Cat seems to pee out of anger- out of control

leocallie2

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Hello, I'm Callie and our family has a serious problem.

Our cat, Mouse, pees. Out of hate. We know it's not a bladder problem; she gets constant check-ups. For the longest time, she has peed downstairs on linens and couches when she felt like it. We have a litter box down there that is regularly scooped but she pees anyway. It reeks down there. However, she has begun to pee upstairs- on the floor, on the fireplace, etc. Just today we found that she had peed on a book shelf and our books. My mother and father are at a breaking point but we don't know what to do. My mother suggested getting rid of her and I thought it would help to make her an outside cat. however, neither choice would be the best for our situation and we are at odds at what to do. We try to put her out every night but she still finds a way to pee on our stuff if she's having a "bad day". Also, we have tried giving her prozac for her temper as recommended by the vet, but no luck. Please help!
 

momofmany

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If she is angry and pees out of hate, what is it about her life that she hates so much?

Cats don't pee out of a box because of spite. They don't have that emotion. They do it because something is wrong, either medically or emotionally. It is the only way that they can tell you that something is wrong.

I had a cat that pooped out of the box because he had a problem in his mouth. I have another cat that pees out of the box when he doesn't get enough attention from me. I've had cats in the past pee outside the box when they were sick with cancer. Peeing outside of the box may have nothing to do with her bladder.
 

minka

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Yea... cats don't have the same kind of emotions as we do. They don't retroactively think 'You did this, so I'm going to do that to you.' And even if they did, the cat would have no idea that peeing on things is a good way to get back at you. Cats don't pee on each others things to get back at one another. xD

Something is wrong, whether it be UTI, cancer, pain, who knows. Find a new vet/a pet behaviorist and keep trying.
 

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Is her litter box really clean? You should be cleaning it every day. Cats have to have a clean litter box. Have you changed kitty litter lately? That could do it too.

Begin with the obvious and go from there. If you kitty is not an outdoor cat you should not be putting her out at night. Although Mouse has had regular check-ups, that does not mean there isn't a health issue going on right now.
She should see the vet.

One more thing; If you haven't cleaned up the areas she has peed in anywhere in the house, up or down, she will continue to go there.
 
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leocallie2

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Ligwa- Mouse is and indoor/outdoor cat- she goes in and out when she pleases. We clean her mess with nature's miracle or get serious, which one do you people think is better? Also, we are planning to go on a "cat pee scavenger hunt" with a blacklight to see if we've missed anything. Sounds like fun, huh?


I apologize for my blatant use of anthropomorphism in my last post- it was very late and both my mother and I were extremely frustrated because a bunch of our novels are now soaked in cat urine.


All your ideas are very much appreciated. Thanks!

LC2
 

yayi

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Are you positive it is urine and not cat spray? My cats are indoor/outdoor and the only time they spray inside the house is when they are upset because there are new strays roaming the neighborhood.
 

ligwa

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Callie,
A newcomer to our neighborhood made my perfectly good little kitty a "pee spraying terror". Are you sure that there isn't a new kitty around your house?

I also had my guy on Prozac. For him, it cause more aggressive behavior. He's off of it now. I did give it a whole two months though, as advised. It just didn't work for him.

Yes, the pee finding black light is a blast. Been there, done that. However, it's very important that you find it and get it all cleaned up. Good luck with that. What you use is personal preference. I think there are other things that work better than the Natures Miracle but that's my opinion. I happen to use "Anti Icky Poo". Others here use other things. Don't forget any furniture Mouse may have hit. Saturate it with the cleaner. You would be surprised at how much there actually is. Yes, yuck.

Cat's just don't start spraying for no good reason. That is, if it's spray. I'm still not sure if Mouse is spraying or peeing. Either way, there's an issue that exist for him.

Good luck.

P.S....Your cat does not hate you. He is counting on you though.
 
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leocallie2

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yayi- I dunno, can females spray? I thought that was a male thing- all of our kitties are girls. He don't see any strays around much. He used to have an evil himilayan that roamed the hood, but I think he died, and they did not spray as much back then as they do now! There are 2 male cats owned by our neighbors, and occasionally Edgar (one of them) goes into our garage, but not our house, to steal food. Could that be it?
 

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I don't mean to be disagreeable, but are y'all SURE cats never pee to express displeasure?

I used to come for visits to a friends' house and stay for a week or so several times a year. She had two female cats. One of her cats would always ALWAYS pee on my clothes if she could get to them. If I kept everything in the suitcase and the case sealed, all was well. Once I left the zipper slightly unzipped and she climbed inside and peed on my things. Never on my shoes or anything else. And to be fair, I don't think the cat disliked me. I never figured out why she did this.

