My cat won't stop peeing on the furniture. She's seen two different vets who both diagnosed anxiety?

Question

She was having trouble with a horrible cat who was hanging around, although he seems to have disappeared now. We got new furniture on Saturday. After just four days she's peed on it it. We were hoping that having new sofas would break the cycle as we were getting rid of the old smelly ones but it hasn't. I just don't know what to do anymore. I've been crying and panicing thinking that the only option left is to give her away. She's such a lovely little blue/cream three year old. She's been doing this for a few months now. Are there cat behavioural experts or cat psychiatrists who could help? I don't want to lose her

Thank you for your answers. The vet tested her for urinary tract problems and gave me Feliway spray and diffuser. She uses a litter tray most of the time so it's not that she's not litter trained. The vet said the last resort would be to put her on a sedative. It seems a bit drastic to put such a young cat on a sedative but maybe that's the only option now

Answer 1

First of all, thank you for being such a patient and loving pet owner. Far too many cat owners toss their cats out on the streets after the cat has peed inappropriately once and never try to find solutions. Good for you!

Because it seems to be related to anxiety, I recommend Feliway. Feliway simulates calming facial pheromones that cats naturally use to mark safe and familiar territory (this is what a cat is doing when she rubs her chin against a door frame or your leg). Feliway comes in a plug-in diffuser and a spray and can be found at many pet supply stores as well as websites. I've talked with cat rescuers/foster homes who say that the spray seems to work better than the plug-in, however, the spray must be re-sprayed daily for it to work so choose whichever product you think you'd have the most success using. Feliway doesn't smell like anything to humans and you use the spray by going around the house and spraying whatever you think a cat would likely rub its chin against (the edges of coffee tables, doorframes, etc.)

You may also want to try Rescue Remedy to calm her nerves. Rescue Remedy is a Bach Flower Essence found at many human health food stores. It has calming anti-anxiety effects and can be administered by putting a few drops in the cat's water. If you don't notice significant improvement with Feliway or Rescue Remedy you may want to ask your vet about prescription drugs. (FYI: Feliway usually costs $25-40 and Rescue Remedy is usually about $15 so these aren't huge investments.)

It's very important to clean any and all areas she's urinated on; smelling those areas will only encourage her to urinate there again. Find the areas by turning out the lights and using a blacklight - cat urine glows under a blacklight. Use an enzyme pet cleaner such as Anti-Icky Poo, Petastic, Nature's Miracle, or Simple Solution (look for these products at pet supply stores, not grocery stores).

Contact Cats International for more advice. Cats International is a non-profit feline behavior group. They provide wonderful advice free of charge (the group is run mostly by people involved in animal rescue and they want to help owners solve their cat's behavioral problem so the cat doesn't end up at the humane society). Their website is www.catsinternational.org. They have many articles on their websites, including articles about litter box problems, and they also include their hotline number on the main page of their website so you may contact them directly.

Answer 2

Hi Emma,
I feel your pain and have the same problem you do. First and most importantly, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT use Feliway. I began to use the product and although it stopped my cats from vertically scratching the sofas, it was the direct cause of the beginning of a pee war between my two cats (one 8 year old, one 2 year old). They were peeing on the carpet, they were peeing on the furniture, they were even peeing in the bathroom sinks - oh the felinity!! The 8 year old cat had never peed anywhere other than her litterbox in the entire 8 years of her life and she began peeing all over the place. In addition, it altered their personalities to a freakish extent (think cat version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"). I had been using the Feliway plug-in and the spray and tossed them both. A day or two later and my cats were back to normal. Now this is not a happy ending because unfortunately "normal" for the 2 year old is peeing on the sofa whenever she feels like letting loose. She also uses a litterbox regularly without any issues. It has nothing to do with anxiety, nothing to do with old or brand spanking new sofas, nothing to do with polyester or down filling, nothing to do with anything except she likes to pee on sofas. I'm sorry to say that I don't have an easy solution for you. I keep her in our enclosed yard during the day and keep the sofas covered with waterproof covers when they are not being used by a human. If you happen upon a solution that stops the behavior, please share it with me and I promise to do the same for you. In the meantime I hope it makes you feel a little bit better to know someone else is in the same situation. Giving my cat away is not an option due to this crazy little thing called love.

Answer 3

I have a kitten that peed on my couch. Finally had had to clean the cushions really well with an enzymatic cleaner, cover all the cushions with a twin mattress pad then a twin sheet on top of that, use a feliway plugin and spray feliway spray on the places where she likes to pee. She has peed once in the past 51 days. It was easy to clean up since I have that mattress pad on there. I just took the sheet off and threw it in the washer. Then I cleaned the mattress pad with enzymatic cleaner and sprayed feliway on it then covered it with a clean sheet and sprayed feliway. All this is a little expensive but it is so worth it. My kitten is now adjusted to my house and basically potty trained. I'm going to keep going until she has not peed for 90 days just to make sure it is firmly planted in her head that she can't pee on the sofa. Then I will slowly start taking the mattress pad off the couch and see how she responds to that, then I will take the sheet off. If she relapses, I will go back and start over. Good luck to you and your kitty.

