I have 3 cats, one is 8, then 4, then 2...the 8 yr old is gonna be the only one left if i can't figure out how to potty train them a bit better - long story very short, i have an awesome couch that one of the cats(2yr old) sprayed on before getting neutered, now the 4 yr old is peeing on it every couple of weeks, even though we got little man fixed 6 months ago...grr!
the cats have 4 litter boxes that are changed at least once a week, and separate food/water dishes, and have the run of the house except for the bedroom. my gf and i are at the breaking point after having to keep steam cleaning the couch, and although we love our cats, we love our nice stuff as well...any help i could get curbing their pee pee behavior would be great, thanks

6/30/2008 4:13:02 PM

cover the offending area with a basket. remove access to that area. steam cleaning doesn't remove pet stain odors.

spray them with water if you have to.

6/30/2008 4:22:53 PM

if that's accurate then I'm glad we are considering taking two to the SPCA...problem is the 8yr old has known the 4 yr old for 4 years...I hate breaking up good animal friendships.

what about these numerous products...you're saying they're all bogus?
http://shopping.msn.com/results/cat-stain-odor-removal/bcatid6795/forsale?text=category:cat-stain-odor-removal

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 4:29 PM. Reason : .]

i decided that the problem cat is gone regardless

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 4:47 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 4:28:41 PM

there is absolutely nothing you can do other than put the cats outside or get rid of them.

6/30/2008 4:55:17 PM

the problem cat is going to the no-kill shelter today. she's in the cat carrier till she leaves, and maaaan does she sound pathetic.

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 5:07 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 5:04:15 PM

You need to clean the litter boxes at least every other day! Use some enzymatic cleaner that's going to get out the pee. That's the only way to do it, not resolve or that crap.

No wonder the cat is peeing on the sofa. You'd be pissed if you could only flush the fucking toilet once a week.

Once again, a cat ends up in a shelter because of the owner's stupidity.

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 5:28 PM. Reason : ...]

6/30/2008 5:26:39 PM

^that's horseshit. cats will sometimes just pee where they want.

6/30/2008 5:27:16 PM

Sometimes they will pee where ever, but you won't know for sure if it's behavioral or the box being too fucking dirty until you clean the box regularly.

6/30/2008 5:29:56 PM

i've put up with this for 2+ years and have a ruined $3k couch to show for it. another pet to the shelter because the owner finally lost patience with cleaning up after it all the time - she throws litter and shit ON THE WALLS regularly.

6/30/2008 5:35:05 PM

yeah once the pee cycle starts, there's not a WHOLE lot you can do about it unfortunately
have you ruled out it's not some sort of UTI? or kidney problem?
I understand your frustration completely, I have 2 and one of them peed all over this carpet i had (no matter how often i kept the litter boxes cleaned, and i have 3 litter boxes for 2 cats) and I just had to take the rug up which fixed that problem.

I second trying an enzymatic cleaner and try cleaning the litter boxes more often
I think getting rid of them should be a last resort

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 5:36 PM. Reason : use a covered litter box to prevent shit splattered walls]

6/30/2008 5:35:05 PM

the couch is the thing - i know it sounds shallow, but i am still paying for it, and until i can stop it from getting pissed on, i cant sit in my living room with company.

i may have to wait till tomorrow to give her away, so anyone wanting to add their input, please do. I don't want to give her up, but I also want nice things to stay nice.

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 5:42 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 5:40:30 PM

Quote :

"No wonder the cat is peeing on the sofa. You need to clean the litter boxes at least every other day!"

this is definitely key...and the cats peeing wherever they want think is kinda bogus...unless my mom really lucked out...her cats aint never peed on anything inside other than the litterbox...they mostly use it outside tho

6/30/2008 5:41:23 PM

So you put up with this for 2+ years... why did you get a 3rd cat then?

^^^Agreed. Getting rid of a cat, to me, should be either a last resort or a Never. The 2yr old sprayed the couch, leaving a smell that the 4yr old sees as marking territory.

Make the couch unavailable to the cats (e.g: baskets, pillows, folded blankets, stuffed animals, pet gate).
Punish the 4yr old as soon as he does it.
Get a covered litter box.
Change it more often.
Get a smell for the couch that they don't like.

