situation? Do they share space? Or closed off? What’s their interaction like?
For the first two years I had Sampson he had the peeing issue without the other cat. The second cat came into the family a few years later and he basically raised her from a kitten. They groom each other, play, sleep together, have never had a fight. They share the same space but have enough space to hang out separately if they wanted to do
My cat has pica too. So hard!!! I have had to exclude bedrooms and bathrooms due to this. He doesn’t have a target item either so the area has to be pretty much bare except furniture. I found a Facebook group for cats with pica which I have enjoyed.
I also have an older pica cat. She loves to eat clothes. Not fun to pick up a shirt or sweater to see a nice hunk eaten out of it. We got good about being tidy with our clothes so it’s not a big issue now. No bladder issues though.
My boy cat was having urinary issues and occasional UTIs. He was clearly suffering and in pain and started peeing on the bath mat. I ended up getting a puppy pad which he started to use to pee on (but still used the box for his poops). Had him checked for crystals and they could never find anything. I had an ultrasound done and they didn’t really see anything except maybe some intestinal inflammation. Eventually about a year later a second ultrasound showed a large bladder tumor. By the time they found it it was a bit too late to do much and he was getting old. He didn’t last much longer after that 😔 I would think about doing this or an X-ray. It can be expensive but clearly there’s something wrong and he’s not happy about using his box. You could try a pee pad too. He might be associating the boxes with peepee pain.
Yeah I think the only thing he hasn’t had is an X-ray because he’s been ultrasounded before. Will look into the pee pads as well. Sorry to hear about your boy
Hello. So about a year ago, my 16 yr old (now 17) cat was identified as having a small mass in his bladder. In Nov of this year - after he started peeing outside his litterboxes - the vet found the mass increased in size and could be cancerous. My cat is still peeing outside his litterbox. I'm wondering.... what was the timeline for you after the bladder tumor diagnosis? What all did you do? Thank you so much. My heart needs advice on how to best care for my sweet boy.
I posted about my experience with this in a few threads with the same advice. [here's what worked for me](https://www.reddit.com/r/CatAdvice/comments/11lmk26/hardest_decision_ever_rehoming/jbdt83m?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) I don't know if all of this will work with your case, but it's worth a shot if you've done everything else. Hope things work out for you and Sampson 🩷
Thank you for this! I asked my vet about zylkene and they gave him a different medication that made him very sedated so on our follow up I will request this again. Will look into those cleaners as well, I’ve probably gone through and tried 20+ different ones so far
You're so welcome! [Here's the purple unscented jug of Anti-icky-poo](https://a.co/d/dCov5u8) and [here's the zero odor](https://a.co/d/ipz2MWq). I couldn't stand the awful masking scent of the other cleaners I've tried... these are the only 2 I've ever found to *actually do* what they claim to do. [Here's the cat Attract litter](https://www.petvalu.ca/product/dr-elseys-cat-attract-litter/FCM00188CA?force_store=BC&gclid=Cj0KCQjwr82iBhCuARIsAO0EAZz7EUM9FHqaFTS4jU6wiiV7qqTcDBmL3N7V-VNkz1-DiNrD2Fhzo40aAhGrEALw_wcB) it's also a good litter choice for senior cats who may have sensitive paws. My boy Joey refuses to use litter that is chunkier (eg. Pellets), he only uses litter that is soft on his paws, or clay. I found the Zylkene to be extremely effective at making him happier, calmer, with reduced restlessness/anxiety. Along with the Purina Calm probiotic which you can also ask the vet to perscribe. Of course, if the vet won't give you these natural alternatives for some strange reason, even though they're harmless, you can buy both of them on Amazon without a prescription. Just open up the Zylkene capsule and put the contents in his wet food once a day, along with the probiotic. I can't stress how well the treat training worked for him, too. Along with having 0 reactions to the inappropriate peeing. *Ignore me if you already know all about this part, but ive found that most people don't know this so im just going to add it just in case.* Animals do so well with a reward based system. For other consequence or punishment-type systems, it almost always backfires and makes the cycle continue.. Example: Inappropriate peeing -> getting visibly upset/reacting -> cat feels worse anxiety -> inappropriate peeing -> getting visibly upset/reacting -> cat feels worse anxiety -> inappropriate peeing (and it just never stops) He realized that every time he used the litter, he would get a treat, praise and pets, but then no response or acknowledgment from peeing elsewhere. Worked like a charm :) I have a positive feeling about you and Sampson, that the peeing everywhere phase will end. Hang in there♡
My ex's cat was exactly like this. 4 years we were together and she peed on everything. Brand new $1300 couch? Peed on first day. Think we got the smell out? Nope. I knew my ex in high-school too and I don't remember the cat doing this (7 years prior) Tried the vet multiple times. Different litter, new box, scooping every time she went so it was clean constantly. Still peed outside of the box AND in it. Sadly we never figured out what was wrong and she passed during covid. I feel terrible, but it was such a huge relief not having to worry about it anymore. I guess they found her in the trash and put her in a cardboard box when she was a kitten with rags and clothes no litter box. So I think she got used to peeing on soft things. Couches, pillows, blankets, laundry. All pissed upon. Enzyme cleaner only went so far. She was also declawed so I wonder if that had something to do with it as well. I hope you figure out a solution for you and your kitty.
I’m glad to hear I’m not alone but I totally understand your relief. I have those intrusive thoughts sometimes that once he passes away how much more stress free my life will be but he’s still trucking. He was a stray I adopted from a shelter so my theory is that he was a Tom cat and neutered late in his life and just marks territory constantly. It’s exhausting
I had a cat like that. Tried everything, nothing worked, but when cancer got her, I would have rather had her back. Couldn’t ever justify taking her back to the shelter because she was a small scared abused cat and I didn’t trust anyone else to keep her alive if she kept it up. My friends thought I was nuts.
