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#1
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
Last fall I adopted my first cat. She actually appeared on our doorstep
during a torrential rainstorm. She was very, very hungry and ate a chicken breast and three cans of tuna in about 24 hours, so I don't know how long she had been out. After keeping her for a couple of days and trying to discover if anyone was looking for her, I took her to the nearby cat shelter saying that I would take her if they couldn't find her family. No one could be found after about a week, so she came home with me. But anyway, that is neither here nor there. G They estimate that she's about 5 yrs old. She looks as if she's part Maine Coon, longish hair, very pretty, rather vocal. She seems to have settled in well. She's not a lap cat and usually tries to avoid being picked up, but she likes to come and lie down on the computer table or sofa next to me and purr loudly. (Everything on her own terms!) Anyway, in the last three or four months, although she continues to use her litterbox to both pee and poop, she occasionally pees on the plastic "cat mat" doormat thingie right outside her litterbox. It's almost as if she poops in the box, gets out, realizes that she has to pee, and doesn't want to bother to get back in the box. When I've taken the mat away, she has peed on the floor right outside the box at least once or twice. This happens no more than once a week, very likely only once every two weeks. Any ideas? I have no experience with cats at all. Other than this, her only flaw is that she is the Hairball Queen, and apparently one of the small percentage of cats who is indifferent to catnip, so she won't even look at the scratching thing I got for her. So I have to keep her front claws clipped to protect the furniture. Luckily she tolerates this very well. |
#2
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"Janet" wrote Any ideas? I have no experience with cats at all. Some cats like two boxes, one for pee and one for poo. It's not that much trouble for you, and since you are new to cats, let me tell you, it never pays to have a battle of wills with them over elimination matters. She is trying to tell you something, and rather politely. Some just pee in the middle of your bed. Other than this, her only flaw is that she is the Hairball Queen, and apparently one of the small percentage of cats who is indifferent to catnip, so she won't even look at the scratching thing I got for her. So I have to keep her front claws clipped to protect the furniture. Luckily she tolerates this very well. You should clip them anyway, for her comfort. But do look into an Alpine Scratcher. Something about them--and not the catnip, either--really appeals. It might be the slant. Good luck! |
#3
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"cybercat" wrote in message ... "Janet" wrote Any ideas? I have no experience with cats at all. Some cats like two boxes, one for pee and one for poo. It's not that much trouble for you, and since you are new to cats, let me tell you, it never pays to have a battle of wills with them over elimination matters. She is trying to tell you something, and rather politely. Some just pee in the middle of your bed. If we had two, would they be next to each other, or in different parts of the house? |
#4
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"Janet" wrote in message ... "cybercat" wrote in message ... "Janet" wrote Any ideas? I have no experience with cats at all. Some cats like two boxes, one for pee and one for poo. It's not that much trouble for you, and since you are new to cats, let me tell you, it never pays to have a battle of wills with them over elimination matters. She is trying to tell you something, and rather politely. Some just pee in the middle of your bed. If we had two, would they be next to each other, or in different parts of the house? Since she is peeing on the mat, I would try close by--with room for her to step out of one and into the other. If she were my cat, I would first try placing the new box where she peed on the mat. I would be tempted to remove the mat, as some cats "prefer to pee on fabric." (A direct quote from my vet, explaining his years-long effort to persuade one cat NOT to pee on his bathroom rugs.) Then I would put the poo box a respectable distance away. But a lot depends on your place. The message should be, THIS is where you want to pee, find, but do it in the box. Our tuxedo cat uses her bladder to express displeasure. (One should never assume this until they have had the cat check for a urinary tract infection, because that is a common cause of inappropriate peeing.) I ran out of canned food the other night, and gave her HUMAN canned salmon, just until I could get more canned in the morning. (She had a little dry in her dish too.) She went in to where my husband was working on the computer and peed on his clothes. She has done this before when she is mad about something, and gotten rushed off to the vet only to get a clean bill of health. My point: when cats eliminate inappropriatedly, pee or poo, the only thing I have found that works every single time is to confine them for a time to a room with just their box and food and maybe some toys and a pallet to sleep on. They are creatures of habit, and are clean, so will not generally pee on a floor they sleep on. But do try the second box first, and I assume you have had her checked for a UTI. If not, please do. |
#5
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"cybercat" wrote in message ... "Janet" wrote in message ... "cybercat" wrote in message ... "Janet" wrote Any ideas? I have no experience with cats at all. Some cats like two boxes, one for pee and one for poo. It's not that much trouble for you, and since you are new to cats, let me tell you, it never pays to have a battle of wills with them over elimination matters. She is trying to tell you something, and rather politely. Some just pee in the middle of your bed. If we had two, would they be next to each other, or in different parts of the house? Since she is peeing on the mat, I would try close by--with room for her to step out of one and into the other. If she were my cat, I would first try placing the new box where she peed on the mat. I would be tempted to remove the mat, as some cats "prefer to pee on fabric." (A direct quote from my vet, It's not a fabric mat, it's something that is made to slip under the entrace of the litterbox. It is plastic, with texture that is supposed to remove litter from the cat's feet after exiting the box. But do try the second box first, and I assume you have had her checked for a UTI. If not, please do. Since this is something that she does at most once every week or two, and the rest of the time she pees in the box, I don't see any reason to think it is a UTI. |
