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Problem With Pet Cat

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Lil Pun, Jan 17, 2007.

  1. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Member

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    My girlfriend brought home a stray, male cat several months ago and we took it to the vet and got examined and updated on all its medical necessities and to find out what, if anything, was wrong with it. It was surprisingly healthy and the vet told us that it was 5 weeks old at the time. We got him acclimated to the indoor and even got him litter box trained. Well fast forward 5 months later the cat is 6 months old and it is doing something very strange. He is urinating on everything. Beds, coats, furniture, clothes, etc. and if you have cats or have ever had cats you know their urine smells very, very bad.

    Now, I have heard that male cats 'spray' to mark their territory and our neighbor hood, like a lot of neighborhoods unfortunately, has a lot of stray or what I would call feral cats. If this is true, is he even old enough to start doing this, to become territorial and 'spray' his territory? If not, what could be causing this? I am getting your opinions because I know some of you have or do own cats and you might offer a cure before we have to take him to the vet If this does not cease with some type of intervention then we might have to give him up or make him an outside cat. :(

    Any suggestions or help is appreciated.
     
  2. swilkins

    swilkins Member

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    Sounds normal to me. Some do it more than others.

    Off with his marbles.
     
  3. A-Train

    A-Train Member

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  4. Faos

    Faos Member

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    Yep. That's probably the only solution.
     
  5. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Member

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    Is the cat pissing or spraying? There's a difference.

    If he's spraying, get his nutsack chopped off. Call the vet and ask them how old he has to be to get this done.

    If he's pissing, you need to make sure the catbox is clean. Not just that you take the piss and **** out, but really clean. Change the litter out every week or so. If the box smells (even if it's empty) the cat ain't gonna use it. Cat are finicky pissers.

    Get a noise maker (like a can full of coins) and shake the crap out of it if you see the cat pissing anywhere besides the catbox. Then, when the cat actually pisses in the catbox, reward him. Pet him, get him some milk, just let him know he did the right thing....so he'll do it again.
     
  6. A-Train

    A-Train Member

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    Or why don't you just train him to piss in the toilet like Jinx from Meet The Parents?
     
  7. rrj_gamz

    rrj_gamz Member

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    bad p*ssy...
     
  8. Xerobull

    Xerobull ...and I'm all out of bubblegum

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    I like cats, but they are just flat-out nasty to have as inside pets. There are several reasons why a cat would pee outside of his litter box. Here's an article for your reading pleasure (LINK):

    Urinating Outside of the Litter Box
    Holly Nash, DVM, MS
    Veterinary Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.


    Inappropriate elimination (urinating or defecating outside of the litter box, and/or spraying) is the most common behavior problem of older cats. There are numerous causes for this behavior, many of them medical, so a cat who has inappropriate elimination should be examined by a veterinarian. Laboratory tests will need to be performed in most cases.
    Contributing factors to inappropriate elimination

    Medical conditions: Medical conditions which result in an increased frequency of urination or defecation may be the underlying cause for this behavior problem. These conditions include: colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease, and feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Medical conditions which cause pain urinating or defecating, or make it difficult for the cat to get in and out of the litter box, may also result in inappropriate elimination. Such conditions include arthritis, FLUTD, anal sac disease, loss of vision, and some forms of colitis. Treatment of these medical conditions may help to resolve this behavioral problem. In addition, using litter boxes with lower sides, placing the litter box in the area in which the cat spends the most time, and increasing the number of litter boxes may be helpful.

    Stress: Stress can be a major cause of inappropriate elimination in cats of all ages. Stressors such as moving, changes in routine, or changes in the makeup of the family can result in inappropriate elimination. Reducing these stressors or decreasing their impact on the household will benefit your cat (and probably you, too!). For instance, when moving, attempt to keep the cat in a quiet portion of the home when packing and during the actual moving day. At the new residence, confine your cat to a quiet room at first (probably a bedroom), placing her food, water, litter box and favorite sleeping material (bed, sweatshirt, etc.) in the room. Spend time with her in that room and feed her and clean the litter box at the usual time. Gradually let her become accustomed to the rest of the house.

    There is a product called 'Feliway' which was designed to help reduce anxiety in cats, and thus decrease spraying or urinating inappropriately. Feliway contains pheromones from the cat's face. Pheromones are chemicals which are used to communicate with other members of the same species. You may notice your cat rubs her face and chin on vertical surfaces. She is leaving a scent there which contains these pheromones. The pheromones from the face have a calming effect on other cats. When Feliway is sprayed onto multiple vertical surfaces which your cat may spray, the cat receives this calming effect and in many cases, spraying will be reduced.

    Substrate preference: Cats of all ages may develop an aversion to the litter box or substrate (material inside of the litter box). Some of the litters with a 'perfume' or 'antiseptic' smell may dissuade some cats from using them. Trying different types of litter including clumping litter, sand, newspaper, and no litter are things that could be helpful.

    Box location: Some cats may not like where a box is located. It may be located too close to their food or water. It may be in a high traffic area where they cannot have privacy. It may be in an area where they can be easily ambushed by another cat. It may be on a different level of the house than where they spend most of their time. In addition to trying various substrates, also place extra boxes around the house to see if box location makes a difference. There should always be at least one more litter box than the number of cats in the household.

    Sanitary conditions: Some cats are very particular. Some will not defecate in the same box in which they urinate. Others will not go in a box which has been used by another cat. Just as we do not like to use dirty bathrooms, neither do many cats. If the litter box is not cleaned regularly, they may decide to find a different bathroom.

