Pee Problem

Help! I have a beautiful,loving,devoted (translation: stalker) seven
year old cat that pees where he pleases. Here's a bit of history.
Maxwell was about a year old the very first time that I went on
vacation. We boarded our dog, a yorkie that Max is great pals with.
Max was home alone. My neighbor had agreed to visit daily (which she
did) to do the food and water bit, play with his favorite feather toys
and generally hang out and watch tv with him. The first morning that
she stopped by, Max had left a trail of vomit from one end of the
house to the other. Nice. She cleaned everything, checked him out and
cuddled him,etc. Each day that we were gone, same scene. Long story
short - the vet said he had "hyper-attachment disorder" meaning he
can't stand for me to be out of his sight. I should have seen the red
flags when he insisted on showering with me (the cat, not the vet).
The vet actually suggested that we consider getting Max a kitten, as
apparently his friendship with Kirby, our yorkie, wasn't fulfilling
enough. I'm serious. Enter Henry. Note that at this time, Max was
already peeing on bathroom rugs, a towel dropped on the floor,etc. -
anything soft. We'd had him checked for urinary tract trouble and he
received a clean bill of health. When we added Henry to the family,
he and Max got along famously and settled in as a nice kitty family.
No more problems with the whole "home alone" issue. We can come and
go freely without Max pining for us. Unfortunately the pee problem has
gotten WORSE. When Henry joined the family, we added a second litter
box. Didn't want the boys to feel like they had to share. Henry has
absolutely no problem using his box. In fact, he will knock you and
several pieces of furniture over to reach his box when the urge
strikes. Max, not so much. Than God, he doesn't pee on carpet - but
he has no qualms about peeing anywhere else. We can't have bathroom
rugs at all and God forbid you leave a towel on the floor (give me a
break, I have two teenagers - towels get left on floors). We have
changed litters to see if he prefers a certain type, we keep the boxes
pristine by scooping daily, but nothing works. We tried shutting him
in the room with food, water and the box and he clawed a hole the size
of a plum in the linoleum at the corner of the door. Now my floor is
ruined too! Just a couple of days ago I had cleaned both boxes, swept
the utility room where the boxes are kept,etc - and I hadn't been gone
five minutes before Max squatted right BESIDE the box and peed!!
Aaaargh! I am truly at the end of my rope with this loving but
neurotic cat. I simply can not have my life and home ruined by his
pee. I adore him, he's so sweet....but I have had my fill of walking
into my home and being hit by the smell of cat urine. I'm on my knees
daily scrubbing and deodorizing to get everything smelling fresh - I
can go to the store and come back and he's peed on the floor by the
box & the smell is wafting through the house. It's not a separation
thing because he does it when I'm home too. Although I joke about it,
I'm truly to the point where I'm starting to feel like he has to go.
I never thought I'd say that about any of my pets - but his peeing is
a major problem in our house and not one we're willing to live with
much longer. HELP!!!!!!!

You didn't mention whether Max was neutered or not.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