But I add to that another story. After my divorce, the ex kept the cats. All was well for several years, then a woman moved in. She claimed to be an animal lover, but from stories I heard, she clearly had it in for one of the cats (well, both actually ... The male escaped and was run over). But the female started peeing on everything the woman owned, and she finally called me one day and said my ex husband was allergic to the cat and if I didn't take it that day they were taking it to the pound.

I wasn't allowed to have a cat at my rented home, but I was planning to move anyway so I took the cat and kept her in the garage for a few days until I got a new place lined up. She was fine again and never peed on anything she shouldn't after I took her back.

I really, really think the cat disliked the woman and peed on her things to express that. Don't you all think such a thing is possible?

(and if it matters to the discussion, she was the fourth or fifth woman to move in after the divorce so it wasn't just suddenly a new person is there for the first time)
 

arlyn

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Not so much displeasure as it was most likely stress with your ex's live in.
Cats can sense how we are feeling and they act on it, the woman obviously disliked the cat.

As far peeing on your clothes, I have one here that will pee on any item of clothing left where she can get to it.
The up side is that my husband learned very quickly not to leave clothes anywhere in her reach.
She's perfectly healthy, everything has been ruled out, for her, its behavioral and easily controlled.

Cats cannot experience spite as we do.
Cause and effect is an imediate thing with them.
 

addiebee

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Originally Posted by CrystalKitty

I don't mean to be disagreeable, but are y'all SURE cats never pee to express displeasure?

I used to come for visits to a friends' house and stay for a week or so several times a year. She had two female cats. One of her cats would always ALWAYS pee on my clothes if she could get to them. If I kept everything in the suitcase and the case sealed, all was well. Once I left the zipper slightly unzipped and she climbed inside and peed on my things. Never on my shoes or anything else. And to be fair, I don't think the cat disliked me. I never figured out why she did this.

But I add to that another story. After my divorce, the ex kept the cats. All was well for several years, then a woman moved in. She claimed to be an animal lover, but from stories I heard, she clearly had it in for one of the cats (well, both actually ... The male escaped and was run over). But the female started peeing on everything the woman owned, and she finally called me one day and said my ex husband was allergic to the cat and if I didn't take it that day they were taking it to the pound.

I wasn't allowed to have a cat at my rented home, but I was planning to move anyway so I took the cat and kept her in the garage for a few days until I got a new place lined up. She was fine again and never peed on anything she shouldn't after I took her back.

I really, really think the cat disliked the woman and peed on her things to express that. Don't you all think such a thing is possible?

(and if it matters to the discussion, she was the fourth or fifth woman to move in after the divorce so it wasn't just suddenly a new person is there for the first time)
That cat peeing on your clothes is a territorial thing - your clothing smells like YOU and she wanted these things to smell like HER. Simple as that.

That cat that your ex had - as Arlyn indicated - was stressed out. They will pee inappropriately from fear, from stress, from disease, to protect their territory from invaders ( outside cats they know are there, etc.)
 

auntie crazy

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Welcome to TCS, Leocallie2!


As others have already mentioned, cats aren't capable of engaging in a specific behavior out of revenge; conceptually, it's simply beyond their abilities.

To pee in spite, revenge or anger, a cat must first be angry about an act, then attribute the cause of that act to you, then decide to cause you the same bad feeling it has (impossible conceptual link here), then recognize that peeing outside the litter box is something that would cause you the same anger it's feeling / pay you back (impossible conceptual link here).

This kind of reasoning just isn't possible for cats.

There are many other reasons your kitty could be eliminating inappropriately, however: stress, habit, territory marking, pain, dementia, and more.

In fact, peeing in places she could potentially find comforting (anything that smells of you and whomever she has bonded with) is a classic reaction to stress. A single short-term incident could have set her off, then the behavior could have became a habit even though the incident itself was resolved.

If it's stress-related, Feliway might help. You'll need one plug-in per averaged-sized room (amazon.com often has great prices on multi-packs).

How many litter boxes do you have and where are they located?

Hmmm, has Mouse been spayed? If not, she could very well be spraying. Is the urine you're finding mostly on the floor, or on the floor and the walls? Another cat entering her territory could definitely cause her to mark it vigorously as hers.

If I were you, I would also have Mouse rechecked by a vet, specifically for urinary tract-related issues; maybe the level of infection was too low to catch the last time or maybe it's some kind of irritation vs an actual infection. It's happened many times before, and there are currently active stories of TCS members whose kitties have medical issues that are causing their inappropriate elimination.

