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I was referred to this forum by a Craigslist email. My cat is peeing in my house.

post #1 of 18
4/15/11 at 7:39am
Thread Starter 
Hello,
My story is lengthy, so bare with me, but I'd rather try to get it all in one post so everyone will have all info up front.
A little about myself and my living situation- I'm married with a two year old son. We also have a German Shepherd/Beagle/Terrier mix rescue who is almost three. I live in a single wide mobile home that is current up for sale and we're not allowed to have outdoor pets. I lived out in the country most my life and have taken care of 30+ cats and strays in my lifetime. So I have a decent amount of knowledge when it comes to cats and their "usual" behavior.
About 4 - 5 weeks ago, we adopted a cat from the APL. His name is Niko. He's 4 years old, neutered, lived life as a stray that showed up at someone's house. He supposedly didn't get along with their cats so they brought him to the APL two months later. He lived at the APL for a month, and that's when we adopted him. His papers filled out by his previous owners say he "Never has accidents" and "Never tries to get outside".
The first night Niko was home, he tried desperately to get outside. And had been doing so for the past month. He meows incessantly, digs at my doors and windows, and when the windows are open, tries to pop out the screens. But we wouldn't let him out...
Within the first few days of being in our home, he peed on my shag living room area rug (I stepped in it). I scrubbed that rug with every online remedy I could find that wouldn't discolor my poor red rug to no avail. Knowing cats usually pee in the same areas, I decided it was best to toss it. A few days later, he was meowing to get outside. My husband and I were standing there looking at him talking about how the paper said he never wanted out and that they must have been lying, and right then and there he stared at us and peed on the rug in front of my door. We were shocked at first and then started telling him No! (Not yelling) but he continued until he was done and then walked away (he didn't sniff the area after, which I thought was odd). I didn't even try to clean that rug, I just tossed it right away.
I then take the door off his litter box wondering if that was the cause and called the vet. The vet gave him a cortozone shot because he has allergies, told me he needs some teeth pulled, and told me to wait and see if taking the door off works. He said he seems to be in a great health (And a whopping 13 healthy pounds!). He did not check for a UTI.
A few days go by and I noticed my sons room smells. Thinking it was diaper genie, I throw it out. Still stinks. Thinking it was his mattress, we buy him a new one and bump him up to a big bed... STILL STINKS! And then I figured out Niko had peed in his closet. Here's the weird thing about Niko's pee- It does NOT show up with a black light. At first I was combing my carpeted areas with the black light every night checking for pee... I have since stopped because it never shows up! Anyway- Over the next two weeks I cleaned that carpet with vinegar, Method anti-bac, Nature's Miracle, the Big Bissel carpet cleaner, the Little Green carpet cleaner, and it still smelled! So, I ripped it up and threw it out yesterday night. I then bought a coordinating rug that I cut to size and layed it in his closet. No more smell.
After finding the spot in my sons room and my house smelling like a cat box, I called the APL and told them what was going on. They told me to bring Niko back and exchange him for another. But that would render Niko unadoptable and he would have to be put down. At the time I was very upset that A. They would be putting him down but also B. My house reaked! So I set up a day to bring him back. And then I felt terrible and called back a few hours later and canceled. She gave me some suggestions, one of which was to try a different litter- so I switched from PetCo Brand Clay, to World's Best. That seemed to have taken care of the problem for TEN DAYS! I thought we were over the worst! Then...
Wednesday I come home from work and my bathroom stunk. The litter box had been scooped, I even stuck my head in there and it only smelled like corn. So that wasn't the issue. I then put my face to the floor and realized it was my bathroom rug! Two spots, one on each end, both dry. I took the black light over then and they still didn't show up. Luckily this is a rug I can toss in my washer, so I did. The smell came out. But! The smell is in my brand new linoleum flooring I tried Natures Miracle, Method Anti Bac, Vinegar, Warm Soapy water... It kinda helped. You can't smell it unless you dig your face down in there, but I'm sure Niko can. And it's only about two feet from his litter box.
Frustrated, my husband said that was it, Niko had to go. Our house is for sale and we can't have it smelling like a cat box. And with that he let Niko (who was currently meowing to get outside) outside. Niko was out most of the night and came in at about 6am. Yesterday morning I put an ad on Craigslist briefly explaining the situation and the Niko needs a home where he can go outside since (We thought) that is genuinely what he wants and we're not supposed to do that here. I then remembered Cat Attract Cat Litter when I was out later and about and stopped and got some.
When I got home and took the ad down, I checked my email. I got a lot of emails from people thanking me for trying to so hard and to keep trying... Also a few from people telling me I was a piece of Sh*t. (Because that really makes someone want to try harder?) But one of those people referred me to this forum. So thank you, whoever you were!
I put the Cat Attract, half and half with his World's Best and took off the hood like it says in the directions. Niko was disinterested. In fact he only peed twice since 3pm yesterday. It's now 10am. He seem frightened of the litter box looking so different, he would scoop around a lot but never actually go. So this morning I put the hood back on and he instantly when in there and peed. So I know now that it's NOT the hood. He PREFERS the hood.
Something strange has happened though- My husband and I were convinced that he would want out all the time once we let him outside... the opposite has happened. Last night, for the first time, he did not want out at all. And when we opened the door last night he didn't even try to escape! Same this morning. Could it be possible he just need to get the outdoors out of his system?
I read your forum on inappropriate cat peeing issues, and I called my vet again this morning. He's going tomorrow morning to have a UTI test done to make sure that is the issue.
I would also like to note that Niko is NOT declawed. He wears blue soft paws And since he's been home with us and on Holistic Food, he's almost stopped shedding, has an awesome coat, and he's just the sweetest cat I ever met. He genuinely loves me and I love him. It's breaking my heart that he's peeing in my house and I DO NOT want to have to get rid of him. But please understand- My house is for sale, I NEED to move... I CANNOT have my house smell like pee. Who wants to buy a house that stinks like cat urine?
I also have NOT replaced the large rug in my living room and the rug in front of my door. Mostly because I can't afford it right now, but also because I'm afraid he'll pee on them again.
I'm trying really hard here... Please any advice, or anything I have not thought of yet, feel free to reply.

