Cats peeing outside the litter box--what's worked for you?

Hey everyone,

This is my first post to this group, and I'm hoping some of you have some
ideas to help solve this problem.

I have five cats, all females, all spayed. Ages range from 7 to not quite a
year. They all eat Innova low calorie dry food, except for the
eldest--she's on z/d to manage her IBD. They're all indoor kitties.
They're all UTD on vaccines and are regularly seen by a vet.

About a month ago, I started suspecting that one or more cats where peeing
outside of their litter box. A week ago, I caught Portia in the act. She's
been peeing on the carpet, the walls and the furniture. I suspect her
sister, Celia, is the one that's peeing in the bathtub and the counter tops
(gross). I took the kitties to the vet today to rule out urinary
infections...and they all came back clear. Damnit. That would have been a
MUCH easier problem to solve.

So, this is my set up right now: One uncovered litter box with arm and
hammer clumping litter, one covered litter box with worlds best litter, and
one covered little box with tidy cat crystals blend (non-clumping). Portia
is currently residing in a large dog crate with her very own litter box
that's full of the worlds best stuff. I totally dump all litter boxes about
twice a week.

Until today, I used only the tidy-cat crystals blend. My vet recommended
the scoopable kind and said the behaviorists have found kitties prefer it.

I really, really have to get this behavior to stop. Is there anything else
that's worked for anyone here? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks!

Corey

Add more litter boxes. You should have one for each cat +one. Scoop them
regularly. Cats won't use dirty boxes.

Use a cleaner made for removing urine odor on the spots where the cats have
marked. It's important to get the odor out or the cat might use the same
spot again. You can do a Google search of this NG to find discussions about
what products people have found to work.

You can use a black light (they sell small ones at pet stores) to locate
spots where the cats have peed. Cat urine will "glow" under black light.

W

"Corey Kaye" wrote in message
...
Hey everyone,

This is my first post to this group, and I'm hoping some of you have some
ideas to help solve this problem.

I have five cats, all females, all spayed. Ages range from 7 to not quite
a
year. They all eat Innova low calorie dry food, except for the
eldest--she's on z/d to manage her IBD. They're all indoor kitties.
They're all UTD on vaccines and are regularly seen by a vet.

About a month ago, I started suspecting that one or more cats where peeing
outside of their litter box. A week ago, I caught Portia in the act.
She's
been peeing on the carpet, the walls and the furniture. I suspect her
sister, Celia, is the one that's peeing in the bathtub and the counter
tops
(gross). I took the kitties to the vet today to rule out urinary
infections...and they all came back clear. Damnit. That would have been
a
MUCH easier problem to solve.

So, this is my set up right now: One uncovered litter box with arm and
hammer clumping litter, one covered litter box with worlds best litter,
and
one covered little box with tidy cat crystals blend (non-clumping).
Portia
is currently residing in a large dog crate with her very own litter box
that's full of the worlds best stuff. I totally dump all litter boxes
about
twice a week.

Until today, I used only the tidy-cat crystals blend. My vet recommended
the scoopable kind and said the behaviorists have found kitties prefer it.

I really, really have to get this behavior to stop. Is there anything
else
that's worked for anyone here? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks!

Corey

Add more litter boxes. You should have one for each cat +one. Scoop them
regularly. Cats won't use dirty boxes.

Use a cleaner made for removing urine odor on the spots where the cats have
marked. It's important to get the odor out or the cat might use the same
spot again. You can do a Google search of this NG to find discussions about
what products people have found to work.

You can use a black light (they sell small ones at pet stores) to locate
spots where the cats have peed. Cat urine will "glow" under black light.

W

"Corey Kaye" wrote in message
...
Hey everyone,

This is my first post to this group, and I'm hoping some of you have some
ideas to help solve this problem.

I have five cats, all females, all spayed. Ages range from 7 to not quite
a
year. They all eat Innova low calorie dry food, except for the
eldest--she's on z/d to manage her IBD. They're all indoor kitties.
They're all UTD on vaccines and are regularly seen by a vet.

About a month ago, I started suspecting that one or more cats where peeing
outside of their litter box. A week ago, I caught Portia in the act.
She's
been peeing on the carpet, the walls and the furniture. I suspect her
sister, Celia, is the one that's peeing in the bathtub and the counter
tops
(gross). I took the kitties to the vet today to rule out urinary
infections...and they all came back clear. Damnit. That would have been
a
MUCH easier problem to solve.

So, this is my set up right now: One uncovered litter box with arm and
hammer clumping litter, one covered litter box with worlds best litter,
and
one covered little box with tidy cat crystals blend (non-clumping).
Portia
is currently residing in a large dog crate with her very own litter box
that's full of the worlds best stuff. I totally dump all litter boxes
about
twice a week.

Until today, I used only the tidy-cat crystals blend. My vet recommended
the scoopable kind and said the behaviorists have found kitties prefer it.

