cat using bed and couch as a bathroom

[liontamer67]

help! Our cat Loki is 15 month old and has developed a bad habit of using the bathroom on our couch about 6 months ago. we tried enzyme cleaner, had it professionally cleaned, put food down on the couch, air fresheners, and finally scat mats which work great. Since then he has started using the bathroom on our bed. It is soaking through to the mattress on our new wedding comforter. We just got married 3 months ago. I have a 9 year old cat Lucy too. I have 3 litter boxes set up too. They eat good food too, nothing cheap. Help!
deb

 

[momofmany]

If you haven't taken you cat into the vet for a checkup, you should do so. Inappropriate urination is often a sign of a urinary track infection, and a health issue should be the first thing you rule out before you address any behavioral issue.

Consider Feliway plug ins, particularly in the rooms that she is messing in - these provide a calming effect in cats. If there is a time of day that she does this, you might want to gently remind her where the litter box is.

As an interim measure, consider a plastic bed cover under your mattress pad - you can get fitted ones in the linen departments at stores such as Walmart. Put away the wedding comforter until you work thru this issue.

Please give us an update after you take her to the vet.

 

[liontamer67]

Thanks Amy. Yes I called them and they told me to get a stool sample and bring it in too. I will do that. I did buy the mattress plastic things. I had put them on my pillows and a bed downstairs but we hadn't gotten to our mattress. Darn it! Yes I am ordering the Feliway plug-ins as we speak. First time I have seen those available. I will let you know what the vet says. I have also put Nature's miracle all over my mattress. I have read that i need to keep it wet with this for 48 hours in order for it to work. What have you heard?

 

[hissy]

Another thing you can do after you take the cat to the vet for a check up is take an older sheet that covers your entire bed. Soak it in a mixture of lemon juice and water, soak it about an hour, then let it air dry. Use that to cover your bed- the cat will not go near it.

But a vet visit would be wise. You can also check out this thread:

Inappropriate peeing issues

Beautiful- beautiful kitty too!

 

[lotsocats]

Just in case it is pooping rather than peeing that is the problem, please click here for a thread about stopping inappropriate pooping.

 

[liontamer67]

Hello! Thanks for the input! This really helps me. I am taking Loki to the vet. Good idea about the lemons. I used the little stickums with citrus on the couches before and that worked until they stopped smelling. I also think it may be another problem if it isn't medical. I have a cat Lucy 9 years old female. I am wondering if he is trying to dominate her. He used to try and act like her about everything when he was a kitten. As he gets older I notice that he tries to do things before her now. Lucy sleeps by my head every night and that has been the places that Loki has went poop and pee. Always at the head of the bed. The couch I am not sure of though. He has used the bathroom on each couch at some point but prefers the ones in the family room. I know that I do need to do a better job of cleaning out their litter boxes. I have 3! Joy!
take care,
deb

 

[liontamer67]

Hey! I took Loki to the vet. I had to leave him there for them to get a urine sample. I had also found out in the same visit that he has been chewing at his back. Doc said it was possible allergies but he tested positive for a UTI. So yeah we know that is what that is (hopefully). I have also bought a couple of Comfort Zones from Feliway to put in our bedrooms. We will see if that works. I have also bought an automatic kitty box cleaner. He seems to enjoy it. Yes he is weird. ha I am also getting some scat mats to put on both beds. Well can it cost anymore??? I feel as though I am getting paid back because both of my other cats that I had for 9 years never had anything ever wrong with them. Thank goodness because I was poor and in the Navy and then a student for 4 years. Thanks for your help!
love
d

 

[lotsocats]

to know what is going on!

By the way...your cat is absolutely gorgeous! Is he a particular breed? I just love his coloring.

 

[liontamer67]

Hi there. Yes it is a great relief. I was soooo happy to find out that maybe that is all it is. Funny I get UTI's also! Thank you for the compliment. He is an Australian Snowshoe. We got him because his breed gets along with other cats. We have a 9 year old Maine Coone (partial anyway) and she needed a friend. My other cat Spaz died last year (due to my apartment complex!). He is such a wonderful cat besides his behavior on our bed and couches. If you ever want another one he is so loving and so much fun. There are only 5 breeders in the U.S. but they aren't recognized by the national breeders association or whatever they call themselves that specialize in the contests and such of cats.

 

[fancycaddy]

Is he neutered? Just curious....I know lots of whole males will do it anyway

 

[liontamer67]

Wow I haven't been on here in a very long time. I thought I would let you all know what we learned about Loki.

We started using another vet after a few years. They constantly told us he had uti's and had him on medicine over and over. We also used them to kennel both cats when we went out of town. We had to pay an extra 10 bucks or something like that for them to give him medicine for his UTI. When I would pick him up sometimes I would notice that none of the medicine was used. I would complain about it. So eventually we took to a new vet. We got copies of his records at the original place (in Reston VA). The new vet said...oh he never had uti's. What? What do you mean he never had them? He showed me the paperwork and labwork and it also was negative. He must have been treated about 10 times for uti's from this place and he never ever had a uti. Can you believe this? I guess it is a rackett to make money or somehow appease the owners???

We also hired an animal behavorist and paid 300 bucks for her visit. I don't even think she knew anything about cats by the time we were done with her. I think she was a dog person. She tells us that no cats like to eat fruit. Loki loved to eat fruit. I knew other people with cats too that liked to eat fruit. So that was a waste of time, money and whatever.

We had also put him on Prozac for awhile. No help.

Okay fast forward to 2007 when we moved into our brand new home. I was pregnant and had an under 2 year old at home. Loki went into a room. I heard him open the door and I ran down and caught him while he was squatting on a brand new leather chair. It was my breaking point. It broke my heart but I was so stressed from everything else. 

I found him a great home with our computer/internet/stereo guy. At the time of building our house we got to know him and would see him almost ever week for months. We were very upfront about Loki. Well guess what??? They took him to a vet and they x-rayed his foot that he would limp on...mind you I had asked over the years those vets about his paw and told that it was a phatom pain or they couldn't find anything. 

Their vet found out they had left part of his nail in his foot when he was declawed. This was the vet that lied about his uti's. So all of those years our baby was in pain and we were lied to by the idiots that did the surgery and the other vets couldn't find anything. Their vet did find it and did surgery...removed it and guess what? No more accidents. It pains my heart as I still miss him so very much. 

But I thought I would let you all know what we found out.

 

[catfella]

Wow, an update AFTER 10 YEARS!

That is amazing. Glad to hear that Loki finally got some resolution with his condition. It seems that the lesson to be learned here is get a second opinion as early as possible.