I adopted a 1 y/o neutered cat from the shelter in late August. He had a bad cold, and immediately went on antibiotics.
We have 3 other male cats, and already had 3 Tidy Cats breeze litter boxes (which we loved) in an upstairs bathroom and bathtub (the "cat room"
). We introduced the new one, Dexter, to the boxes and watched him use them. During the first day or two, we watched Dexter wander around downstairs crying and scratching at the walls wondering what he was doing until he finally went over and peed on a dog bed. Once we realized he was looking for a litter box, we moved one into a downstairs bathroom and everything was fine and dandy. The 3 other cats didn't use the box downstairs, so he had this one pretty much to himself.
Two weeks later, we went out of town overnight and came back to find that Dexter had peed on the bed. We have kept the door to the bedroom closed, but for the next week or so, he peed on the bed in the cat room (which quickly had just a waterproof cover and a sheet on it) or the couch at what seemed like every opportunity. Strangely, I also noted him happily using the boxes to pee in during this time as well.
We took him to the vet and had a urinalysis done, which came back clean. While we were waiting on the results, we confined Dexter to the downstairs bathroom except for short periods of very supervised time out. After about two weeks or so of not peeing in the breeze box very often, we bought a regular box and cat attract litter. He took to that like a fish to water, so he gained privileges to stay out longer and longer.
We bought a giant rubbermaid tub to put in the bathtub and filled it with the cat attract litter. He got to be 100% using the box with no accidents, and staying out all the time.
Yesterday, we opened the door to the bedroom, and found the bed peed on again. We thought it may have been a fluke since that's the first time that room has been open since the original pee. However, this morning we got up to find the couch peed on.
I'm very stumped now. It seems that he just wanted normal litter instead of pellets, and used that very well for quite a while. I'm out of ideas as to what to change?
We have 3 other male cats, and already had 3 Tidy Cats breeze litter boxes (which we loved) in an upstairs bathroom and bathtub (the "cat room"
Two weeks later, we went out of town overnight and came back to find that Dexter had peed on the bed. We have kept the door to the bedroom closed, but for the next week or so, he peed on the bed in the cat room (which quickly had just a waterproof cover and a sheet on it) or the couch at what seemed like every opportunity. Strangely, I also noted him happily using the boxes to pee in during this time as well.
We took him to the vet and had a urinalysis done, which came back clean. While we were waiting on the results, we confined Dexter to the downstairs bathroom except for short periods of very supervised time out. After about two weeks or so of not peeing in the breeze box very often, we bought a regular box and cat attract litter. He took to that like a fish to water, so he gained privileges to stay out longer and longer.
We bought a giant rubbermaid tub to put in the bathtub and filled it with the cat attract litter. He got to be 100% using the box with no accidents, and staying out all the time.
Yesterday, we opened the door to the bedroom, and found the bed peed on again. We thought it may have been a fluke since that's the first time that room has been open since the original pee. However, this morning we got up to find the couch peed on.
I'm very stumped now. It seems that he just wanted normal litter instead of pellets, and used that very well for quite a while. I'm out of ideas as to what to change?
