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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Help me with a Cat Problem
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 10/04/2005 05:58:52 PM · #1
I am having a problem with my cat and I'm not sure what to do. The cat is litter trained and has been since he was a newborn basically. He's a little over 5 years old now and he's occasionally peeing in places that he shouldn't. He's been neutered since he was 6 months old.

The problem is very infrequent and I can't seem to put my finger on WHEN he's doing it. I just stumble across it if I smell or see it. There is no rhyme or reason to it. His litter box is scooped daily and the litter is totally changed every 5 or 6 days.

Any suggestions from you cat lovers out there?
 10/04/2005 06:04:17 PM · #2
A cat I had when a kid started doing this, and it turned out to be a kidney problem. I don't know or recall the name of the condition, but as I remember it described as "crystalization in the kidneys", or something like that. Basically the urine crystalized and messed up the kidneys normal functioning. I'd definitely take him to a vet and have him checked.

Another thing that can trigger this is "territorial" issues, like if there's a new animal in the house.
 10/04/2005 06:11:20 PM · #3
Oh man, I just researched this on the net because our cat started doing that. She's only about 6 months old but for the first several months we had no problems. The things I read that can trigger this type of behavior are UTI's (urinary tract infection) which can be easily treated by the vet. They also said that feeding your cats wet food helps to prevent these. Two other possible triggers are if there is another cat using the litter box that might "hassle" or corner your cat in there and make it hesitate to use its box sometimes. And the other was oddly enough, some people mentioned that some cats dont' like the smell of rubber backing on rugs and such. My cat almost always pee's on rugs or once on some plastic sheeting in a box and one time on laundry. So the rubber smell thing was a possibility. I took the top off the litter box, feed her soft food more often AND spray citrus smelling stuff on my rugs etc. as I read they avoid that, hehe.

That's all my input. Since I made all of those changes about 2 weeks ago she hasn't gone outside the box. Lets hope it stays that way!

So I'd say, rule out the medical/physical stuff then move onto the psychological stuff :)

Good Luck!
 10/04/2005 06:15:05 PM · #4
same problem here, but with our female cat. At our condo we had some of the neighbors outside cats spray our patio sliding glass door then the female could smell it and remark her territory. Maybe you have another cat snooping around the outside of your house.

Or it could be the kidney problems like the others have said. All 3 of our 17 year old cats have kidney problems that come and go

James
 10/04/2005 06:17:30 PM · #5
You say the box is cleaned once a day but maybe it isn't clean when he's going on the floor. As cats get older, they can get very picky. Try putting another litter box right next to the current one and see if that helps.

Are you away from home more than usual? Spending less time with the cat? Maybe he feels neglected and is acting out. But like Picture This said, I'd rule out medical first.
 10/04/2005 06:17:59 PM · #6
Originally posted by jab119:
same problem here, but with our female cat. At our condo we had some of the neighbors outside cats spray our patio sliding glass door then the female could smell it and remark her territory. Maybe you have another cat snooping around the outside of your house.

Or it could be the kidney problems like the others have said. All 3 of our 17 year old cats have kidney problems that come and go

James


Reminded me of another thing I read while researching, I read that some males when they see a strange cat outdoors will start marking by all the windows, etc.
 10/04/2005 06:52:46 PM · #7
aweeee I'm sorry for your kitty. I would have him checked by a vet since it could be kidney or other urinary problem causeing the mishaps. Poor lil thing.

10/04/2005 07:06:27 PM · #8
Our cat does it because she's evil.

10/04/2005 07:06:57 PM · #9
I agree that talking to a vet might help. I used to have a cat who urinated in weird places because of kidney and bladder infections. We'd get her on meds and it would definitely help. Unfortunately she had chronic problems, possibly due to injesting poison, and she eventually ended up dying of kidney failure. It can be a life-threatening problem and is worth getting treated early, if that's what it is!

Have you noticed if his water consumption is normal? Pay attention to that too, as the vet will ask.

I hope you figure it out! Both for his sake and yours! (cat urine is the worst!)
 10/04/2005 07:11:10 PM · #10
My cat Boots has done this twice too. We let her have two litter boxes in different rooms, so she has a choice as to where to go. (We had 2 before but then moved one.) She is a young cat, only 2, so I am quite sure she was just being naughty and it is not a medical problem. She hasn't done it again so far.
 10/04/2005 07:11:30 PM · #11
i would sell him. that's what we did to one of our dogs. we had two. one got sold because he was scratching our car. and the other got ran over by a ups truck. now we have no dogs.

Message edited by author 2005-10-04 19:13:07.
 10/04/2005 11:45:55 PM · #12
I went to PetsMart and bought another litter box tonight. I talked with one of their people about the problem and they also suggested a urniary tract infection as a possibility. They said it's not an uncommon thing. They sold me some food additives designed to remedy that, if it's the problem... thanks for the feedback :)
 10/04/2005 11:47:37 PM · #13
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
Any suggestions from you cat lovers out there?


...well there goes my solution. ;-P
 10/05/2005 12:01:39 AM · #14
talked with a lady at the humane society just yesterday about this.

My wife turned our inside cats into outside cats over this - now they come in to pee in a bad place, hack up a fur ball, and go back outside - this does NOT please my wife.