#6
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"Janet" wrote: Since this is something that she does at most once every week or two, and the rest of the time she pees in the box, I don't see any reason to think it is a UTI. I missed this part. Does she tend to do it when the box needs cleaning? |
#7
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"Janet" wrote in
: Last fall I adopted my first cat. She actually appeared on our doorstep during a torrential rainstorm. She was very, very hungry and ate a chicken breast and three cans of tuna in about 24 hours, so I don't know how long she had been out. After keeping her for a couple of days and trying to discover if anyone was looking for her, I took her to the nearby cat shelter saying that I would take her if they couldn't find her family. No one could be found after about a week, so she came home with me. But anyway, that is neither here nor there. G They estimate that she's about 5 yrs old. She looks as if she's part Maine Coon, longish hair, very pretty, rather vocal. She seems to have settled in well. She's not a lap cat and usually tries to avoid being picked up, but she likes to come and lie down on the computer table or sofa next to me and purr loudly. (Everything on her own terms!) Anyway, in the last three or four months, although she continues to use her litterbox to both pee and poop, she occasionally pees on the plastic "cat mat" doormat thingie right outside her litterbox. It's almost as if she poops in the box, gets out, realizes that she has to pee, and doesn't want to bother to get back in the box. When I've taken the mat away, she has peed on the floor right outside the box at least once or twice. This happens no more than once a week, very likely only once every two weeks. Any ideas? I have no experience with cats at all. Other than this, her only flaw is that she is the Hairball Queen, and apparently one of the small percentage of cats who is indifferent to catnip, so she won't even look at the scratching thing I got for her. So I have to keep her front claws clipped to protect the furniture. Luckily she tolerates this very well. Two ideas: I had one cat who refused to do his business in a box that already had something in it, even if it was his own and even though we scoop 3 times a day. Problem was solved with an additional box next to it. Second: is the box nice and high? I've had some of mine pee over the edge thinking their bum was inside the litterbox. I use a storage bin with high sides. Bobble |
#8
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"cybercat" wrote in message ... "Janet" wrote: Since this is something that she does at most once every week or two, and the rest of the time she pees in the box, I don't see any reason to think it is a UTI. I missed this part. Does she tend to do it when the box needs cleaning? I don't know...that is a thought. I guess it depends what you mean by "needs cleaning"! G Maybe if I scoop more diligently...how often is typical for a one-cat box? |
#9
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"Janet" wrote in message ... "cybercat" wrote in message ... "Janet" wrote: Since this is something that she does at most once every week or two, and the rest of the time she pees in the box, I don't see any reason to think it is a UTI. I missed this part. Does she tend to do it when the box needs cleaning? I don't know...that is a thought. I guess it depends what you mean by "needs cleaning"! G Maybe if I scoop more diligently...how often is typical for a one-cat box? I think you need to ask kitty! Just kidding ... I scoop once a day and my cats are fine with it. (They each have a box.) Others scoop every time the cat goes, but that requires a bit more attention to kitty's potty habits for me! For sure, not keeping the box clean enough (in kitty's opinion) can make for very bad habits. Our tuxedo with "cattitude" was fine until I rebelled against having to do everything my husband does not want to do, and insisted he clean her box. He let it get really dirty, she finally had enough, and waited until he was IN bed, in freshly laundered linens, and peed ON him. They know how to get our attention. Let us know how it goes. |
#10
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Peeing on the Cat Mat
"cybercat" wrote in message ... "Janet" wrote in message ... "cybercat" wrote in message ... "Janet" wrote: Since this is something that she does at most once every week or two, and the rest of the time she pees in the box, I don't see any reason to think it is a UTI. I missed this part. Does she tend to do it when the box needs cleaning? I don't know...that is a thought. I guess it depends what you mean by "needs cleaning"! G Maybe if I scoop more diligently...how often is typical for a one-cat box? I think you need to ask kitty! Just kidding ... I scoop once a day and my cats are fine with it. (They each have a box.) Others scoop every time the cat goes, but that requires a bit more attention to kitty's potty habits for me! For sure, not keeping the box clean enough (in kitty's opinion) can make for very bad habits. Our tuxedo with "cattitude" was fine until I rebelled against having to do everything my husband does not want to do, and insisted he clean her box. He let it get really dirty, she finally had enough, and waited until he was IN bed, in freshly laundered linens, and peed ON him. They know how to get our attention. Let us know how it goes. I think we may have the answer. She didn't do this until I got a little lax and started scooping less than once a day. I shall be more attentive to Miss Kitty's needs and see what happens! |
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