Cat pees outside box moments later after using the box.

I have a orange tabby and hes about 2 - 2 1/2 years old. The problem I'm having is he does use his box and I empty it once every 2 to 3 days at the max. He wasn't neutered until right after he got a female cat pregnant when he was around 5 to 6 months old. As far as I know he hadn't started spraying yet but not sure about that. He was a indoor outdoor cat for the first year of his life and now hes solely a indoor cat now.. I had moved a few times since then. I came to live with my mother and about after a month or so.

He started urinating in different spots in the house. Every time we clean it up we use a enzyme cleaner. He does use his box as well and then say a hour later pees somewhere in the house. Not sure why he might be doing this. I have tried different types of discipline from taking him to the spot and telling him no to yelling and saying naughty tiger. I have even put his nose in it and spanked him telling him bad tiger and naughty tiger. None of those seem to detour him from doing this again. I love him but I'm at my last straw trying to break him of this habit. There are a few male and female cats outside and I think he might be acting out hoping we will send him outside to either mate, even though hes fixed, or fight with them. He will fight them, because I have seen him beat up other cats at my last house.

If you have any questions you need answered to help understand anything please ask. I want to help him and I don't want to get rid of him. I'm at my wits end trying to stop this action. A couple of examples of what is going on at this point. Today after I got home I saw him use his liter box and about 30 minutes to a hour later he walked over to the front door right next to where my mother was sitting watching TV. He peed on the floor and it was a full bladder worth on the linoleum. I have even sprayed some stuff called Sour Paws - Keep off dog and cat repellent. Didn'y help he still goes in those places. It's not like he does right out in the wide open. He does it in places you wouldn't normally walk or see. Please give me any suggestions you may have and ask me for anything you think might help figure it out.

The first thing you need to do is get him checked out by a vet. Litterbox issues very often have a physical cause, and I'm wondering whether Tiger has urinary tract issues at the moment (making urination painful). Cat logic goes like this: 'It hurts when I pee in the box. Maybe the box is causing the pain. If I pee somewhere else it might not hurt.'

I think it's less likely that he's peeing because of the cats outside. If they were the trigger, he'd most likely be peeing near the external walls, doors and windows - marking the perimeter of his territory.

Please stop with the discipline - Tiger won't understand why you're mad, and all you'll be doing is stressing him out.[article="32366"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="32341"][/article][article="29678"][/article][article="32493"][/article][article="30307"][/article][article="32758"][/article][article="30316"][/article]

  

As Columbine has written, when cats start urinating outside their litter box, it's often due to a urinary tract infection.  For this reason, the first step in resolving your boy's problem is to take him to the vet for a check-up.   Cats frequently avoid the litter box when they have a UTI because they associate it with the pain they feel while urinating.  

If he gets a clean bill of health, then you are looking at some behavior modification.  Unfortunately discipline rarely works with cats.  It's a waste of time because they don't make the connection between your discipline and the action you want to change.  Instead it just creates a lot of stress for both of you and makes your cat fear you.  The nose in the urine trick is a technique sometimes used in training dogs, but it simply doesn't work with cats.  And when you spank your cat, he doesn't have a clue why you're hitting him. You should never hit your cat.  The links posted above discuss this in more detail.

You mentioned that you thought the cats outside might be the trigger.  You might consider getting a motion activated sprinkler or ultrasonic device.  Here are some of the products available:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...n+activated+cat+repellent&tag=&tag=thecatsite   There are also cat repellents that come as pellets that you sprinkle around your property.  

If your cat is peeing outside his box because of stress,  it might be helpful to use a calming aid such as Feliway.  Feliway is based on pheromones that cats emit when they are happy and content and is available as a spray or diffuser.  http://www.feliway.com/us/#redirected  The diffusers are expensive but Amazon is reported to have the best prices.  It's also important to note that one diffuser covers 700-900 square feet so you might need more than one.  Composure is another calming aid, available as treats or drops.  http://www.vetriscience.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=9008103030.  Other calming aids include Rescue Remedy, Spirit Essences and calming collars.   These don't work on every cat but it is worth looking into them and trying one or two.

As a last resort, you can ask your vet about medication.  Antidepressants such as prozac and zoloft or benzodiazepines like valium, ativan or xanax are often used for this purpose.  Because these are powerful drugs, it's best to try everything else first, however using medication is much better than rehoming your cat.

Good luck.  I know this is a very frustrating problem.  

I agree with everything Columbine wrote: 

- Get him checked out by a vet as it could be a medical condition which is causing him pain.

- It may or may not be because the cats outside are stressing him out. Try to gauge where and how he's marking.

TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS ONE: Please stop with the discipline. All you'll be doing is stressing him out and exacerbating the problem.

Have you considered adding more litter boxes spread throughout the house? Our cat used to pee outside the box also. She had no medical conditions, and we learned the hard way that she was just sensitive about her litter and the location. We did many test runs of different litter and box types because she likes to pee in one particular but poop in another. Or if she went in a box and felt a lump from her previous session, she'd come back out and look for another place to go (which used to be our sofa). After many test runs, we now have four boxes for one cat spread out all over the house. She has different uses for each one and for different times of the day, and we still scoop multiple times every day. That's the only thing that's stopped her from eliminating outside the box. 

I just went through an issue where my 5 1/2 year old cat suddenly started peeing outside the litter box. I took him to the vet two weeks ago and he was treated for a UTI. I set up a new litter box in a different location now and there are no more issues. My cat has his follow-up appointment this afternoon.

Please stop trying to do anything to discipline or modify your cat's behavior. My hubby was convinced that Sonny was mad at him and this was the reason he was peeing in the den. We got in a huge argument because he did not want me to take the cat to the vet. I do not drive so one of my friends stepped up and took us to the vet. Hubby has apologized for his behavior regarding going to the vet. He now understands this was a medical issue. He also has told me that he will be much quicker work with me to get the cats to the vet to rule out medical issues before deciding they are behavioral,