My male won't pee in the litter box!!!! HELP!!!

[army wife]

I have a 2 year old male cat that will not pee in his box. Now due to past events I had to move back in with my mom and sh has 4 cats and I have 3. All of mine I have rescued (kinda a weird story about that) 2 of them are litter mates and one I took from my stepsister because she neglected it. Every cat in the house is fixed. But recently he started peeing outside the Box. My vet put him on an antibiotic and I kept him confined during the treatment. Sometimes he would use the box and other times he peed on the outside. I am at a loss these are my babies since I don't have kids right now. The boxes are always cleaned so they aren't full. All the cats get along with an occaisional smack here and there. But now my mom also has 5 dogs. All the cats go into hiding when they are out. I'm afraid that if my mom finds out he is doing this again she is going to make me give him up and I just can't do that. He is the first one I rescued. Someone please help me figure out what is wrong with my baby.

 

[army wife]

Also we have treated him for a UTI

 

[katluver4life]

Hello and welcome to TCS. So sorry your having this problem. Let me ask some questions first.

Did the vet do a urinalysis or just guess this was his issue and start him on antibiotics? If an full urinalysis was not done, then he may not be on the correct antibiotic, if he indeed has a UTI.

How long ago was this move? Cats do not take well to stressors. Which can lead to changes in behavior or illness. Moving, new cats, dogs, ect may be just too much for him, which could also induce a UTI.

How were your cats introduced to your mom's home and cats? Often improper introductions, or those done too quickly can lead to problems. Introducing them using methods like in this article http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats is a good way to bring cats together.

How many litter boxes are there? Typically there should be 1 per cat and many say plus 1 more.

I do suggest you return with him to the vet and get a full urinary work up, it's possible there is more going on that the current antibiotic isn't addressing.

If he get's cleared of any medical issues, this article has more tips on what may help get him back to using his box. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/9563/inappropriate-peeing-problems-answered.

 

[army wife]

The move was about 2 yrs ago when he and his sister were still babies. He is going to the vet today I was able to get a small sample

 

[trail runner]

I have a cat in a giant dog crate right now because she has similar issues.  She peed on and subsequently ruined my daughter's cell phone that was on the dining room table the other night. 

So the vet has suggested:  she might not like certain kitty litters. It could be the texture or the perfumes used.   If you've changed which litter you're using, like I used to do, the cat may skip the box.  If you've cleaned the cat box or anything in the area w/cleaners with strong perfumes, the cat may avoid the cat box.  I made the mistake of cleaning my washer/dryer next to the cat box with a Target product.  I ended up having to re-wipe the two appliances multiple times before the cat would go back in there.  If you have more than one cat in the house, one, most likely not the dominant one may avoid the cat box.  (Three boxes for 2 cats is recommended)  If your cat has peed in a certain area, you will need to use a urine dissolving cleaner, not just a regular floor cleaner.  My vet sold me one that she liked.  I also bought one at the PetSmart w/a blacklight to find old "accidents.  They will accept that place as an ok place to go once the urine scent is there.  So it really is important to get rid of it.

My rescue cat is having territory issues w/our older cat.  Plus she came from a home w/30 cats and think she was a runt.  So we have her on Prozac and have kitty pheromones around the cat box to help minimize those issues.  I have to admit this latest "accident" came about after I let her Prozac lapse.

Good luck.

 

[army wife]

It turns out my cat is still battling a UTI. The vet said that his white blood cell count is still high. So we are going to do another round of antibiotics and have him on it longer. Hopefully this will kill the infection. My poor kitty wasn't happy when the vet gave him a shot of penicillin.

 

[homefurnow]

What type of food is he on? Male cats are prone to UTIs and stones more than females. Feeding a can only diet can help with this since cats require a great deal of moisture for proper kidney function.

 

[army wife]

All of our cats eat cat chow. He has been eating that since he was off kitten chow

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

It turns out my cat is still battling a UTI. The vet said that his white blood cell count is still high. So we are going to do another round of antibiotics and have him on it longer. Hopefully this will kill the infection. My poor kitty wasn't happy when the vet gave him a shot of penicillin.

Oh then maybe there is a solution to this not using the litter box. Does your cat have crystals? Male cats are more prone to urinary problems. Did your vet suggest any food change for your cat.

 

[army wife]

She did not.

 

[homefurnow]

I would suggest a change to a canned food diet, not just any brand though try to go for a quality brand like wellness or natural balance. One of my fosters is in the hospital right now cause he got a urinary blockage. The owner where we got him fed him a diet of meow mix and other cheaper dry foods. I thought i was going to lose him

 

[katluver4life]

It turns out my cat is still battling a UTI. The vet said that his white blood cell count is still high. So we are going to do another round of antibiotics and have him on it longer. Hopefully this will kill the infection. My poor kitty wasn't happy when the vet gave him a shot of penicillin.

Did the vet check the urine sample you brought in also?

I agree that this is probably his underlying problem with not using his box. I am surprised the vet did not suggest a diet change to wet food only for him. Increasing his water intake now is crucial to helping to flush his bladder and in trying to prevent further urinary problems. He should now be kept off dry food. Here is an article by Dr. Pierson (who is a vet) on catinfo.org that explains why this is important in maintaining his health. http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth.

Sending you

he recovers quickly.

 

[army wife]

He eats cat chow. The vet did not say anything about changing his food. The vet did do a test on his urine