On Jul 31, 11:25 am, luckyduck63 wrote:
Help! I have a beautiful,loving,devoted (translation: stalker) seven
year old cat that pees where he pleases. Here's a bit of history.
Maxwell was about a year old the very first time that I went on
vacation. We boarded our dog, a yorkie that Max is great pals with.
Max was home alone. My neighbor had agreed to visit daily (which she
did) to do the food and water bit, play with his favorite feather toys
and generally hang out and watch tv with him. The first morning that
she stopped by, Max had left a trail of vomit from one end of the
house to the other. Nice. She cleaned everything, checked him out and
cuddled him,etc. Each day that we were gone, same scene. Long story
short - the vet said he had "hyper-attachment disorder" meaning he
can't stand for me to be out of his sight. I should have seen the red
flags when he insisted on showering with me (the cat, not the vet).
The vet actually suggested that we consider getting Max a kitten, as
apparently his friendship with Kirby, our yorkie, wasn't fulfilling
enough. I'm serious. Enter Henry. Note that at this time, Max was
already peeing on bathroom rugs, a towel dropped on the floor,etc. -
anything soft. We'd had him checked for urinary tract trouble and he
received a clean bill of health. When we added Henry to the family,
he and Max got along famously and settled in as a nice kitty family.
No more problems with the whole "home alone" issue. We can come and
go freely without Max pining for us. Unfortunately the pee problem has
gotten WORSE. When Henry joined the family, we added a second litter
box. Didn't want the boys to feel like they had to share. Henry has
absolutely no problem using his box. In fact, he will knock you and
several pieces of furniture over to reach his box when the urge
strikes. Max, not so much. Than God, he doesn't pee on carpet - but
he has no qualms about peeing anywhere else. We can't have bathroom
rugs at all and God forbid you leave a towel on the floor (give me a
break, I have two teenagers - towels get left on floors). We have
changed litters to see if he prefers a certain type, we keep the boxes
pristine by scooping daily, but nothing works. We tried shutting him
in the room with food, water and the box and he clawed a hole the size
of a plum in the linoleum at the corner of the door. Now my floor is
ruined too! Just a couple of days ago I had cleaned both boxes, swept
the utility room where the boxes are kept,etc - and I hadn't been gone
five minutes before Max squatted right BESIDE the box and peed!!
Aaaargh! I am truly at the end of my rope with this loving but
neurotic cat. I simply can not have my life and home ruined by his
pee. I adore him, he's so sweet....but I have had my fill of walking
into my home and being hit by the smell of cat urine. I'm on my knees
daily scrubbing and deodorizing to get everything smelling fresh - I
can go to the store and come back and he's peed on the floor by the
box & the smell is wafting through the house. It's not a separation
thing because he does it when I'm home too. Although I joke about it,
I'm truly to the point where I'm starting to feel like he has to go.
I never thought I'd say that about any of my pets - but his peeing is
a major problem in our house and not one we're willing to live with
much longer. HELP!!!!!!!

i have two cats of my own and one has what seems about the same
problem as yours. now we took our cats to the vet and the vet said
that she may have a urinary tract infection or simply she is a nervous
cat. lately here it has been better. i remember the same
thing :walking into the house with the smell of urine. you are not
alone!! maybe this is a cry for attention.

Your vet has been of no help? If the problem is not medical, you may need
to consult a specialist...like an animal behaviorist...to help you get the
problem under control.

Sue

"luckyduck63" wrote in message
oups.com...
Help! I have a beautiful,loving,devoted (translation: stalker) seven
year old cat that pees where he pleases. Here's a bit of history.
Maxwell was about a year old the very first time that I went on
vacation. We boarded our dog, a yorkie that Max is great pals with.
Max was home alone. My neighbor had agreed to visit daily (which she
did) to do the food and water bit, play with his favorite feather toys
and generally hang out and watch tv with him. The first morning that
she stopped by, Max had left a trail of vomit from one end of the
house to the other. Nice. She cleaned everything, checked him out and
cuddled him,etc. Each day that we were gone, same scene. Long story
short - the vet said he had "hyper-attachment disorder" meaning he
can't stand for me to be out of his sight. I should have seen the red
flags when he insisted on showering with me (the cat, not the vet).
The vet actually suggested that we consider getting Max a kitten, as
apparently his friendship with Kirby, our yorkie, wasn't fulfilling
enough. I'm serious. Enter Henry. Note that at this time, Max was
already peeing on bathroom rugs, a towel dropped on the floor,etc. -
anything soft. We'd had him checked for urinary tract trouble and he
received a clean bill of health. When we added Henry to the family,
he and Max got along famously and settled in as a nice kitty family.
No more problems with the whole "home alone" issue. We can come and
go freely without Max pining for us. Unfortunately the pee problem has
gotten WORSE. When Henry joined the family, we added a second litter
box. Didn't want the boys to feel like they had to share. Henry has
absolutely no problem using his box. In fact, he will knock you and
several pieces of furniture over to reach his box when the urge
strikes. Max, not so much. Than God, he doesn't pee on carpet - but
he has no qualms about peeing anywhere else. We can't have bathroom
rugs at all and God forbid you leave a towel on the floor (give me a
break, I have two teenagers - towels get left on floors). We have
changed litters to see if he prefers a certain type, we keep the boxes
pristine by scooping daily, but nothing works. We tried shutting him
in the room with food, water and the box and he clawed a hole the size
of a plum in the linoleum at the corner of the door. Now my floor is
ruined too! Just a couple of days ago I had cleaned both boxes, swept
the utility room where the boxes are kept,etc - and I hadn't been gone
five minutes before Max squatted right BESIDE the box and peed!!
Aaaargh! I am truly at the end of my rope with this loving but
neurotic cat. I simply can not have my life and home ruined by his
pee. I adore him, he's so sweet....but I have had my fill of walking
into my home and being hit by the smell of cat urine. I'm on my knees
daily scrubbing and deodorizing to get everything smelling fresh - I
can go to the store and come back and he's peed on the floor by the
box & the smell is wafting through the house. It's not a separation
thing because he does it when I'm home too. Although I joke about it,
I'm truly to the point where I'm starting to feel like he has to go.
I never thought I'd say that about any of my pets - but his peeing is
a major problem in our house and not one we're willing to live with
much longer. HELP!!!!!!!

