Please Help! I’m At My Wits End!

[danteshuman]

Since you have such limited space could you give her a closet and keep the litter box in one? Give her tons of cat tree/shelves out of reach of your son? If possible maybe a kitty kingdom up high? Maybe during the day the cat gets the room? She can learn the schedule and he can learn "Don' touch the cat in the bedroom!" If you have shelves in your closest you may be able to convert them to cat use.

Enzyme cleaners can help get out the pee signature smell. If you want to be horrified and go on a cleaning spree, buy a black light and see ALL the pee!

Spooky is beautiful. Normally I would suggest all sorts of things first however your cat is in a high stress situation (as are you.) In this case I would call the vet and consider Prozac for the kitty until your cat can get a safe room or your son turns ?5?6? .... prozac takes weeks to work and may take adjusting the dose. Why? Because I'm worried that your cat will soon reach the level of "I can't take this anymore!" and feel you need to rehome her.

Oh I just remembered once when I was little I cut the whiskers on one side of our cat's face (one snip.) I wasn't trying to hurt him. At the time I just didn't understand that cats needed their whiskers. It made him seem stressed/nervous so I stopped the poor cat's hair cut. I made it up to him in my teens. However I stressed the poor cats out until I calmed down around 9?10? Then we became friends. Did I mention little kids can be awful to cats?

 

[danteshuman]

Sorry I was writing on my phone an answer to your post while you were. Each cat needs their own territory. Long term having a "fridge kitty" is no quality of life for a cat. So it may be both cats are stressed and mom is pushing Spooky out of mom's kid free hiding spot. Cat tress next to an amoure or tall dresser can give them a high perch.

This is what I gave my tree loving boy. He gets on top of the tv stand and hides behind the plants. Yes I gave the cat cube to play in and to get up/down the cat tree easier. (Please ignore the 6 month dust collection around my tv ‍)

 

[di and bob]

Kids definitely stress cats out. They don't mean to, but they are too loud and too quick, try to give her a stress free area. Cats avoid the box for a reason. You said you changed litters, but I would change several times again, there are hundreds out there. Try clumping, nonclumping, even tore up newspapers and dirt. Places you don't want her to go, get clear plastic carpet runner and put it little 'nub' side up where you don't want her to go. It's easily moved and easily replaced. Gety a GOOD enzyme cat urine remover, to just spray on and let it dissolve the urine. Keep clothes picked up or in a covered hamper. It takes longer to pick it up then to put it in a hamper. Get a waterproof mattress pad to cover your couch. easily laundered and removed until this issue is resolved. I really think it is stress, she may need some Prozac to calm her nerves. All the luck!