^My cats never peed anywhere they weren't supposed to, once we trained them litter box and outside. Only problem was when we got kittens and our older cat started spraying, and when our older cat had a UTI.


[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 5:44 PM. Reason : ^]

6/30/2008 5:43:04 PM

the 2 yr old is male, the 4 and 8 yr olds are female, and i dunno if it's possible to keep them off the couch...my gf is against cages also. i feel backed into a corner on this one.

Quote :

"Make the couch unavailable to the cats (e.g: baskets, pillows, folded blankets, stuffed animals, pet gate). "

i had been trying this but they just pee there anyways - i just had to throw away a nice comforter because this tactic didn't work.

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 5:46 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 5:47 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 5:46:01 PM

^^oh my mom took care of that shit for all 3 of the cats she has at like 6 weeks

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 5:57 PM. Reason : 3]

6/30/2008 5:57:10 PM

I've heard putting sheets of tinfoil on the couch works... they don't like the texture so they avoid it.

there are the "feliway" pheremone plug in things too...

Have you tried finding them a home via craigslist or any other means??
The majority of shelters are at max capacity and they have a good chance of being euthanized if you bring them there..

6/30/2008 6:02:42 PM

Quote :

"no-kill shelter"

6/30/2008 6:07:33 PM

my mom would take the 2 year old depending on what the 2 year old one looks like

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 6:08 PM. Reason : one of our cats turned like 8 the other day and i think she said she wanted a newer one]

6/30/2008 6:07:49 PM

^i'll keep that in mind.

6/30/2008 6:12:02 PM

can u post a pic(x)

6/30/2008 6:12:57 PM

the 2yr old isn't going anywhere as of now, so no.

logic and reason are pushing me to take her to the shelter tomorrow (4yr old) but emotion runs high
i never have wanted to be rid of her, but damned if i can continue like things are now. if i gave it a week to try a solution, which would be the most likely to succeed?

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 6:23 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 6:18:35 PM

Once they start that cycle its hard to break. You can try keeping the cat in the bathroom with a box (scooped daily) until they learn to use it, then try to expand the allowed territory in the house room by room. They will cry greatly during the retraining process but this is pretty standard advice. You can try feliway but I think that dosen't work for everyone. It could be a territory thing as well in which case the feliway could help. If its a habit then it does make it harder to break.

No-kill shelters usually have a huge waiting list and will only take cats that are adoptable... Kill shelters aren't going to take very kindly to a cat that has a peeing problem.

6/30/2008 6:26:25 PM

my ex had a cat that always pissed in the closet. cat piss is an almost impossible smell to get out. good luck

6/30/2008 6:27:20 PM

Quote :

"No-kill shelters usually have a huge waiting list and will only take cats that are adoptable... Kill shelters aren't going to take very kindly to a cat that has a peeing problem."

the cat is very pretty/friendly and i wouldn't make her 'unadoptable' by explaining all that.

6/30/2008 6:29:32 PM

def get rid of that one that you have to shave and that has dandruff

6/30/2008 6:32:19 PM

not an option - that cat was shaved again recently and is super friendly now that she doesn't have her winter coat and clumps, plus that cat could give you potty lessons, she's so good.

6/30/2008 6:34:15 PM

Sometimes cats just pee of shit. Anyone who says otherwise is just being a jerk.

We had a cat for 16 years. She was never a problem in the litter box department. Then for the last year she was alive she suddenly decided to start peeing in random places. We were at our wits end and even the vet was at a complete loss. But then she died so that sort of took care of that

So no, you're not a bad person for bringing the cat to the shelter if you've reached the end of your rope. It's better that than chasing it out of the house one day in a rage lol.

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 7:04 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 7:04:06 PM

When my cat started peeing in odd places, it was because its food wasn't agreeing with it.

Try changing its food or feeding it canned food if you aren't already.

6/30/2008 7:18:26 PM

If you do not tell the shelter the cat has a peeing problem, you are the most fucking stupid person out there.

How'd you like knowing one of your cats had a peeing problem BEFORE you adopted it? Eh? Ruined your pretty little sofa because some dumb fuck thought lying to the shelter was a good idea.