Answer 4

The other cat that was hanging around, did he ever manage to sneak into your home or did the unpleasant encounters take place in your garden? He might be long gone, but the incident has not been forgotten by your cat.

Cats are highly territorial. Never underestimate just how much it means to them. It is the source of food, love and shelter and the thought that it might be stolen from them by an "intruder" can make a sensitive cat feel very anxious. To them, losing territory is the equivalent of a person being made redundant and evicted from their home on the same day. In her mind, your home is the very core of her territory and therefore must be given the highest level of defence at all costs.

Cats rely very heavily on their sense of smell. If she perceives that this other cat is threatening the safe core of her territory, then she will begin urinating as a way of scent marking it. Not only does this signal to other cats "keep out", it also strengthens her own scent in the home, which she may find comforting and reassuring. This will be particularly true, if that other cat ever sneaked inside your home.

Once a cat has urinated in a certain place, their highly sensitive nose motivates them to use that spot again. It was a good idea to get rid of that motivation by replacing the furniture. Sometimes though, the geographical location of the scent marked item is just as important as the smell itself. Crazy as this might sound, something as simple as rearranging the furniture (even temporarily) might help towards breaking the habit. Use enzymatic cleaning products to thoroughly eliminate the scent, then try placing dishes of dry food on the areas where she usually urinates. Cats will rarely ruin food, in case they want to eat it later. (This trick will be more effective if she usually eats wet food).

If these suggestions don't help to break the habit, then you may have to confine her to one room with her food, water and litter. She will have no option but to use her litter tray. Keeping her in one room will also give her a smaller territory that she feels confident in being able to defend without scent marking. Gradually begin allowing her access to other rooms (one at a time) so that the size of her "territory" grows in relation to her confidence to defend it.

I don't know your location, but if you are in the UK, most pet behavioural therapists will only see animals upon referral from a vet, just to be absolutely sure that all medical possibilities have been ruled out. A therapist may also feel that a mild, tapering dose of sedatives in conjunction with behavioural treatment will be the best solution.

Thanks for being so patient with your cat and not giving up on her. Every cat should be so lucky as to have an owner as compassionate as yourself.

Good luck, hope you find a solution.

Answer 5

Our cat has the same problem. Our cat constantly licks her belly and so has a bald belly. Our cat is an indoor cat and the vet said she is anxious of the out side world. She was put on medication similar to the human form of the pill. It worked but the vet said it was not to keep her on it long term.
Our cat wasn't happy with the new tumble dryer. She started peeing in the corner in the living room and we were advised by the vet to put drops of eucalyptus oil on the areas we didn't want her to pee. Cats hate the smell and it also disguises the smell of the urine that has been cleaned up. Our cat still has the odd accident but we just put the oil down and it stops her again. ( if you can't find eucalyptus oil you can use olibas oil or vicks vapour rub, both contain eucalyptus oil)

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Emma

How have u used the Feliway?

Is it in a room of the right proportions? have u had the windows open for most of the time? Is it under any furniture etc?

Feliway needs to be used for a few days before it has an effect, preferably near where the cat likes to sleep. Not under anything or blocked by anything & In a room that isnt too big - chack box.

Pam

Answer 7

Did the vets offer you any meds? Prozac, Buspirone, and Elavil are all used for cats with your problem. With Prozac probably being the most common one used. And, I'm assuming the vets tested her urine by doing a culture and/or urinalysis? If not, that needs to be done.
And, spray the couch with Feliway.
Is there a room you can keep her in until she settles down and starts using the box again? Get some Cat Attract from a pet store and sprinkle that in her litter box. It's supposed to make cats want to use their box.
And, make sure she is spayed!

Answer 8

was she ever declawed?? declawed cats often stop using their litter box becuase of pain - but what people forget is that the declaw effects their personality - they become more nervous and easily upset.. the new sofa didnt smell like her.. she had to find some way to make it smell like her..

is she a purebred persian or himalayan by chance?? this behavor is VERY common in those breeds..

use NON-scented clumping litter (have 2 litter boxes) in non-scarey places (eg. Beside laundry machine = SCAREY)

keep her in a room with her litter box for a week or so - then at night or if you are away..

giving her away IS NOT an option - you are only passing your problem to somebody else.. who might abuse her when they find out - if you are going to get rid of her - at least do it fairly to her - put her down...

also - feed 1 teaspoon canned a day - mixed with water to make soup - this helps their urinary tract...
NO milk
NO fish

Answer 9

Perhaps it can smell where its peed before, i was always told to scrub the area with biological soap powder it eliminates the odour, its worth a try, it could be anxiety do you have a litter tray she could use instead, my cat goes out every day but is shut in at night and i still put down a litter tray for him to use if he needs to go as i don't think it's fair to expect a cat to hang on.

Answer 10

Oh dear! I can understand why you're upset, Emma: I used to have a lovely orange long-haired cat who proved to be a problem until I got rid of him.

The good news is that there are animal behavior specialists out there. The vet should be able to make recommendations, or point you to someone who can. At worst, you can run a web search or MAYBE check the phone book.

Good luck!