how..why..and what gender of cats pee on things??

Question

ok..my friend girl was telling me yestereday that she found a basket of what was clean clothes with cat urine on them.. this is not the first time that she has said that it has happened. this is the third. the first and second time were the same basket, different clothes, and basket was in the same place. the third time different clothes basket, different clothes, different spot. and neither of the spots that the clothes basket has been sitting when this has happened is a normal cat spot. she has two males and one female.. the males are both fixed and the female is not. so my question is what gender if not both urinates on things? what might make them? what might you be able to do to prevent it?

ok once again.. the male cats ARE fixed.. and each cat has its own litter box.

Answer 1

Hi Molly...both male and female cats can mark territory even spayed/neutered. Another one of the leading causes of cats inappropriately soiling the home outside of the litter box is usually lower urinary tract disorders/infection. Other common possibilities for litter box avoidance behaviours such as:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
- urine/feces odours are being remarked. Consider using a product called Nature's Miracle Just for Cats which is an enzyme neutralizer. Cats always remark areas that have been soiled.
-unspayed females will urine mark to attract male cat suitors. More on female cats who spray: http://home.ivillage.com/pets/cats/0,,2j1z,00.html

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html
House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

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Answer 2

Male cats tend to spray to mark their territory, even if it is inside. They do it because that's what nature has made them to do. Yet females will spray too. Females spray when they are in heat, this will put off the scent so males will come around. Another thing is, if a cat is put in a new situation that they do not like at all they may spray for a little while. I've only had this happen once when I brought a new cat home and my older female didn't like the new addition. Another thought your friend my look at is the cat box. Cats are very very clean creatures. If their cat box isn't as clean as they want, they will go else where to relieve themselves. Hope this helps you and your friend.

Answer 3

Well I have 7 cats and they are all fixed and with my experience both sexes can do it. I have 3 that are part himalayan and they are the culprits. I think it's a territorial issue cause I saw the male spraying the trash can last night and I yelled at him and sprinkled him with water. He is neutered but still sprays and the his sister will stand and spray just like a male and I have never seen that in all the years I have owned cats. Also these cats pee and the mother pees on anything left in the floor. I don't know what to do with them all if this behavior continues and I can't break it.

Answer 4

The cats (male or female) will urinate on things to mark their territory. Generally getting them fixed early enough will prevent this from happening. In order to prevent it from happening again, your friend will want to go to a pet store and get an enzymatic cleaner. This will remove all of the urine smell and the cat hopefully won't urinate in that spot again.

One thing that I did recently learn from the Humane Society is that some cats will pee on anything that has been dried with a dryer sheet. So your friend may want to lay off those if she uses them. They may also pee on rugs that have a rubber backing. It has something to do with masking the new smell with theirs.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

both genders urine in various locations for several reasons, mark territory, dominance, or because of pain in urinating and they associate the pain with the box, also when one goes in a spot another will too. check with a vet and thoroughly clean the area.

Answer 6

Since the kitties are all fixed, I doubt it's the males marking territory- though it is possible.

But your girlfriend might want to take her kitties for check-ups: Generally one of the first signs that a kitty is getting sick is that they start refusing to use their boxes. Again, start with the males: They seem more prone to urinary tract problems.

Good luck!

Answer 7

My female cat used to do that just before she went into heat...used to really frost my flakes, let me tell you! She would pee in the laundry basked ALL THE TIME! The day she hopped up on my kitchen table and pee'd right in the middle of it was the day that we had her fixed. Problem solved...no more soggy laundry!

Answer 8

all genders will pee on things its a territorial thing to let other cats know its their spot prevent it by getting a litter box for each of them and teach them to use it

Answer 9

Female cats who are not spayed will urinate in spots other than their litter box. I learned this the hard way when I put off spaying my kitten until she was older.

Answer 10

male cats usually urinate on things to mark them as "his" to other animals, especially if he is in heat (horney). The best way to solve the problem is to get him fixed