7 year old male cat peeing and pooping outside the box?

Question

I have a 7 year old male cat, yes he is fixed then a 3 years later we got a female kitten, now 1 year later we got another female, i thought i was just smelling things but now i know since i took down my tree(christmas) he was using that as a peeing ground. i caught him peeing on my counter, he went in my roaster!! i have also caught him doing this in my bed. its not just peeing though its pooping too usually under my kitchen table. i was going to take him to the local shelter but i do not have the heart to do this! he has been the family cat i love him. now i dont know how to get rid of this odor nor stop him from doing this. my hubby wants him gone i have called the animal hospital and they said he is old put him to sleep but i dont believe that he is not that old!! so please someone help me figure out what to do. i cant really afford to buy all the top cleaning stuff off line is there something i could try thats in a store? i have used urine be gone and that does NOT work at all...

ok one thing i have noticed is that when i put fresh litter in he will go in the box and the min the other two go in there he is done he wont use it again so therefore i got another one just for him i put it down in the family room and locked him up down there,but he goes nuts and and pats at the top door and i feel very bad so the kids let him up. i feel that i need to lock him up in one small room but i feel mean like i am being mean to him and putting him in jail. but i am going to try it it seems i have no choice because like i said i really dont want to take him to the shelter the rate here is that 90% of them will be put down because they cant adopt them out. The
H .S here will not take anymore they dont have room they say. i am making him an app to see the tender loving care vet here its way better than the animal hospital. I want to thank every one for all there advise so far if you have any more ideas i will gladly be happy!! again thank you all!!

Answer 1

Hi there... first consider all the possibilities 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 as some cats are very protective of their boxes and block access to another cat

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.

By the way 7 years isn't very old for a cat and if possible consider ringing another veterinarian to schedule an appointment to have your cat evaluated as this behaviour is likely as a result of a medical problem.

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.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

For urine odours/stains consider using Nature's Miracle Just for cats found worldwide at any pet store. It's an enzymatic neutralizer which breaks down urine proteins by soaking/saturating the soiled areas thoroughly then allowing to air dry rather than blot dry. Repeated applications are necessary for heavily soiled areas. Please note that there is also Nature's Miracle, but the Just for Cats formula is specifically designed for feline urine and is much more effective when used repeatedly.

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We've tested nearly all enzyme neutralizers available in the marketplace for our exotic cats which have stronger urine than domestic cats and found that Nature's Miracle Just for Cats has always worked the best.

Answer 2

There's a product called urine off, it works really well you may only be able to find it in a vets office though. A lot of times when there's too many cats in a house (at least the cat thinks so) they will start to do that. I defiantly wouldn't recommend putting him to sleep. 7 is probably only half way through his life. 1st I would take him to the vet if you already haven't to make sure he doesn't have an infection or something else going on. 2nd I would clean your carpets the best you can. 3 rd if you don't have more than one cat box I would get another, some cats refuse to go in a box that's got urine or poop in it (especially from another cat). If he comes out healthy/nothing else works is it possible he can be an outside cat or do you know of someone that wants an outside cat. There is also a product called feliway its a plug in, some people have a lot of success with that.

Answer 3

well how long have you had the cat before you got the other ones? my cat was fine for a yr then when i got another one he started peeing everywhere. got him fixed still did it.he peed on everything but my stuff,which was weird.was thinking he was jelious.your cat could be jelious getting all the attention for yrs then new pets come in and maybe not get as much attention as he use to,which usually gets him to do that.also i wander if he keeps doing it cause he notices the attention hes getting when hes bad..dont know just a thought.and i think thats what was wrong with my cat.when i gave him away to this older lady that has kids,and said the cat doesnt pee like i said he was doing..so im thinking it lack of attention..i feel so bad.love him so much,at least hes happy now.so if ur still having the problem and cant fix it try to find a family that dosent have any pets, or let the cat go outside a few times a day on there own.i never let my cat out at all, and the lady that adopted my cat let him out when ever he wanted.

