At my wits' end with cat pee situation! (Long, but I REALLY need help)

[ShelbyMay]

We have 3 cats. About 1 month after the third cat came to live with us (Fall 2004), he started urine marking in one room of our house. I took him to the vet, who determined that it was a behavioral thing. He prescribed clomipramine, which Cat #3 has been taking ever since. I could not get the smell out of the carpet, so we eventually ripped it up, scrubbed the concrete floor, and put in hardwood. Cat #3 promptly marked the new hardwood floor. I cleaned the area again (Nature's Miracle) and began the slow process of putting his litterbox in that room and gradually moving it (and him) toward a more appropriate location. This actually seemed to work, until he started peeing in DH's shoes. We replaced at least 3 pairs of DH's shoes due to this problem, and Cat #3 eventually lost interest in them (we also stopped leaving our shoes lying around so much). Then he started peeing on our dirty laundry, inside the laundry basket. We got taller laundry baskets. He just peed on the side of the basket, instead. We kept the laundry baskets up high after that. He also frequently peed on the area rug by our front door. I washed it many, many times, but he just kept peeing on it every time I put it back down.

Now it has been 1.5 years. Cat #3 spends his days outside (while we're at work) and his nights in the garage. He is allowed inside for a couple of hours each evening when we are home and able to keep an eye on him. We don't leave our shoes lying around. We keep the dirty laundry up high. We don't own any rugs anymore. It is a constant hassle and has cost thousands of dollars, but we're doing our best to make it work. Back when the problem first began, I tried to find him another home, but no one would take him. I can't send him back to the shelter. I promised to take care of him.

Now for the most recent development: Six weeks ago, Cat #2 peed on the living room carpet. She had NEVER done anything like this before (she moved in about 1.5 years before Cat #3), so we were really surprised. She did it twice before we figured out that it was her and not Cat #3, and then once more before I could get her to the vet (it was a weekend). The vet confirmed that she had the beginnings of a urinary infection. He prescribed antibiotics, which I gave her for 10 days. She stopped peeing in the living room, and I thought everything would be okay. I first treated the spot with Nature's Miracle, but then ordered the whole kit from Anti-Icky Poo. I borrowed a friend's Bissell carpet cleaning machine. I gave up on getting the carpet pad clean (it had soaked through) and cut out that section. I bought some replacement pad, but have not installed it yet. Just 2 days ago, we finally thought the smell was going away -- and then someone marked it AGAIN. :( I really thought I was going to cry. I cleaned and treated the area all over again last night. Tonight, I went ahead and ripped out the little strips of wood (the "tackless strips") around that section of the carpet, because I think they may have absorbed some of the urine. I've also been spraying the area with Feliway spray.

Cat #3 is in the garage. Cat #2 is locked in the bathroom. I am awake in the wee hours of the morning because she WILL NOT calm down and go to sleep. She keeps trying to pry the door open with her paws.

I am at a complete loss for ideas. I guess I will take her back to the vet on Monday to see if the infection returned. That will be another $100. I looked into replacing the living room carpet, but that will be nearly $1000. We're expecting a baby in July and just do not have the extra money. I am stressed to the limit and things with my husband are strained. He is a patient man, but he only tolerates the cats because he loves me. Our house stinks and we haven't been able to have friends over for weeks. And, of course, that area is the only free corner of the living room, where we had planned to set up the baby's swing and toys. I can't put my baby in the stinky cat pee corner! :(

I really just don't know what to do. Can anyone help?

[LSirola]

EEK!

I completely understand your frustration...

I have 3 cats, and two of them were not neutered. It was the youngest- Sammy and the oldest cat- Charlie.

Charlie started out by peeing on plastic bags, on papers, and in containers(like the trash can lid when I would take it off to to empty the trash). I learned that I could never leave the newspaper laying around, and that all plastic bags had to put up. He would also pee in the closet inside boxes.
It was never a big mess, so I would just clean it up. Then one day I left some mortgage documents on the couch. Charlie peed on them, and my purse was there too. I was so mad. The pee got in everything in my purse, all over the couch cushions, and ran down the inside of the couch, onto the carpet.


My couch will never be the same. I cannot just go out and buy a new one, and I've steam cleaned it so many times.

