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View Full Version : Please help me with my pee-gone-wild cat


screetch
10-31-2005, 09:38 PM
We've had Tika for about three years. The only time she's ever had an issue with her litter box, until recently, was a couple of times when I cleaned out her litter box extra-thoroughly. Those times, she would pee once or twice in front of her box.

Fast forward to this past month or so. We recently moved to a new house, out of state, and from the first day moving in, she has been in a pee frenzy. All my dry cleanable clothing was laid on the floor in one room for me to go through, and she peed -- and pooped -- on my clothes several times, including on my wedding dress. She's wrecked several pieces of luggage by peeing in them and she's peed on my DS's toys and clothes. Tonight was the worst of all -- I thought she had just peed on my gym bag in my closet, but as I cleared everything out, I realized why it smells so strongly, and why you can smell it not only in my closet but in the bedroom as well -- her pee soaked the wall and baseboard. I don't even know where to begin cleaning that up.

I knew the first week she was unhappy here. She wouldn't come out from hiding. But since then, she's acted quite normally. Is as loving as she used to be, and she has found a spot where she can birdwatch. So except for the peeing issues, it seems like she's back to normal.

I know I need to take her in to the vet. The thing is, though, she was taken to the vet shortly before we moved and got a clean bill of health. She stayed with my inlaws for a few weeks before we moved into our house and was fine there -- the peeing problem started the day she moved into our new house, 9/26.

Aside from health, the only thing I can think of that she is unhappy with is where her litter box and food are now located. In our old house, her box and food were in the laundry room, which was in a central location in our house, between the kitchen and garage. Our new house is a great deal larger than our old house, and her litter box and food are in the basement, in the room where the water heater and stuff like that are kept. The door is cracked open and the only light on in there is a night light. No, it's not ideal, but it's the only place we can keep her box. Although our new house is larger, there is no room for the box in the laundry room. All the other rooms my DS has access to, and I can't let him be near the box. He likes to stick his hands in it.

I am at wit's end with this, especially now that the walls are getting peed on. The smell of cat pee makes me nautious and it kills me that we have moved into a dream home and it's getting wrecked. But at the same time, I can't just send Tika to the pound and I wouldn't want to give her away to anyone I don't know (and nobody we know is willing to take her in). She's a member of our family and we love her. What do you do in a case like this??? Help!!!

ejs
10-31-2005, 10:07 PM
It sounds like she's just upset at being in a new place. Perhaps she smells the scent of a previous cat in the house and is trying to cover it.

You should definitely get her checked for a bladder infection.

Can you move her food away from her litter box. Think about it, would you want to eat your food near your toilet?

screetch
10-31-2005, 11:38 PM
Thanks for responding ejs.

The previous owners didn't have a cat -- I checked with my neighbor. They just had a dog. Re: the food witht he box, that's how we had it set up before. Even closer than it is now. Although I've thought about bringing it up to the laundry room to make her feel like "one of the gang". Perhaps I will try that. We are limited on places for her to eat b/c we also have a labrador retriever who will eat her food if it's not high enough.

pride&prejudice
11-01-2005, 05:46 AM
I agree with it being the change. She could also have eaten something to give her crystals, which makes them do the same thing. I say this becuase our cat ate some of the dog's food and then got it, so we have to watch her.

Hope everything works out.

fuzzy
11-01-2005, 07:04 AM
I would confine her for a bit.

When you move and you immediately allow the cat to roam free through out the house, sometimes they get overwhelmed and scared. Which causes them to mark, to feel more secure. Whereas if you had confined her and slowly introduce her to the rest of the house, she may feel more secure.

So I'd go back to square one, confine her to a room where she has access to food and water and her litter (food and water, of course not directly near her litter).

Of course, a vet check is always in order. UTIs can develop over night. Also, another thought...the water heater etc. may be scaring her, if she's not used to eliminating near heating equipment. Any chance you could find a quieter location?

screetch
11-01-2005, 08:20 AM
Thanks everyone.

Fuzzy, do you think that even now, after more than a month of being here and acting the same as before (except for the pee issue), she would still have insecurities? She really does act like her old self, save for the problem. I'm concerned keeping her contained could uspet her more. Occasionally the door to the basement closes while she is down there, and when she wants to come up she has an absolute fit if the door is closed.

There really isn't any other location for her box. I really didn't think the water heater and all that would be an issue for her, since her box had been right next to the washer and dryer.

I really wish there was another place for her box. I need to put the dehumidifier in the her box room (so it can drain into the sump pump) and I can't imagine she'll be happy with that -- it runs constantly (hence the need for it to be in that room, the water bucket is always full!). And I have a LitterMaid litter box I'd like her to use, but I can't introduce it to her until she gets over all of this.

I did put her food in the laundry room this morning, on the dryer where she used to eat. Our dog eats in the laundry room and their water is in there, so maybe that will make her happy. I just hope she doesn't ditch the litter box room completely now!

sandt8704
11-01-2005, 08:30 AM
I have a cat that we adopted 3 YEARS ago and he still has peeing issues. For him, it's territorial (and he is fixed). The stress of the move is probably what's going on. Definately talk to the vet, but there is also a product on the market called Feliway. It's like one of those Glade plug-ins that sends a cat phermone based odor into the air. It's calming for the cats. I can't smell is when it's plugged in..but I know it calms my Sammy.

Here is the link
http://www.1800petmeds.com/pdetail.asp?SK=10775

Good luck!

fuzzy
11-01-2005, 09:49 AM
Re: Confining her. Well, its kinda a toss up. (First, sorry, my post was kind of a first thing in the morning brain dump. ;) ) It can and does work for some cats. Its sorta like forcing them to chose the litter box because there's no other good alternative and, after a while, it becomes habit again. But with other cats, it pisses them off even more. I guess I would be inclined to trying it, at a minimum to save the dream house.

You also may want to try (I know this sounds nuts, but...) taking a damp cloth and rubbing it over her face/chin area. It'll pick up her scent. Then rub that cloth over nonporous surfaces of the house. Doorframes, windowsills etc. where a cat may regularly rub their face to spread their scent. It *MAY* help spread her scent so she feels more secure. She may still smell the old dog and be cranky about that.

Also, are there any stray cats prowling around? She may feel threatened by that too. Sometimes (again, its a crap shoot) placing small dishes of food around the house -- away from your lab, of course -- can help too. It makes them feel as if their food source is less threatened.

Tonysweetie
11-01-2005, 09:40 PM
I don't really have any advice. But my ktity Max sometimes pees in teh floor but it only seems to be in one spot. He seems to pee right next to the tub abd the toilet. I noiticed he started doing this right after I moved his box from the laundry room to the bathroom b/c we got a new washer/dryer and I had too. I would just remind him where his box was. I would pick him up and rub his feet in his litter and it seemed to work. I hope you work this out cat pee is disgusting and it STINKS wayyy worse than dog pee. :confused: