My cat will not pee in the litterbox!?

Question

Here are the details:
I have two cats, a boy and a girl. Both are fixed. The boy is the problem pee monster. I've taken him to the doctor, and he doesn't have a urinary tract infection. I've tried putting as many as four seperate litter boxes around my apartment, which did not help.
I crazy clean every place that he pees, it still doesn't help. I'm fairly certain that he's not marking territory either.
The problem seems to be that he doesn't like peeing in the litterbox. He'll poop there, just not pee.
Right now, he's a fan of the kitchen tile. Last week, it was the bathtub, (which, while gross, is a hell of a lot easier to clean up!)
Before that, it was the closet floor, right next to the litterbox. It's obviously a surface preference thing... But I can't stand it! It's been like this since he was a baby, and I feel like I've tried everything, but I can't give up on him! Please help me, I can't stand having an apartment that smells like cat pee.

Things that I should add:

-Getting rid of him is not an option.
-I live in an apartment in the middle of a loud, noisy city. I don't have much in the way of grass for him to use, and he's afraid of being outside anyway.
-He also likes to pee on the bed, and any clothing left on the floor. Oddly enough, he doesn't touch the couch, chairs, or clothing that isn't on the floor. ( I cover the bed with a shower curtain when I'm not home. That seems to solve that.)
-He seems to have some sort of emotional problems, so I think that this may be related to his peeing inappropriately.

Thanks for all of your help!

Answer 1

You can consult with a veterinarian who specializes in behavior. But you do sound right that it is a preference thing. Have you tried a very low litterbox or flat rubbermaid container just lined with newsprint, or a thin skiff of sand. He must have a litter aversion, so you can try litters of finer texture.
Just some thoughts!
Good Luck,
-a DVM

Bonus points on taking him to a vet to rule out a UTI!!!!

Answer 2

Try locking him in a very small area with the litter box. Make sure you use some sort of special cleaning stuff made to get the pee smell out. You might think the smell is gone but if not treated with special cleaner they can still smell the pee. Also make sure your litter box is clean. Sometimes they wont go if its too full. When you lock him up make sure you have an area that you have cleaned with something strong like bleach so he is more inclined to go in the litter box. Hope my advise helps.

Answer 3

I can only say this, you have to have the litter box nice and clean of the crapolo, or the cat will not want to go into that box and pee. I would put the litter box into one room and only let the cat stay in that room. See if he starts peeing in the box. If not , i have to say the only way is to give it another home, or make it an outdoor cat.
Pee does smell up a household and can get pretty annoying.My sisters cat had an infection and thats why it did not pee in the litter box..good luck....

Answer 4

There are two possibilites. 1) If you have a yard, let the cat out occasionally to help him relieve frustration. If you don't have a yard, get a harness and take him out for walks in the evening.
2) confine him to a single room for a while. Put his litter box there and cover everything he might pee on with absorbent sheets. Within a few days, he should be peeing in his box. In the meantime, be sure to use a special spray to remove all odors from places he may have peed before.

Answer 5

Your not the only one with this situation LOL.
I too have a contrary cat. He is also fixed but has done this before being fixed. My solution came with the ritual of letting our dogs out to potty. He somehow has decided that he is not a cat he is a dog and would rather pee outside then in a litter box. You might want to try the new litter they have something about Pine maybe that will help. I was told to try this and have not made it to the store to get any but will this weekend. BTW our contrary feline is now 5yrs old. Also try getting the Urine OUT or Urine Gone my neighbor swears by the stuff

Answer 6

put something that your cat has urinated on in the litter box. if he wee's on the carpet, wipe it with a tissue and put it in the litter box, so the cat knows there is pee in the box, then put the litter box in a small room with the cat and close the door. leave the cat in there for a couple weeks until he takes the hint. ps: dont forget to feed and water the cat.
just a suggestion. i think your cat will catch on

Answer 7

I once solved this problem by offering my boy kitty a big bin of potting soil/dirt. For some reason he loved to pee in fresh dirt.

Answer 8

My kitten was the same way when i got him. unfortunately, he liked to pee on my bed, and i would have to do laundry at 4 in the morning. i noticed that he scratches the surface of whatever he's going to pee on. whenever i saw him do that, i would put him in the litterbox. it solved our problem.

Answer 9

Try switching to a different kind of cat litter.

Try removing any source of stress that might be affecting your cat.

Try spreading catnip where he pees.

Try using enzymatic cleaners and one of those steam vacs when you clean up after him.

(Can you tell I've had this problem, too?)

Answer 10

Try a new kitty litter...... there may be something in it he is translating as don't pee.