My 1 1/2 year old cat keeps urinating in my house

by Ciara
(Ireland)

My female cat is approx 1 1/2 years old, I got her a rescue kitty and she has been fine since she moved in about a year ago. Recently she has started to pee on everything like the beds, the coach, clothes and the floor. Her litter is out back and she stands at the door when she wants to go out, but doesn't seem to be using her tray she waits till she gets back in and pee's in the house somewhere. Nothing has changed and she gets so much love from our family but my home is starting to stink and she is not stopping. Please help me, we love her and we don't want to get rid of her but if she keeps peeing we will have to, I'm worried the pee could be harmful to my kids.

Answer by Kate
there is alwasy a reason why this beahvior is happening, it could be stress cuased by too much noise, new furniture or moved around furniture or new smells etc etc. unfortunately it can be difficult for us to work out what it is that is causing the problems.

You must make sure that all the urine smell is removed from the house, otherwise this will attract the cat back to that area to do it again.

i would also recommend finding a more suitable place for the litter tray inside the house for easier access. the tray needs to be in a quiet safe place where the cat can feel secure.

It may also be a good idea to do some litter training again.

Please see all my pages here about these issues.

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter-box.html
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine.html

best wishes Kate

My cat won't stop urinating in his bed!

by Rosie
(Stoke)

I have a male one year old Silver spotted bengal. He is litter trained and has been since a young age. When I am at work he stays in the kitchen with my other cat who is a female 2 year old siamese cross.

My cats have been together since my bengal was very young and have always got along. In fact my siamese looks after the bengal and seems to think she's his mum!

However for some reason my bengal is in the habit of weeing and pooing on his bed when I am not in the room. He is fine any other time when I am around and even though his bed is in the same room as his litter tray he still uses his bed. I have found this veyr odd and frustrating as it requires a lot of cleaning and its a habit he can't seem to break. As I said before, he only does it when I am not around. I have had to move their radiator bed and a blanket into my living room so he does not ruin them while I am out as these are my siamese cats favourite things.

He is fine when he is in the other rooms with me but while i am at work i have to restrict which room he is in as it has been causing a lot of damage in the other rooms.

He isn't a particularly cuddly cat and will only have a fuss when he wants one but i do not understand why he is displaying this behaviour over the last few months when none of the circumstances have changed and he has always been brought up in the same way

Any ideas???

Answer by Kate
Hi
Firstly make sure all your cats have a a separate litter tray. the smell of another cats urine will force a cat to urinate elsewhere as it marks another cats territory.

Secondly it is not a good idea for litter trays to be anywhere near their sleeping or eating area. this may also cause problems.

As his bed and the litter tray were close it could simply be that he was confusing the two areas due to scent etc.

You will also have to make sure that his old bedding is absolutely scent free from urine. Any tiny traces will encourage him to reuse the same area. perhaps a new bed is called for this time.

This is a very common problem and one that can be confusing to us humans but for cats who are driven by scent and territory it is all important. I have written some pages about this issue which you may find of further interest here

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine.html

best wishes KAte

Cat Urine Odour

by Sue
(York Pennsylvania)

Ok Here goes. This morning before I got up my male cat that is neutered and about 6 yrs old started "scratching" on the bed. I turned over to stop him and saw that it was to late. He used MY BED for a litter pan. Luckly it didn't get through to the mattress but I have to tell you that there isn't any odor with it. Strange,don't you think? We also have a female spayed cat close to the same age with no problems and socially they really seem to get along well. Actually he is the one that will playfully go after her. Enough of that and back to my problem. I wrote to you before because he was pooping in the bathroom,right beside the toilet. I put another litter box in the basement and that seemed to really help. Now he comes up with this. If a cat is sick wouldn't you be able tell from the way they act? Should I ban him from the bedroom. Do you think a trip to the vet is the way to go or should I do something completely different? I will be anxiously awaiting your reply.
Thanks Much
PS.... That's HIM in the pic!

Answer by Kate
Hi well the fact that he came and scratched at the bed would seem to me that he was asking to be let out or couldn't get to his litter tray for some reason or found it undesirable again for some reason.

