Please, any suggestions...

[fuzzykitten99]

I have 2 cats, Baby and Milo. Baby is about 13 years old, and has had a problem urinating and defecating other than the litter box. We have tried using different litter, buying a new box, changing the litter every day. Even moving them do a more discreet location. She continues to do it. She caused us to lose our $600 deposit from our apartment. Now she is doing it in our new house. I have brought her to a few different vets, and they all say there is nothing health-wise that is wrong with her. She did this BEFORE we got our other cat, so it can't be him. If it was, it would be too hard to give him up. He is attached to us, and is afraid of other people.

Short of putting Baby to sleep, is there any other alternative, or any suggestions? My hubby wants to just bring her to the shelter. I have had this cat ever since she was a kitten from a litter that my dad's cat had. She has been my constant companion through a whirlwind of life changes. She was there for me for every tear that I cried after my grandma who helped raise me, died from leukemia. She even kept my grandma company during the day when I would be at school.

But the peeing and pooping outside the box is making my hubby angry, and me very depressed. I would rather put her to sleep rather than bring her to a shelter where I would not know what would happen to her. Besides, she's 13...too old for a shelter.

Please help me. I need guidance.

 

[Fmr jarhead]

Have you tried a different box for each of the cats? Worked for us.....

 

[Zhukov]

Baby is about 13 years old, and has had a problem urinating and defecating other than the litter box.

Please help me. I need guidance.

In all honesty, I doubt there is anything you can do. When a cat does that it is typically a behavioral response to another pet or even a member of the house (new baby for instance). Even so such a response is not necessarily immeadiate.

If the animal at least does it's business around the box I would recommend lining the whole area with newspaper and get used to picking it up.

If it does it in a variety of places try to place newspaper in any frequent area, but don't be surprised if the cat decides to go somewhere else, or even right next to, but not on, the newspaper.

It's most likely a psychological thing. The cat is saying, look at me, here's my shit.

Then there's the fact that it's getting old (13 isn't young). If you catch this sort of behavior early you can sometimes scare it out of them. But at her age it could very well be she doesn't know any better anymore or she doesn't care, in that she can't be bothered to find the box, dig a hole, and cover it up.

If you really can't deal with it most likely you'll have to get rid of it. Don't bother with a shelter, no one wants a 13 year old cat that shits on the floor. If you can find someone who wants it, fine, if not just put it to sleep.

 

[DKSuddeth]

try the different box for each cat. It could also be that theres not ENOUGH litter in the box. my female started doing that until I started filling up the box with more litter.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

we have tried the two litter box thing, and it worked for a while. but then it started back up again. i even have used the deep cleaners that you can get in the pet store.

she is going in the carpeted area in our basement, even thought the litter box is in the concreted area. it would not be as bad if she went on the concrete.

we changed to the scoopable litter, and it helped a little bit, as she doesn't do it as much.

i also think it may be that when we moved into our apartment, it meant that she could not really go outside, other than the balcony. i had lived with my grandparents just before i got married, and they had 2 cats. i let Baby go out, but on a tether. she did it once there, but i blame myself for that one because i was so wrapped up in planning the wedding that i didn't scoop her box for a week.

i think i will go out today and get a harness and a tether and see if letting her spend some time outside will solve the problem. i know that there have been a lot of changes in her life over the past 3 years. i have moved her with me, 3 times in the last 3 years, gotten married, got a new kitten, and had a baby.

 

[krisy]

fuzzykitten,I know this problem all to well. We had a cat (maybe 2) in the apartment and they destroyed the carpet. My hubby was also not happy,but the kids love the cats. So we all agreed when we got the house that the cats could stay if they lived in the basement. That's were they are now and it's working out o.k. The original plan was to let them go outside until we found out the Rotts next door would kill them.