    Possible Solutions to Inappropriate Elimination

    Have your cat checked by your veterinarian for a possible medical condition, and start treatment for the condition if one exists. If the cat is extremely stressed, talk to your veterinarian about some medications which may help.

    If you have multiple cats and do not know which one is the culprit, your veterinarian can give you some fluorescent dye to feed one of the cats. The urine from that cat will fluoresce when exposed to a black light.

    Place numerous litter boxes around the house. You do not have to use anything fancy: dishpans, large plastic containers or other items may work just as well. Try a larger litter box, some behaviorists feel litter boxes are often too small.

    Use different substrates including newspaper, clumpable and nonclumpable litter, sand, sawdust (not cedar), carpet remnants, and no litter at all. Use unscented litter, since many cats do not like the scented kind. If you find the substrate that your cat prefers is not the one you do, e.g., carpet remnants, try slowly converting the cat back to litter. Place a small amount of litter on the carpet remnants the first week, and if all goes well, use more litter each week until you can finally remove the carpet remnants from the box.

    Try different depths of litter. Many people put too much litter in the box. Some cats like only a small amount.

    Clean any soiled areas with an enzyme cleaner designed for use on pet urine and stool. Regular detergents and other cleaners will not break down the urine or feces, and if the cat smells any urine or feces on a carpet or floor, the cat may continue to use that spot to eliminate. In some cases, the carpet or carpet padding may need to be replaced.

    Clean the litter boxes at least once daily. Wash the litter box weekly. Do not clean the box with a strong smelling disinfectant, but rinse the box well after washing it.

    Feed the cat where she is inappropriately eliminating. Many cats will not urinate or defecate in the area in which they are fed.

    Use upside down carpet runners (the ones with the spikes on the bottom), heavy plastic, aluminum foil, double-sided tape, motion detectors, pet repellents, or scat mats to limit her access to the area where she inappropriately eliminates.

    Try Feliway, as described above. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

    Take your cat to the litter box frequently, and if she uses it, praise her, or even give her a treat.

    If you catch your cat in the act of urinating or defecating outside of the box (or even using the digging motion), use a remote correction. This generally means doing something that will startle her. Tossing a pop can with a few coins inside of it and taped shut toward the cat (but not at her!) may get her to stop. Foghorns, whistles, and water pistols are other options. It is best if she does not associate you with the correction, but thinks it 'comes out of the blue.'

    Do NOT punish the cat. Punishing the cat, including rubbing her nose in the soiled area will not help, and will probably increase the stress on the cat.

    In some situations, it may be helpful to confine the cat to a small room with food, water, toys, bed, and litter box. Once she is using the litter box in the smaller area, gradually allow her into larger areas of the house.​

    If you ask me, the best solution is to get the cat fixed, and make him an outside cat. Outside cats are happier anyway, and he may do some work for you by killing rats, mice, snakes and cockroaches.
     
  9. macalu

    macalu Member

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    pee on your stuff before he does. that'll teach him to stay away from your territory.
     
  10. pradaxpimp

    pradaxpimp Member

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    here's the problem. It's a cat.

    Solution: get a dog.
     
  11. Rocketball

    Rocketball Member
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    Our cat was starting to do that (spraying) in a couple areas of the house and he was about 5-6 months old and even his pee (in the litter box) stunk. So we took him down to get him fixed/neutered and no problem since - even the smelly pee is gone - cat back to normal, except somethings missing........
     
  12. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Member

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    This is the thing, we never see him do it so it is hard to stop or enforce discipline when he does it.

    Is there anyway I can tell if he is spraying or peeing without seeing? Is he even old enough to start spraying?

    As I said, there are several strays that stay pretty close to my house all the time. Would this give him a reason to do this?

    We clean the litter box everyday and replace the litter every Saturday.

    I already have a dog too.

    Oh, and about the neutering, we are getting that done sometime in the next couple of weeks.
     
  13. pirc1

    pirc1 Member

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    Why didn't you fix him earlier? My cat never had that problem because he was fixed when I got him.

    Sorry this is not for Faos but for the original poster
     
  14. VooDooPope

    VooDooPope Love > Hate

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    Once they start they never stop.

    Welcome to your new outside cat.
     
  15. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Member

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    We called the vet and he said it was likely a urinary tract infection and not spraying as the cat has not reached that age yet. His appointment is tomorrow. Thanks for the help. :)
     
  16. updawg

    updawg Member

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    This is good advice.
    Another option is to introduce him to a pit bull :D
     
  17. SwoLy-D

    SwoLy-D Member

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    You mean this is NOT a computer-related question? WOW. You continue to WOW me, Lil Pun. :)

    Are you sure you're cleaning his litter correctly? Don't touch his pee-pee, man... I mean his urine... he won't like it and will REBEL... I bet his urinary tracts are fine...
     
  18. Mack

    Mack Member

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    I was going to suggest a urinary tract infection also. My ex-girlfriend had one, and it was well-behaved. Then it starting peeing all over the place. I think the explanation was that the cat associated the litter box with pain so it tried to find somewhere painless to pee. Which was usually her textbooks. One time it knocked her homework into the litter box to pee on.
     
  19. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    For a moment, I thought your ex-girlfriend was peeing all over the place.
     
  20. Blatz

    Blatz Member

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    As long as he weighs 2 or 3 pounds he's old enough to be fixed.

    Edit

    nevermind I thought you were asking something else.
     

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