peeing on heat vents

why why why...five cats in the house and only one pees on the heat vest...we have tried Knock Out...we have tried bleach...we have tried sunlight soap...nothing works...cats is 13 and this is a pain in the ass...now he's pee is staining our hardwood floors and lifting the paint off the baseboard...please and thanks

Cats typically go outside their litter box because of medical (pain or infection etc) or territorial. I always try to rule out medical first. It could be pain so please ask the vet about the potential for pain.

Does the cat every use the litter box?

Cats feeling territorially insecure can also mark. Is the cat being bullied at all? Is there a chance that an animal got into the HVAC system? A cat can feel insecure because the cat smells an unknown animal.

I would step up play with this cat after getting the vet diagnosis. A confident cat is less likely to mark as it isn't as insecure. We build confidence through play, food, height and love. I would like you to step up play if possible in all areas of the house especially around areas the cat is marking. After play feed either treats or a meal. Have the cat go up in the world (in cat trees or anywhere high). And finally, please do not yell at the cat or be negative towards the cat. Cats can take on our emotions so they can feel more insecure if they feel unloved. Try to give the cat love and understanding and if possible get the cat to purr (so long as oyu are not at risk of being hurt in any way).

Also, here is a link to clean cat urine. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-remove-cat-urine

I think this is a good start to solving the problem. Please let me know how it goes and if I can help in any way.

I have not taken him to the vet coz well its not a vet problem...he is healthy healthy healthy...sorta kinda resembles a triangle when sitting...but we love him///he has been through alot...he is bullied but that because he pees on the vents and the other cats know that we do not like this...so he gets shit from the queen cat and the alpha cat...i dont know how to stop that coz that is just their pecking order.

Play...he plays with self all the time...he is the most playful of the five and he is the oldest...he is 13...

Love...omg...this boy's mother committed suicide in front of him and his bro and then they were left in the apartment with the deceased for three days...then they were separated put into cages...brought to the pound...where they sat for two weeks till i could get the ol to take time and then they were brought home to me.

I was their first owners friends.

They were five when I got them.  

The brother has since passed away.

We absolutely adore Ernie.  He is the prettiest persian cat  and he has this personality that just shines.  He is filled with love.  You cant not love him but the peeing is just unreal.

so how to stop...I just don't know.

Sorry to hear of his traumatic background and of your grief also  

I just replied to a thread, following what @CalicosRSpecial  had written, on a cat peeing on all the beds.  It can be found here, so that I don't have to go to the effort of explaining, I'm lazy:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/334981/cat-keeps-peeing-on-every-bed

Also, I had a very entertaining conversation with someone about their Persian cat earlier today.  The poster had initially posted because the Persian was peeing and pooing outside of the box, and nothing had worked to remedy it for 7 years on the trot.  Until they found The Cat Site, and were advised to use "cat attract" cat litter.  I'm not sure where that thread is now but the one today was about the Persian's attitude issues and may be of interest to you anyway.  I think I stumbled onto something with her grooming requirements and have privately messaged the thread starter about it.  Anyhow:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/335075/semi-feral-cat-wont-warm-up-to-me

I'll look for the old peeing & pooing Persian thread now and update this post.......

Updated.  Aha!  I've just tracked it down:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/332888/cat-has-enjoyed-peeing-pooping-on-floor-for-years

I can totally relate...been there, done that!  I have a cat that peed down heating vents, sinks, even burner on stove.  Imagine when I turned burner on high one day!  She was such a sweet cat, very passive, but was being bullied by her brother and couldn't defend herself.  I took her to a Holistic Vet who recommended that I put her in a separate room, (as long as it has a window in it), put her litter box in there and feed her in that room also, and keep other cats out.  In this case, it was our bedroom/bathroom.  This breaks the vicious pee cycle behavior.  Cats will not foul where they eat and sleep.  Well, she loved it in there because she felt safe; it was her sanctuary.  She never peed anywhere other than her litterbox again.  At first we used "Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract" litter with cat attracting herbs in her litterbox.  Then we switched over to regular litter after good toilet habits were re-established.

Her (bullying) brother sadly,(for us but not for her) is gone now and she has free roam of the house, but she still prefers the comfort of her own private space.  We have no fears of her peeing now and it has been over 10 years.

As for removing difficult cat urine odor, the best thing I found is "SCOE 10X".  .  SCOE 10X is an on- contact odor eliminator that will permanently eliminate any animal excretion, odor, smoke odor, fuel odor and most every organic odor.  It was developed for professional use in homes and businesses.  Check it out on www.SCOE10X.com.

Don't give up...this frustrating behavior CAN be fixed!

Mcdyke welcome! Sorry to hear of your troubles, but we hope we can help you solve them.

I had a cat that did that too, and it's a pain. That wee wee odor through the house.

Notwithstanding your beliefs to the contrary, I'd take him to the vet and ask specifically about urination, particularly if the problem started suddenly and recently. He's 13 and getting long in the tooth. As a person of a certain (increasing) age, I've found that health issues pop up like good fun used to.

My cat had no health problems either, and repellants smelled almost as bad as he did.

Does Ernie pee on just one vent, or it is all of them? Or some? Does he pee only on vents that are hidden, or exposed? Or any kind of pattern?

If it's one vent, try to figure out what about that vent is so appealing. In my case, it seemed that he liked the one behind the sofa, so blocking that vent with a wire cage solved the problem.

WAIT! You're in Ontario, Canada, and it's cold there. I'm originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and it's still cold there, too. You want all the heat you can get. Oh how I know! But try it anyway. See what Ernie does. I think my cat liked the combination of air on his bum and the snug hiding place. He went back to his box and stayed.

I note that your cat has had a bit of a psychological history. Maybe try the one-room treatment for a while, if that's feasible.

And, maybe a picture so we can see how adorable he is?

And, let us know what you do and if it works. This is part of a body of knowledge for all of us.

I think it stems from feeling insecure and being bullied. Cats that feel like they are insignificant mark to say "this is mine".

Are there enough litter boxes and in different areas? 

How does he walk around? Tail up or down? Low to the ground or tall? Is he hiding at all? Avoiding areas or other cats?

We need to get him to be more confident. I would step up play with him as much as possible. In all areas of the house but especially in areas where he is marking. After a good play session feed either treats or a meal. If possible add some cat trees and scratching posts. Try to get him up in those cat trees. Height builds confidence. Also, he can get his scent on those trees and posts. We want him to own some of those. Then please try not to yell at him or be negative towards him in anyway. I know it is hard as it is very frustrating. But cats can take on our emotions so the more calm and confident we are the more they are. If you see the other cats starting to bully him please distract the bully cat with their name, or play, anything to stop the bullying. Finally, just give him as much love as possible without putting yourself at risk of being scratched or bitten. 

The more confident he is the less bullied he will be and the less likely he will feel the need to mark. It takes some time but it should help.

Please keep us up on how things go. There are a lot of good people that have posted that are willing to help as long as needed.

MdDyke, how's it going?

Any further developments? Your experiences are important, because "potty issues" are a HUGE problem for cat lovers.