Photos of Niko:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmarv...7626247536429/
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post #2 of 18
4/15/11 at 1:11pm
He could have a UTI problem. The Vet will be able to tell if he has crystals that could cause that. My cat gets UTI's, when he has it he pees outside the box, he never does it outside the box when he is alright. If its behavorial you could try Feliway Diffusers, they calm the cat down. I also have one that marks his territory because of the cats outside. I find the the Feliway really does help. Good Luck.
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post #3 of 18
4/15/11 at 1:52pm
How often are you scooping? I'm a firm believer in twice at day at least. Also, how many boxes? My boy insists on having more than one. Try to have the boxes in different locations if at all possible, and no place near his food or water. I'd try at least one box with just Cat Attract (I swear by the stuff - my boy had box issues when I got him).

Definitely have him checked for UTI or crystal issues.


Does your cat have places in your home where he can get away from the dog and/or toddler if need be? Cat tree or something?

My guess would be he was stressed by the first homing situation and may have been nervous at your house depending on how he interacted with the family and dog. Also, you are naturally under stress with trying to sell your home and being upset with his pee issues - he's picking up on that as well. I know it's incredibly hard, but try to be calm and patient - he's not doing anything deliberately from vindictiveness, but he's trying to tell you something is not right in his world.

For odor I've had great luck with a product called Zero Odor, which you can get at Bed Bath and Beyond.

For what it's worth, my Dante had me in tears with his box issues...it took a while, but he hasn't had an accident in over a year now...looking back, he was always trying to tell me something when he went out of the box, but I just couldn't translate well.
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post #4 of 18
4/15/11 at 5:18pm
First of all, I am sorry for your issue and I thank you for not giving up on this cat whose only chance is with you and your family. Second, have you seen this thread? http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9563

Also, I suspect you don't have a true black light. There are so many knock-offs on the market today and some of them aren't really black lights but they play one on the Internet. Home Depot and Petsmart both carry good ones. You want a UV light to detect cat pee.