You might also consider bringing Mouse in and making her a full-time indoor kitty. It may help with her territory issues (other cats can't get into the house so she'll no longer have to fight with them over her food) and it'll definitely be safer for her. In addition, you could also retrain her to the litter box, as described in the sticky "Inappropriate Peeing Problems Answered". Cat Attract litter is highly recommended in these situations, as well.

I hope you're able to get to the bottom of this soon! This is a really difficult problem to deal with. Kudos to you for researching ways to address it!


AC
 
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leocallie2

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Hey, sorry I haven't been replying recently.

Anyhow, we went into the brother's room with the blacklight and yes it was terrible. We scrubbed each glowy spot we could find with resolve first and then Nature's Miracle or Get Serious. Problem is- they don't seem to be working. Neither of them get that "glow" away. Is that permanent, no matter what you do? Do the pheromones go and the spot stains stay as an ugly reminder? My mother is scarred and hopeless and I'm grasping at straws.

Is there a product or home remedy that gets rid of that "glow"?
 
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leocallie2

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We have 3 boxes; One in the Brother's room, one in the basement, and one in the laundry room.
 
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leocallie2

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One more answer- Mouse is spayed. We had her unspayed at first so we could raise kittens but it didn't turn out well and she had a miscarriage, then we spayed her. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, maybe? ( LOL, kidding.
)

Hope the new info helps.

Thanks again for trying to help.

LC2
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by leocallie2

Hey, sorry I haven't been replying recently.

Anyhow, we went into the brother's room with the blacklight and yes it was terrible. We scrubbed each glowy spot we could find with resolve first and then Nature's Miracle or Get Serious. Problem is- they don't seem to be working. Neither of them get that "glow" away. Is that permanent, no matter what you do? Do the pheromones go and the spot stains stay as an ugly reminder? My mother is scarred and hopeless and I'm grasping at straws.

Is there a product or home remedy that gets rid of that "glow"?
Nature's miracle does not work - I suggest you get nok out. Really REALLY dump it there - get it by the gallon. Do not scrub. Dump (spraying does nothing - you really want to get it in there), leave for an hour or so, remove the excess with a cloth or a paper towel, and then leave it air-drying. It can take up to 2 weeks for the enzymes to eat through the urine - it is imperative to air dry it so the enzymes have the time to destroy the odor causing bacteria and agents in the urine. While it is drying, do not let the cat access the area.... Cover it with aluminum foil, or an upside down computer mat (has the spikes)...
It is not the scrubbing that cleans - it is the enzymes - they literally "eat" the urine.
 
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leocallie2

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Thanks, I'll be sure to try it. We are also thinking about investing in Feliway. Your thoughts on this product, Carolina?

LC2
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by leocallie2

We have 3 boxes; One in the Brother's room, one in the basement, and one in the laundry room.
Ok, about the litter boxes: Laundry room is not a good place at all - a lot of kitties have problems with the noise - if they are doing their business and the machine makes a loud noise, they can get scared and traumatized.
The problem with the Brother's room, is that the room itself is so soaked with pee, the room has become a litterbox. I would advise you to remove that litterbox from there at least while you are cleaning the room.
The basement - make sure it is accessible.
I know it sucks.... That means you will have visible litterboxes in the house, but at least you won't have pee everywhere. It is a trade off you will have to consider temporarily.
Make sure the boxes are clean large (LARGE - rubbermaid or Sterilite storage bins work great for it) and uncovered.
If you have only one cat, 2 litterboxes are just fine. You can compromise on that.
Switch your litter to "Cat Attract Litter" - it works wonders. Here is a rebate form for a free bag, up to 40lbs.
Is there a corridor close to brother's bedroom door where you could place the litter boxes at? I know it is not really a pretty sight, but end of corridors in my experience work really well - end of corridors, corners of rooms. Places where the kitty can see the whole room and not feel trapped.

Originally Posted by leocallie2

Thanks, I'll be sure to try it. We are also thinking about investing in Feliway. Your thoughts on this product, Carolina?

LC2
Yes, Feliway works great - I am a firm believer. I was out of it and with my constant travels I noticed Bugsy was very stressed - overgrooming. Since I placed the plug-ins in the wall there has been a huge difference. I buy them at Amazon as a 6pack, much, much cheaper that way. I place one in each room he hangs out the most - here is the link if you are considering: Feliway 6-Pack Refills
 
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leocallie2

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Sounds good!

We currently have 3 cats (Mouse, Butterfly, Ti), and that is why we have the 3 boxes. Mouse and Butterfly are sisters but currently hate each other. That is what I think they are peeing about- too much mean girl energy!

Also, My mother just told me that until Nok Out arrives in the mail, she wants to start with another product. She mentioned 2- Bissell Pet Stain and Odor Remover and Urine Out. Do these work in the same way that Nok Out does, and are they any good?

Thanks!
 
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