Urinating outside the litter box

[Breezy]

hi there... I hope someone can help me as my husband is fed up and threatening to send our male cat to the shelter....

By way of background, I have 2 cats; a female that is 7 and a male that is 5. We got the male as a kitten after having the female for a couple of years. They are both fixed and in general get along.. they play, cuddle, groom each other etc.

For roughly the past year we have had a problem with our male cat urinating outside the litterbox. The strange thing is, that he will not pee on the floor --- only things on the floor. Any towel, rug, or piece of clothing. He has also resorted in the past couple of weeks to peeing on things that aren't clothing but are flat, such as a plastic bag, an empty laundry basket, and my dustpan I just want to reiterate that he doesn't go on the bare floor or carpet,and he never poops outside the litter box.

I am tired of having to either wash things to death or throw them out. But he's my baby.. I can't see sending him away. How do I get this behavior to stop? He has shown no signs of being sick or of a UTI and I would think after a year of this something would be noticeable if it was medical. I have tried multiple litter boxes and that didn't work. Is there some kind of spray, anything?? I would like to try other options before I resort to the vet as it gets costly, not only for the bills but because I have to take time off work for the appointments. Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated....

[JCBJLT]

Yes we have had the same problem with our pets in the past.. for us, it only seems to happen when there are three or more cat sin the house. My suggestion ( which I am sure you have heard before) is to somehow add a litter box or two. He may just hate sharing. I hope it works out for you. I know how frustrating it can be.

[Smirkitty]

The primary symptom of a UTI is urinating outside the box, usually on soft objects. Your cat may have no other signs or symptoms of UTI other than this one.

[Breezy]

We have done the multi-box thing and the only thing that seemed to happen is that they BOTH started peeing in one box and pooping in another. Maybe I need a third box?

We did take him to the vet once already and the vet said he was healthy. Maybe we need to take him back or take him to a different vet?

[JCBJLT]

It is worth a try.... We have one cat and she does the same thing. Poops in one pees in another.

[cjh27]

Hi breezy,

when you had your cat checked by the vet- did you tell him or her of your peeing problems? What examinations were done to exclude UTI or struvite? Was an urine sample tested?

By the way- a third litter box probably wouldn't do any harm either.

Christine

[Breezy]

Honestly, I hate to say it but I don't know. My husband took him because I couldn't get out of work. He was taken specifically for the peeing though, not for any other reason.

I have been keeping one big box and a smaller box.... we'll try again this time with all three big boxes and then if that doesn't work we'll try the vet again...

[nes]

I'd also try cleaning them daily for a little while, see if it's the smell or something thats turning him off.

I know how frustrating it is to have a male cat who constantly pees on plastic bags. My parents live in a fairly large house and 2 years after our old boy (who peed on every bag he found) had passed I found a plastic bag stuck underneath something - and that smell brought me right back.

This may seem like a silly suggestion but until he starts recognizing again that the little box is the place to go - why don't you line a box with just a plastic bag? At least then you can maybe contain the mess a little. (Or a towel if he's deciding thats what he wants to pee on this week - you can pick up lots of rags really cheap at the dollar store, or local thrift store).

You could also try a covered box - maybe he's being shy? I know that doesn't seem logical because he's peeing out in the open, but I do find that has helped some of our cats.

[doodlebug]

If the vet did not do any tests, then you really need to get that done. It's the most common reason for a cat to suddenly stop using the box when they've always been good about it. If your husband doesn't know what the vet did when he took him, then call and ask.

Originally Posted by Breezy

We have done the multi-box thing and the only thing that seemed to happen is that they BOTH started peeing in one box and pooping in another. Maybe I need a third box?

The fact that they "agreed" to use one for pee and one for poop indicates you should have 2 boxes, even if it didn't fix your problem. They prefer not to 'mix'. It's recommended that you have 3 boxes for 2 two cats.

Did you change litter around the time this started? Move the location of the box? Get a new box that's significantly different than the old one (e.g. the old one was an uncovered box and now you have a top entry box). Have you tried Cat Attract litter?

If the vet check is clear and none of the questions I asked above apply, then Nes' idea of an empty box with a towel in it may be your solution.

And also the obvious...keep your towels, clothes, plastic bags etc. off the floor.