Sammy the youngest cat didn't get neutered because when he was a baby, he was so sick and had to have two life saving surgeries in his first 3 months of life. So we didn't want to put him through surgery again. Untill he started peeing on top of all of Charlie's pee. It was getting crazy around my house, trying to keep up with them both.
Then they started to both hump my husband and me at night. We would squirt them with water bottles, and they would keep coming back!!

We didn't want to neuter Charlie because we had breeding rights to him, and we wanted to stud him once and keep one of the kittens and give one to DH mom. But this was getting ridiculous.

So after Charlie peed on the couch and in my purse, I called the vet and they fit me in the next day to get Charlie neutered. We got Sammy neutered a few months after that.
No more peeing on the couch, or humping.


Are your cats nuetered/spayed? I know I came very close to throwing in the towel-I almost got rid of my favorite cat Charlie because of the peeing.
I was lucky that it stopped..

I've read various things about limiting your cat to one area of the house and slowly letting him back into the whole house after the area is cleaned.

I'm sorry that you are going through this.
Lauren

[jennylou]

Ugh, we have this problem with one of our three cats. She too likes dirty laundry and rugs (only if they have a plastic backing - like bath rugs). We got rid of the bath rug and placed a rag rug in there thinking that even if she did pee at least we could wash that. Amazingly, she hasn't touched it.

As for the clothes, it's still a constant battle. Trying not to let the clothes pile up too much seems to work. She pees on our carpet in our bedroom. That carpet is slated to be ripped out and the hardwoods redone in that room. She used to pee in the living room/dining room combo but stopped when we ripped out that carpet (we replaced the carpet in all but the entry way). She hasn't touched the new carpet, so that carpet must be okay with her in some way.:confused: We have two rooms left with the original carpet (ours that I mentioned) and the dogs room. She's a bit afraid of the large dog so she doesn't go back there. That carpet is getting ripped out though, because before the dog came along she left her marking.

No real advice, just sympathy and understanding.

[ShelbyMay]

Glad I am at least not the only one out there dealing with something like this. Sometimes I feel like other people must think we are disgusting. :( DH was not raised with indoor pets, and his family seems to think it's gross to allow animals to live inside the house. I feel like these problems are just proving them right in his mind. I know it is not fair to expect him to live in a house that reeks of urine. At the same time, I took responsibility for these cats when I adopted them. I can't turn my back on them when they have problems.

It leaves me feeling like there is no answer!

Are the rest of you having better luck getting the smell out of things, or am I just too impatient? I feel like I have tried SO MANY products and still can never get the smell to comletely go away. I feel like crying when we walk into the room and DH comments on the smell. I don't want him to be unhappy, but I don't know what else to do to fix it.

All of our cats (2 boys & 1 girl) are neutered/spayed and have been since before they came to live with us. The boys used to have some conflicts, but they seem to have settled into a comfortable peace with each other. Cat #3's peeing doesn't appear to have much to do with the other cats. Cat #2 started off as an actual medical problem, and I am kind of hoping it still is a medical problem so at least we have a clear path for "fixing" it.

[GeekGirl]

My kitten, Scratch Fury, used to have a huge problem with inappropriate elimination - he was the only one of the 3 kitties we have who did. He would also pee on bathroom/kitchen rugs, plastic bags, and dirty laundry. We've gone through the same process of getting rid or rugs, not leaving laundry or platic bags laying around. That seemed to help, but not completely. Then, I read another thread somewhere on here about cats who are just really picky about their litter boxes. Before, we only had one big litter box, and I'll be the first to admit that we weren't awesome about keeping it perfectly cleaned. We then added a second litter box, and became much better about keeping it clean, and haven't had any issues since.

If you've tried this already, I'm sorry...if nothing else I can offer my sympathy and I hope things get resolved soon...:(

[greenbunny]

You have done a lot of the things that I've read as being good to do. At this point, I would consider seeing a behaviorist. The University of Pennsylvania vet school will do consults over the phone (for a fee) but your vet can recommend someone locally, as well.

