Expert: Norman Auspitz - 12/1/2010

Question
We got my 5 year old daughter a cat when it was about 2 months old.  We had it neutered when he was about 4-5 months old.  He is now 8 months old.  He seemed to be doing fine and is a super nice, affectionate cat, but his new hobby is peeing on personal things.  First it was a beanbag chair in the same room as his food and litter box.  By the time I noticed it, it was obvious he had been doing it a few days. We threw it away and chalked it up to him adjusting after being neutered.  About 2 weeks later, same thing, different bean bag, diff room.  Threw that out as well.  Thought the problem was fixed but about a month after that, I noticed he had gone on a pile of clothes on the couch.  Totally cleaned it and sprayed with pet neutralizer but sure enough, next time there was a pile of clothes there, he went.  We no longer leave clothes anywhere around the house.  So for the last 3 weeks, he has taken to the hamper.  I don't even know when he does it, because we try and keep the door closed, but it has been 3 times in 2 weeks!  He uses his litter box for both pee and poop, and he uses it A LOT!! (eats a ton) so I know he knows where to go.  So I am assuming this is a marking thing.  But other than the old fashion, stick his nose in it and yell at him, what are we suppose to do???

Answer
Kelly,

Often these are the most difficult problems to overcome.

There are usually two possible causes of inappropriate peeing.  The first is medical, which a vet can sort out pretty quickly.  If the cat has a urinary tract infection, this can cause the behaviors you are seeing. Correct treatment usually deals with both the medical issue and the inappropriate peeing problem.

The other possibility is a behavioral issue.  There are two things that may be problematic. The first is that 8 months is about the time a cat becomes a teenager. You can have his hormones checked to see if they are correct for a neutered cat his age. If they are out of kilter, they could cause this kind of behavior.  The other possibility is that there was some kind of change in the household he is reacting to. It could be something like a two legged or four legged addition to the household, a change in the brand or kind of litter you are using, a strange cat hanging around marking things on the outside of your house, or who knows what.

You are clearly cleaning areas where he pees inappropriately, so that advice is already taken. Secondly, if you can deny him access (I know this is difficult) to his inappropriate areas, this would be best.  You can put a Feliway diffuser in any area he is peeing inappropriately, and this may help.

I will tell you now that the old sticking his nose in it and yelling, won't help at all. Cats do not tend to do well with negative reinforcement.

I still think your best bet is denying access and making sure the family really enforces the rules.

One thing you might try is aluminum foil in areas he has used where he is not supposed to. Cats do not like the feel of aluminum foil and tend not to pee where it may be taped down.

A final comment, if he seems to be peeing a lot and consuming lots of water, this may be an early indicator of urinary tract issues or kidney issues.

I really wish I could give you something more tried and true, but you need to try to figure out whether it is medical or behavioral, and, if behavioral, what change may have triggered the behavior.

Please let me know how things go.

Best regards... Norm.