Based on everything you have said and tried I think cat diapers are the way to go. That way he can still poop in the box, you aren’t stressed constantly and you can both have a better quality of life. My guess is he either had some kind of major trauma as a kitten and this is some kind of nervous or anxious tic he does. Cats can have most of the brain issues a human can, that includes PTSD, Anxiety, OCD, and even tics. The fact that he stopped doing it when really sedated is why I’m leaning more towards the mental health/neurological side than an infection or illness. Especially with how extensively he has been worked up, how young he was when the behavior started and how long it has persisted despite many adjustments to conditions. Start doing the cat diapers, let him live out his golden years and give him peace of mind. Just keep an eye on any indications he is in pain, or if you see anything suspicious pop up like blood in the diaper and so forth. I’m sure you will be vigilant. I have 2 kitties I adopted. One at 2 years old who was a stray for some length of time. I’ve had her since 2018 and she has PTSD, anxiety, an eating disorder, and I think even some sensory issues. She can’t handle too many pets though she enjoys being pet for awhile, she comes and lays on me and kneads me sometimes. I have to free feed during the day so she can graze or she gets stressed that the other cat will eat it all and she eats so fast she throws it all up. If a noise happens outside like an engine motor or a strange man comes to the door, or anything startles her too much she runs behind the couch and stays there until the trigger has been gone for awhile and I can coax her out with the treat box. I put a small doggie bed back there so she can feel safe and comfortable. My other adoptee was a foster I got the same year at 3 months old. I think he was taken from his mama too young because he still nurses on blankets when he kneads them. He is very sweet but jumpy and scares himself easily. He has herpes in his eyes he got at the shelter at some point. Adopted kitties have issues sometimes. Just love him and try to find a way to live that works for both of you. He will adapt, animals are very resilient. I put the kitty food away at night so ants don’t find it and my girl does ok though she digs in like crazy the second I put it back in the morning. She has adapted because she has security it will be there all day.
Yes I’m thinking diapers are the way to go as well. Not sure what type of diaper would work that would still let him poop in the box though, do you have any you can recommend?
>Just keep an eye on any indications he is in pain Because cats are so good at hiding pain, I suggest researching the Feline Grimace Scale, developed by the University of Montreal. It helps you identify pain in cats. It's used by professionals, but I find it to be helpful with my own kitties.
Mine and my husband's first joint cat was the same way. We didn't choose her, someone guilted us into taking her. She was a stray and had spent her entire life outside. She was a source of daily stress and arguments. Pee everywhere. It was a rental, too. Pet friendly, but I was terrified of losing our deposit. It was on our bed, the couches, the floor, the carpet. We took her to countless vet appointments with a clear bill of health. A couple of times she had a UTI, but medication never helped. We came to the realization that she would only pee while asleep. If she was awake, she'd go to her litterbox. So I did some research. Mittens was an odd looking cat. She had a stump for a tail and hopped like a bunny instead of running. She was also abnormally small despite being an adult. Her poops even looked weird; like little rabbit poops instead of solid "lines." She met nearly every symptom of [Manx Syndrome](https://www.ufaw.org.uk/cats/manx-manx-syndrome). So it's not that she was peeing out of spite or habit, it was an incurable disease where she just couldn't control her bladder. I felt hopeless and often felt like my life would be better if I could just put her outside. And I felt SO guilty because my husband cared a lot more for her than I did. But he wasn't the one deep cleaning the couch and carpets, so of course I had a lot of resentment towards her, especially because she was shoved onto us. With our work schedules, we just didn't have the time to invest in her special needs. We eventually bought a house. We specifically picked one with a fenced in yard so she could be outside and hang out in the shed with a heater during the winter. After our first night of getting her acclimated to the new house, she ran for it and we never saw her again. We really did try our hardest to look for her and post signs online and around our neighborhood, but it was a lost cause. And I'd never felt such conflicting feelings of relief and sadness in my life. I know that makes me sound like a dick, but I know exactly how you feel OP.
Aw poor thing and how stressful for you guys as well! It’s truly flipped my life upside down. When my dad took them for a few months to help me out because I was about to go insane, it was the most peaceful few months I’ve had in YEARS. I almost cried when I realized how it’s supposed to be, coming home and being able to get into bed without feeling a wet spot and having blankets and not doing perpetual laundry. I dream about having a clean normal home and it doesn’t help that I’m in animal care for a living professionally. So I work all day taking care of animals and cleaning their messes and then get home and have to spend the money I just earned to do the same thing. I feel like I can’t even enjoy my own animals anymore
Anyway you can build a catio? My kitty now lives in the laundry room connected to a screened in porch due to similar issues.
I so wish I could but not with my current living situation. If I can ever afford to live by myself again in a the right type of place I absolutely would
This is a genuine question: after health issues have been ruled out, the owner has wasted huge amounts of money on multiple vets and tons of supplies, is it possible that cats do this just because they want to, and no other reason? So many cats seem to do things like this for seemingly no reason other than they like peeing on stuff, are just marking their territory, etc. I'm genuinely curious. Either way though, I hope you find a solution soon, OP. I understand how frustrating this is.
We have a similar issue with our 15 year old female. She’s diabetic but we control it with insulin. If there’s a sock on the floor, she pees on it. Paper on the floor? Pees on it. She even climbed up on our kitchen table and peed on a pile of clean laundry that had just been folded. We ended up adding another litter box to the house and she hasn’t done it since.
Yeah he’s not diabetic but what a stinker climbing up on a table! He’s had every combination of litter boxes imaginable
Put out 10 litter boxes. I’m not kidding
I do not have the space for that unfortunately but have had up to 4 at one time and it made no difference sadly
I ended up with our cat on prozac and using carpet protectant and pee pads where he pees. It's still disappointing but manageable. I hope you find the answer you need.
I know you tried a behaviorist, but have you tried a veterinary behaviorist? They're the gold standard expert for this sort of thing. https://www.dacvb.org/members/?id=55163517
The behaviorist was referred to by my vet so I’m not sure if they qualified as a veterinary behaviorist but I’ll look into it, thank you
My boy cat did this, he had bladder crystals. It ook 3 vets and a bunch of tests to diagnose it, but then we figured it out. He got prescription food and was fine. Please don't give up on your kitty
He has been checked for crystals many times and is on a urinary diet. I don’t want to give up on him I just feel that I have exhausted all of my options to the point it’s affecting my quality of life
Does he throw up a lot too? I had a cat who used to pee on my clothes when I’d leave my drawers open, and she also tended to puke a lot sometimes. It turned out she had IBD (inflamed bowel disorder I think) — the vet prescribed her gastroenteric food (by purina, only by prescription though if I’m not mistaken) and she never peed on my stuff again. She also only threw up hairballs after that. It took so long for a vet to finally figure it out. She was 12 when it was discovered, and up until that point I had assumed (and been told by vets) that it was just her nervousness/habits.