On Jul 31, 12:15 pm, (---MIKE---) wrote:
You didn't mention whether Max was neutered or not.

This is a good point. Some other things:
*How many boxes do you have and where are they located? If they are
all in one room, perhaps that may be a problem. He might like a
different area to do #1 and #2s.
*Have you changed the litter? Is it unscented?
*Are your boxes uncovered? Some cats don't like covered boxes.
*Have you been cleaning with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's
Miracle to thoroughly remove the smell?
*Can you try some Feliway diffusers? They were made for cat-
elimination problems.
*Have you tried the Cat Attract litter? I haven't used it, but have
heard good things about it.
*When was the last time he was checked for a UTI? You said he was
checked initially and was clear, but if the problem has gotten worse,
perhaps something has developed more recently.
As a last resort, you could retrain him to use the litterbox. Here's
an article: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Do-...ning&id=114145

Please follow up and let us know what's happening.

Rene

Im wondering exactly what the cats diet consists of? and what urinary
tests the cat has had and when?


On Jul 31, 11:25 am, luckyduck63 wrote:
Help! I have a beautiful,loving,devoted (translation: stalker) seven
year old cat that pees where he pleases. Here's a bit of history.
Maxwell was about a year old the very first time that I went on
vacation. We boarded our dog, a yorkie that Max is great pals with.
Max was home alone. My neighbor had agreed to visit daily (which she
did) to do the food and water bit, play with his favorite feather toys
and generally hang out and watch tv with him. The first morning that
she stopped by, Max had left a trail of vomit from one end of the
house to the other. Nice. She cleaned everything, checked him out and
cuddled him,etc. Each day that we were gone, same scene. Long story
short - the vet said he had "hyper-attachment disorder" meaning he
can't stand for me to be out of his sight. I should have seen the red
flags when he insisted on showering with me (the cat, not the vet).
The vet actually suggested that we consider getting Max a kitten, as
apparently his friendship with Kirby, our yorkie, wasn't fulfilling
enough. I'm serious. Enter Henry. Note that at this time, Max was
already peeing on bathroom rugs, a towel dropped on the floor,etc. -
anything soft. We'd had him checked for urinary tract trouble and he
received a clean bill of health. When we added Henry to the family,
he and Max got along famously and settled in as a nice kitty family.
No more problems with the whole "home alone" issue. We can come and
go freely without Max pining for us. Unfortunately the pee problem has
gotten WORSE. When Henry joined the family, we added a second litter
box. Didn't want the boys to feel like they had to share. Henry has
absolutely no problem using his box. In fact, he will knock you and
several pieces of furniture over to reach his box when the urge
strikes. Max, not so much. Than God, he doesn't pee on carpet - but
he has no qualms about peeing anywhere else. We can't have bathroom
rugs at all and God forbid you leave a towel on the floor (give me a
break, I have two teenagers - towels get left on floors). We have
changed litters to see if he prefers a certain type, we keep the boxes
pristine by scooping daily, but nothing works. We tried shutting him
in the room with food, water and the box and he clawed a hole the size
of a plum in the linoleum at the corner of the door. Now my floor is
ruined too! Just a couple of days ago I had cleaned both boxes, swept
the utility room where the boxes are kept,etc - and I hadn't been gone
five minutes before Max squatted right BESIDE the box and peed!!
Aaaargh! I am truly at the end of my rope with this loving but
neurotic cat. I simply can not have my life and home ruined by his
pee. I adore him, he's so sweet....but I have had my fill of walking
into my home and being hit by the smell of cat urine. I'm on my knees
daily scrubbing and deodorizing to get everything smelling fresh - I
can go to the store and come back and he's peed on the floor by the
box & the smell is wafting through the house. It's not a separation
thing because he does it when I'm home too. Although I joke about it,
I'm truly to the point where I'm starting to feel like he has to go.
I never thought I'd say that about any of my pets - but his peeing is
a major problem in our house and not one we're willing to live with
much longer. HELP!!!!!!!

