At my wits end!!! Please help!!

spoiledkiwi

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 16, 2007
Messages
11
Purraise
0
Location
NYC
My 2 year old persian has been peeing on the carpet for the last 3 months! After she started peeing right outside the litter box, I took everyone's advice and got her spayed and checked out at the vet. She's recovered from the spaying and she has no problems, and no UTI. But she still pees on the carpet! The house stinks so bad at this point!

The litter box was upstairs, and that was where she was peeing right outside the box. We moved the litter box downstairs and used an enzyme cleaner to clean the pee upstairs, although the smell hasn't gone away so I don't know how well it worked. She now pees outside of the litter box downstairs, as well as upstairs where she used to pee. But, she'll go about 4 days peeing perfectly in the litter box and then go on the carpet a couple times, then go back to the litter box. I just don't know what to do! There's pee upstairs and downstairs. The house smells so bad, no matter how many bottles of enzyme cleaner I use the smell won't come out. We tried giving her extra attention and love, and it doesn't help. We don't want to get rid of her, but we can't keep a cat that pees on the carpet. No one seems to know why she's behaving like this, she was perfect up until this point and always went in her box. Please help me!!!
 

larke

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 9, 2005
Messages
2,278
Purraise
6
Location
SE Canada
Why haven't you tried changing to a different kind of litter? There's one called Cat Attract that apparently is very good about attracting them for whatever reason. See if you can find it. But you'll also need to move the box away from that place, introduce your cat to the new litter, and cover the old spots with something (furniture, etc.) til you can repair or replace the carpet there (with a piece that's now under some other furniture).
 

mschauer

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
What kind of litter do you use? Has she been declawed? How often do you clean the box?

I would guess that since she uses the box sometimes that she wants to use the box but there is something about it that she doesn't like.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

spoiledkiwi

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 16, 2007
Messages
11
Purraise
0
Location
NYC
We use the Fresh Steps crystals, it's the only one our automatic litter box (Scoop Free) will work with. She hasn't been declawed, and we change the litter cartridges every 2-3 weeks even though it's good for 4 weeks. She likes her litter and box, what would suddenly cause her to not like the litter?

Also, is there nothing that will get the smell of pee out of the carpet? We have wall to wall carpeting, so it would be a pain to change.
 

darlili

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
3,310
Purraise
14
Location
Illinois
You might try any of the enzyme cleaners, but make sure to follow their directions very carefully - and keep the area wet as directed! Also, if the urine sank into the floorboards, you may have to remove those as well as recover the area, but I'd try the enzyme cleaners first. I've used Nature's Miracle with good results. Zero Odor also works very well - I think that's mail order only at this point.

Invest in a black light to help you find all the areas and retreat them. Get at least two new boxes- plain old open boxes - and try Cat Attract litter.

Can you tell I've had a kitty with litter box issues myself? Knock wood, he's been good for over a year now, but I do empathize with you, but believe me, just because you like the box and litter, doesn't mean kitty does.

Also, try and stay as calm and upbeat as possible. Honestly, I swear mine knew I was upset, and it just upset him more, so we went in a big circle. For me, Feliway and Cat Attract were just the miracles I needed.

Best wishes for a good resolution - kitty is no more happy than you to be going out of the box, and you'll find the answer - just give yourself time and experiment.
 

mschauer

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
Originally Posted by SPOILEDkiwi

We use the Fresh Steps crystals, it's the only one our automatic litter box (Scoop Free) will work with. She hasn't been declawed, and we change the litter cartridges every 2-3 weeks even though it's good for 4 weeks. She likes her litter and box, what would suddenly cause her to not like the litter?
She may never have liked it all that well from the beginning but used in cuz it was the only place that seemed like a good place to go. Now she has discovered that going on the floor is OK (to her at least). I may have to change litters cuz my Jeta has decided that, after months of using it fine, she doesn't like to poop in a box with Feline Pine litter. She still pees in it but poops on the floor right next to the box. You may need to confine her to a room with the new box to break the habit of going outside the box. The room should not have anything soft that she might use. During this retraining period you could let her out for a bit after you know she has used the box because you know she won't need to go again for a while.

I strongly suggest getting a regular litter box and put Cat Attract litter in it. See if she likes that better.

Good luck!
 

missymotus

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
9,234
Purraise
254
Originally Posted by SPOILEDkiwi

She likes her litter and box, what would suddenly cause her to not like the litter?
She could have decided she no longer likes the box. Also try adding another box or two.

For the smell, many people recommend Bio-Zet laundry detergent mixed with water (or any of the other "oxy" cleaners available). Usually cheaper than pet products and work just as well as they have the cleaning enzymes in them.
 

yosemite

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Messages
23,313
Purraise
81
Location
Ingersoll, ON
Sometimes cats don't like to pee and poo in the same box. Try having 2 litter boxes (and do try the cat attract litter as well). I'd personally put one box upstairs and one downstairs.
 

mrblanche

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
12,578
Purraise
119
Location
Texas
For what it's worth, the only time we've had our cats be reluctant to use the litter box was when we tried the crystal litter. They really didn't like the feel of it on their feet.
 

violet

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 11, 2006
Messages
1,220
Purraise
30
Location
MA
Peeing right outside the litter box always means that the problem is with the litter box.

You got great suggestions, so Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]d just like to add one more. Try a regular litter box, a simple, open type box with no hood. Put one on every floor. Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s quite possible that the automatic litter box is the problem here.
 

cc12

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
3,370
Purraise
4
Location
Pacific Northwest
Cleo the cat I had with a pee problem does not like my litter robots. My other two no problem but he hated them. I tried everything at least so I thought.
I figured out that he likes a spotless box, a huge box and no automatic boxes. I found out that he was trying to communicate with me. He was also peeing right outside of the box sometimes.
 

jen

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 27, 2001
Messages
8,501
Purraise
3,009
Location
Hudson, OH
How often do you actually dump the litter out of the automatic box and scrub/bleach it out??

Some things to try:

Buy two more boxes

Confine her to a smaller area (bathroom, laundry room, spare room, but not the room she pees on the floor on)

Try Cat Attract litter and another one that is NOT Fresh Step Crystals

See what happens and in the meantime get an enzymatic cleaner and scrub scrub scrub those floors. Or white vinegar works WONDERFULLY on cat pee. It gets the smell out but you will have to air out the room well because it will obviously smell like vinegar for a couple days. Really saturate the floor in the vinegar (or cleaner) and let it air dry with a fan on it.

Just work out the problem, try new things. She very obviously doesn't like her litter/litterbox anymore. So get her something new. I never liked those automatic litterboxes either and maybe she doesn't too. If you rehome her, no one will want a cat with litterbox issues. Keep that in mind. I have also heard that Himalayan/Persians are known to be finicky with their litterboxes.
 
Top