New to home, 1 year old cat pees everywhere but littler box.?

Question

Hi,

My family just got a one-year old Male cat from a woman who was moving. The cat is very nervous, which is understandable, I have three small children. He hides under the couch all day, which I can understand. What I don't understand is why he won't use his litter box (Same box from previous owner, same brand litter) and is peeing on every soft spot in my family room. Couch, rug, blankets, chairs, etc.....

Please Help!

Answer 1

It seems as if your cat is protesting the move from his old owner to your family.  Perhaps he doesn't know where the litter box is.  Or he might be trying to get your attention for whatever reason.  Give him some time.

Answer 2

If this cat was used to a one person family with no children then its totally understandable why it's "freaking out" right now.

Have you given your children strict instructions to leave the cat alone?  Have you tried isolating the cat to one room of your house with its litter pan, and food and water until such time as it gets used to the loud nosie, traffic and sounds and smells in your home?  Is this cat altered?

Its hard enough for any cat to come into a new home, but going from a quiet exhistance with possibly only one quiet lady into a home where even the most loving of children are quick, loud and sometimes unavoidably clumsey would be like sending you to the moon all of a sudden.  

The cat responds the only way it knows how, it urinates and marks everything so it gets a sense of safety and security about its environment again.

The best thing to do is to find a nice quiet room that is comfortable, and out of the way like a utility room or bathroom and close the door and leave the cat there until you are sure that the cat is again using the litter pan.  Make sure you allow your children to have "quiet" play visits with the cat periodically and any adults in the family as well.  So the cat can get to know everyone in an environment where it feels safe.  Tell the kids to never push themselves on the cat.  If it doesn't want to play, then just set with the cat and let it sniff your hand, and be prepared and content to just pet the cat if it will allow.  Or just talk in a calm assuring voice.

Wash all the items urinated on in your washing machine if you can and use an Enzymatic cleaner along with your deterrgent such as Natures Miracle.  Use the same thing on your carpets and couch.  I can wash my sofa cushion covers and if you can do that it would be the best idea.

While your cleaning all that up, give the cat a chance to get used to being in his own little space and when you do let him wander the house again (maybe when its quiet and the kids are gone at first) after a day or so; be sure to leave the cats room available in case the cat wants to run back there to hide.  And never allow your kids or their friends to chase the cat for any reason.  It may just not be used to such an active and full and loving family.

Answer 3

Inappropriate elimination (urinating or defecating outside of the litter box, and/or spraying) is the most common behavior problem of 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 f***s, and if the cat smells any urine or f***s 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.

Answer 4

Your cat is probobly overwhelmed with his move. Try keeping him in one room for a few days then allow him to come out on his own accord. He needs to have a " safe room". I adopted an adult cat one month ago and she adjusted after a few days. He may not know where his litter box is. If he does know where it is and he's scared, he'll be too scared to come out to go to his litter box. The safe room method worked for my cat.

You also want to be sure he doesn't have a bladder infection.