On Jul 31, 12:15 pm, (---MIKE---) wrote:
You didn't mention whether Max was neutered or not.

---MIKE---In the White Mountains of New Hampshire

(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

Oops! Yes, Maxwell was neutered when he was less than a year old.

On Aug 5, 7:43 pm, luckyduck63 wrote:
On Jul 31, 12:15 pm, (---MIKE---) wrote:

You didn't mention whether Max was neutered or not.

---MIKE---In the White Mountains of New Hampshire

(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

Oops! Yes, Maxwell was neutered when he was less than a year old.

ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION!!!!!

I'd like to thank everyone for their helpful and very thoughtful
responses to my cry for help. I think we may have found the answer. I
hesitate to say that the problem is fixed, I don't want to jinx
anything - but right now we are in day 3 of Maxwell urinating ONLY in
his box - can I get an AMEN?!?!? Since our vet had ruled out any
health problems, it was deemed a "psychological" issue. I viewed a
few more websites, read a few more books and found something that I
consider my now favorite product ever invented in the history of
mankind. It's Cat Attract kitty litter. Supposedly the texture and
the added natural herbs (I don't care if it's pot as long as he pees
in his box) attract cats and you can "retrain" them to their litter
box. We bought a hefty bag at PetSmart ($12.49) , came home and
scrubbed out both boxes, filled them with the Cat Attract and Max was
inspecting it within minutes. He seemed quite pleased and immediately
left his mark in the box. I didn't get excited because I thought that
he might just be marking his territory, claiming the new stuff. But
no, here we are in day 3 and Maxi is loving the Cat Attract litter. I
don't know or care what its magic is, I just know that I'm happy, Max
is happy and my house smells great. Henry has no problem with it, but
Henry has always used the box. It's a wonderful clumping litter so I
just scoop it each morning. In fact, it seems to trap odor right
away, much better than other clumping litters that I've used in the
past. So for right now, it's a perfect solution and hopefully will
continue to be just what Max needed. I highly recommend Cat
Attract!!!!

"luckyduck63" wrote

ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION!!!!!

I'd like to thank everyone for their helpful and very thoughtful
responses to my cry for help. I think we may have found the answer. I
hesitate to say that the problem is fixed, I don't want to jinx
anything - but right now we are in day 3 of Maxwell urinating ONLY in
his box - can I get an AMEN?!?!?

Very cool. You were smart to change the litter. We just went through
something
like this with our tuxedo, my husband had been using those crystals and she
must
have grown to dislike them over time. Changed the litter and she is going in
her
box again.