Kitty sounds stressed. Being in animal shelters, being in upheaval all the time can cause kitty's chemicals to go into overload. He isn't trying to piss you off- no pun intended, but his brain is sending him mixed messages as hormones roll through his body, one way he responds is to pee. IF he is peeing small amounts in several places, he is more than likely fighting a bad urinary tract infection. If he is flooding the carpet, rug, floor with urine that is stress. Unfortuantely when kitties are stressed their first organ to respond to that stress is their bladder.
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post #5 of 18
4/15/11 at 6:42pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, I just started using Cat Attract. And I check/scoop the litter box every time I go into the bathroom. So his litter box is almost always clean. He only has one litter box.
I will post tomorrow on what the vet says about him having a UTI or not. He actually wanted outside again tonight. My husband and I feel he's trying to tell us that he wants out there. Is that even possible? He's been peeing out of spite because we haven't been letting him? If so, can we retrain him to want to be inside all the time?
As for an escape from the dog and my son- The dog doesn't really bother him, but in our bedroom we have a large built in cabinet that he gets up on or he goes under our bed. He also has his own pieces of carpet that are his that the dog is not allowed to use and my son is not allowed in my room unless I am in there.
I kinda hope he really does have an UTI and it's not something behavioral... I will post tomorrow when I find out.
And with the black light- I got it at PetSmart- before we replaced our carpet, we used it and it showed all the places the past pets and gone in the house and it currently will show an old spot from my dog in my room and it shows splashes around my toilet (So gross! Men!) But it's not showing Niko's pee.
I have read that forum, thanks!
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post #6 of 18
4/15/11 at 7:09pm
It does sound like he's extremely stressed. Stress can really do a number on a kitty's system. You might also get a feliway diffuser to help decrease his stress level as well.
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post #7 of 18
4/15/11 at 7:36pm
Really appreciate you doing so much for your little Niko and I sincerely hope that the matter is resolved. He is such a handsome boy.
To be honest, with the economy the way it is, the number of cats and dogs that are being abandoned, the APL is rather overwhelmed and they will not try the way you are trying.

I bought my blacklight at petsmart too and mine shows pee in the bathroom but not cat pee - don't know if it has to do with the concentration or what, but this may be the issue in your case too. I have used Stink Free (from petsmart) with success and others I know have used Nok Out (found online) that many find really good too.

I will have to side with hissy and darlili here and go with stress causing this, if the UTI comes back negative. I was posting frantic messages here at the beginning of February when we adopted Hobbes and he was extremely stressed and was not eating or using the litter box. Feliway diffuser really helped then and again when he was introduced to Calvin, the resident kitty. That's surely another thing to try. A cat tree, even in small spaces, is an excellent addition. Sometimes a cat just needs to be up on a perch, out of the way of others. It may be a real good sign that Niko did not have any accidents for 10 days and there being a trigger to induce this (if in fact it is behavioral) - finding what it is may not be easy. I know Hobbes has upper respiratory infections when he is stressed.

You do mention that the 1st day Niko was home, he tried to escape. Did you keep him in a safe room away from the rest of the house to adjust? Calvin did not need that but Hobbes did. I know there are other posts about keeping a cat with their food, water and litter box in a small room/ bathroom to kind of reset the litter box habits etc and slowly letting him get used to the situation. I am not too knowledgable about this and I am sure others can chime in or you'll find posts relating to that.


As for going out. I do not know if going out really means he wants to necessarily be an indoor -outdoor kitty but rather may be that he's curious of the smells outside. Calvin would love to explore outside. He's always near doors and if someone's at the door he wants to dash. One day he had slipped past me and 5 mins later I find him smelling the flower bed in front of the house. Hobbes on the other hand is not interested at all to smell the air outside. I know some members here have leash trained their kitties and you can perhaps do the same and see if that works. I plan to try it in a few months.

Wish you all the best.
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post #8 of 18
4/15/11 at 9:57pm
Why not try a harness and leash on him and take him outside for short periods of time. You have to buy the correct harness because some they can wiggle out of but that might help him. He probably wanted out at his other home as well- if you live in the country and not near roads, try letting him out on a harness and leash and just walk with him- don't try to walk him.
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post #9 of 18
4/16/11 at 12:48am
Welcome to TCS and THANK YOU for not giving up on Niko.