I really, really have to get this behavior to stop. Is there anything
else
that's worked for anyone here? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks!

Corey

Hi Corey ,
Are the cats are spraying up the furniture and walls?
Alison

"Corey Kaye" wrote in message
...
Hey everyone,

This is my first post to this group, and I'm hoping some of you have
some
ideas to help solve this problem.

I have five cats, all females, all spayed. Ages range from 7 to not
quite a
year. They all eat Innova low calorie dry food, except for the
eldest--she's on z/d to manage her IBD. They're all indoor kitties.
They're all UTD on vaccines and are regularly seen by a vet.

About a month ago, I started suspecting that one or more cats where
peeing
outside of their litter box. A week ago, I caught Portia in the
act. She's
been peeing on the carpet, the walls and the furniture. I suspect
her
sister, Celia, is the one that's peeing in the bathtub and the
counter tops
(gross). I took the kitties to the vet today to rule out urinary
infections...and they all came back clear. Damnit. That would have
been a
MUCH easier problem to solve.

So, this is my set up right now: One uncovered litter box with arm
and
hammer clumping litter, one covered litter box with worlds best
litter, and
one covered little box with tidy cat crystals blend (non-clumping).
Portia
is currently residing in a large dog crate with her very own litter
box
that's full of the worlds best stuff. I totally dump all litter
boxes about
twice a week.

Until today, I used only the tidy-cat crystals blend. My vet
recommended
the scoopable kind and said the behaviorists have found kitties
prefer it.

I really, really have to get this behavior to stop. Is there
anything else
that's worked for anyone here? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks!

Corey

Hi Corey ,
Are the cats are spraying up the furniture and walls?
Alison

"Corey Kaye" wrote in message
...
Hey everyone,

This is my first post to this group, and I'm hoping some of you have
some
ideas to help solve this problem.

I have five cats, all females, all spayed. Ages range from 7 to not
quite a
year. They all eat Innova low calorie dry food, except for the
eldest--she's on z/d to manage her IBD. They're all indoor kitties.
They're all UTD on vaccines and are regularly seen by a vet.

About a month ago, I started suspecting that one or more cats where
peeing
outside of their litter box. A week ago, I caught Portia in the
act. She's
been peeing on the carpet, the walls and the furniture. I suspect
her
sister, Celia, is the one that's peeing in the bathtub and the
counter tops
(gross). I took the kitties to the vet today to rule out urinary
infections...and they all came back clear. Damnit. That would have
been a
MUCH easier problem to solve.

So, this is my set up right now: One uncovered litter box with arm
and
hammer clumping litter, one covered litter box with worlds best
litter, and
one covered little box with tidy cat crystals blend (non-clumping).
Portia
is currently residing in a large dog crate with her very own litter
box
that's full of the worlds best stuff. I totally dump all litter
boxes about
twice a week.

Until today, I used only the tidy-cat crystals blend. My vet
recommended
the scoopable kind and said the behaviorists have found kitties
prefer it.

I really, really have to get this behavior to stop. Is there
anything else
that's worked for anyone here? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks!

Corey

"Corey Kaye" wrote in message
...
Hey everyone,

This is my first post to this group, and I'm hoping some of you have some
ideas to help solve this problem.

I have five cats, all females, all spayed. Ages range from 7 to not quite
a
year. They all eat Innova low calorie dry food, except for the
eldest--she's on z/d to manage her IBD. They're all indoor kitties.
They're all UTD on vaccines and are regularly seen by a vet.

About a month ago, I started suspecting that one or more cats where peeing
outside of their litter box. A week ago, I caught Portia in the act.
She's
been peeing on the carpet, the walls and the furniture. I suspect her
sister, Celia, is the one that's peeing in the bathtub and the counter
tops
(gross). I took the kitties to the vet today to rule out urinary
infections...and they all came back clear. Damnit. That would have been
a
MUCH easier problem to solve.

So, this is my set up right now: One uncovered litter box with arm and
hammer clumping litter, one covered litter box with worlds best litter,
and
one covered little box with tidy cat crystals blend (non-clumping).
Portia
is currently residing in a large dog crate with her very own litter box
that's full of the worlds best stuff. I totally dump all litter boxes
about
twice a week.

Until today, I used only the tidy-cat crystals blend. My vet recommended
the scoopable kind and said the behaviorists have found kitties prefer it.

I really, really have to get this behavior to stop. Is there anything
else
that's worked for anyone here? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks!

Corey

Sad to say, you may want to start with a very simple solution: more
litterboxes. Most of us have cats or know of cats that want to poo in one
box and pee in the other. Some cats simply won't pee in the same box they've
pooped in, and vice versa. The general rule is one box per cat, with one
extra for the picky cats. Also, the bigger the box, the better. A rubbermaid
flat container like you can find at Target or WalMart for about $7 is
excellent. Walls are about six inches high, few cats are going to get pee
over the side of it.