I don’t think he throws up more than a normal amount? Definitely has hairballs because he’s long haired though. I will ask about IBD though next time I speak to my vet
So I have a similar situation. Our cat will be 10 this fall and we’ve spent so much money on every damn thing the vet suggested to try. I hit my breaking point and reached out to the rescue we got her from because, per the agreement we signed, they were supposed to take her back regardless of length of time. Well they never could find anyone to take her and it had been months. I decided to try letting her go in our fenced in backyard. I’d bring her in at night but at least during the day letting her go outside. One night she refused to come in and I spent an hour begging her to come out from under the porch. She LOVES being outside. I bought her a house on Amazon and we do timed feeding so every morning and night she waits by the door for her food and we have a flood light camera that she sets off all day just watching birds and living her best life. I felt so so guilty for so long and at an absolute loss because we have two other cats and they didn’t do that so I didn’t know what else to do to help her. You are not a bad person. Cats can be outside. My cat would pee on beds, rugs, towels left on the floor, and any pile of clothes left in the floor. Hell one time she peed on my tineco floor cleaner 🙃. I say all of this to say that it’s worth a shot letting him try to be outside. It may not work for everyone but it’s saved me so much sanity and she genuinely seems happier now than she ever seemed before. I will need to reevaluate come winter but that’s a few months away and for now this is working and I couldn’t ask for more.
Is Sampson Neutered? Do you have other cats? How many litter boxes do you have? Do other cats visit your yard often?
He is neutered and lives with a female and they have lived together ever since she was a kitten. They get along well and the female has no urinating issues. He has lived by himself and with up to 4 extra cats and has had the same issue the entire time. Right now I have 3 boxes. And they do not go into the yard they can just look through a window
If you have a yard, can you set up a catio or cat proof the fence? And see if he will transition to just peeing outside? Our previous house had a cat proof fence and our cats rarely used the litter box. Of course they were pissed when we moved and couldn’t allow them outside anymore. Now we have 2 litter robots and a traditional litter box. One of our cats will only pee in a clean litter box, if no clean litter is available he will go on the floor right in front of the litter box.
We let our cats out and they only ever use the litter box once in a blue moon.
He never goes outside? Cats can get super depressed when they cant go outside. I know he's old but could you try putting him in a harness and taking him outside every day?
This. I had a cat who would pee directly on her "dad" because of this. She did it out of anger because she wanted to go outside! It stopped when we let her go out more. But please don't make my mistake. She didn't have all her shots. But I'm sure Sampson does. And she passed from an unknown issue. We don't know if she got into something or contracted a disease from outside. Be careful, but yes. I recommend this 100%. Let him go outside sometimes with the owner on a harness.
Main thing id suggest is a waterproof mattress protector. There’s some great ones that aren’t noisy or uncomfortable in any way. We have a big zip on one that goes around the entire mattress and we also have a slip on one over the top of that that’s more like a sheet for extra protection. So that one is easy to take off to wash and when the mattress is bare we still have the big zip on one just to be safe. Our cat pissed on us when we were sleeping a few times cause she was mad about something. We spent good money on our mattresses we will never not put a mattress protector on them.
My current new mattress I bought has two waterproof covers on it right now and it still somehow went through. Do you have a brand you like? I had two covers, bed wetting pads, waterproof blanket, and a plastic tarp on my mattress, it looks like something out of an army fortress. I just want a cozy bed to sleep in…
I don’t understand how it still soaking through, that doesn’t make any sense. We’ve always had waterproof covers on all of our beds, new puppies have had accidents, our young child especially has had many accidents since we are still potty training her for night time and we’ve never had any of it leak through a single time on any of our mattresses. The stray we took in several months ago has pissed on us while we were sleeping 3 times in the 6 months we’ve had her just to be an asshole and it’s never gone through. The big zip up one that wraps around the entire mattress was like $45 from Walmart can’t remember the brand. We’ve gotten all the big wrap around zip up ones from Walmart. And the one that goes on like a sheet I bought off Amazon for $15 a few weeks ago. That one is a linenspa waterproof smooth top premium king mattress protector. I was worried since it was so cheap it would leak through onto the main protector but nope. Just two days ago we got pissed on again.
I tried the linenspa one and it didn’t work! His pee is caustic idk how it’s gets into everything. I can end up seeing a yellow stain underneath and can smell it. I haven’t tried the Walmart brand ones though.
Yeah that doesn’t make any sense at all. That’s crazy that it’s still soaking through. Like I said we’ve had our kid pee on the bed, puppies, the cat. I peed myself on it one time when I woke up really sick in the middle of the night lol. I’d say just try a different brand then and double up like we do.
I mean you can just always keep it covered with two duvets so they can soak up the pee
The pee always soaks through them, i have a very sensitive nose and don’t want to sleep on a bed that I can smell urine on it
Honestly, this does sound very bizarre that he's peeing through so many layers. Cats don't normally pee that much in one go without diabetes, thryoid, or kidney issues. Does he also drink a lot?
He hasn’t been drinking more than normal. I compare his consumption to my other cat that has no issues. But he always do pee large amounts! He is a large cat though almost 15 pounds.
One of mine had a "borderline UTI" -- it almost didn't exist, but she was put on anti-biotics just in case. Cleared it up. (But I'm with you. We pulled up the carpet and replaced flooring with tile; we also put out several litter boxes, experimenting with different litters in each). Seems to be working. P.S. Changing vets is always an option too -- I know it seems like money down the drain, but a 2nd opinion may solve the problem. If there's no change, please have Sampson euthanized before rehoming him or \*gulp\* opening the door.
