Any suggestions as to why my cat is all the sudden peeing in the house?

Question

I have a main coon mix that is about 6yrs old. He has always used a litter box without a problem. Since summer has rolled around he has been spending ALOT of time outside, even to use the restroom. He hasn't TOUCHED his litter box for over a month now. And when he gets trapped in the house he will pee in laundry (I have caught him peeing in a laundry basket full of clean clothes twice now), he has pooped in the bath tub twice as well, and even peed in a container in the bathroom that I keep my kid's bath time toys in. He has been neutered since he was 2yrs old. I don't understand why he is doing this, I could never get rid of him for anything in the world or banish him to living solely outside for the rest of his life! Any ideas?

Thanks

Answer 1

Could be a medical problem, or he's unhappy, did you change something in your house a new pet? New baby? you might want to ask your vet?

Answer 2

He could be acting spiteful in hopes that you will let him outside, my cat does that. It could be a health related problem, but i don't think so..just make sure his litter box is clean.

Answer 3

My guess is that by allowing him outside, he's having a territorial issue where he feels he needs to defend him home. Marking it is how they do that.

However there are many reasons for this behavior.

Factors Contributing to Inappropriate Elimination

•  Medical Conditions: Cats avoiding the litter pan should be examined by a veterinarian to rule out a medical condition. Laboratory tests will need to be performed in most cases, however, if a condition does exist, immediate treatment will help resolve the behavioral problem. Possible medical conditions include: colitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease, or feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Medical conditions such as arthritis, FLUTD, anal sac disease, and some forms of colitis, which cause pain urinating or defecating may also result in inappropriate elimination

•  Stress: Cats of all ages experience stress at some point in their lives (just like us). Stress can be a major cause of inappropriate elimination, and known stressors such as moving, changes in routine, or changes within the family structure (new members added or family members leaving home) can result in inappropriate elimination. Reducing these stressors or decreasing their impact on the household will benefit your cat and you, too.

•  Box Location & Contents: Some cats may not like where their box is located; too close to their food or water, in a high traffic area, or on a different level of the house than where they spend most of their time. Some cats are very particular and will not defecate in the same box in which they urinate or go into a box which has been used by another cat. Most cats do not like a dirty litter box. Clean out waste from their litter boxes at least once daily, and wash the litter boxes weekly so that they don't decide to eliminate elsewhere in your home.

Answer 4

Why did you let him outside in the first place? Once an indoor cat gets a taste of the "great outdoors" he will never be the same.

I think you are going to have problems.