Older Cat Uses My House as his Toilet

I must admitt that -I've had it- but at the same time am looking for advice. My older cat (15) Harry has been a great cat- but I think I have spoiled him. He bascially will urinate or poop anywhere that it suits him. I know this because I recently brought him to my parents house and he was an angel.

I've had it with destroying carpets, the poop outside the box- . He just gets so anxious when I don't let him out at specfic times- He has a lot of self confidence and acts like a real strong male cat.

He has had a good life- is still street smart, but I'm just can't have him ruin another apt.

Yes, I have brought him to the VET. Any suggestions- Or am I wrong to put an end to his life over this.
I 've tried sedatives- but he just fights through them.

If you haven't read it yet, please look at this thread: Inappropriate Peeing Problems Answered There are a ton of good suggestions of ways to deal with this problem. The biggest thing is to clean the areas that he has used with an enzymatic cleaner. At this point, he may be "refreshing" the places he has marked previously.

Harry needs to be retrained. Its going to be a long process but it can be done. Cats are very clean animals. They actually like having 1 place to make their deposits, just like humans.

Start by cleaning very carefully. Make sure everywhere Harry went is cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner. Then put out several litter boxes. Gradually move the boxes closer to the central box you want him to use.

It sounds like you either don't have a litter box available in the house for him, or he is locked in 1 room without a litter box. You said he gets so anxious when you don't let him out at specific times. If I was locked in a house without a bathroom, I'd use whatever is available too.

Don't put him down over this. Work with him

Please make sure you read the thread that Heidi (valanhb) gave you the link to. Potty problems are often easy to solve once you find out the source of the problem. For example, you said "He just gets so anxious when I don't let him out at specfic times." I don't know what you mean by this, but perhaps if you let him out when he needs to go out, your problem will be solved. As an elderly cat he may simply have less control over his bladder and bottom, so he may not be able to hold it as long as he did when he was younger. So, try letting him out more often so he doesn't have to have accidents any more.

There are many reasons why a cat will chose to use the floor rather than the litter box. The link Heidi gaves covers just about all of them.

Oh...I assume that the vet checked for urinary tract problems, diabetes, and for problems with his bowels. A typical annual check-up will miss these things.

Good luck!

If you're letting him out at specific times to go potty, and hes going in between 'schedualed' times, it may be that he just can't hold it as long anymore , now that hes getting older?

Does he have a litterbox? My kitty Onyx goes outside occasionally, but still prefers to do his business in his box.

Just another idea - if he does have a litterbox, you may want to make sure the sides are low enough for him to get in easily & not feel restricted, especially if he's used to going outdoors.

Another idea is to install a pet door, so he can come & go at will. But it's still a good idea to have at least one litterbox available for him, preferably more.

I once had a cat that had been allowed to poop & pee all over the previous owner's apartment - they never gave her a box. What I did with her was to get several litterboxes, and put one in each place that she seemed inclined to use, or if she had several in a room I would cover some of the spots she had used with aluminum foil after cleaning up (cats don't usually like to walk on aluminum foil). Use a cat litter that has a fine texture almost like sand, and you might even want to mix in some leaves & dirt from outside, if that's what he's used to. Be sure to use unscented litter. Most cats will bury their waste if they have a choice, and if he has lots of places to choose from it should be easier to train him. When she got used to using the boxes, she seemed to develop a preference for some. I picked up the other boxes (only one each week) and laid down aluminum foil where they had been. She was soon litterbox trained like a regular cat, and I was able to give her to a friend who adored her, and never had any more trouble with her.

I didn't mention neutering b/c I assume he is at that age. If not, it might be the first thing to consider.

Please keep us posted.

At his age I would run him into the vet and have some blood work done. As they get older their internal organs begin to break down and this may be what is working here. Your vet will know which blood panels to run to make proper diagnosis. Also have him tested for UTI

Originally posted by outdoor75
Or am I wrong to put an end to his life over this.
I 've tried sedatives- but he just fights through them.

Click to expand...

Yes you are wrong. And why do you give him sedatives?

Everyone here has given you excellent advice. Please try them before you put an end to your cats life over this.