Keep trying different litter; there are a LOT of brands of scoopable stuff
out there. Note that a lot of cats don't like the scented stuff. It may
make -us- think it smells better, but it's a strong smell for the cats, and
it may turn them away from the box.

If you're using the scoopable stuff, aim for scooping at least once a day.
To make it easy, get a small bucket, plop a plastic grocery bag or small
trash bag in there, and scoop. Easy to tote, easy to empty. A few posters
here have cats that refuse to use the box if there's even one pee-spot in
it. Cats are tidy critters, and if I'm going to choose a different bathroom
stall because someone wasn't nice enough to flush their mess, I don't expect
my cat to be less fastidious than -I- am.

Also, consider the behavior aspects. Does this happen downstairs near
windows where Portia could be seeing other cats or dogs or finding something
to make her upset? She may have come back negative on a UTI test, but is she
perhaps incontinent (can't hold her bladder very long, or dribbles urine and
can't help it)? A lot of posters have advised Feliway, a pheromone product
that soothes cats (works for my sister's cat who sprays by the downstairs
windows). It can be pricey, but if it works, it's worth it.

Please post updates with what seems to be working or if there are any
changes in her behavior. Even the little things that may not seem to be
important can sometimes tell you a lot.

Good luck!

~K

"Corey Kaye" wrote in message
...
Hey everyone,

This is my first post to this group, and I'm hoping some of you have some
ideas to help solve this problem.

I have five cats, all females, all spayed. Ages range from 7 to not quite
a
year. They all eat Innova low calorie dry food, except for the
eldest--she's on z/d to manage her IBD. They're all indoor kitties.
They're all UTD on vaccines and are regularly seen by a vet.

About a month ago, I started suspecting that one or more cats where peeing
outside of their litter box. A week ago, I caught Portia in the act.
She's
been peeing on the carpet, the walls and the furniture. I suspect her
sister, Celia, is the one that's peeing in the bathtub and the counter
tops
(gross). I took the kitties to the vet today to rule out urinary
infections...and they all came back clear. Damnit. That would have been
a
MUCH easier problem to solve.

So, this is my set up right now: One uncovered litter box with arm and
hammer clumping litter, one covered litter box with worlds best litter,
and
one covered little box with tidy cat crystals blend (non-clumping).
Portia
is currently residing in a large dog crate with her very own litter box
that's full of the worlds best stuff. I totally dump all litter boxes
about
twice a week.

Until today, I used only the tidy-cat crystals blend. My vet recommended
the scoopable kind and said the behaviorists have found kitties prefer it.

I really, really have to get this behavior to stop. Is there anything
else
that's worked for anyone here? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks!

Corey

Sad to say, you may want to start with a very simple solution: more
litterboxes. Most of us have cats or know of cats that want to poo in one
box and pee in the other. Some cats simply won't pee in the same box they've
pooped in, and vice versa. The general rule is one box per cat, with one
extra for the picky cats. Also, the bigger the box, the better. A rubbermaid
flat container like you can find at Target or WalMart for about $7 is
excellent. Walls are about six inches high, few cats are going to get pee
over the side of it.

Keep trying different litter; there are a LOT of brands of scoopable stuff
out there. Note that a lot of cats don't like the scented stuff. It may
make -us- think it smells better, but it's a strong smell for the cats, and
it may turn them away from the box.

If you're using the scoopable stuff, aim for scooping at least once a day.
To make it easy, get a small bucket, plop a plastic grocery bag or small
trash bag in there, and scoop. Easy to tote, easy to empty. A few posters
here have cats that refuse to use the box if there's even one pee-spot in
it. Cats are tidy critters, and if I'm going to choose a different bathroom
stall because someone wasn't nice enough to flush their mess, I don't expect
my cat to be less fastidious than -I- am.

Also, consider the behavior aspects. Does this happen downstairs near
windows where Portia could be seeing other cats or dogs or finding something
to make her upset? She may have come back negative on a UTI test, but is she
perhaps incontinent (can't hold her bladder very long, or dribbles urine and
can't help it)? A lot of posters have advised Feliway, a pheromone product
that soothes cats (works for my sister's cat who sprays by the downstairs
windows). It can be pricey, but if it works, it's worth it.

Please post updates with what seems to be working or if there are any
changes in her behavior. Even the little things that may not seem to be
important can sometimes tell you a lot.

Good luck!

~K

"Diane L. Schirf" wrote in
message k.net...
In article ,
"Wendy" wrote:

Cat urine will "glow" under black light.

So does coffee. At least I knew where I'd spilled it.

Yea, but the coffee will smell better when you sniff the carpet. ;o)

"Diane L. Schirf" wrote in
message k.net...
In article ,
"Wendy" wrote:

Cat urine will "glow" under black light.

So does coffee. At least I knew where I'd spilled it.

Yea, but the coffee will smell better when you sniff the carpet. ;o)