Expert: Ali - 1/6/2009

Question
i have had my Persian female cat for nearly four years, recently my uncle brought his mate to my house who has never been before and recognized my cat and turns out he is her original owner who abandoned her, i never let my cat or two dogs in my bedroom apart from when i go to bed, because they sleep on my bed with me, i got in bed and she jumped on and weed right in front of me onto my quilt, a couple of times she has done this through the four years i have had her, also she does it in the bath. i am wondering if she did it this time on the bed because she recognized her old owner who treated her badly? she has a litter tray which i clean out everyday so i don't know why she did it on my bed. i have two dogs too, i wonder if they mark their territory too because my male dog wee up things too even though he goes outside a couple of times a day. please let me know your thoughts on this.

Answer
Emma,

In a case where a pet guardian is having difficulty with inappropriate elimination I always recommend that the kitty in question be examined thoroughly by a veterinarian to rule out any underlying medical conditions. It's a good idea to have your cat assessed by your family vet or a holistic veterinarian and that you request a pre-anesthetic blood profile and have this little girl's urine tested. These two tests will allow your vet to have a fairly complete picture of your kitty's health. It's possible that your kitty has a low grade chronic bladder infection or even crystals in her urinary tract/bladder that cause tiny scratches in her urinary tract if this is the case she may feel pain/burning when she urinates. A holistic veterinarian is trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture or massage. Holistic medicine has a proven track record with pets and I must say that I speak from experience when I say that I have faith in the effectiveness of alternative treatments - my family vet is a holistic practitioner who uses homeopathy to compliment conventional medicine in her practice. I can honestly say that I was a little skeptical about homeopathy in the beginning, but given the results that I have seen in my resident cats and others that I have fostered/re-homed I must say it's definitely not a bad idea to try these treatment options out with your kitty. According to some studies euthanasia resulting from behavioral issues is the most common cause of death in cats living in North America. I generally recommend that pet parents try to figure out what triggers the issue and try to help the cat feel secure enough that he/she doesn't feel the need to mark their territory. I would suggest that if a holistic vet isn't an option in your area that you speak to your veterinarian about a referral to an animal behaviorist in your community. An animal behaviorist is trained in animal behavior and many will work side by side with your veterinarian to help solve behavioral issues like inappropriate elimination.

I generally recommend that pet parents who are having difficulties with their cat house soiling do a few simple things to help turn things around. Firstly litter boxes are very important, if they aren't cleaned at minimum once daily some cats will look for cleaner places to use the toilet, kind of like most people would prefer not to use a filthy public rest room cats prefer to have a clean place to use the toilet. Sometimes the number of litter pans in the home isn't sufficient for the number of cats in the home, I usually recommend that pet parents who are having difficulties with house soiling ensure that there is one litter box per cat plus one per level of the home, under normal circumstances I recommend that pet parents have one litter box per cat plus one. You can purchase disposable litter trays from your local pet supply store and gradually dispose of them one at a time to find out where your cats are most comfortable using the toilet. If the litter boxes are located in a high traffic area of the house some cats will look for a more private place to do their business, after all, most people wouldn't want to use the toilet on a busy street while people rushed by or watched. Some cats prefer to urinate in one litter box and defecate in the other, this may be the message that your kitty is trying to send you. If you have the cat food and the litter trays in the same room this can result in a cat house soiling, after all, nobody wants to eat while they are sitting by a toilet. I generally suggest that food and litter trays be kept in different rooms in the house, say for instance keeping the food in the kitchen while keeping the litter boxes in the washroom or utility room. You can also try placing food dishes on your bed throughout the day since this may help to deter the cat from urinating on the bed because cats don't like to use the toilet where they eat.

Sometimes other measures are necessary to deter a kitty that has been house soiling for an extended period of time, you can try deterrents like citronella spray which may stop your kitty from getting onto the bed. Some cats are put off by partially crumpled aluminum foil, others will need more aggressive measures. You can purchase a product at your local pet supply store that is motion activated and sprays compressed air at your kitty whenever the sensor is set off. Some cats find the hissing sound quite offensive and get the point. You can also look at picking up a Scat Mat which is a mat that is activated by your kitty hopping up onto it, this mat will deliver a small static shock that may deter your kitty from coming up onto the bed. If you would prefer to stay low tech you can simply close the door to your room and not allow either kitty inside, that may be enough to end the problem.

Another common cause of inappropriate elimination in cats is failing to have a kitty spayed or neutered. Unfortunately cats are animals and they generally become sexually mature around 5-7 months of age. Cats that are sexually mature have instincts to mate, mark their territory (usually with urine, feces or pheromones) and defend their territory against any threats. Unfortunately sterilizing a kitty later than 6 months can mean that they have grown accustomed to using urine or feces to mark their territory. Usually the earlier you sterilize a pet the better because behavioral and medical issues are far less likely to occur.

Ultimately house soiling is an issue that can't be fixed overnight, it will take some time, patience and understanding on your part as well as possibly requiring the expertise of professionals in long standing cases that don't respond to basics such as those I've recommended in this answer. In the event that you have followed a behavioral program set out by a qualified behaviorist, kept the litter boxes as clean as possible and added a few more throughout the house you may find that your veterinarian holds the key to fixing this problem. There are many effective homeopathic and pharmaceutical medications that can be used to help stop house soiling. I usually recommend that pet parents do their research and ask questions of their vet before opting to use pharmaceuticals to deal with this issue. Most often the medications of choice for house soiling are small doses of human anti-anxiety/depressant medications. The use of these powerful psychotropic drugs is generally effective, however it isn't without risks or side effects and in my opinion these medications should only be used as a last resort.

It's very important to use cleaning products that completely and permanently remove odor and stains because cats have significantly more sensitive noses than we do and just because we don't smell anything doesn't mean that they don't. I recommend cleaning the bedding and any other areas that urine may have soaked into with an enzymatic cleaner which uses beneficial bacteria (aka enzymes) to permanently remove any traces of odor from organic sources such as urine, feces, vomit, blood, etc. Enzymatic cleaners also work well to remove stains from organic origins. I use an enzymatic cleaner called Petzyme which I purchase by the gallon at Petsmart in the dog section. Petzyme is available in the cat section however the last time that I checked it was more expensive on a per milliliter basis. The nice thing about Petzyme is that it also includes instructions for use in the laundry which is ideal in your situation. I would recommend that you wash all bedding that this kitty has ever urinated on in the hottest water the fabric will tolerate and use Petzyme in combination with your regular laundry detergent, that should stop your kitty from continuing to mark specific items/areas just because she can smell previous mistakes.