At wits end with peeing cat

Alun

We have two female cats, both sisters, one of which is no bother at all, but the other, always the more timid of the two, has recently started peeing on the hob of our cooker with annoying regularity. Luckily (?!) it's a ceramic hob, so most of the pee remains on the hob itself and can be cleaned up, but some of it inevitably drips down the sides and back of the cooker and is soaking into the grout of the tiles under the cooker. So every time we put the oven on, we're greeted with a waft of ammonia which is rather unpleasant to say the least.

It's not the first time she's peed in odd places ... sugar bowl, tea cosy and most bizarre of all in the toaster, but those have been short lived and have never reoccurred (touch wood!), but the cooker thing is becoming a regular one, I suspect because of the scent that lingers in that area despite all my cleaning attempts (including using a cat urine / odour removal spray).

She is, as I said, a timid cat, and to an extent is bullied by the other cat, which I think may explain it to a degree, so we've a Feliway diffuser going 24/7 and give both of them zylkene to try and calm them both down a bit.

They have 3 litter trays between them, all a reasonable distance apart, and they're cleaned out regularly, so I can't see a problem there.

She is prone to the odd bout of cystitis, but I'm wondering whether there's any other medical condition that could explain what's happening, or is it purely behavioural?

They're both semi outdoor cats, and the peeing incidents only occur when she's left indoors either overnight or when we're out, so I'm tempted to just leave her outside at night or whenever we're out, if only to try and break the cycle.

I know there's no point in getting annoyed with her, or punishing her, but I'm starting to get to the end of my tether on this one, so could do with some advice.

fredweena

This has started happening with our cat recently too. We have a dog and they don't get on but i'd say the cat is definitely the boss. He does it on the desk which sometimes has stacks of papers on it from college. Very messy. No advice for you i'm afraid. I'm at a loss.

Pumpkinseeds

If you've ruled out any urinary tract problems, it might be seperation anxiety,since its happening when she's seperated from you. They hate change as well,it's not a new cooker is it? Do they have access to the rest of the house while you're out or are they confined to the kitchen then?

The Sweeper

Territory, stress and cystitis. Looking for a cold, smooth surface like the cooktop is a good sign of cystitis. If given the chance she'd also probably go in the sink, in a shower tray or in the empty bath.

The cystitis can be set off by stress. To manage in the short term I use metacam (an anti-inflammatory painkiller for cats that's quite harsh on their systems - hence short term use only). I watch mine like a hawk and at the first sign of long squatting, I dose with metacam for 1-2 days. The reduction in pain reduces stress. The reduction in stress helps the cystitis clear up quickly. It's not a long term solution, but these days I'd only need to dose mine twice a year if even. It's worth taking her to the vet for a check up and discussing metacam (it's not a conventional cystitis treatment, but was recommended to me by a friend vet and I persuaded my own vet to prescribe it for me.)

Look at completely cleaning down the cooker - steam cleaner first, then a wash down with an enzymatic cleaner, finish with a steam blast again if you can, then dry it all up with kitchen towels. Then put a spot or two of eucalyptus oil or lavender oil around the cooker area - helps mask any remaining smell from the cat (and makes your kitchen smell nicer).

If the litter trays are together in one spot, try an alternative spot for a tray. Try new litter. Try a new tray (a covered tray, for instance, in the bathroom, with a softer cat litter - giving the timid cat a sheltered spot to pee in where she feels more protected).

Increase the number of water bowls around your house and feed your cats separately. Create a more haven-like environment for the timid one - if you don't have a cat tree, try and make one or buy one. Clear out a shelf on a bookcase for her. Provide her with a reasonably elevated sleeping spot where she's unlikely to be ambushed by the others. Creating a happy cat haven can help reduce stress.

dan dan

You have to be joking!
If it is true that you have a cat peeing all over your food area and utensils.
Then you deserve every last poisonous drop. Having those disgusting things in your home is bad enough,but you are disgraceful to have this carrying on. My advise will get me banned.

DBB

dan dan wrote: »

My advise will get me banned.

That's right, it will. Take a two week holiday from the forum for your post, which is not advice, it's just plain judgmental personal abuse.
Thanks,
DBB

maringo

This might help off ehow.com


Vinegar

• Use vinegar to remove cat urine odors by diluting it with water. Mix two parts water with one part white vinegar and saturate the area with the mixture after blotting up as much of the urine as possible. Let the carpet or fabric dry, or use a wet/dry vacuum on the area to absorb the liquid. Repeat this process as needed to remove cat urine odors naturally. The vinegar kills any odor-causing bacteria that develops as a result of the cat urine and combats the ammonia smell. To remove cat urine odors from clothing, add 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar to your washing machine.
  
  

Baking Soda

• Baking soda has many deodorizing properties. Sprinkle it on areas where cats have urinated on carpets or furniture, after blotting the areas to absorb as much urine as possible. Let it sit overnight, then vacuum thoroughly. Use it after you have tried the vinegar/water solution and the area has dried or when still damp. The baking soda will soak up any residual odors. You can also mix it with hydrogen peroxide to form a paste and apply to cat urine stains. Let it dry, then vacuum away the dried baking soda. The peroxide helps kill bacteria and deodorize the area. For clothing, add 1/2 cup baking soda to your washing machine.
  
  

I found white pepper was useful to sprinkle where you didn't want them to go as they didn't like the smell or it getting on their nose. Hope this helps especially if you don't want to use bleach or chemicals.

Alun

Thanks for all the tips, most of which I've already tried.

Both cats have free reign over the house including living room, kitchen and bedrooms, and each have their little safe havens already where they can avoid each other if they want to, which they do most of the time. BTW we've tried a cat tree with a nice covered 'box' she can hide in, but it just sat there unused for over a year gathering dust. Sometimes though they just seem to choose places of their own free will where they'll potentially come into conflict .. not a lot I can do about that really.

Regarding the cystitis, yes she has been treated a number of times for this in the past, but never with metacam AFAIR. Our other cat has had metacam a few times as she was very adventurous and prone to falls and did some damage to a leg joint which flares up now and then. I'm a bit wary about it's use though as I see it's been linked to potential renal failure and isn't even licensed for cats in the US (the oral suspension version that is.)

The Sweeper

Metacam is indeed controversial in cats. There's a risk of overdose, and there's a risk/benefit equation you need to do. However, it's a prescription medication so you're going to have to have a long conversation with your vet before you even try it for cystitis.

I use maximum three doses, about once every six months. I also use it on a young cat who's otherwise healthy (on the basis that no medication known to be harsh is going to be a good idea on an elderly cat with renal issues...) I use it mainly because when there's a bad cystitis flare up, poor Hahn will be squatting over his litter box, almost frozen in place, for up to 15 minutes at a time. Any urine he does pass is speckled with blood. He appears deeply uncomfortable. He also starts peeing in the bathroom sink. Thankfully that's an extremely easy spot to rinse down, but the combination of his extreme discomfort and mine (at having cat pee in my sink) means the benefit outweighs the risk in the short term. I wouldn't use it longer term and indeed, have had to use it less and less. I say six months - I'm just thinking I've none of it in the fridge, and the last time I used it was when we moved house the first time... which is over a year ago.

Given you've tried many solutions and are coming up with no results, I figured it was worth throwing it into the ring for consideration.