It sounds harder for you because your basement is carpeted. There is a vet talk show here in Cincy on Saturdays and He was saying that for 2 cats,you should have atleast 3 litter boxes and try to keep them apart. She may be an extremely picky cat that has to go in an immaculate box. One of our cats will stop using it after 2 loads are in the box. I would try one more even though it sounds like a pain in the but. I agree with whoever said it is probably behavioral as well,not to mention she is gettng old and just doesn't care. I know that cats go where the smell is,ao as long as it's anywhereon the carpet she will keep going. There is a really good product called Nature's Miracle that is excellent getting smells outof carpets,even concrete. It actually eats up the urine as opposed to covering the smell. I wish you luck,but being the animal lover that I am I can't say put her to sleep. Try ads at local vets or in the paper to find someone who may be willing to deal with it or even has a farm that she could live on. There are a lot of animal lovers out there and I bet you could find someone that could work something out forher. Good luck again!!!!

 

[janeeng]

If you go to askjeeves.com and type in how to stop cat from urinating outside box, there are tons of areas of people that have gone through the same problem and come up with some ideas. I am sure not all work! I did find this link, don't know how worthy the stuff is, but it is claiming to be a miracle worker, who knows. Here is the site:

http://www.catfaeries.com/feliway.html

 

[007]

If you go to askjeeves.com and type in how to stop cat from urinating outside box, there are tons of areas of people that have gone through the same problem and come up with some ideas. I am sure not all work! I did find this link, don't know how worthy the stuff is, but it is claiming to be a miracle worker, who knows. Here is the site:

http://www.catfaeries.com/feliway.html

I totaly agree with what that link says.

I too have a 13 year old cat that I've had since he was a tiny kitten. He too has on occassion peed outside his box, and it wasn't because his box was dirty. It's a "territory" thing. But the biggest help was getting him nuetered. That all but cured it all together when he was very young.

I think what your cat is doing is she's saying "I'm here". Do you still pay as much attention to her as you used to? Maybe she feels ignored, and is peeing around just to tell you she's still there. It would be a shame for you to have to get rid of her. My sister's cat didn't pass on until he was 21, so she has a lot more life in her. I wouldn't get rid of my little partner if he started going outside his box. There'd have to be a reason for it, and I'd find it.

 

[Joz]

There'd have to be a reason for it, and I'd find it.

I agree that there is a reason that cat's start this. It may have been an isolated incident, being the fact that you've had him for so long.

BUT, the fact that the odor is there may make him continue to do this. I've ripped up rug pad to try & squelch this behavior. You may need to get some professional rug cleaner, if that is the case. Good luck. Figuring out what behavior a cat is acting out is a job in itself!

 

[fuzzykitten99]

thanks for the suggestions.

i got the tether and so far it seems to be working. but i am also going to try another litter box. i will put it in the closet of my craft room in our basement, and hopefully she will like it enough to use it. i also am trying sprinkling catnip on the areas she did go, after treating it with nature's miracle. it seems to be helping. i will keep you posted!

 

[clumzgirl]

We're having this problem too. We have a female that does this, and she's been through some trauma too. First, we got her at a shelter. But she was fine. Then, we moved to another apartment. Still fine. Then we got a male kitten. Still fine. Year later, moved to our house. After the first dat of truama, the exploring began and still fine. Then we got a dog. Still fine, for ahwile.

A couple months later she began peeing just outside the box. So we took her to the vet thinking it was a bladder infection. Nope. Fine. But neurotic. He suggested anti-depressants!!! And also suggested a second box. Got the second box. Stopped for awhile. Then started again. Now, she has soaked through the 150-year-old floorboards and no amount of baking soda will soak up the stench. We've tried eveything. Rubber-backed bathmats, newspaper, even old showercurtain liners. She pees on it all, but always just outside the box.

Now we have to rip up the boards and replace them. I love her to pieces, but I just don't understand why she's doing this. I mean, we've had the dog for over a year and she gets plenty of attention. And she has the other cat for company. Very frustrating. And smelly. Ick.