Usually if a cat had a urine infection it would smell rather strong so the fact that it did not is a puzzle.

If I were you I would wait a day or so, watch his behaviour, prevent him getting into your bedroom, make sure he has plenty of fresh water, ensure his litter trays are clean and in a suitable place.

If you notice him straining or going a lot or excessively crying or excessively drinking then a trip to the vets is wise.

if you do not notice any different behaviours then it may be a good idea to go through the litter training with him again to reaffirm his litter tray as the place to go.

I hope things sort themselves out soon.

great pictures.

best wishes Kate

Kitten urinates in one spot

by dawud williams
(harlem ny)

my kitten is about 3 months now he uses his box most times but he has this one spot that he keeps going to and he has to wet it. how or what do i do to stop this

Answer by Kate

Hi
it is important that this one area is thoroughly thouroughly cleaned. Even the tiniest spot of urine will attract him back to the area. Sometime a black light is good at detecting little spots of urine.
I have a web page with some suggestions about how to clean the area here
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine-cleaner.html

Once cleaned it may be a good idea to give your kitten a period of litter training using the confinement method which helps to reinforce the litter routine in a smaller area with less distractions. the method is described at the bottom of this page
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter-box.html

Also if possible you could try putting something in the spot he used to go in to stop him getting there and also to spray the area with strong smelling lemon scent to deter him.

best wishes Kate

Cat Urinating In The Wrong Place

by Rich Barnes
(Tampa, Florida)

My cat used to use a litter box, but now she urinates on the carpet, clothes, or a towel and not the litter box. What is going on? Thanks

Answer by Kate
Big question this one and theres no one answer. So it is best that I direct you to my web page about this problem which will give you lots of possible causes and what you can do to try and stop the problem. Here is the page
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-hair-loss.htmlhttps://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine.html

Hope you can discover the cause soon.

best wishes Kate

Young cat urinating around house after spaying

by Jenny Kenworthy
(Manchester)

Hi Kate

I have a female cat called Phoebe and she is now 9 months old. She was great at using her litter tray when we first got her and didnt do any spraying or pooing anywhere. She was spayed in February and we went on holiday in March for a week and we had friends who looked after her. Since coming back she is pooing all over the house in different places, spraying on bath rug and in certain corners of the house. We have tried to reassure her and also put her in a cat box but she has done mess in the box covering herself all over with it and is now clawing me when I go upstairs and when I stroke her and talk nicely, she always tries to bite me too. I really dont know what to do as the vet said she was very healthy before but we are thinking about moving and I dont want her to do the same there and become stressed. Please can you help?

Many thanks

Answer by Kate
Hi, well this sounds like a very common problem, one which I am asked about a lot.

basically what has happened is that due to all the recent changes in her young life i.e the operation and the family going away for a while and strangers coming into the house to look after her, has made her feel very uncertain about her home environment. she is desperately trying to make the home smell more like her which in turn calms her down.

You will have to do two things. first you will have to clean the house thoroughly and remove any traces of her urine etc. A black light is good for seeing spots left around and after cleaning bicarbonate of soda is great for removing any remaining traces of odour.

At the same time you need to give her a period of litter training which requires a period of confinement. this helps to build her confidence again in a small area as well as getting use to her tray again.

i have a web page about this here
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter-box.html

Hope she settles down again soon

best wishes Kate

cat urine promblems

why does my cat urinate on my throw rugs she just started doing it what should i do should i punish her.

Answer by Kate
firstly you should not punsih your cat. For two reasons firstly what she is doing is not bad behavior but is a a natural instinct to do with scenting . the second is that cats do not understand punishment and whay they are being punished. So it is pointless and cruel.

There are two reasons a cat will do this, firstly they could have a urinary infection, secondly it is to do with scent m,arking. The reason they feel as if they need to scent mark could be mnay things and you need to find out what could be causing the upset. Please read my bpages here about cat urination and the possible causes. You will also have to make sure that you throughly clean and get rid of any traces of cat urine from the rugs as any remaining scent will encourage them to use it again. perhaps don't put the rugs back after cleaning for a while.

