This is for experienced cat owners, I need help!!!?

Question

I have two cats that are four years old and they are sisters. The problem is that they keep peeing all over the place. We think that it is a territoy issue, but we are not sure. Also we clean out their litter boxes daily so it is not like they don't have a place to go. We also give them new litter each month. We have tried everything!!! So we will take any adivce!!!

Answer 1

Are the boxes in the same room? Cats like privacy and their own space. I never put my two cats boxes in the same room. Also, with the food dishes, make sure there is some space there. Have they been fixed? Could be a territory problem, so try the boxes being moved and be sure to show them where they are now located. Give it a week, see what happens. If they still pee, ask the Vet for more suggestions.

Answer 2

Females are finicky. I have owned one and was secretively kinda happy when it dissappeared. She would always pee on towels and blankets. Have you gotten them fixed, yet? A female will spray to allure a male, even if they are inside cats. You might have gotten them spayed too old. Once a habit always a habit. How many boxes do you have? You should atleast have 2. I would try changing the littler every few days also. Once a month isn't good enough for one cat let alone 2. They might not like the smell after they have peed in it a few time each. You might not smell it but they do. I buy the walmart brand $4.00 huge yellow bag and I have two cats. One box is outside on the enclosed deck and the other is in a bathroom. The one on the deck I change as needed because they don't use that as much. My bathroom box gets changed twice a week and I go through a big bag once a month. So four bucks a month is cheap and your boxes stay fresh. If they are spaying or peeing in the same place you might have to replace carpet, padding, and the wood underneath. Good luck and use lots of vinegar and baking soda when cleaning your carpets.

Answer 3

I had an older cat with this problem once, and it was because he did not like the litter we were using. He would only use Tidy Cats litter, and if we switched to anything, he would go wherever he wanted to go. It may be that they don't like the litter or it could be that it is hurting them in some way. Have they ever used the litter box and have you changed the type of litter they are using? Try using a different brand. If one does it and then the other follows, there may be a territory issue with the latter one. If the first one does it even then, I would check with the vet to make sure that the cat has no urinary problems and has control over her bladder. It may be that she can't help it, and the other cat is going after her to mark her territory. The two issues may not be related, if that makes any sense.

Answer 4

Are they spayed? Have they had a vet check recently to rule out a urinary tract problem? Sometimes things can seem coincidental but are not.

You need to changeout the litter more often and scoop a few times a day, a complete change of litter every two or three days is normal for two cats, cats are naturally clean animals and some are extremely fussy and will not use litter that has been used, even if it's only once..even though you scoop out waste, the smell, whilst we can't smell it is still pungent to cats, they have sensitive noses.

Try environment enrichment, things to keep them occupied and let them enjoy themselves. Spend more time playing with them, use a feather wand toy or a fishing rod type toy.

Give them table tennis balls, put one in a shoebox and cut holes in it slightly smaller than the ball, they will spend time trying to get it out. Paper grocery bags, cardboard boxes are good for them to hide and play in.

Do NOT use any ammonia based cleaners on anything but the litterbox, it will attract them and they will continue to pee in that area. A main component of urine is ammonia and they will think another cat has peed there and will try to cover it with their scent.

Use citrus based cleaners where possible and leave pieces of lemon or orange peel around the areas you don't want them to pee, you can use citronella, which is insect repellant if you don't mind the smell. Also try adding another litterbox, some cats refuse to share and if you can put one where they constantly pee and slowly move it back to where they are supposed to go.

Good luck with it, i hope some of the suggestions help.

Answer 5

I have 2 cats (both female and spayed) as well and live in a townhouse and all of a sudden my older cat started peeing on the carpet but only in certain places. I tried everything like you. I didn't know what to do. It was making my carpets stink and driving me crazy!

Unfortunately, I had to pull all the carpets out to get rid of the smell and then she stopped doing it. I also found out at that time that a mouse had somehow gotten into my basement. She has stopped doing it now but I am not sure if it is because the mouse is gone and the territory issue with it or if it was because we took away what she was peeing on.

Sorry if that doesn't help much but I felt compelled to answer as I understand your frustration.

Answer 6

You have some excellent suggestions here, maybe I can summarize and add something to it:

1. You MUST check out the medical issue. Probably with both
cats. I had six cats for eight years in my present house. All of a sudden the urine problem got out of control. One of my cats had mammary cancer. He had no symptoms and I had no idea he was ill. He and the other cats were trying to tell me something.

2. Consider adding boxes in other rooms in the house. Rule of thumb is # of cats + one.

3. I had success using Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter. Put that in a new box and see if it gets any "traffic"

4. Go to www.littlebigcat.com and read Jean Hovfe, DVM's article on this problem.

Answer 7

Suck!

My girlfriend and I had the same problem.

We too tried EVERYTHING we could think of. We had 3 litter boxes in our small condo. We even put the cats in cages at night to try to discourage peeing in the house.

They kept peeing on everything. Furniture, clothes, bags.

We could not take it anymore, and could not find a solution so we ended up taking them to the humane society. We loved the cats, but we didnt want to live in a house that smelled like cat piss all over the place.

Answer 8

Are they fixed? Are there any strays hanging about outside? If they are not spayed I would suggest spaying them. If there are strays hanging around this can also cause this problem. I would just be sure to clean where they have sprayed cause they will go back to where they can smell where it's been. Cats are very territorial. I don't know what to tell you but to keep it clean and to maybe scold them when you see them do this. It may help. Make sure they are both loved and one is not getting more attention than the other. I would maybe call the vet and see what he or she suggests as well.

Answer 9

Ok first one of my cats do it, and shes really weird after a month we found out she likes to have one litter box for poop and one for pee, its weird but it worked and also, you could put them in a small room and when they pee or poop leave it there and just let them live in it for a couple days, yes it stinks but after a few days of living in there own poo and pee they'll get tried of it and start using the litter box again, also try a different litter, they may not like the smell or the feel of it so try one that smells different or one that has finer rocks in it..

Answer 10

There could be underlying issues. I had the same problem but we have one cat. Turns out she had a severe urinary tract infection that too 6 months to clear up with steroid shots, et. al. and now she's on a special diet of prescription food for life. But! She's not peeing everywhere anymore. A vet trip for a urinalysis will help!