Expert: Jessica - 10/5/2010

Question
Our spayed, indoor, feral cat which we have had for over 1 year has started to "pee/spray" on our couch. She is still a feral cat allowing little to no human contact. We have 3 of her 4 kittens/cats from different litters. The 3 are ok with contact. The 4th one which was from a different litter had to be put down after 3 rounds of crystals in 3 months. Would this have something to do with her spotting?

Answer
Hi Virginia,

I'm not sure whether her behavior has to do with the other one who had crystals.  On one hand, urinating outside the box can be caused by stress, so if the other cat was put to sleep recently, the loss may be causing the feral anxiety that has resulted in this behavior.  Also, if the cat with the urinary problems had ever urinated on the couch because of pain, the feral may smell the stains and may now see it as a litter box.  Other than this, however, it is likely to be a coincidence.

Although I know how difficult it is to get a feral to the vet, it would be ideal to have her seen.   Most inappropriate elimination problems are caused by urinary tract pain.  This can be caused by an infection, urinary tract crystals or an inflammatory condition such as interstitial cystitis.  Treating the underlying cause usually solves the problem.

If the vet deems the problem to be behavioral, first reevaluate your litter box situation.  It's recommended that mutliple cat households have one box per cat, plus one.  Also, try to locate the boxes in different areas of the home so that the cats can use them in peace.  Try different styles of litter boxes, preferably extra large, uncovered ones, and try different types of litters.  Most cats prefer an unscented litter with a fine grain to it.

Clean the couch as best as possible with an enzymatic cleaner.  The enzymes in it will break down the fat in the urine to remove the stain completely.  Without an enzymatic cleaner, getting rid of stains is very difficult.  Most other cleaners just cover up the stain with fragrances, but the cat can still smell them and will continue to use the couch as a place to eliminate.  A good enzymatic cleaner is Nature's Miracle.

I recommend also using a product called Feliway (see www.feliway.com).  I use the plug-in diffusers in my own home.  This will help calm the cat to reduce the urge to urine mark.  If you desire, you can also add in spray bottle therapy to use directly on the couch.  In this case, do not use an enzymatic cleaner to clean stains on the couch, but clean stains with rubbing alcohol and water only, and then apply the Feliway once it's dry.

In serious cases, some cats require an antidepressant to stop this behavior.  I know you can't get very close to her, but these medications can be made into what's called a transdermal gel.  This is a cream that gets massaged into the ear tip once or twice daily.  If she will accept this, then she can be medicated.  And most cats only require medication for a few months.  Then they can be tapered off and discontinued, without a relapse.

Best of luck!

Jessica