Cat urinating on rug and furniture

by Victor
(Converse,Texas)

I have tolerated as much as I can with the problem of my cat urinating on rug and furniture. i have had to replace 3 sets of mattresses and one couch on account of this. I have tolerated this going on three years. My other two cats do not portray this bahavior. Recently I decided to relocated this cat to the garage. It is either the garage or send him to the shelter where he will be put down. Not the route I wolud like to go, but I am runnig out of choices. I have abeautiful with new furniture and this will not be tolerated anymore. Please advise accordingly. I have spent money buying products do not deliver on promises.

Answer by Kate
First lets look at why the cat could be doing this. Basically cats do this for two reasons, either they have a urinary infection and can't help it or they are trying to make their home smell like them because they feel unsettled and insecure in their home environment. the reasons why they might be feeling this way are numerous ie new furniture smells or changes in the home. the new smells are strange and unnerving and so the cat uses it's urine to cover up these smells. The other cause of course is other animals, if the cat does not feel happy with other animals around then he will see them as a threat and will be constantly trying to cover their smells with his.

Now none of this behaviour is bad behaviour it is pure instinct. However that does not make it easier for us to bear I know.

In your case as it has gone on for so long i worry that it may now have become a learned behaviour and may be difficult to break.

All I can do is to give you a few tips for you to try but they will need to be persisted at and for some time if it has any chance of working.

Firstly you will need to transfer your cats smell to all the new furniture, door frames etc, do this by rubbing the cat with a clean towel and then rubbing the towel over the other items.

Then you will have to confine your cat to one room with his bed, water, toys and litter tray (you only let them out to eat). This process allows the cat to become confident in a small environment without too many distractions and smells.

then after about a week you will have to start to introduce the other cats again to your confined cat using this process (https://www.our-happy-cat.com/introducing-cats.html), when the cats are happy to be in each others company, you can start to allow your cat access to more rooms if possible under supervision. Little steps. I know this sounds tedious and time consuming but it is all about making the cat feel happy and secure in the home so that they do not feel the need to scent.

I wish you success. if in the end it does not work then I would suggest trying to find him a new home with no other animals in it. he may just be happier this way.

best wishes Kate

female cat urinating in hallway

by m warner
(mt vernon ny)

i own a building i own a cat that has recently had kittens my cat recently started urinating and defecating in the hallways in front of my tenets doors she has never displayed this kind of behavior before i don't understand i know that a tenet in the building owns a male cat i don't know if that constitutes for anything

Answer by Kate
Both female and male cats will spray to mark territory. So yes the fact that there is another cat in the building could be causing your cat to scent mark the territory. Door areas are always a prime spot for this.

I have a web page about this here
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine.html

It will give you more ideas as to what causes this issue and how you may be able to prevent it. I.e with a period of confined litter training etc.

Your cat is not being bad but is just displaying normal cat behaviour. You will also have to thoroughly get rid of her urine smells in the hallways. Any minute whiff and she will go back to that area again. Black lights are good and showing up any remaining spots. See my page about urine cleansers too for more info here
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine-cleaner.html

best wishes Kate

urinary problems.

by jennifer
(mauldin, sc, usa)

my 5 month old kitten urinates and green stuff that is the consistency of diarrhea comes out and gets on his testicles. is that normal i have never seen that until 3 days ago and today is dec. 12, 2008.

Answer by Kate
No that is not normal. It could be diarrhoea or an infection in that area. Kitten are very prone to illness during their first year and can go down hill very quickly.

Take them to the vets as soon as possible, the quicker the diagnosis and treatment the better.

cat urination

by L Gough
(Toowoon Bay)

Our 14 week old male kitten who was desexed two weeks ago has just started urination on our pillows and furniture he will even go to sleep on a pillow that he has urinated on why is this?


Answer by Kate
well it is all to do with his scent and that it makes him feel more confident in his home. Sounds strange to us I know but scent and territory are two of the most important things in the cat world.