If you are gonna get rid of a cat that pees, man the fuck up and have the vet euthanize it. That's what the shelter will do as soon as they figure it out, and if you take the cat to the vet you are saving it a ton of misery and likely abuse. Yep, the cat might be adopted by someone that thinks beating it will stop the peeing.

The stupidity amazes me. You won't deal with a problem you created, and you'll LIE to other people to cover it up. The cat is as good as dead as soon as it leaves, might as well make it less miserable.

6/30/2008 7:19:32 PM

you're going to be miserable as long as you have that cat

dont let it run your life

take it to the damn'd shelter where it belongs

6/30/2008 7:23:04 PM

^^ Someone needs a chill pill

I think it's pretty straightforward what is going on with the cat.

1) Cat sprays on couch
2) Couch was not properly cleaned the first time it happened
3) Cat thinks couch is appropriate pee place now
4) Couch is fucked

I would be pretty shocked if the cat continued peeing on furniture after said cat was removed from the picture.

And a no kill shelter isn't going to kill a cat with a history of litterbox problems. I worked at a no kill for years and that didn't matter.

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 7:28 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 7:27:34 PM

@ moron, good advice i can act upon today...she has thrown up a bit more frequently as of late, sometimes you just need others to point out the obvious for you

@lewoods, srsly, kill yourself. psycho.

@wolfpackgrrr, you hit it dead on. at least someone here can read what i wrote, rather than make me out to be a bad person - im just sick of smelling cat piss, no matter how much i love the cat.

of the three cats, i like the one im having issues with most. this is a tough thing. i love that cat enough to at least consider she may need more than i can give, and be prepared to give her a better chance at happiness. ftr, she doesn't have litterbox problems, she is apparently really sensitive to male cat spray is all.

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 8:15 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 8:11:25 PM

I don't know many vets that will euthanize a cat for a peeing issue that it's never been medically treated or seen for.

The reason the cat is urinating is obvious, and it's likely that once out of the environment it is currently in, the problem should be alleviated. Telling the shelter the circumstances should not prevent her adoptability.

That being said, where are your litter boxes placed? It might be worth a try when you don't have anyone over, to put a litter box very close to the area of the couch she usually urinates on. There are also medications the vet can put your cat on to help curb this type of behavioral urinating.

In a perfect world people would be able to clean their boxes everyday, I don't think cleaning at LEAST once a week with 4 boxes is creul.

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 8:20 PM. Reason : ,]

6/30/2008 8:18:11 PM

more good advice (placement) thanks. i'm gonna tough it out for a little while and try to fix what's wrong. thanks and keep the ideas coming!

6/30/2008 8:23:56 PM

try putting small bowls of water near the area the cat(s) are spraying

they won't piss where they get their water

and you should be cleaning the litterboxes more often than once a week

6/30/2008 9:24:23 PM

'at least once a week' implies more than once a week, right?

6/30/2008 9:58:59 PM

Someone else said it, but make sure that you're cleaning the couch with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle - you can buy the stuff at any pet store. It might help, I know it does with puppy's peeing in the same spot over and over again.

6/30/2008 10:07:07 PM

Even with 4 litter boxes, I'd try and scoop them out every other day. It's a pain in the ass, but they HATE their poo. Or break down and buy one of those automatic cleaner ones.

6/30/2008 10:09:57 PM

Grits has never peed or pooed anywhere besides his litter box in the ~2 years I have had him. However, while I was in Montana for 5 weeks, my Dad caught him peeing in the bathtub one time.

He also pulled some other shenanigans while I was gone. He gets to go outside every few days while he's at my parents house, and he always comes home after dark when I call for him. He stayed gone for 2 days on 2 or 3 occasions while I was gone, even though my parents called and called for him! Now that I am home, I don't want to let him outside at all.

6/30/2008 10:30:22 PM

my cat acts a fool when im gone too

probably because its just the two of us so when im gone there is no one to comfort her

she also gets super clingy when i get back. she spoons me while i sleep!