I agree with the others about getting some feliway plug in diffusers, and the cat tree advice is excellent also. Harness and leash walking is also a good idea.

But what I haven't seen mentioned and want to stress is, your vet needs to take a urine sample. This sample should not only be analyzed (UA) at the clinic, it should be sent to a lab for a culture.

A urine culture is the best and most in depth test available, and, in my opinion, should always be done FIRST, when there is this type of problem.

Please keep us posted on your sweet boy.
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post #10 of 18
4/16/11 at 7:05pm
Thread Starter 
I have sad news.
I took Niko to the vet today again and told him everything that was going on. He told me I was doing all the right stuff and he wanted to do a full urine work up on him because he said it definitely sounds physical. Well, Niko has a lot of blood in his urine and he has been diagnosed with Feline Urological Syndrome- My doctor said it's an incurable disease that can sometimes be treated with diet and behavioral adjustments, but it doesn't always work. The food is pretty expensive and the behavioral adjustments involve Niko living in a dog crate for 4-6 weeks with only a litter and food and he's not allowed out. Then only allowing him out for a few minutes at a time a few weeks after that and slowly upping the time over a matter of months. He said because of the FUS, Niko's bladder is really swollen and he has grainy/sandy stuff floating around in there that can eventually clog up his urethra and cause a blockage- when this sandy/grainy stuff is urinated out, it irritates the the urethra causing bleeding which is painful and explains why Niko acts strange when he pees.
I called the APL to give them an update on what was going on and I spoke directly with the director. He told me that since Niko needs about half his teeth pulled, is on cortisone shots every month, has now been diagnosed with FUS, will be living in a cage for the next few months and possibly the rest of his life probably in a pain, I should bring him back and they will put him down since now his quality of life is suffering. I became quite emotional. While I've only had the Neeksters for just over a month, I've become quite attached, but I also agree- I don't want him to have a live in pain for the rest of his life, or in a cage. So Monday I will be taking Niko back to the APL. The director said he was extremely appreciative of all I have done for Niko and how hard I have tried to help him live a happy life here in my home. He wants me to take two new kitties when I drop off Niko for every thing I've done for free. While it some condolence... It's just not the same. This cat has such an awesome personality. I'm afraid I won't find another cat who loves to snuggle and "talks" back to me, sleeps with me, greets me at the door, loves to play, good with my dog and child and is in no way timid. I really would just rather have a healthy version of Niko instead of another cat... This sucks ;(
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post #11 of 18
4/17/11 at 7:02am
There is actually A LOT that can be done for him! If you're willing to work with him, there's a Yahoo support group for owner of kitties with FUS and FLUTD. You might want to join the group and get their input before you make your decision.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...guid=353539644
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post #12 of 18
4/17/11 at 7:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stephanietx View Post
There is actually A LOT that can be done for him! If you're willing to work with him, there's a Yahoo support group for owner of kitties with FUS and FLUTD. You might want to join the group and get their input before you make your decision.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...guid=353539644

I agree do not give up!

I had a cat diagnosed with FUS, he lived a very normal life for a very long time after diagnosis.
And the expensive food thing, do your research, there are plenty of affordable foods out there for urinary issues.

Crating is only necessary if the peeing has become behavioral, I never had to crate my guy, as he stopped peeing everywhere once the painful symptoms were controlled.
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post #13 of 18
4/17/11 at 11:14am
When I had referred you to this forum on a whim (I never even respond to CL ads), I was hoping that things would turn out differently for you and Niko.

FUS does not have to be a death sentence and Niko has not been treated for it yet. Sometimes it may not be as difficult as the vet implied - he/she possibly painted the worst case scenario. There are also other food for his special need that are cheaper and will not be too much more than what you are spending on feeding him now. Also since Niko's problem is not behavior, once you have got a control of his health, you can go for a cheaper litter.