Anywho - humane lady says that tons of cats get dropped off there all with the same prob. And 98% of them are using the litter box when they leave, because they are in cages with litter boxes, so it's the only place they can go until they are adopted again.

She said to start over like they were kittens and put them in a bathroom with a litter box, some water, and some food for a few days until they are using the litter box like they are supposed to, and then re-introduce them to the house. First time they "miss" the box, back into training.

She also said my wife would have to pay $50 to give them to her - so the cats are in the bathroom now! Want me to keep you posted? ;-)
 10/05/2005 12:02:59 AM · #15
yeah, same problem here. All our cats are in a futile territory war, and that is why we are trading in our carpet for linolium :-P
 10/05/2005 12:05:37 AM · #16
You didn't change to or add those fancy blue crystals to the litter did you?

I got two older cats in the house... have been using the boxes forever (we have two boxes...clean daily), the wife changed to those odor obsorbing blue crystals and bam... Now one cat could care less about the blue stuff but the second cat (more delicate feelings) hates the stuff started wizzing around the place... tried to convince the wife to go with on box sand and one crystals but that hasn't happened.

I think what happens with thoses crystals is that they stay in the box longer. We have those boxes that have grates in the bottom that when you pick it up sand filters through and clumped litter gets caught and tossed out. The Obsorbant crystals fall through and smell bad. ???
 10/05/2005 12:06:29 AM · #17
My cat isn't refusing to use the litter box. He uses it 99.5% of the time. It's just that .5% of the time that bugs me...
 10/05/2005 12:13:59 AM · #18
No cat picture? This is relevant. Male cat? White cat? Male cats tend to have more urinary problems than female cats. White male cats seem to be the worst when it comes to this. So a picture would maybe have helped.

The big cat issue, in addition to urinary tract infection is FUS -- Feline Urinary Syndrome, as I recall. It could be that, too.

If you have a cat with urinary issues, you'll want to switch to a low ash cat food. There are a lot of cat foods available to deal with this problem. There are also special urinary tract cat foods available from your vet. Whatever works is what you need, however. No need to get a Cadillac if a Chevy will get you to the store.

Cats are not native to the US. They are basically desert creatures. This means that they are adapted to conserve water. They have extremely efficient kidneys. The tradeoff is that they have a greater tendency to have urinary problems than most pets, and their complex kidney/urinary structure is therefore more prone to failure. In humans, the heart tends to go first. In cats, the kidneys tend to go first.

Female cats are a better bet if you don't want to deal with this stuff. They usually do far better than the males.
 10/05/2005 12:15:50 AM · #19
What a friend of mine learned when his 8 year old cat started marking in the house on occasion. the cat didn't like his new neighbors, whom used to live there, the landlords moved back into the house next door which they also owned and the cats tried to come back into thier old house. (did that make sense? Both cats were trying to claim the same territory)

Solution: He never let the cat outside again while at that house. When the cat stopped being able to meet & greet the other cats (OK, fight with them) he also quit marking in the house. The cat, now 15 lives in a different house ans is again allowed to go outside and has never resumed marking in the house.
 10/05/2005 12:17:23 AM · #20
remember dogs have owners and cats have servants

also you vet should have a cat food for specific problems. we use the KD formula for Kidney problems its a little bit more expensive than normal cat food

James
 10/05/2005 12:19:27 AM · #21


It's a white male.. his ears and tail are black but the rest is white :)

He only eats the Iams adult cat food. I'm not sure what it's 'ash' content is compared to other foods.. i'll have to investigate that.

Message edited by author 2005-10-05 00:20:46.
 10/05/2005 02:03:43 AM · #22
Most cats, especially if they get pretty old, will develop kidney/UTI problems. There are some food formulations which can help reduce the likelihood.

Just remember, when you do get back from the vet, to follow these intructions ... : )
======
INSTRUCTIONS FOR GIVING YOUR CAT A PILL

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a
baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and
gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat
opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left
arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws
tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with
right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of closet. Call
spouse in from garden to help.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and
rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat's head
firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down
ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make
note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered
figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just
visible from below spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force
cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of
water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood
from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in
cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open
with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold
compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw
T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road.
Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.
Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to
leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat's
mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece
of filet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 1/2 pint of water down throat
to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor
stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye.
Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for the vet to make a housecall.
 10/05/2005 02:08:44 AM · #23
Oh my god I have'nt laughed so hard in a long time!!!!! Thanks :)
 10/05/2005 02:18:34 AM · #24
Originally posted by joynim:
Oh my god I have'nt laughed so hard in a long time!!!!! Thanks :)

You're welcome! That file's been sitting on my Mac since June, 1999 -- I just got that machine back online, too. I wish I could remember where I got it -- it's definitely not original.
 10/05/2005 02:35:46 AM · #25
Cats are very different from other pets in that you must supply them with foods high in nutrients, namely amino acid Taurine, and give them a great supply of water. A lot of cat food products don't supply the nutrients that cats need and because they can't produce them naturally, like dogs can, they get hairballs and develope urinary and kidney problems easily. That's probably where your problems coming from. Trust me in that the higher priced food products give you your moneys worth and save you a great deal in the end from the vet bills.
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