6/30/2008 10:44:01 PM

Quote :

"Make the couch unavailable to the cats (e.g: baskets, pillows, folded blankets, stuffed animals, pet gate). Punish the 4yr old as soon as he does it. Get a covered litter box. Change it more often. Get a smell for the couch that they don't like."

does not work.

the only option is to put the cats outside or get rid of them.

6/30/2008 10:46:11 PM

yeah man seriously...its a cat...it will take you like half a day to realize its such a good thing...not as much shit in the litterboxes, smell like 50% better, etc

[Edited on June 30, 2008 at 10:47 PM. Reason : .]

6/30/2008 10:47:27 PM

Nature's Miracle is the only thing I know of that will neutralize urine odor. It's what my vet recommends, because if the cat can still sense the pee it will keep going there. And no, once a week litter changing is not enough, these aren't hamsters.

When you get a pet you have to realize that they are going to make messes (sometimes horrendous ones). My cat decided to shit himself all over myself, and the master bed and bathroom the morning of my wedding. Did I kick him to the curb? No, I calmly cleaned it up and locked him in the bathroom during the wedding.

7/1/2008 8:17:12 AM

^Sorry, but that was a one time occurrence and can't be compared here at all. A cat shitting all over the place once, even if it's your wedding day, is not quite the same as a cat that routinely pees where it is not supposed to. I'm sure he knew owning cats would require responsibility and it looks like he's done the best he can. I applaud him for trying as long as he did in an EXTREMELY difficult situation.


I had a similar problem for over a year that forced me to get rid of my cat. I had a cat with separation anxiety that would pee on my bed, pillows, couches, and generally anything of mine I left on the floor. He didn't have any kind of bladder infection, and I actually got some kitty prozac which never worked either. Nature's miracle and feliway were both recommended to me over and over by friends and vets, but never seemed to work. Quite simply, it's hard to get a cat to stop peeing somewhere once they start. I even bought a new mattress to get rid of the scent and it was ruined again in a couple months. If the cats aren't declawed, try letting them live outside. If you change the litter regularly and the problem persists, giving the cat up for adoption might be your only choice.

And I wouldn't tell the no-kill shelter about the urination issues either. It could just be a behavioral issue and might not occur in a new home where another cat has not sprayed. Let the cat have the best chance for adoption. (That's not trying to be callous and inconsiderate to the new owner, just my honest opinion.)

[Edited on July 1, 2008 at 8:39 AM. Reason : sp]

And,

Quote :

"Make the couch unavailable to the cats (e.g: baskets, pillows, folded blankets, stuffed animals, pet gate). Punish the 4yr old as soon as he does it. Get a covered litter box. Change it more often. Get a smell for the couch that they don't like."

does not work.

[Edited on July 1, 2008 at 8:41 AM. Reason : quote]

7/1/2008 8:38:57 AM

Scat mat?

7/1/2008 9:52:03 AM

dozens of cats are killed daily for lack of homes in this area alone.

Why the fuck should a well behaved cat die because you lie to the shelter to ease your guilt? Cat that has never peed outside the box has a much higher chance of being a good pet than this one, no reason someone should adopt this cat just because you used to own it and a better pet with an honest owner get the needle.

You people are amazing, you refuse to realize there are so many more pets than homes that any imperfection is a death sentence.

7/1/2008 10:09:46 AM

lol

7/1/2008 10:10:34 AM

^^What part of "NO-KILL SHELTER" do you not understand? No cat is going to die here.

7/1/2008 10:15:14 AM

No cat will die at the no-kill, BUT they will refuse to accept another more adoptable cat, and it will instead have to go die at the county animal shelter.

That's why I hate no-kill shelters. They like to act all high and mighty and then refuse most animals and make the county do their dirty work so they can beg for more donations than they deserve from a bunch of stupid liberals that never think about where all the cats the no-kill won't take go. No-kills will kill animals, just don't have the balls to do it themselves.

7/1/2008 10:28:36 AM

Quote :

"They like to act all high and mighty and then refuse most animals and make the county do their dirty work"

Where'd you get this info? From PETA's website? Or perhaps the back of a Cracker Jack box?

I worked for a no-kill shelter for about four years and I can tell you, they do not refuse most animals. I thought they took in too many animals sometimes.

7/1/2008 10:36:08 AM