This is our story:
The day after we got Hobbes, we took him to the vet and it turned out he had different health issues. We knew the testing will be over 500$ and the suggestion of returning him did come up but we decided not to since we knew he would be put down/ not treated. We've dealt with his health issues and will be and it's been expensive (we got the care credit card to pay for the vet bills) but the good thing is his health situation is possibly not as dire as everyone thought at the beginning. Of course we will have to go back in a few months for another echocardiogram (aother 500$) but we are glad that we gave him a chance. What I am trying to say is, before treatment you really do not know how serious a situation is or a cat will react to treatment. So if you can give Niko a chance, things just may not be as hard as they seem now.

I am on the eastside and so is our vet. I have a lot of faith in my vet and he is a conservative doctor (no unnecessary expenses). So if you want a second opinion, he is one you can try.
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post #14 of 18
4/17/11 at 6:57pm
I'm so sorry that this is turning out much harder than you had hoped for...but I agree you might want to do a little more research and talk with the vet at greater length....believe me, I know it's hard to talk or think when you're on the verge of tears.

My boy had box issues before we were able to address the struvite crystal issue...knock wood, with the C/D, he's had lovely clear urine and no accidents for over a year.

If the vet is talking about Hills C/D prescription food, ok, it's not the cheapest food in the world, but honestly not that more expensive than regular 'premium' food from Petco or Petsmart. It's nutrient dense so you don't feed huge amounts. A case of wet from my vet is about $31; and around 8 pounds of dry is $28 - sure, there's the initial sticker shot, but the dry kibble feeds my two cats for about 6-7 weeks, at cup per day for both. Your experience would vary, and vets do see a lot of clients who absolutely freak at the prices - but when you do the cost comparison, it's not that terrible, IMO.

And, one vet did mention keeping Dante in the bathroom to retrain him to use his box as an option (and it's often harder on you than the cat - I know)...I got lucky; once his irritation was reduced with painkillers and the food, and I started using Cat Attract, things got much better and I never did have to segregate him. Now, your boy's case may be much more severe, but if you can afford it, I'd ask for a second opinion from another vet - just for my own peace of mind.

We have a member named Carolina who's dealt with a lot of teeth issues with her cats, as well as other issues. While I agree that if you can't improve your boy's quality of life, and if he's in pain that you can't relieve, letting him go to the bridge would be a kindness, you might want to take some time for a second opinion. Shelters aren't usually faced with owners who want to go that extra mile, or five, with urine issues, etc.

But remember - you're doing everything because you love him and you want the best for him, and you're worried about his pain. This is a hard decision, but you're working from love...I'm praying for you both.
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post #15 of 18
4/19/11 at 5:44pm
When I adopted my first cat, Woody, I was told he had FUS and had been returned by an earlier adopter because he had to be on special food. I fell in love with him at first sight, so I took him home and considered myself lucky to have him!

He never seemed to have any problems with peeing, and I spoke to someone at the shelter who said that cats often develop FUS or FUS-like symptoms at the shelter because of stress.

He did seem to have a lot of vomiting episodes, and after much trial and error, I figured out that this could have been a corn allergy (he seemed to have a problem with 'yellow' food--high corn content). I eventually weaned him off the prescription food and fed him wet food combined with Royal Canin 'sensitive stomach' formula and he did much better on that--NEVER had a blockage, and only once (in his teens) had a UTI.

So, if you love your cat, don't give up on him! After a few months or a year on the prescription food, the problem may resolve. Dental work is pretty common in cats, too, and many vets offer Care Credit if paying it off in one payment is too hard.

I wish you well and hope you can work through this!
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post #16 of 18
4/24/11 at 6:01pm
Thread Starter 
Last Monday, we took Niko back to the APL. Both the shelter and my family felt it was in everyone's best interest if Niko went back. Niko was NOT put down, he instead went to a foster that has dealt with FUS/cats with urinary issues. I am confident Niko is in good hands with someone with more experience/financially capable at handling this situation than I am.
Thank you everyone for all your help.
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post #17 of 18
4/24/11 at 6:09pm
Thanks for checking back in - this had to be a most difficult situation for everyone, and I'm glad you were able to find Niko a foster home where they'll have the experience to help him.
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post #18 of 18
4/24/11 at 6:14pm
I'm so relieved he won't be put down. It IS a lot for new cat owners to handle, but it would be a shame for him to die because of that. I hope a nice healthy kitty chooses you soon!
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