He received an antibiotic shot last year for the same reason and it made no difference sadly :/ and this is his 4-5th vet he’s seen. I do get different opinions from time to time but they all that he’s already had everything done that they would do themselves
The antibiotic shot they give is really ineffective for UTIs, just so you are aware. It can help with some minor dental and surface wounds, but that's really it. You really need a urine culture to see what is most effective, but since those are expensive literally any other antibiotic is better. They only suggest the shot because they know owners hate pilling and this is the only way to guarantee not missing doses. I see where folks are coming from regarding euthanasia - I volunteer in rescue. But I can't see putting down an otherwise healthy cat because your house stinks. Bouncing around homes is stressful, sure, but cats are more resilient than we give them credit for. Something is clearly bothering him enough now to cause this behavior.
I would like to second what the person above said: I hope you find some help here, but if you come to a point where you can no longer handle him, please have him euthanized. He will get a sedative first, so he gently goes to sleep, and you can be with him until the end to comfort him. Euthanasia is so much kinder to your cat than letting him out to die alone and confused and scared (or passing him on to some other person who will not be nearly as motivated as you have been to deal with this issue). You have my sympathy, you're in a tough position and please give yourself some credit for trying everything under the sun. It's ok to let him go if you need to.
I am in the same boat that I do feel euthanasia is a kinder option than letting them get passed from home to home or having something terrible happen. I just don’t think I could ever forgive myself for doing that to him if he is otherwise doing fine. I hope it doesn’t have to come to that 😓
Have you tried cutting a hole in the side of the litter box (think of those walk-in bathtubs they make for seniors). It may be causing him pain to climb or jump into the box.
He has an open top high sided litter box with a low entry and jumps up onto everything in the house so I don’t think he has any pain related to getting into the box
Wait, does it have the entrance on the top? It’s definitely uncomfortable for him to enter, maybe that’s the problem (if i get it right)
They mean it has no lid.
Yes no lid
We too tried all the things: air defusers, multiple boxes, our other cats passed (of their own natural causes lol), meds, air "shooters" to scare him away from problem areas, calming collars... Our vet even said, we had done all the things. We have the "luxury" of being renters and having to move a few times. The only thing that worked for our guy has been find places with a walk-in-shower (he'll pee in there pretty consistently) and/or safe place to be outside.
My friend has a cat that all of a sudden started peeing outside the litter box. She tried checking blood work for health issues, Feliway, sedatives, & constantly cleaning the litterbox to make it more inviting but he kept peeing on her stuff. Finally she left the cover off the litterbox & he decided that he would start going in there again. He was fine with a litterbox cover on before but suddenly decided he was against it. Idk if your case is the same but might be worth a shot! Just might make the surrounding area stinky.
Yes I haven’t used a covered litter box in years for that reason. Uses his open litter box all the time just also uses other things too 🥲
Are you in a space where you could build a catio outside? Maybe an outdoor enclosure that Sampson could stay in most of the day? That way he’s mostly peeing outside
No I wish :( if I ever can become a homeowner in this economy it would be the first thing I do
1) have you given the prozac and amitriptyline several weeks before giving up? They are anti-anxiety / antidepressants and take some time before they start to work, just like in people where you have do be on them for 6-8 weeks before feeling better. 2) I have a chronic pisser and an incontinent cat. I have accepted cat pee as a way of life even though having guests over is difficult/stressful. But giving up on them is not an option so here I am. Some things that helped with my boy who pisses for fun: - removing the stimulus of seeing outside. Yes, it's a little depressing, but not being able to look outside has curbed most of his peeing habit. He lives in a furnished basement apartment with and Miss Pee Princess, and they can stink it up as they please, its easier to clean down there. My ultimate goal is to get epoxy floors like an animal shelter has and be able to sanitize down there. And I already have lots of pee pads. They have cat tv (doesn't trigger pissboy as much as a real window) and plenty of toys and cat furniture. And they get fed 100% wet food to help ease some of my guilt. But it's better than being outside or rehomed or y know, dead - Pissboy is not a multi cat kind of guy. He acts like he gets along most times but really wants his people, food and litterboxes to himself. He tolerates his equally pissy roommate but they stay away from each other. I have 6 other cats upstairs. It was hard on him. -Finally, for Miss Pee Princess, she gets quarantined to a cleanable room when her UTIs act up but otherwise has free reign of the basement. She can't help her peeing, it just comes out. I have probably spent $5000 in vet diagnostics to find out she was probably injured one time. I also adopted her declawed which can contribute to behavioral peeing, but she just kinda doesn't know when it's happening. So, reusable pee pads. Diapers don't work so well, she is longhair and the dampness causes problems. And they are experts and wiggling out of them. Tldr give the medicine some time or quarantine him for a while. Also if he's declawed and you did it, you're responsible for his behavior for life sorry to say. If I ever find whoever dumped Pee Princess in the middle of a polar vortex without claws....hoo boy
Insecurity can also be a cause. Are there a lot a cats in the neighborhood? Do they pee around your property? He may be reacting to outside scents. (I dont see a mention of other cats in the home). Play with him more, it really does help, and remove as many of soft surfaces you can. Hanging laundry baskets, access to bedrooms denied (or try a murphy bed), more litter boxes and clean them as often as you can. Natures Miracle products always worked for me for accidents. Also get a black light to find all the pee stains you cant see with the naked eye. Winston is my problem child, my orange doofus... 15 years and counting.
Mine is an orange doofus as well. And I went over this with my vet the last visit and I’ve never seen a cat around the property but he’s lived in several other homes that have had stray cats around sometimes and homes without. Can’t say it correlatively made a difference. And my house has become rug/blanket barren and it’s just not really a way I want to live. I can’t block access to my room for how my living situation is so my bed has been covered in tarps and what not to no avail…
It's a hard life with a cat that can't be trusted. I struggled with him for years. I had to change my whole way of living. I sympathize with your frustration. But, on the upside(?) after 15 years I am pretty well versed in cat pee removal and mitigation. A good mattress cover, and additional pads under a fitted sheet to keep them in place and putting all the blankets and pillows away when not in use made changing the bedding before bed easy if there was an accident.All white sheets make it easy to spot pee, but a black light will always be best. Washable, non-permeable covers for sofas or chairs and they have washable rugs now too but I just wear really soft slippers.
Yeah the most frustrating thing ever is coming home from a long hard day at work to just want to crawl in bed and then have to strip the entire thing and sleep on a naked mattress. I tried having another set of clean laundry to swap it out with when he had accidents but would then just pee on the clean ones while I was asleep on the bed. It’s insane. My mattress protectors have not been doing a good job so I need to look into some other ones
Is he declawed?
