Cat peeing outside litter box

[eddie21]

We have three cats and two dogs.  They all get along for the most part.  One of our cats just got over a UTI about a week or so ago.  Two nights ago, I came home and found out one (or multiple) of the cats urinated on one of the dog beds in the basement.  I'm not sure which cat did this, and I'm not sure if this has to do with that other cat that had the UTI, but whichever cat(s) did, they soaked it, and it soaked right through the rug underneath to the cement under that.  My guess is that it wasn't due to the UTI, since it seems to be a lot of urine, but I could be wrong?  That bed had previously been peed in as well, but we washed it in bleach and vinegar since.  After noticing this bed, I smelled one upstairs that had previously been urinated in, and that one smelled like it had recently been peed in as well.

I'm not sure what to do with this.  It's very stressful worrying about the cats and where they are going to the bathroom.  We have three litter boxes which we change once a week....Maybe we need to change it more often?  Maybe we need to wash out the litter boxes, could this be why?  We are just very frustrated right now.

Also, what do you suggest we do with the dog beds and the rug that was peed on?  I've sprayed it down with a half and half mixture of vinegar and water.  I just don't want them to smell it and have them pee on it again.

Help!

Thanks.

 

[sugarcatmom]

One of our cats just got over a UTI about a week or so ago. 

How was the UTI diagnosed, and how was it treated? Was there a follow-up culture done on the urine to make sure the bacteria (if there actually was any) is gone now?

since it seems to be a lot of urine,

How old are your kitties? And are you sure it wasn't one of the dogs?

Originally Posted by eddie21  

We have three litter boxes which we change once a week....Maybe we need to change it more often?  Maybe we need to wash out the litter boxes, could this be why? 

How often do you scoop out the boxes?

Originally Posted by eddie21  

Also, what do you suggest we do with the dog beds and the rug that was peed on?  I've sprayed it down with a half and half mixture of vinegar and water.

An enzyme-based cleaner like Urine Off or Nature's Miracle might be better choices.

More info on litter-box issues for you to read: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=litterbox

And stuff on urinary tract issues in cats: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

 

[eddie21]

I'm not sure how it was diagnosed.  The wife brought the cat in and they gave her some meds that she was taking.  She's no longer taking them.  I haven't seen her 'squat' outside the litter box since she got back...I found her doing this a couple times before bringing her in, which is why we brought her in, thinking that it had to be a UTI.  We never did bring her back in.....Should we have?  I guess the vet never said anything to us about this. 

The cats are around 7 years old I think.  I'm pretty sure it's the cats.....Cat urine has that distinctive smell, wouldn't you agree?  ...or can they smell the same?

We scoop the soiled litter out once a week.  We haven't actually cleaned the boxes in quite a long time, but it gets new litter put in once a week. 

We not only use the vinegar water, but we have this that we use too.  Is this a good product? Out Cat Stain and Odor Remover.

http://www.outinternational.com/cleaning_solutions.html

 

[sugarcatmom]

I'm not sure how it was diagnosed.  The wife brought the cat in and they gave her some meds that she was taking. 

Sounds like the vet didn't really do a thorough job diagnosing the problem and just threw some antibiotics at it. If you read the link above, it's actually quite rare for a cat under 10 yrs of age to have a true urinary tract infection. It's more likely to be a case of urinary tract inflammation, without the presence of bacteria. Or else an environmental issue:
 

We scoop the soiled litter out once a week.  We haven't actually cleaned the boxes in quite a long time, but it gets new litter put in once a week. 

That might be part of the problem. With 3 cats, you really should be scooping out the soiled litter twice a day. Cats are normally fastidiously clean, and walking in urine and feces goes against their very nature. The fact that you say there was a large amount of urine in the dog bed makes me think one of the cats was holding it for a long time before finally deciding on a better place to pee. I think if you were to start being really diligent about cleaning the box and maybe switch to a litter like Dr. Elsey's cat attract for the time being, whoever the culprit was would probably go back to using the box.
 