[ShelbyMay]

We do have 3 large litterboxes (2 in the house and one in the garage for Cat #3). They all seem to use the litterbox fine, but the marking is in addition to regular litterbox use. :confused:

They are all covered boxes, which I read in Cat vs. Cat (haven't finished the book yet) is bad. I plan to try something else come July, but my husband is the one doing all of the litterbox duty while I am pregnant, and he likes the covered boxes. I also can't critique how frequently/infrequently he cleans the boxes because I am dependant on him to do this. :) I think he does it once a day, but I plan to try at least twice a day once the baby is born and I am at home more hours.

[kemorr]

Ask your vet to investigate the cause of the urinary tract infection a little further. Generally, cats are very resistant to infections because their urine is so concentrated (which is also why cat pee smells so bad). So, a cat that suddenly develops a urinary tract infection may have an underlying cause, which in of itself can cause inappropriate urination. Underlying causes include problems unrelated to the urinary tract (liver problems, thyroid problems, diabetes etc) and also problems related to the urinary system (kidney failure, bladder stones, feline lower urinary tract disorder, bladder tumors etc). So, if your cat was treated for the infection and the infection either returned or the infection is resolved but your cat is still urinating inappropriately, look for other medical problems before it is ruled a behavioral issue.

[ShelbyMay]

Thanks for the advice, kemorr -- I will ask my vet about it. I hope she doesn't have a serious illness. She is only about 4 years old. :(

[MrsKinnison]

I have a cat who is very prone to UTI's/Bladder infections. He has to eat a special food, but will still sometime get them. There are different bacterias that can cause it, and some are resisistant to certain antibiotics so you can have a recurring problem. Have the vet get a urine sample and have it cultured (mine had to send it out, but I don't know if some do it inhouse) if it keeps happening because it may need a different antibiotic in order to clear it up. HTH & good luck!

[Abby'sMom]

You're preggo, right? My cat, who had never so much as thought of peeing anywhere but in her box (as a matter of fact, one time when we accidentally eliminated access to her box, she peed by the toilet!) went completely ballistic when I got pg with #2. She was nervous during my first pg, but now that she knows what pg means, she's freaked about having another baby in the house. She pees on our bed, on our furniture, just about everywhere. I took her to the vet and although she does have a mild bladder infection, the vet guessed that the great majority of her problem is behavioral, as she's upset over my pg. We've had to move her box, her food, everything, and shut her out of our upper level completely.

No real advice, though; just wondering if you'd considered that. They know when you're pg, after all, and if you were ever particularly close to cat #2, he/she might be jealous.

[ShelbyMay]

I wondered if she had picked up on my pregnancy -- A couple of times, she has cuddled up to my belly to nap. She is not normally a very affectionate cat (very skittish) and I am the only person she trusts at all.

Our vet also mentioned that she might be freaked out about the pregnancy, but we didn't consider it further when he found evidence of an infection.

I am SO worried about what will happen when the baby actually gets here -- I can't take this stress with a newborn at home! :(

ETA: I made a vet appointment to have her re-checked tomorrow morning. There goes another $100 or so...

[Abby'sMom]

Oh, she ABSOLUTELY knows you're pg. Animals always know.

Good luck -- I feel the vet bill pain.

[ShelbyMay]

Okay, the good news (I guess) is that the infection is still there. The vet said she thinks we went 3 steps forward and one step back in treating it, so hopefully this next round of antibiotics (Baytril) will finish it off. The other good news is that the re-check cost about $20 less than the initial appointment.

Not-so-good news: I have to take her back AGAIN in 2 weeks to make sure the infection is completely gone this time. Also, there is some possibility that either she or the other cats will continue marking that area of the house.

So, I'll be getting a plastic carpet runner to go over that area while it "heals". I'll also continue using the Feliway spray both there and by our front door (where Cat #3 likes to mark). The Cat vs. Cat book also suggested conducting play sessions with the cats in that area so they associate it with positive feelings.

I am thinking about taking over the litterbox cleaning from DH and just being VERY CAREFUL -- wearing latex gloves, washing my hands thoroughly, etc. That way, I can be sure they get cleaned 3 times a day if that's what it takes. My vet also said that the risk of toxo is extremely low when following these precautions, and that the risk of infection is actually greater when planting flowers in my garden.

I'm also going to start setting out some baby stuff (as the book suggested) and will buy some baby shampoo and baby powder to get them used to the smells. Anyone know where I could get a tape of baby sounds?

