Peeing

[jaimeinottawa]

My cats pees everywhere... She uses her litter box, but pees on anything material i leave on the floor... She has always done this since she was a baby, but has done it a lot more in the past year or so... she is fixed... she had babies about 2 years ago... i had her fixed not long after... I have another cat, they dont get along all that well... I have many animals, but this is the only other animal in the house that she does not get along with... I dont know what to do, and dont want to give her away and put that problem on someone else... I just dont want her to end up on the street, or put to sleep because of this :(

[Jim Humphries, B.S., D.V.M.]

There are a couple of steps in the process if fixing this problem.  

First you should have your veterinarian rule out a bladder infection.  These can cause both initial soiling, and long term house soiling.  

Next you have to consider the competition with the other cat.  If there is fighting or "bossiness" then this can also lead to mis-use of the box, territorial soiling etc.  I would be sure to have at least two boxes so she can have her own private place without competition.  

Finally this appears to be a long standing behavior.  Peeing on anything material "since she was a baby" is not what we like to hear.  This may have been caused by any number of things as a kitten, and has never been properly corrected, and is now deeply engrained.  

I would pick up all things material, things you know she will pee on.  Clean up all areas where she has peed in the past with an Enzyme Stain and Odor Remover, (Simple Solution, Nature's Miracle) and use it liberally by label directions.

Further, make the area around each box a non-absorbent surface and the litter box very appealing and clean.  

A deep seated behavior like this can be very difficult to correct.    

[junebride2009]

I had a female cat in a house with three other males. All the male cats got along, but they all hated her and she in turn was terrified of them. She had the same litter box issues as yours and we finally figured out that when she was isolated in her own room with a box, she did use it. We believe she was too frightened to go down into the basement alone for fear of being attacked by one of the male cats. Finally we had to give her away to a home with no other cats. hope this helps!

[Jim Humphries, B.S., D.V.M.]

This sounds social / competitive and it would be interesting to see if by physically separating the cats the problem stopped.  

One problem we always face in housesoiling is this - no matter the initial cause, a secondary cause now always exists and that is the site and smell orientation of other elimination spots.  

I.e., if we completely fixed the two cats fighting / competing we may still have the smell reason for marking the dog bed, yet the initial problem is corrected.  

Can you separate the cats?  either parts of the house of a foster home for a while?  

[jaimeinottawa]

When she was a kitten she did it every once in a while, my whole apartment was carpet.. I had got her from a friend who's outdoor car got pregnant... She has been to the vet ever since I first got her.. I have told the vets about the problem and they told me it is behavioral.. She and my dog are very alike in the need for attention... They like each other, but get snotty with each other at times... When I took in the other cat, she had behavioral problems, peeing and pooping in the bath tub drain... I solved this problem.. When the cat I took in had babies, my cat with the problems wanted to see her babies, and that is when the major problems started... They have never gotten along since... My cat stalks the other one around, and picks on her often... It is almost like she enjoys tormenting the other cat.. and then she pees on things like the dog bed, or a rug... I pick up everything off of the floor the best I can, but I also want my dog to have a bed... Before all of this she only peed on the floor when she was in heat.. The peeing on material only started once the other cat was part of the family...
She does use the litter box, she has no issue with the litter box.. I have watched her go pee in the litter box, walk out and walk over to my dogs bed, and squat and pee there... The dogs bed is the only material on the floor anymore... She did that just today! I have 2 litter boxes, but they both like to use the same one... Jessy (the problem) has attacked Mema (the other cat) while in the litter box... This really upsets me because the poor cat cant even go to the bathroom without being stalked

[Jim Humphries, B.S., D.V.M.]

Also, Dr. Hetts is out for a couple of days, but please see her articles on this problem at:  http://www.animalbehaviorassociates.com/rmn_articles.htm#caturine