Help! My Cat Is Urinating On Clothes.

[foni0k]

My Abyssinian female, Cali, is 3 years old. Her and I moved to a new place with my boyfriend at the beginning of the month.
Although she uses her litter box frequently and has shown no obvious sign of stress she has started to urinate on my boyfriends clothing and ONLY his clothing. She climbed onto the table this morning to pee on his jacket.
The first time she did this I took her to the vet to make sure she was not sick. She was tested for a uti and the test was negative. The vet did not give me any advice other then keep his clothes off the floor because she is still using her litter box.
He also said she could just not like him or the way he smells and that sounds funny to me.
She is very territorial of me and she will swat at him if he gets to close to her while I’m petting her. So maybe she is just mad??

 

[susanm9006]

Yes, she is upset. New home, new smells, living with a new person. All of those things create a great deal of stress for her. I would try a few things, first is as your vet recommended keeping your boyfriends clothing put away and closet doors closed. I would also have him be the one that puts food in her dish for every meal. Other than that he should not approach her or try to touch her until she makes the first move to him. And lastly, try some Rescue Remedy or Feliway which can help reduce her stress

 

[PMousse]

I agree with susanm9006 . I would also suggest letting your boyfriend be the one to play with her during play times, but use a wand toy so he doesn't get scratched. Playing time increases bonds between human and pets.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Also, is she spayed?

 

[5starcathotel]

Agree with the previous posters, this is an emotional issue for Cali in relation to your BF.

One suggestion maybe to wear one of your BFs T-shirts, after he's worn it for a day, while making extra effort to pet/cuddling/play with Cali. After, put the shirt on her favorite bed, and let her lay on it. The combination of scents and good experiences might help her.

Also, in addition to feeding and playtime, Jackson Galaxy's show has several examples of a "hand-off" exercise you may want to check out. The basic idea is that you and your BF sit together on the couch or bed, and you pet Cali until she is very, very relaxed, purring, and happy. Then hand her off to your BF and let him takeover petting. If done successfully, there should be no swatting.

Bottom line is she needs to associate your BFs smell with good things - food, play, love - and that should put a stop to the behavior.