[greenbunny]

Anyone know where I could get a tape of baby sounds?

Record an episode of "Baby Story" on TLC, maybe?

[ShelbyMay]

Okay, this cat (Cat #2) usually prefers to sit on a shelf by herself and stare at us. All this evening, she has been practically glued to my lap. It's sweet, but I wonder what the deal is...? :confused: I hope she's feeling okay...

[amwilson615]

I have always been a cat lover, but in the situations you all are mentioning, I would've given the cats away. That is harsh of me, but I lack the patience and energy to continue cleaning up after animals. As a child, our cats were taught to go outside to use the bathroom. We only kept a litterbox for when it was REALLY cold outside, or they were accidentally shut inside while we were gone. NEVER did any kind of accident/marking occur.

When I turned 20, I got a male kitten for a bday present. He was my "little man"-slept withme, cuddled with me, companion, etc etc etc. Well, when I had my daughter, he began peeing on everything of mine--clothing, shoes, rugs, bed, trash, coats, gloves, whatever. In addition, he would urinate on the outside of the litterbox, and on the floor beside it. I was enraged. I am sure it was jealousy over my daughter, but, I got rid of him. Oh, and he had been neutered at 5 months. I just will not live in a house that stinks. I find it disgusting and nasty.

Isn't a cat's nature to use a box/dirt/plants, if available? to me it seems like going against nature to use the floor--especially when it's right next to the box.

We got more cats recently and they have just started marking things. I tried all sortsof things, but gave up. One of them came up missing and the other is no longer allowed downstairs (our part of the home).

Just my personal experience.

[KaliLily]

We do have 3 large litterboxes (2 in the house and one in the garage for Cat #3). They all seem to use the litterbox fine, but the marking is in addition to regular litterbox use. :confused:

I have read/been told that you need to have 1 more litter box than you have cats. In your case, that would mean a total of 4 litter boxes for your 3 cats. My cat, Kali, developed a problem with urinating outside the litter box in our old house. It developed when she and Lily weren't getting along - Lily was quite the bully, so we thought that was the cause. But after we moved and they were getting along much better the problem didn't go away. We were never very good about cleaning the littler boxes regularly, so I started cleaning them everyday. However, it wasn't until we added a 3rd litter box (and cleaned them all daily) that the problem has stopped. Knock on wood it's permanent!.

Good luck!

[ShelbyMay]

Isn't a cat's nature to use a box/dirt/plants, if available? to me it seems like going against nature to use the floor--especially when it's right next to the box.


Yes, but it's also a cat's "nature" to mark territory for various reasons and also to let his/her humans know when he/she is sick. I tried to find another home for Cat #3 when he began marking his territory, but no one would take him in. I knew sending him back to the shelter would likely mean killing him. I feel that I took responsibility for him, problems and all, when I agreed to adopt him. Cat #2 peed right in front of us to let us know that she had a urinary infection. We never would have known she was in pain if she hadn't done that. I really can't blame her for wanting someone to notice and make it better for her!

[1MegMeg]

Shelby - Have you gotten the plastic carpet runner yet? I purchased some of that for our futon (had a big problem with our cat #3 urinated on the futon...I have a thread around here about it) and so far so good. I have that on there and I spray with feliway every other day, and so far no urinating on the futon (or anywhere else). Best of luck to you, I know how frustrating this is!

[ShelbyMay]

I picked up one of those hard plastic runners with the pokey-things on the back at Lowe's. It was only about $3, so I figure it is worth a shot. I actually have it spread out in our kitchen right now, just to make sure the smell of the plastic is not something that will tempt them to pee. I think I will move it to the carpet tonight.

I also picked up some of that Arm & Hammer carpet powder (I think it's called something like "Pet Fresh"). It actually smells really nice and fresh, and even after I vacuumed it up, it still seems to be covering up whatever cat odor still lingers. I mean, if you walk into that corner, get down on your hands and knees, and stick your nose in the carpet -- Yeah, you can still smell the pee a little. But if my guests ever get that picky, I think I will stop inviting them over anyway. :)

I am still using the Feliway spray by the back door 1-2 times a day, and by the front door once every couple of days. I am thinking of looking into products that are designed to keep other cats out of our yard, but don't want anything that's going to freak out my own cats.

