Pet question/advice

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I have 4 cats.

Lately one has been urinating in a particular spot, which is not in the little box.

How do I stop it from doing that? Are there sprays that I can put onto that 'area', and if I do will it just find another inconvenient place?

[Sapphire Silk]

It is not normal for a cat to pee outside the box. We need a bit more information.

Is this a new cat? If so, he may be marking territory. Is it a cat you've had awhile, and you have a new cat? Then the cat may be marking territory, or protesting the addition of the new cat.

In either case, you need to stop that behavior asap. That could be hard; you have to catch him in the act and redirect him to the litter box. You may also need to isolate the new cat and introduce him gradually.

Nature's Miracle makes a spray that does wonders with cat urine. I would apply it generously (soak it if it's carpet) and scrub really well to get rid of the odor. Otherwise the cat may associate that spot with normal urination. You need to head that off quick!

If you do not have a new cat, and this is a cat you've had awhile, you should think about a urinal tract infection. UTI's in cats are painful; he's peeing outside the box because he associates the box with pain. Take him to the vet and get him checked out. If you're not good at giving antibiotics orally to cats, ask the vet if he can get a shot. There's an antibiotic shot for cats that metabolizes over 2 weeks; you're one and done. It wasn't that expensive, either. I always do that for my cats when they get UTIs.

How many litter boxes do you have? The standard rule of thumb is one for every cat plus one extra. So you should have five litter boxes, technically. If the boxes get dirty, some cats will refuse to use them, which is why you need the extra. I have this problem with Taz. She always pees in the box but she defecates on the floor when she decides the box is too dirty for her (which isn't very dirty at all, to tell the truth--she's fussy).

[Seshat]

If she's peeing near the box, it's probably that the box is too dirty for the cat's preference, or that the box smells of the territorial marking of another cat. (One reason for the 'one box per cat plus one' rule).

If she's old, getting into and out of the box might be too difficult for her. ElderlyCat had that problem, near the end. We laid down 'piddle pads' (cut up towels) for her, and kept replacing them as soon as she'd used them. (a used towel was deemed 'dirty' by Her Highness).

Unless it's clearly a territory issue, I strongly recommend getting a vet to check it out. If the out-of-the-box pee is bloody or even just pink, RUN to the vet. Backed up kidneys can kill a cat quickly.

And if it's not a UTI, most vets either have done animal behavioural psychology themselves, or one of their vet techs has. Or both. So they should have a lot of answers for you.

Or, as in the case of ElderlyCat, it might not be a UTI but still be a medically-caused problem.

[Kittish]

So, figuring out WHY she's doing this is the key to putting a stop to it. Doesn't do any good to fuss at her for the behavior if she's trying to communicate some other issue to you.

A possibility is that one of your other cats is keeping her from the litter box(es). If at all possible, set up one or more litter boxes in different rooms, so that if someone else is bullying her when she tries to use the box she can simply use a different one. This is in addition to having her checked for any medical issues that could be causing the behavior.

For removing the urine smell, use an enzymatic type pet stain and odor removal product.

[MoonCat]

If it's a male cat, get it checked out YESTERDAY. Urinary tract infections in males can be very serious very quickly. They're not good for females, either, of course.

Another medical issue can be arthritis. If it's an older cat, he or she might be finding it harder to get in and out of the box.

If there is no medical issue then consider the advice the others have given. Also, it might be time to chuck the box and buy a new one. They get smelly after a while no matter how often you clean them, and some cats are very fussy about that.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Thank you all for your answers.

Some more details:
- all cats are same age (4-5 years, they were from the same litter. Long story short: stray mother had kittens in family yard, was able to catch kittens before winter but mother got away, returned NEXT year with another litter, managed to catch all and get to SPCA... but the first litter was just too cute and I hadn't had pets for a while so they were kept)
- 3 males, 1 female
- looks like it's one of the males that is problem
- all fixed/spayed/neutered
- indoor cats (too many predators, neighborhood cats and idiot drivers in area)
- last check with vet is all clear (though I will call when I get some time from work)
- does not appear to be any blood in urine

All of the cats have been using just the one litter box and it hasn't been a problem (until this). I picked up a couple of huge plastic storage containers and have been using those instead of 'brand name' cat boxes, because they are bigger and roomier. Plus, I've been using a clumping litter and 'sift' it every night, plus change all of it on a regular basis. I will pick up another cat box (or two) tomorrow, put one in the target area.

[Kittish]

Also, it might be time to chuck the box and buy a new one. They get smelly after a while no matter how often you clean them, and some cats are very fussy about that.

My Little Bittle Kittle is just the other way 'round. She gets upset if the box is TOO clean, and has flatly refused to have anything to do with using a new (as in brand new unused ever) litter box.

If age and difficulty getting into a box is the issue, consider using one of the big storage boxes intended for under the bed storage. They have sides low enough that even an older cat can easily step in and out, and they're large enough so that even a big cat can turn around comfortably, while still being deep enough to serve effectively. Bonus is has a secure lid if you need to move the box. I started using one of these as a litter box several years ago since Velcro was too big to comfortably use even the big actual litter boxes sold.

[Seshat]

Kidney and UTI issues can happen RAPIDLY. If you ever ever ever notice blood in the urine, spend the money on an emergency vet: you can lose the cat before the vet's office opens in the morning.
So the fact that the kitties are all still alive, while it doesn't rule out a urinary problem, rules out the ones that kill that quickly.

Given that you've implied a single target area, yes, try giving them a litter box there. If it's an unacceptable area long term, but the problem kitty (whichever one/s it is) uses the box when it's there, just gradually move the box once they've adapted to using it. And assume the problem is just too many kitties, too few boxes.

[Sunsetsky]

You are supposed to have one litter box per cat and then one extra one. You can also get some Feliway which can come as a spray. You spray it around your place and it's supposed to keep your cats calm. You can also get it as a diffuser. We have several clients at my clinic who use it for their cats and it seems to work well for them. You could take your cat to the vet to get checked for a UTI, but if he is peeing in the exact same spot then it is probably a behavioral thing.

[EricKei]

I can vouch for Feliway, as well, I have a diffuser, and it worked wonders when I had to move (used spray for their carriers...OK, I gave them a sedative from the vet, too. Long ride ), and set up the diffuser at the new place as soon as I arrived. By the time the house was set up, the diffuser was warmed up and ..well...diffusing...and I had zero 'marking' problems with either cat at the new place.