Expert: Jessica - 8/17/2010

Question
Hi there I hope that you can give me some advice.
I have a female Bengal cat that is 2 years old. She has been an inside cat for two years and we have just recently been letting her outside during the day as we cannot leave her inside anymore.
Her name is Charlie. When she was a kitten she urinated on the bed everyday. Eventually we trained her with the help of the cat nip spray to use the crystal kitty litter for number two’s but she never took to it to urinate. She urinates in corners of rooms which has completely ruined the carpet and floorboards in the house. One day we tried an empty bucket that is in a triangle shape which fits in the corner that she will urinate sometimes in, though she still urinates around the house too. Since we have let her outside she has continued to urinate in the house for example we open the door to let her in, she runs straight to a corner to urinate.
We do have 2 dogs (a Husky and a German Sheppard) that are outside during the day and inside at night. There is another Bengal in the house that stays upstairs as it attacks Charlie when they are in the same area.
I have asked Vet’s for their advice and they have not been able to give any only saying she is a badly behaved cat.  
If there is any advice at all that you can give me I would really be greatful.
Thankyou,
Katie  

Answer
Hi Katie,

I would recommend that you do an internet search to see if a product called Cat Attract is available to you.  It's an herbal attractant that was formulated by a vet to encourage problem cats to use the litter box 100% of the time.  I suspect that the Cat Attract litter probably is not available in stores where you are, as it's a US-based product, but perhaps there are some websites where you could order the mix-in additive.  You would need to purchase an unscented clumping litter to use it with.  It's a highly successful product here in the States.  

Having said that, I will note that Bengals are notoriously tough with litter box issues if they still have some wild in them, and no product can breed that out of them.  If Charlie is anything wilder than an SBT, she may just be acting quite natural.  Cleaning up accidents becomes a way of life for hybrid owners!

However, I have a suspicion that your kitty might be reacting to the presence of your other Bengal in the house who gives her problems.  Although you keep them separated, which I think is fantastic on your part, cats can still be anxious about these things and feel the need to mark the home continually.  I think it may be time to talk to your vet about placing Charlie on an antidepressant to control her anxiety.  Fluoxetine is the most successful and has the fewest side effects (rarely noted).  Most cats only need treatment for 3-6 months, and then treatment can be tapered off.  Cats treated with fluoxetine had fewer relapses of inappropriate urination than cats treated with other medications.  However, there are many choices to choose from.

I hope she improves!

Jessica