What is the problem?

Question

I have a cat she is almost a year old. Recently she started peeing on our laundry basket- with clean clothes in it! Now she is peeing on the floor and our house smells like cat pee, ewww! Why is she doing this, and how can I get her to stop?

p.s We clean her litter box everyday, and she has been fixed.

Thank you.

Nothing has changed, same litter, food, surroundings, etc... this is a recent thing. She has peed on the basket twice, and on the floor twice.... She seems normal to me, still the same cat.

and she is still pooping in her box, no problems with that.

Answer 1

Hmm...... this is an interesting one.

Well, I CAN tell you this: cats will keep going in the same spot, once they've established an area they are comfortable with. This may ultimately mean the floor. Yes, their natural isntinct is to dig, which is why theoretically they are cool with going in a litter box, but sometimes they pick a spot they prefer over that, which can suck for the owner.

There's really no way to tell what's with the sudden change in your kitty without some serious observation. Make sure you cover all bases. (I know you've answered some of these, but I'll make a list):
Is she eating okay? Have you or her changed her food or the amount?
Is she drinking water okay? Have you started to give her something different? Milk perhaps? Have they started to chemically treat your water differently, which could make her body be off kilter?
Is her litterbox clean? Have any other animals used it? Have you changed locations? Is there something different about the litterbox's surroundings? Did you put a new plant near it? Or for that matter, in the house? Is she nibbling on it? Does it have a distinct odor?
Have you adopted any new pets or people?
Have you done something new to the house? New paint? New flooring? New drapes? New carpets/rugs?
Have you switched laundry soap and/or fabric softener? Have you stopped using something you usually use in the laundry process?
Are you burning new candles or scents, or used a new smell-good fragrance in the house recently?
Have people been coming over, or not coming over more often than normal??
Have you recenly lost a different family pet that the kitty knew?

Kitties are really finicky. They can get upset over stuff you wouldn't even dream of. Any slight change would be a red-flag to me.

As far as her health - is she okay? Have you noticed any dishcarge from her eyes or nose? Is she sneezing? How's her activity? Has she lost or gained weight recently? Is she increasingly vocal or perhaps ignoring you more than usual?

Make sure, too, to put your laundry in a place she can NOT reach. In a closet or away in your dresser and closet, okay?? Be consistent with that - remove the problem at it's source, so to speak.

Other than that, I have no idea. It's best to consult with your vet.

Good luck!! I hope she stops doing that!

Answer 2

First, get her a check up, complete with bloodwork, to rule out any medical conditions...you may want to sort of keep an eye on her & see if you notice any other symptoms.

If it's not medical, check the ease with which she can get to catbox- is it fairly close and on the ground? Is it in a nice quiet spot, away from where she eats?
Is it always clean? Is it too perfume-y? Is it clay- lots of cats do not like wheat litter.
Is the box big enough? Is it covered? If so, uncover it.

I am assuming she's not declawed.

Have you had houseguests or children around? Have you recently returned from a trip? Are you gone a lot?

Cats are pretty psychological animals...some change in her environment- one that she disapproves of- may have triggered this.

Make piles of laundry- clean or not- completely unavailable to her.
Clean wherever she pees on the floor and put a catbox directly on the spot- if there's more than one place then go to the grocery and get a couple of those disposable trays with litter in them.

If she is declawed, then this behavior is because her 'stumps'
hurt when she goes in her box.

Answer 3

Have you recently moved or changed her litter or food? sometimes if you drastically change a cat's surroundings she will act out to show her distress. my suggestion is to keep the laundry basket out of reach, behind a closed door perhaps. maybe move her litter box to a more discrete location. is your little box old. sometimes even if clean, it can absorb odors and make it unpleasant for the cat to use.
maybe buy a new covered litter box and place in a hidden location. It is also a good idea to show her where it is.

Answer 4

One of my cats started this, at 2.5 yrs old and she turned out to have bladder stones, so it can be quite serious. She needed surgury. I know you say nothing has changed but maybe it's something real subtle? Something simple like a schedule change, or even furniture rearranged. Cats are really creatures of habit and hate having anything changed! So once she gets a clean bill of heath, she should settle down and adjust to whatever is bothering her, and ideally get back into the litter box routine.

Answer 5

She's trying to tell you that she has a problem. I experienced a similar situation with my own cat and turned out he had a blocked urinary tract that almost killed him. My vet explained that the reason they pee in unusual areas when they have this problem is because this is a very painful thing for them and they associate their litter box with the pain, so they try to avoid it at all costs. Take her/him to the vet immediately!

Answer 6

Jules....she is copying the dog. Cats are creatures of habit and you just have to change the habit of the dog. Some will disagree but I can almost guarantee that is the problem. The dog pees and the cat smells it so she is going to mark Daisie's spot. Its competition.

Answer 7

was she using the litter box before, or is this a recent thing? She could have a bladder infection I would get her checked out by the vet.

Answer 8

He could check out a further sort of shaving gel, a few of them are designed to support melt up the stubble. Of direction that's almost always for the shave itself. Over time I could feel your epidermis will end up used to the abrasive nature of his chin. A lotion to your epidermis earlier than making out could support additionally. Perhaps he would develop a goatee or a beard. Long facial hair does have a tendency to be softer.

Answer 9

she could have a bladder infection. get her checked out. if it seems like she's peeing a bit more than usual or drinking more water than usual then i would bet it's an infection. if the vet tells you otherwise, well who knows why she does it but try the bitter apple stuff. that should stop her.

Answer 10

I agree with the first above writer, could be infection, crystals, etc.
She's trying to tell you something,... dear kitties can't talk so must "sign" their problems.