13yo Cat Peeing & Pooping Inappropriately

1914 Views 5 Replies 6 Participants Last post by LaurulFeatherCat, Jun 7, 2012

MrsWho?

Discussion Starter · Jun 7, 2012

We have been having issues with (we think) our 13 yo DSH spayed female cat, Frannie. A couple months ago, we noticed poop in a mostly unused metal sink. We weren't sure who was doing it, as we have 3 cats (10yo DSH spayed female and 2 - 2.5yo DLH neutered male.) Then, there started being pee on our only living room chair when we weren't around. We isolated Frannie for 2 days after we figured out it was definitely not the other DSH female (CeeCee) and no pee or poop for those 2 days. We let her out and within 12 hrs there was pee on the chair. It has been thoroughly cleaned with Nature's Miracle and the cushion has been off it for over a week now. We have the seat base of the chair covered with a Good Night's bed wetting mat, a garbage bag and a towel. I put tinfoil on it to deter her and she peed on my daughter's sweater and our couch.

The peeing never occurs at night or when anyone is in the room

Frannie is a very nervous cat. She always has been. When we introduced the new cat a year ago, she peed and pooped on some clothes in my room (where she had decided to hide). We took her to the vet and the vet thought she might have a UTI so gave her antibiotics. After the course of abx, she stopped. The new cat will sometimes chase her, but mostly just ignores her. Our other female (who is the dominant cat) will chase her as well, even though they've been together for the last 10 years. Frannie has never been an 'only' cat, as we had a cat when we adopted her and had upwards of 4 cats at one point. She can occasionally be aggressive toward our male cat. She jumped on his head last night when he was just sitting on the carpet.

I just don't know what to do. I know that we should take her to the vet, but we are barely making ends meet now and just to have her checked will be over $100, not including any tests (other than urinalysis) or medications. We are adding a 3rd litter box, possibly to the inside of the sink she is currently using. We haven't changed her food (wet food only) or litter (usually unscented, clumping clay, we've had scented a couple times in the past) recently.

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cinderflower

· #2 · Jun 7, 2012

she mad at you. j/k

she's trying to tell you something and it's pretty serious if it's both #1 & #2. and for that reason i wouldn't suspect UTI but i'm not a vet.

the first thing that came to my mind was litterbox ambush. one (or more) of the cats is waiting outside when she uses it and jumps her, leading to litterbox avoidance.

i'd add a litterbox everywhere you can think of. i'd watch for ambushes but it isn't even a definite they're still going on. all it takes is a couple of times and she starts going elsewhere. try to watch them and see. (it would be useful to have a nannycam in a teddybear at this point, right?)

good luck.

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Yulia

· #3 · Jun 7, 2012

I had the same problem with my cat. Our vet recommended putting his food bowl in these places. We have around 4 food bowls (with just little bit of dry food in them) scattered in the living room and basement, and no unauthorized pees or poos so far.

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hoofmaiden

· #4 · Jun 7, 2012

The first step with inappropriate urination must ALWAYS be a trip to the vet for labwork. Bare minimum, your cat needs a urinalysis and a blood chemistry run. NO way around it. She's 13--when problems of the middle years can start to rear their heads (kidney disease, etc.) and a UTI (which are almost never actually infections) is also a possibility. Here's a great page on that topic: Feline Urinary Tract Health: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM :: cat urinary tract health .

Yes, veterinary work can be expensive, but there really is no alternative. It is unfair and potentially dangerous to assume a behavioral reason for something that may well be physical.

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MowMow

· #5 · Jun 7, 2012

hoofmaiden said:
Yes, veterinary work can be expensive, but there really is no alternative. It is unfair and potentially dangerous to assume a behavioral reason for something that may well be physical.

This. Also, from what I understood from my vet some cats WILL do both due to a UTI.

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LaurulFeatherCat

· #6 · Jun 7, 2012

It could be bullying from the other cats. It could be she just can't get to the litter box fast enough. Or she could be acting out because of changes in the household. A cheap way to ruling out a UTI is for you to collect the urine and then just ask the vet to run the test. If it is positive, then treat it. If not, minimal cost.

You could also try litter box retraining. Put the cat with food, water and a litter pan in a small room, usually a bathroom is the best and leave her there until she is reliably using the pan for all elimination. It is a repatterning exercise that usually helps retrain a cat to use the pan. Do you have all the litter pans in the same area? Or do you have pans in different areas? Multiple areas keeps the other cats from ambushing her at the litter pan and encourages her to use the pan appropriately.

I hope you figure out the problem soon.

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