 

[eddie21]

Sounds like the vet didn't really do a thorough job diagnosing the problem and just threw some antibiotics at it. If you read the link above, it's actually quite rare for a cat under 10 yrs of age to have a true urinary tract infection. It's more likely to be a case of urinary tract inflammation, without the presence of bacteria. Or else an environmental issue:
 

That might be part of the problem. With 3 cats, you really should be scooping out the soiled litter twice a day. Cats are normally fastidiously clean, and walking in urine and feces goes against their very nature. The fact that you say there was a large amount of urine in the dog bed makes me think one of the cats was holding it for a long time before finally deciding on a better place to pee. I think if you were to start being really diligent about cleaning the box and maybe switch to a litter like Dr. Elsey's cat attract for the time being, whoever the culprit was would probably go back to using the box.
 

Yes, I guess I wouldn't know till I talk to the wife.  I can't believe they wouldn't take a thorough look at the situation....Considering what they billed us.  I'll ask, and also take a look at that link.  Thanks for that info.

We use Fresh Step - Multi Cat right now.  What's the difference between that and Dr. Elsey's?  We have talked about changing the litter more often, and probably what we should do.
 

 

[sugarcatmom]

What's the difference between that and Dr. Elsey's? 

Dr. Elsey's has a combination of herbs added that encourage cats to use it: http://www.preciouscat.com/product/cat-attract/

 

[otto]

The pee and poop in litter boxes should be scooped out at least twice a day. Cats are extremely fastidious, and meaning no disrespect, but you probably have a lot more pee around your house than you know, if you only remove waste once a week.

I also agree with the poster who said large amounts of urine indicate a cat is holding the urine, which is extremely unhealthy for cats to do.

I have three cats and three litter boxes, and I scoop at least four times a day, and dump and scrub once a week. Cats have a very sensitive sense of smell, in addition to their desire for a clean place to eliminate.

 

[eddie21]

Really appreciate the responses on this.  I feel bad that we have only been doing it once a week.  We thought that would be enough for three cats...Now that I think of it, and seeing these posts, it's definately not enough.  Do you think if they had gone to the bathroom in other places in the house, that we would have smelled it?

As far as the UTI, I talked to the wife and she said they did a blood test and they also checked the function of her kidneys.

Does anyone know if the Out! products are good to use?

http://www.outinternational.com/cleaning_solutions.html

 

[otto]

A blood test does not test for urinary tract problems. The vet should take a sample of the urine directly from the bladder, it's called cystocentesis. It does NOT hurt kitty. If his bladder is empty, usually you leave the cat there until it fills up enough for them to get a sample.

 

[eddie21]

Sounds like they don't know what they are doing then.....That's not comforting.

 

[speakhandsforme]

That's okay, that's what second opinions are for.

Thanks for being willing to get your cats the help they need. You have no idea how many people come here asking for help with their cat but "don't want to spend the money to take them to the vet."

 

[eddie21]

thanks for the info.  yes, we love our animals.  we have started to clean the litter boxes on a more regular basis now.  also, an update, i guess they did test our cat's urine.  the wife didn't go into enough detail the first time i asked her. 

i sprayed that Out! stuff on our cement and carpet and that one bed where they urinated (i washed the other bed, and that smells fine.  the one i had to spray is too big for our washer so i'm trying this, plus it doesn't seem to be as soiled as the original one), and it still smells. i contacted Out! and they swear by their product so i'm going to spray the cement and the bed again with another application.  i put the carpet outside on the deck to have the UV rays of the sun hit it, and maybe that will help.  i might have sprayed the bed and cement with too much vinegar water, and maybe that's why that Out! spray is having a hard time fixing the problem.  any suggestions with this would be appreciated!

thanks again everyone!

 

[speakhandsforme]

Multiple applications of the enzyme cleaner might be required. :nod:

Good luck!!

 

[eddie21]

thanks for all the help.  i've put Out! down twice right now and we'll see if it still smells after this second application.