Also, my friend is letting me borrow her full-size carpet steamer, so I plan to give the whole house a good cleaning with that. I don't know if it will help that one particular corner of carpet, but it will be nice to get our carpets as clean as possible before the baby arrives.

-- Thought of one more thing: I picked up an additional litter box at the store last night. It is smaller than the others, but will be good as an "extra", I think. Now we will have 3 indoor boxes and 1 garage box for 3 cats.

[KaliLily]

If the carpet steamer doesn't do the trick, try a wet/dry shop vac. Kali urinated in one of our spare bedrooms a few months back - first time she'd gone on installed carpet in the new house.

DH suggested I saturate the area with cleaner and then suck it up with the wet/dry vac. It seems to have worked. I keep the doors to the extra bedrooms shut now, and after a week of hot weather I went in there this morning. It smelled fine! I still want to get one of those lights that shows you if any urine or enzymes are left, though. They come free with Urine Gone at Target.

Good luck!!

[greenbunny]

I've been out rug shopping (we just couldn't get everything out, but I'm almost certain some of the mess was from the previous owners' pet) and I learned something that might help. The one guy at the rug place told me that often you get the carpet clean, it's the padding that retains the smell of urine. So if all else fails, you might want to try tearing up the carpet and replacing only the padding. It'll certainly cost less than buying new carpet.

[ShelbyMay]

I've been out rug shopping (we just couldn't get everything out, but I'm almost certain some of the mess was from the previous owners' pet) and I learned something that might help. The one guy at the rug place told me that often you get the carpet clean, it's the padding that retains the smell of urine. So if all else fails, you might want to try tearing up the carpet and replacing only the padding. It'll certainly cost less than buying new carpet.


Thanks, greenbunny -- We actually gave up on the carpet pad a couple weeks ago and cut out the damaged section. We were able to get a 9'x6' replacement pad (larger than what we need) at Home Depot for $20. I am ready to put in the new pad, but DH wants to wait until Cat #2 finishes this second round of antibiotics and gets the "all-clear" from the vet.

Oh, and I also pried up those wood tackless strips under the carpet in that area. I think some of the urine had soaked into them. It was kind of a pain to pry them up, but not too difficult, and the replacement strips were less than $5.

[amwilson615]

I realize I sounded like a harsh hag in my previous post. I just wanted to say that I'm really not.

I understand the nature to mark the territory and also the UTI stuff. I think I was just in a b*tchy mood, and was inhaling urine from the latest spray targe (the side of my couch).

Anyhow, my mom swears by this stuff called OdoBan. I haven't gotten to use it yet. I also like the Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh. Febreze has worked wonders for me also. The padding under the carpet idea is definitely true. We ended up having to tear up ALL the carpet and padding, plus tack strips along the wall, in my Mom's old home. We then scrubbed over and over and over again, the wood floors underneath the carpet with hot water with various cleaning agents in it.

Good luck with rectifying the problem.

[ShelbyMay]

Update:

We were back at the vet this morning for another re-check. The doctor said that her urine looks better, but he still sees some small pieces of crystals. He didn't want to prescribe another round of Baytril because he says it's not meant for long-term use. Instead, he prescribed some liquid Clavamox for the next week or so.

I am so frustrated because it seems like we're spending $100 every 2 weeks on vet bills just for this one problem! I guess I will have to take her back for a 4th time after she finishes the Clavamox. (On top of that, the vet recommends that I get her teeth cleaned next week, which would be close to $300).

I love my cats, but this money is supposed to be saved up for our HUMAN baby this summer! :( I just don't know what else to do.

On a positive note, I think the smell is finally gone. I haven't stuck my nose down in the carpet lately, but I can't smell it at all from a normal posture. I do still smell the carpet powder a little bit, but it's not a bad smell.

[greenbunny]

ShelbyMay, just a warning: Clavamox gives both my girls awful diarrhea. We have to keep after them with baby wipes when they are on it. So if she has a favorite sofa or something, you might want to temporarily throw an old afgan over top.

[ShelbyMay]

Thanks for the heads-up -- I will "blanket" her 2 favorite spots when I get home tonight.