Expert: Ali - 10/4/2008

Question
Hi Ali,
I would like your advice regarding my situation. I adopted two cats about a
year ago. One of the cats likes to pee on the bed and the couch. I have tried
all ways possible to stop this including keeping the litter box clean, Feliway
spray and I checked to see if she has a medical problem. They say it's a
behavioral problem. I thought about putting plastic on the furniture when I
leave the house. But I woke up this morning to find she peed on my bed while
I was sleeping. I am currently washing my bedding for the 5th time this
month. I don't want to give her away, but I don't know what else to do. I was
thinking about giving her to someone who has an outdoor area. I don't want
to put her back in the shelter.  I want to keep the other cat, her sister Stella.
Do you think this will harm the cats? I would appreciate your advice.
Thanks!

Answer
Beth,

I have a few questions before I can offer ways to fix this situation. I would like to tell you that it is possible to fix this and I can see that you are somewhat hesitant to separate the girls...With a few tips I think that this can be solved.

- Have you had the girls spayed? An intact cat is more likely to use urine or feces to mark their territory.

- Is the sister who is urinating inappropriately the anxious or nervous type? Some cats will respond poorly to seeing other animals outside on "their" territory, this can result in urine marking. For other cats loud noises, changes within the household, scented kitty litter, air fresheners used near the litter box, food located too close to the litter, and many other issues can cause or contribute to inappropriate elimination. It's well worth thinking back to what was happening when this issue first came up and trying to see if you can co-relate the urinating outside of the litter box with an event that this kitty may have found stressful.

- Have you cleaned the areas that this little girl has urinated in with an enzymatic cleaner to completely and permanently remove the odor? This is so that you can be sure that the cat isn't marking in response to smelling past accidents.

- Have you tried basics like placing a food dish on the areas where this kitty urinates? Cats are very clean animals and they won't normally eliminate where they eat. Partially crumpled aluminum foil is sometimes effective because cats don't like the feel or look of it...

- Have you thought about trying the homeopathic remedy "Bach's Rescue Remedy"? This remedy calms and reassures, it can be helpful if your cat is experiencing anxiety that is causing her to use urine to mark her territory.

- Have you considered speaking with a behaviorist or a holistic vet or both? A behaviorist takes a purely behavioral problem and deals with it with a behavioral modification program of sorts, this is sometimes done in conjunction with a vet and a program of medication. A holistic vet is trained in both conventional medicine and alternative therapies like homeopathy, massage, or acupuncture. A holistic vet endeavors to treat the whole pet rather than just the symptoms and has proven to be a much more effective way of thinking, at least in my experience.

- Has your vet told you that the inappropriate urine marking can be treated with medication? There have been a number of advances in recent years with medications geared towards changing unwanted behavior like going to the toilet outside of the litterbox...I normally don't recommend the medications as a first line of defense but they are quite effective and I can see that you are very close to giving up on this cat.

I am willing to offer help in dealing with this issue if you are willing to try a few different things before rehoming this kitty.