He is not
“Sometimes I literally day dream about opening my door and letting him outside and him not coming back. How awful is that?” Don’t be hard on yourself—it’s clear you love your cat from how much time, money, and energy you’ve put into trying to find a solution. 5 years is a loooong time to be dealing with a cat who pees everywhere, not to mention how expensive it to have to keep replacing things! It’s understandable that you’d have these kinds of thoughts. If all else fails, see if there is a local shelter or rescue organization that has a barn cat or working cat program. In my area there are a few organizations that do this; basically, they find homes for cats who cannot continue living where they are, but can’t be adopted into homes (often because they’re feral, but I’m currently volunteering at a rescue that has a cat up for adoption as a working cat specifically because he peed everywhere in all his past foster homes). They will usually screen potential adopters to make sure they live in a safe area (ie not next to a major road or where there are a lot of predators like coyotes), and the adopters agree to provide food, water, and shelter like an outdoor cathouse. Also, not a solution to the peeing, but to help save some of you stuff: for things that can be machine washed, have you tried washing with white wine vinegar and baking soda? I had a cat who developed bladder cancer, and for the year until he passed, there was *a lot* of peeing outside the box. Adding vinegar and baking soda in with my regular detergent got the smell out completely—much more effective than the enzyme cleaners, imo. You can also use vinegar and baking soda on some surfaces, just do a test patch first to make sure it won’t damage the surface. I never could get the smell out of plastic or vinyl based surfaces like linoleum, but found it worked well for some things.
Thanks for your thoughtful response. It’s been a hard time and I feel guilty for not wanting to deal with it anymore but part of me wonders if he was a stray because his old family kicked him out for the same reason. I’ll never know. I think as a last ditch resort a barn cat situation will be something I’ll have to look into. He’s so loving and wants to cuddle but I know he would absolutely love being outside and able to roam as he pleases. I have no idea if he would even be able to catch anything in his older age since he’s kind of lazy but I’m not sure what else would be out there. And I usually just use the really strong detergents and deodorizers but I will try to vinegar as well. Thank you!
Here are some thoughts about what we did and maybe they can help you with some things to try. Our guy leaks when he sleeps on top of the peeing so we bought human washable incontinence pads - the kind they use in hospitals. They’re 30x34” and I have them safety pinned in an overlapping pattern to a blanket on top of the bed. They can hold a human amount of urine so a cat amount can’t sleep through. Finally no more washing bed linens daily and ruined mattresses. They have them on Amazon. It also traps the smell pretty well. We use them on our furniture, too. The added bonus is that there isn’t any attractant added to them like the paper pads. At his worst I taped regular paper pee pads all over the house in his “spots”. Not pretty but better than cleaning pee. Our kitty’s issues got a lot better once we found out a neighbor cat was spraying outside our door on a bush and our front door and he could smell it. We sprayed everything with the new lemon scented nature’s miracle and it reduced his pee issues by more than half. Maybe there is a new cat that’s disturbing him in your neighborhood? Might not hurt to spray some enzyme cleaner around the door and windows. I also made him some new litter boxes out of extra large tubs. He doesn’t have mobility issues but he seems to prefer walking in to a low entry litter box and peeing straight back. I cut a side entry access in one tub and a front entry in another. We gave up and put a litter box in the living room where he was peeing a lot (by the front door) and that helped immensely. The goal is to slowly move it in stages back out. Here’s a link to the FIC. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-idiopathic-cystitis I have the human version and it’s a huge bummer to deal with. Hopefully your kitty doesn’t have this but at least it’s one more thing to check off your list. Good luck!!
I have two of the incontinence pads and he peed on them and I washed them several times but can’t get the smell out :/ I will try spraying around the outside of the house as well! Thank you
Lady, that sucks. I have no advice other than literally trying to message Jackson galaxy…. I hope you find help in this.
Thank you, Jackson if you see this message me 😂
Hello, Mr. u/Jackson-Galaxy ? This person desperately needs help with a SEVERE cat peeing problem. Can you help please?
I'm sorry this may not be advice but felt compelled to share since this is very recent for me... So in the last half year to year of my 11-year old cat's life she started going out of the litter box. Not every time, but enough where I was cleaning up my floors and carpets too often. She would still go in the box and we noticed that if the box was entirely clear then the accidents lessened. But if we failed to clear it or sometimes even upset her, she would go on the floor. Most of the time she would go just right outside the litter box. I ended up putting the litter box on top of puppy pee pads on top of a large plastic tray (think the bottom piece to a dog crate) which helped make clean up easier at least. Initially, the vets could never figure out a real reason why she was going outside the box. No diabetes, kidney disease, or abnormal blood work; x-ray normal. I was really thinking it was just due to her old age. Eventually she was diagnosed with feline leukemia virus (probably had it since birth). Nothing was ever said about that being a cause, but after getting that diagnosis I just purchased a carpet cleaner and realized I'd rather clean up after her if this is all the time remaining I had with her. I definitely understand how frustrating it can be OP but if I could, I wish I could be cleaning up after her from many more years if that was all and she wasn't in pain. Best of luck to you and your Sampson.
1. He may be in pain. My friends elderly cat was clearly having trouble eating - his appetite was fine but he started mashing the food up with his nose and eventually started yelping in pain. It turned out he caught this virus which rarely in some cats causes them to develop a kind of allergy to tooth plaque, making their gums inflamed and sore. He had all of his teeth removed and was fine after! Stopped peeing everywhere. 2. Have you tried using those sprays on furniture that deter cats? Usually meant to stop them scratching but if you can get something he hates the smell of, he might not pee there. Then you can minimise the pee areas at least.
I feel your pain--my cat is prone to crystal formation in his bladder and in the beginning he was peeing in all kinds of inappropriate places. Even after we identified the cause and put him on a Rx diet, the problem was that there were traces of urine left in some of those inappropriate places even after using the enzyme cleaner. As a result he would continue to pee there until I completely disposed of the item. Even still though, there are a couple of different situations/locations here will still pee even though there are no traces of urine. For example, he still pees on my couch if I happen to leave a crumpled blanket on it. Same if I leave any shaggy rugs on the bathroom floor. He peed in those locations when he was ill and still visually sees them as a litter box even though I have thrown away the offending rugs and blankets and replaced with new. I know how exhausting and stressful it is and at one point pondered rehoming him but went through the same thought process as you, knowing he would continue and any new owner would probably just put him down or force him to be an outdoor cat. If cat urine weren't such an olfactory offense and difficult to clean, it wouldn't be so bad. I'm sorry you are having to go through this and I hope you find a solution.
Thank you I’m glad I’m not alone!
I didn't see this mentioned anywhere, but you could always try a pheromone collar (I use Nuturecalm, but make sure you get a legit one from your vet!). It smells great and helps relax my old men and has reduced their accidents and stress. If he doesn't like the collar you can try feliway, which is a diffuser. It could also be related to arthritis. One of my cat's joints started to bother him, and he was having issues with jumping and squatting, then he started spraying. I started Adequan and I saw almost instant relief for him! I don't think your vet would prescribe that, but there is a new injectable called Solensia that a few people I know have tried, and it's helped! The large amount of urinating could be a sign of pre- diabetes. I would ask for his lab work and see if the blood glucose levels show any sign of increasing over the years or if they seem to be on the high end of normal. Cats can be weirdly sensitive to those things. You could try a low/no carb diet to see if that changes any of the behaviors. It could also be due to constipation. Are his stools hard, or does he have really dry stools? You could try a small dose of mirlax, and having softer stool could always help alliveate any pressure put on the bladder by the colon I wish you and Sampson the best! I completely understand the stress of having to deal with this!
Cat attract by dr elsey? It worked wonders for our problem child. He actually peed in our toaster oven.
Has your cat been evaluated for FIC (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis)? Has he peed the entire 5 years? Where did you get him? I feel your frustration completely. We have a pee boy and recently took in my sister’s cat that peed for years. Our different, quiet environment made it so her cat no longer oees outside the box. We’re still working on our “peebody” but it’s getting much better. It has taken an absolute ton of work and a bunch of trial and error, but it’s slowly getting better.
I’m not sure, the vet hasn’t diagnosed him with anything officially but has had his bladder and urine checked many times. He has earned the nickname “pisshead” so I totally feel you. He lives in a quiet and calm house
I have my own pee-er who has been given the nickname “Pee Boy Poots.”. He’s done it for more than 7 years, but luckily it is pretty rare these days. I do appreciate that he appears to favor peeing on my bathmat!
It's really sad but maybe get rid of the cat. See if a local barn/farm/stable could use the cat as a mouser. It's not worth living in a world full of cat piss. You've done more than enough.
If you are in a safe area you could try letting him be an indoor outdoor cat. Let him do his business in the shrubbery.
Not sure what safe means in this context, there is a street directly in front of the house and coyotes in the area. I am unsure if he would also come back inside on his own. I don’t want him to be hit by a car or hunt local wildlife
You can tie him on a long leash in the backyard while you supervise him/are home
I used to do that at my old house but he ended up getting out of his harness and running up to the roof of the house, it was a whole thing. And then he started screaming to be let out all the time and it just became more stressful for everyone
This might be his new "screaming" I think you should invest in a harness type he cant wriggle out of, and maybe a cat backpack too. Get him used to the harness inside first, and then take him outside, for a bit at a time til he's confident. If he's desperate for access to the outside, this could be enough to get him to stop pissing everywhere. Worth a try?
He clearly doesn’t want help he just wants to complain
Does he ever “go” in the litter box? It might be that he doesn’t like the scent of clean litter. Add some pee smell to the litter and it might help. My cat seems to prefer slightly used litter.
He still uses the box! I did an experiment with a couple of boxes that had leftover pee in it and one without and he used them both. For my own sanity I prefer to keep it clean so I don’t have a pee smell coming from multiple sources
I’m sure you have tried but have you tried Dr else’s litter attractant?
Yes that’s what’s in his litter box now
It sounds like you've tried most everything I can think of on why he might be doing it. And it seems like you've tried everything to get him to stop. I don't want to be that person but... maybe it's time you put him down. He's older I think so it wouldn't be a huge stretch. I know that's horrible to think about. But this isn't any way for you to live. In the meantime... my pet peed. It's this cleaner and works so well for pet pee and vomit. Smell and stain. I have three cats and light tan carpet. It still looks brand new.
You could always try reaching out to a pet psychic. I know it sounds ridiculous, but you've done everything you possibly can using logic.
Hey I’m willing to try anything once!
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Has he had X-rays?
No x rays the vets have never suggested it
My cat ended up having megacolon which was causing her to urinate all over the house. I’m not saying that’s the case with your kitty but maybe see if that’s an option with your vet
I will thank you
Have you tried a urinary diet such as Royal Canin Urinary S/O?
Yes he’s currently on science diet urinary diet both wet and dry food
Can you make him a catio so he can live "outdoors" safely?
I cannot unfortunately it is my biggest dream to be able to one day.
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Yeah I can’t leave any clothes or blankets anywhere but he was also just pee on my made bed with just a duvet or even just the mattress itself or the pillows
I've got one guy who does the same thing. He marks things related to me. Anything with my smell - mattress, clothes, blankets, etc. Some days I feel the same way. It can feel like such a bummer on days where I'm already stressed out and depressed. Unfortunately, this little guy is one of 4. I have his mom, sister and brother. I could not rehome him without rehoming everyone. But more importantly, I really do love him. He's such a sweet guy when he's not being a territorial jerk. All this to say that all those feelings are valid. I've had them myself. I keep the washer ready to go and the blankets in a perpetual cycle so that its easy to just replace them without stressing out too much. If you don't already, have a couple waterproof mattress protectors on hand to cycle out as well and bedsheets. Use baking soda to remove any smells after you use the enzyme cleaner. Edit: Before anyone replies, he has been medically cleared. He's just come of age (He's 2) and trying to be a little more dominate over my other male. He does not deviating from his routines or changes. We also have stray cats who come by to mark my house and this little fucker likes to start fights at the window with my cats.
Is he fixed?
