how to make my female cat stop peeing on everything...?

Question

she is fixed and she is the only indoor cat we have. we have had other indoor cats, but she is currently the only one inside right now. we have 9 other cats outside(7 males 2 females). she pees on all the walls and underneath desks. any ideas on how to make her stop. we DO NOT want to get rid of her!

Answer 1

Hi there...if this is something that recently developed, 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

- senior cats develop age-related disorders such as chronic renal failure (CRF), hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc.

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem such as something as simple as a lower urinary tract disorder: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_lower_urinary_tract_dis.html 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

Hi,
'Seattle' pretty much covered it all, apart from the fact your cat may sense the presence of the other cats and is trying to mark her territory. The only way to stop that from happening, is to ensure she visually cannot see the other cats or smell their presence / urine! You can try washing the affected areas with bicarb soda sprinkled over vinegar. This will neutralise the odour and stop the continued return of the cat.
Also, if any bleach has been used to clean up her 'spills' then this would make it very attractive to the cat and she will continue to 'mask' the smell of bleach by urinating on the cleaned spot.. I've heard of lemon juice rubbed into the peed -on areas, but that didn't work on my cat. Bicarb soda and vinegar cleaning of affected areas, with a clean available litter tray, did. I also found my cat was fussy with litter options, so you might need to try a few different ones to find one your cat likes to use. Also ensure her litter tray has not been used by other cats.

Answer 3

Good recommendations by "Seattle". I would like to add that if she urinates on vertical surfaces ("sprays") then most likely there is at least some territorial "marking" component to this problem. I suspect she feels the need to mark her territory due to all the cats outside. In addition to trying to keep them out of her sight (and smell... are they "fixed"? Are they peeing/ marking on the doorways and making her feel her territory is threatened?!), try Feliway, a feline pheromone aerosol that helps reduce their urge to mark. Regardless, you must also neutralize the odor completely where she (and anyone else!) has urinated. Sometimes that means pulling up and treating or even replacing carpet, padding, and tackstrip, painting subflooring with Kilz paint/ stain sealer, and caulking cracks that urine has seeped into.

Milder cases can often be neutralized using "Anti-Icky-Poo" by Mister Max (in California). (Stupid name but great product. They will ship it to you.)

Regardless, definitely have her checked out by a vet to make sure she doesn't have a medical problem as well! Also, if she ever acts like she is in heat it is possible she still has a remnant of ovary present.

Answer 4

She might have a urinary tract infection. The only way to tell is to take her to the vet. Vet can prescribe antibiotics and after a few days if symptoms persist can give her a shot to make her feel better, steriods, I think. Once you rule that out, ask your vet for more ideas to help

Answer 5

well when ever she does it smack her lightly every time she does it. Then after like a week and if she is still doing it spray her with water she will soon stop doing it. Then when she uses the litter tray give her a treat for a couple of weeks and she will learn that the litter box is the place to do it!

Good Luck!!

Answer 6

ok I definitely have a cat named Layla and he or she peed on each little thing i own (FORREALL) and if u only have been given her than the concern is that she doesnt be attentive to the place to pee so she only pees or its simply by fact she is scared thats y my cat peed everywhere i think of u might desire to purchase this actual spray that u might desire to purchase on the puppy keep or anyplace like that all people u could do is to spray it on the clutter field and than it is going to only pee there and it would desire to have used to it daily to end her

Answer 7

Seattle has the best answer that you could possibly get DO NOT hurt the cat.

Hope This Helps!
Good Luck!