His hormone level may not be completely gone yet after the operation so this could be one cause of the behaviour. the other is that he may feel a little insecure in the home due to changes around the home of just the fact that he has been through a experience like going to the vets which has made him feel unsettled.And he trying to comfort himself by making his home smell more like him.

I would recommend a period of litter training again to reintroduce him to the litter tray and also to help build his confidence up in a smaller area. you can also try rubbing a clean towel on his body and rubbing around the house to help spread his scent too.

please see my page about litter training here https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter-box.html

best wishes Kate

kitten urinating on bed

our cat has started using our bed a place to piss . she has never behaved in this way before . she is 9months old . please help .

Answer by Kate
Hi
the bed is a common place for a cat to scent as it smells most strongly of you and she is trying to add her scent to it.

It sounds like she will need to have some litter training and also for her access to the bedroom to be restricted.

I have a web page about litter training which will give you the process here is the page
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter-box.html

best wishes Kate

cat urine

by Anne
(lenor north carolina )

my cat's urine is so smelly. I keep it clean but his pee smells. It can wake me up from a dead sleep. He'll go in the cat box but he won't bury it write after. He's a big healthy active indoor cat. eats well and drinks water.

Answer by Kate
Smelly urine could be a sign of a urinary infection. I am also assuming that he is neutered. if not then it is normal for male cats urine to be very smelly. After they are fixed it losses this strong smell.

If he is neutered and the smell is particually strong, it may be an idea to have him checked by a vet in case he does have some sort of infection.
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urinary-problems.html
best wishes Kate

17 year old cat suddenly urinating in home

I have a 17 year old nutered male cat (Mulligan) who has recently begun peeing inside our home. It has happened about six times in the last week in different spots on the carpet in the loft area upstairs. This is the first time this has happened. He also is not coming downstairs to "visit" as he normally would and needs to be brought to his food in order to get him to eat, when he used to come beg for food on a regular basis. I am currently out of state and my roommate has called to tell me about all of this. Is it possible that he is anxious because I have been away, or does he need to visit a vet immediately? What can I do (other than bring him to the vet) if the urinating continues after I return home? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I am very worried about him.

Answer by Kate
This is a big question as it could be caused by several reasons, age, illness, or behavior/stress issues.

If i were you and considering his age I would get him checked by the vet anyway, even this only rules out any ill health, better to be safe than sorry.

if all is well then it could simply be a stress thing caused by a change in routine ie with you being a way, urination can be used to make their home smell more like them which helps to make them feel more secure. I have several pages here on this site about these sort of issues.

I do hope he is Ok and I wish you all a happy new year

best wishes Kate

Cat Urinating on Clothes

by Tamara Holgate
(Saskatoon, SK, Canada)

I've had my cat for a few years now. My boyfriend and I just moved to our new place a few months ago, and she has adjusted fine. My boyfriend works nights as a welder. And the last few nights, she has urinated on his pants. He wears coveralls at work so I'm not sure why she's doing this. He's allergic to her and doesn't give her much attention, could this be why she's only doing it to his clothes? Also, I was recently diagnosed with diabetes and there has been some tension around the home due to this. Could this maybe be the cause of it? She has never done this before and is very good at using the litter box. I keep it clean and I don't change the litter on her. If you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it, before my boyfriend gets fed up with her.

Thanks

Answer by Kate
I think you may have answered your own question. yes I do think it is a combination of the new home, your tension due to your illness and maybe even the fact that your boyfriend leaves the house at night could be a factor ie disrupting the usual routine etc.

This behavior is always brought on when things like this happen and it is the cats way to make themselves feel more secure in their home environement by making it smell more like them.

It is not unusual for cats to chose clothes to urinate on as they smell strongly of some one else and not them, so they try and change the smell. It may also have something to do with the fact that the clothes smell of someone familiar and so is comforting to them as well.