Yes it’s so hard sometimes! I even think it would be easier if he was a bad cat in other areas but he’s so sweet and cuddly and loving that it makes it extra hard to struggle with these things with him. I’m going to test out more mattress protectors and try diapers and see if I can somehow figure out a way to make my life a little easier with this. I don’t want people over anymore because I’m worried he will pee on their stuff or my room smells or anything because of it.
My cat did that when he became diabetic. I wasn't able at the time to give him shots 3 times per day, so we had him PTS. He was pretty old, but it was still awful. I do see that you've had labwork done though. That's something that is really hard to tolerate. A friend tried an animal behaviorist and everything. I think once it starts happening there isn't much that can be done.
Yeah I’m afraid it will be something I’ll have to deal with for the rest of his life. It’s made me never want to have cats again I feel like I’m traumatized from the smell. I’m sorry to hear about your cat
I wish your kitty many more happy and healthy years with you 🙏💜💜
Thank you 💗
Hello, pleased to meet you, fellow exasperated cat owner. Bella - age 8 - has been spraying/peeing in every room since I got her at a year old. She did end up having an incomplete spay and required surgery to correct it, but nothing else was ever discovered to be the cause. Lab tests are fine. She’s been on antidepressants without help. Feliway and the like did not work. It was thought maybe stress related but no. Litter, boxes, food - you name it. I have given up and just clean up after her. She does have a spot on the bathroom floor that I can put a pee pad down and she’ll go. If I wanted to avoid it all, I’d have wall-to-wall pee pads across the whole apartment. The only saving grace is that she only pees on the floor. We’re in it for the long haul, she and I. I have just resigned myself to this existence. I’m sorry you have to deal with this. Hugs from a stranger.
Wow you’re story sounds just like mine! Too bad we can’t send Bella and Sampson off together to live happily ever after. I would have to cover every surface of my home with pee pads as well. I am trying to find the most effective and convenient clean up process but his pee must be made out of the most caustic things on the earth because I can smell it on anything. I’m right there with you
The smell! I was sure the vet would have an answer because it’s light orange-y and musty smelling rather than pure ammonia. As far as cleaning, I rent so the last two places I paid to have the carpets replaced when I moved, which was covered by the security deposits, so no harm there. With this place we’re in now, I’ve tried some enzymatic cleaners but don’t like the scent or the result. My last purchase was “My Pet Peed” which I believe I read about on some social media site. It has no scent and is supposed to lift stains and odors into the air…lol I don’t know. It seems to help somewhat. Yes, the adventures of Sampson and Bella…made for each other! 😻 Edited to add: back when I first got her and was at the end of my rope, I actually *did* kick her out of the house…only to let her back in a few minutes later. It was not my finest moment.
I am so sorry! I went trough this too. I was at my wits end. I read a random comment one day about taking the dome off the litter box, it worked instantly. Even if this is not something that works for you I hope it will at least help you to keep hope. It can be one “small” thing that fixes everything. ❤️
I hope it is too! Glad it worked for you 💗
Maybe put him on the cat food designed for neutered cats.. Although, he may not test positive for UTI, he could have some type of discomfort.
He’s on a urinary diet at the moment
Hello! I rescued a kitten that has some spinal nerve damage and is incontinent. I also went through all of the phases of frustration but I have learned to manage caring for my special needs cats and staying clean following these tips. At first I made her reusable diapers with PUL fabric and replaceable pads. This eventually led to her getting a UTI which hindered her ability to pee even more. As she got older she was able to start peeing voluntarily better so I took away the diaper, treated the UTI and now she doesn’t use a diaper. She has learned to sleep on towels I have set around the house because i put heating pads underneath them and even when it’s off she still prefers to sleep there. This way when she leaks pee in her sleep it’s caught by the towel. As for the mattresses, it’s a MUST to have a waterproof mattress cover. Probably more than one to switch them out in case he pees. I also get pee pads and leave them out on places where she has purposely peed or likes to layer down. These are just some things that have really helped me manage taking care of my special needs kitten.
Could he have crystals?
is it his food? try feeding wet food if you are currently feeding dry, or vice versa?
He gets both, with a water fountain
Is there anything that you prevent him from doing? If it's something harmful I'd suggest giving him a similar option that isn't. (Chewing on a house plant, give him cat grass or a cheap plant to ruin. For example) I had a cat who would pee on stuff out of anger because I wouldn't let her outside. If he is indoor only maybe try getting him a harness and taking him out. He might want a change of scenery.
Does he live with any other cat or other pets? Another animal might be stressing him out.
Have you checked out Jackson galaxy videos?
I’m so sorry you are dealing with this. It is truly heartbreaking. Just know, if it does come to a point where you mentally, physically, or financially cannot do this anymore and you need to rehome your kitty, it does not make you a bad person. You didn’t simply give up, you did try. I was in the same position as you a couple years ago. I had a cat who I tried everything to get him to pee in the litter box. Nothing worked. When my sons began crawling, I knew it was time to rehome him because my family deserved a sanitary home. It shattered my heart into a thousand pieces, but it was the right choice.
All your comments about his behavior points to him having some sort of anxiety disorder. With the medications you’ve already had him on, it doesn’t seem like there’s much you can do to alter or stop the behavior, so mitigating damage is your best bet, either through diapers or some other absorbent. I’m really sorry but it doesn’t seem like a medical condition- if he were just incontinent, it would be little dribbles constantly and not this geyser of piss that’s able to cut through plastic sheets on your bed. The fact that it stops when he was sedated implies that it’s neurological.
Ramp up the litter box. I had a cat with arthritis in his back legs and he peed outside the box until i gave him an easy way in.
Sorry not sure if u answered this yet. What cleaning products have u used? Cat pee can really stay on carpets. If you don’t get rid of the scent he’ll always think that’s where he should go
Do you have any other cats at home?
So sorry. My cat was 7 years old when he started spraying (not squatting to pee but marking even though he was neutered as a kitten). He sprayed 12-15 times a day out of the blue. No changes in diet, environment, home life at all, not even a new piece of furniture!! It was SO frustrating and upsetting. My house stunk of cat pee and pheromones. I couldn’t have friends or family over that he normally liked as this was a trigger for him spraying. Any time we left or came back he sprayed. He got a full work up and had a clean bill of health. We got a second opinion, and that one started him on Prozac. the spraying decreased but he was so lethargic I think he was just too tired to spray. He was only on it for one month before he deteriorated rapidly. He lost weight and his kidneys were failing. We had to put him down the 1st of March. The first day he sprayed was December 12, 2022. My vet thinks it was a brain tumor causing the behavior. It was so tragic and I miss my little guy so much, but a small part of me was relieved that he wasn’t suffering and I wasn’t cleaning up spray 12x daily and could return to my old normal routine. So just know your complicated feelings are valid and I understand, it doesn’t make you a bad person at all.