Answer 4

Ok I know what you are going through I have 4 cats and one or more of them started to pee and poop all over, on my bed, in the sink, in the basement, under the couch and all the advice I was given did nothing at all. Everyone says that cats dont like change and moving thier box or changing their litter causes them to do this, but I had not changed anything at all and nothing was working to stop the behaviour... so I changed everything, moved the box, changed the litter and restricted them from going into my bedroom and basement unless I was there. As soon as I did that they stopped pooping and peeing where they werent supposed to and started to use the litterbox again. Then several months later it started again, again I changed everything (except the litter brand) and restricted thier area and once again it solved the problem... I cant say for sure if it will work for you but 3 times now after they started eliminating in unwanted areas it ceased when I changed things and it seems to me that cats get bored with going in the same places time and again and they actually like changes in the placement of the box and type of litter.. I went from having 4 litterboxes (one for each cat) that werent being used to having only one box scooped often that they never go to the bathroom outside of. Before I did that I was almost at the end of my rope and when I kept finding poop on my bed and on the floor it literally was making me cry from frustration and helplessness because I love all my cats and could not think of giving them up... after changing things and resolving the problem that way I havent had a problem since and every once in a while I move the box and it seems to work... so since you have nothing to lose I suggest you try rearranging things and see how it works out you might be surprised that it works for you and your cats. Honestly I feel for you I know how frustrating it can be, hopefully my advice works and you can solve the problem, let me know how it works out!! and Good Luck!! Kelly C

PS also make sure to thoroughly clean everywhere the cat has gone to the bathroom, the best product that is the least expensive which I have found works excellently is call Natural Chemistry Stain and Odor Eliminator... it is safe to use on everything and it really works as long as you follow the directions. It costs about $6 for a 16oz bottle and about $20 for a gallon of the concentrate which lasts forever. You can buy it at most pet stores like Pet Valu.
http://www.naturalchemistry.com/pet/StorePlus/Store/viewConsumerItems.asp?idProduct=67

Answer 5

Last year my beautiful Manx cat Theodore went out for the evening and never came back. I love cats and the house didn't feel the same without one, so I picked up Lola from a rescue centre. She was very frightened and would pee all over the house. I found Cat Spraying No More� on the internet and the techniques worked almost immediately. I haven't had a problem with Lola since. Amazing!

Can't stop your cat peeing in the house? Then worry no more...

Answer 6

7 is not old for a cat. And the 'vet' that said that is a quack. The first order of business is get a new vet!

Once you have a new vet, take the male in for a check-up just in case he is dealing with some kind of infection.

Now, it could be that he is reacting to having two other cats in the house. Have you tried getting an extra box?

You could try closing him in a room with a box until he starts using it again, and meanwhile give the rest of the house a thorough cleaning.

If none of the above works, then it probably would be best to take him to the shelter: At least there he has a chance of getting a new family.

Good luck.

Answer 7

First, it could be the litterbox itself. EIther it is not clean enough, or you will need to get another one. If that doesn't work, get him to a vet asap. He could have a medical condition that is causing this to happen. I have a male cat who also did this and it was (and still is) a sign that he was not feeling well and needed vet care. However, with my cat, he became impacted and associated going in the litterbox as being painful ( I guess) and would try to go outside of the box instead (under the kitchen table as well). Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Try giving him his very own litter box, he may not want to share with the new cat. One other thing make sure he's not fevered or acting sick in any other way, often cats will pee and poop outside the box to show you something is wrong. If he's healthy get him is very own litter box Good luck Actually each cat should have their own litter box, it's healthier for them and makes the cats happier.

Answer 9

Is he getting enough attention. I read you have gotten more kittens. There may be a jealousy, he's feeling toward the other kittens. It is unusual for male cats to do this. Males are usually the best cats to have. It's the females that have the urinating problems. Good luck!

Answer 10

Cats in general are very clean. If he feels his litter box isn't up to his standards he may go elsewhere. Male cats that refuse to use the litter may have urinary tract problems (stones). These do not clear up on their own and need medical attention A.S.A.P. When found in time they are fairly easy to treat..left untreated a cat becomes very ill and can die. Please see your vet and good luck.

Answer 11

carry him into the litter box and make sure it is always clean. Some cats, like mine, only want to go in it when it's super clean. I suggest getting a couple more litter boxes with all the pets you have.