As for what you can do about it. well there are no miracle cures apart from time ie as the tensions in the house subside and the newness of the home is over and also perhaps a little litter box re training in a confined space which allows the cat to feel secure in a smaller area and get their confidence back before re joining the rest of the house. This process can be found at the bottom of this page https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-poo.html

best wishes Kate

cat urinates herself when she sleeps.

by brook
(bonney lake WA)

when my cat falls asleep she goes into some sort of seizure and urinates herself almost everytime

Answer by Kate
Oh dear this does not sound good. It might be some form of epilepsy but really it does need to be diagnosed properly by a vet. there may be tests they can do and perhaps there is some medication that can ease these symptoms.

best wishes Kate

Earl Grey's Urination Problem

by Rosemarie
(Philadelphia, PA)

Earl Grey is a 4 yr-old short-haired domestic cat that we've had since he was a kitten (purchased at a pet store). He has had behavioral problems since day one. He's extremely nervous and was on medication which worked well until he learned to eat only the pill pocket and spit out the pill. I've even purchased the pill in food-squares and he would not go near it. He has been tested for urinary tract infection also and was given medication - again - he spit it out and refused to take it. We've canceled two recent vet appts. because he's impossible to grab hold of. We have two other cats with Earl Grey being the middle cat. He doesn't seem to have a problem with the other two cats but my 3-year old grandson makes him extremely nervous (my grandson has never been agressive towards any of the cats). Earl Grey will urinate on the baby's toys, clothing, my handbag, area rugs, the clean laundry basket, etc. I've tried many, many spray products which don't seem to work. If I put down catnip for them, Earl Grey will urinate on it. My husband has reached his wits end and is ready to put the cat down....TODAY! I'm sick over this but I don't know what else to do. Any advice?

Answer by Kate
At the end of the day the answer may be simply that this cat may be happier in a quieter home with him being the only cat. Sometimes after having tried as much as you have that this is the best answer for him and you and your family.

It could be the kindest answer, just think how less stressed your cat could be with no other cats to compete with in the home.

I know this may not be the answer you were looking for, but thers no point beating around the bush. After all your cat does not deserve to be put down simply because he is a cat who finds living with other cats too stressful.

I do wish your family all the best and have a happy new year.

best wishes Kate

Cat urinating on dirty clothes

Why would a cat pee on dirty clothes that are lying in the floor of your house?

Answer by Kate
This is an easy one to answer. because the dirty clothes will smell very strongly of you and the cat is trying to either add her scent to them or to cover it in her scent. it is either a territorial issue of a behavioural issue which can have many causes. Please see my web page about this here for more advice
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine.html

This is a common problem and one that can be redressed with a little patience and time.

best wishes Kate

cat urine brownish

by darlene mcnamara
(connecticut)

my cat lost alot of weight, wont eat, and is peeing brownish, what could this be?

Answer by Kate
I am not a vet and wouldn't even try to guess what it could be. All I know is that htis is not normal and a the cat should see a vet very soon.

The cat could have a nasty infection that will only get better with medication.

best wishes Kate
I hope the vet can help your cat quickly and easily. Hoping your cat gets better soon.

my Kitten urinating on carpet

by Hayley
(England)

I bought a bengal kitten from a breeder a few weeks ago. He is 3 months old and was litter trained before we bought hi,. When we got him home he had diahrea, so for the first week he was urinating and pooin eiother in the litter tray or anywhere else in the house. We took him to the vet and he is now alot better. He has started pooing in 1 litter tray and urinating in the other. The problem is he is starting to urinate all over the house. How can we stop this and train him to use the litter tray. We angry with him when he does this, i know we shouldnt but not sure what else to do. We shout at him and put him in the litter tray but because he has already done his business im not sure if there is any point. Is there a spray we can get to stop him? or any tips on what we can do.

Answer by Kate
Hi
Sounds like your kitten may need some litter training, please see my page about this here

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter-box.html

Also you may interested in another of my pages about cat discipline, it explains the positive/negative way of disciplining a cat as this is the best, kindest way to teach cats about what's right and wrong.
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-discipline.html

however regarding urination problems etc disciplining is not the answer but training.

best wishes Kate

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