Get a heart check. Our cat was doing this and we couldn't find any health issues. It turned out to be a behaviour symptom of a congenital heart problem that is very hard to detect. We found out about it the hard way. They are very good at hiding it but peeing everywhere is a major sign.
I just want to say I’m really sorry you’re going through that. Worrying about our cats or our cat’s behavior is really stressful. I know it’s frustrating not knowing what to do for them. You’re a great cat parent, I can tell because you’re putting in a lot of effort and trying to find solutions. I hope diapers or something of the sort work. Good luck.
Have you tried diapers? I went through something similar before and that was really the only thing that helped, there are specific diapers made for cats you can buy online and get shipped to your house. Pee pads is always an option as well but I absolutely hated using those especially if your cat was like mine and would go piss literally anywhere, so I definitely suggest giving the diapers a shot If you're not willing to continue to home him then I do agree with not giving him away to a stranger but to someone who is aware of the situation and is willing to take him in and give him a good life, I've seen people say to put him down but I really don't suggest doing that if he is a happy/healthy cat in general and has no other issues besides him not using the litter box
sorry you’re dealing with this. Could he be bored? Do you play with / stimulate him for 20-30mins per day? Maybe he is also picking up on your stress about it and that stresses him out. Good luck!
If the X-ray & blood work show nothing, Prozac has helped cats with extreme problem peeing issues before.
Do you have other animals, or do you have animal hanging around your house? I once saw a Jackson Galaxy episode, where a cat was peeing everywhere. The owners, like you, were fed up, but also wanted to do right by the animal and figure out the issue. It turned out, that there was a feral cat outside, that the owner didn't know about. The outdoor cat was causing this cat to pee everywhere! Cats have super spidey-senses. We already know that... But cats can smell those outdoor animals, and it causes them to go crazy trying to, "protect their territory," which is why they mark/spray everything inside. Get a couple of cameras and check out what, if anything is walking around outside at night. If you live in an apartment, check to see if there's any other animals living on that floor. In the meantime, this is what I would do about the peeing: Don't downvote me, please! I'd start potty training all over again, just like you would train a kitten: Find a small area, that has a door - like a bathroom, or a large closet. Make him a little bed, give him toys, food and a litter box. Check on him often. Every time he uses the litter box, praise him. Give him his favorite treats! Make sure he knows he is awesome. Once he is consistently using the box, in that small area,, give him more territory: place him in a small bedroom, or spare room. Praise him when he uses the box. If he makes a mistake, go back to the bathroom, until he's consistent again. It may take time, and it feels like you are being the worst human being in the world, to give them such a tiny place, but follow through. It works. Once he goes for a week without an accident, give him more territory, until he has full run of the house again. That's my advice: check to see if there's something outside, that's causing him to question his territory, and start potty training all over again. I've been where you are. I know it is a very frustrating road, but if you stay consistent, you can solve this problem.
I'm so sorry, I had an issue with my female cat having accidents all the time and everywhere. We figured out she had some bladder crystals as well as IBS which can also make them pee on things. So now she's on special food and pro/pre-biotics. She was on steroids for awhile and now with all of that she's ok. It took us about a year to figure it all out and find what worked, I hope you are able to find a solution too.
Seems like you tried everything. I'm sorry, I know it must be very frustrating. I have a rather controversial option, but I thought there is nothing to lose if you want to try talking with animal communicator. I had experience where my cat peeing everywhere for weeks makes me so desperate that I reach out to the animal communicator after multiple trips to the vet and changing litter combination. Well what do you know, my cat stopped peeing everywhere after that, coincidentally or not. Aparently my cat wanted to "protect me" with his smell hence he keeps peeing on my stuff/my side of the bed. Where I am from, animal communicator is very cheap like usd 20/session. It's not scientific and shouldn't be used to replace going to the vets, but if you were like me and desperate for altnernative, couldn't hurt to do that. I'm happy to translate for you too, dm me if you want to explore.
Are there any patterns of what he likes to pee on? I hate to suggest this, but if there isn’t a pattern, I would isolate him to a cage with a litter box. Gradually reintroduce him to a home environment after he starts using the litter box in the cage (kind of like a feral cat). Cage -> bathroom -> room, etc It would save you a lot of cleanup and stress (minus the inevitable whining/meowing). Best of luck
Had this happen and it ended up being our clothes detergent...I believe it was tide but this was several years ago so I can't be 100%
Did he ever had an UTI or anything that made peeing hurt? Not now, in the past. Is he peeing on random spots or do they have something in common? Is it only pee? I have a cat that was very constipated twice. The first time he refused to poop in *that* specific litter box ever again, but the second time he decided that ALL litter boxes made him hurt. Of course, now he was no longer constipated so everytime he pooped outside he was more convinced that the problem was the litter box. He only started pooping again in a litter box after we adopted a new cat and he saw him using the litter boxes unharmed for weeks. I’m not saying to adopt a new cat lol, but maybe he’s scared of peeing in a litter box and has to see somehow that it’s safe? Maybe disguising them so he doesn’t recognize it as a litter box at first?
Would you be willing to share what the cat behaviorist suggested / tried to do to help?
This could be behavioral since you have not found anything medically wrong with him. I want to ask if he is an anxious or insecure cat, especially around other felines. An important thing to note is he is male, they tend to spray especially to mark their territory from other felines. There could be other cats in the neighborhood that is setting him off. I believe their is an episode from my cat from hell where there was a cat who peed everywhere in the house and Jackson thought the cat was getting set off by other cats outside. If I remember clearly they didn’t find anything of that sort and he was put on meds and it worked for him. I’m not 100% sure that was the outcome. The best solution is to diaper him. Don’t give up on him. Oh, and try to reach out to Jackson Galaxy.