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momanimallover Taber, Alberta
Posts: 1,795

He is spraying-urinating on everything!! He has always been a sprayer but now it's ridiculous! I caught him in the act last night and yelled at him and this morning I woke up to urine all over my cupboard, a huge pool of it and then on top of the table. He had surgery almost a month ago (benign tumors on his head and 2 teeth pulled) and since then it's crazy. He's 13 years old and is doing it worse after the vet visit more now than ever. Do those feline diffusers help??? other than that he is eating and acting normal and spunky oh and yes he's been fixed for years

ursidae Posts: 227

We had an issue with a male kitten we got last year.  Pretty much right from the beginning he had accidents on our bed--then the kids beds, then the furniture--got progressively worse with time.

Looooooong story shortish....we tried everything you could buy from the store and we had him fixed but it only got worse.  He ended up peeing all over both the sofa and the loveseat to the point they had to be taken to the dump.

First things first take him to the vet.  There may be nothing practical that can be done (our vet suggested feline counseling :S) but it's a start.

Sadly for us, we eventually had to get rid of our cat because it was just too much pee and I couldn't deal with it any longer.

Hope your story turns out better.  bear_original

momanimallover Taber, Alberta
Posts: 1,795

He's always sprayed and I've excepted that but I don't know why after his surgery at the vet he is doing it alot and alot more of it! I know he could of been stressed afterwards for awhile but it's been about a month now. he's acting fine but I would hate to find him another home which would have to be outdoors and i don't think he would survive a winter outside anymore plus he has arthritis too. He's outside most of the day and he seems to be doing it at night when he comes in. I'm so distraught over this bear_sad

ursidae Posts: 227

Have you been back to the vet to mention that since his surgery his marking behaviour has increased dramatically?  Wonder if they might have some suggestions?

g

dangerbears Dangerbears
Wisconsin
Posts: 6,021
Website

Oh, that sounds like a major problem, Brenda  bear_sad

Without a doubt, though, he needs to be checked at the vet (for bladder infections, etc.). Even if he's marked before, something has changed, and he should definitely be examined.

Hoping for the best outcome.

Becky

Us Bears Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,479

Well, at 13 years old, I'd consider that the cat is incontinent rather than spraying.

Yes, I agree that he needs to visit the vet.

He should probably live in the basement or the garage until this all gets sorted out.  I know it's not a nice thing to think about but not only is it smelly and unsightly, it's unsanitary. 

My brother moved into an apartment that had a "cat problem."  They scrubbed the walls, shampooed all the carpets and deodorized the whole place but the place STILL smelled.  They had to rip out all the carpets and scrub the floors.  When the carpet layers came to pull up the old carpet they were literally gagging, the place smelled so bad.

Even now, a year afterward, if you catch it just right you can smell a whiff of cat pee every once in a while.

Surely, you love your cat but you can't let him ruin your house.  Quarantine the cat until you figure this out.

momanimallover Taber, Alberta
Posts: 1,795

I have new information!! I just caught my 3 year old fixed male doing it! He must of just started. He's probably the one leaving pools of it! I noticed the past couple of months he's been acting different, like claiming us or something strange and being a bully to all the cats. Not another sprayer!!! I have to talk to the vet bear_shocked

ursidae Posts: 227

That was the real unfortunate part of our situation.  My new kitten started his marking/accidents and then my older fixed male joined in.

By the time we realized it (being that the adults never go down into the kids TV room) both couches were covered, just covered with pee stains.  I was horrified by how unsanitary and awful the situation was. 

Once we sadly removed the wee one, the older one quit his contribution and we were back to normal.

I was told by the vet, the SPCA and other sources that having two males in a household, even fixed males, exponentially increases the chances of marking behaviour.  Apparently they just are too territorial and can't handle other males sharing the space.

:(

I guess it's a female cat if we ever decide to try again.

boohbears Booh Bears
Glendale, Arizona
Posts: 1,833
Website

Hi Brenda,
If the vet doesn't find a physiological reason for his behavior, it is probably psychological.   Many cats do this to show their discontent.  Even though it's been a month since he had his surgery, it was probably quite a traumatic event for him.    They make a plug in called Felaway that is supposed to help make them "happy cats"!  It has lavender and some other scents that are supposed to help with kitty stress.   They also sell spray to dissuade them from marking, but this doesn't really sound like marking, it sounds like he is upset and is urinating outside the box to tell you how upset he is.   Maybe a whole lot of extra attention and love would help.  I'm really sorry you're having this problem and I hope your vet will help.
Hugs,
Janice

momanimallover Taber, Alberta
Posts: 1,795

well I'm  thinking now it's the younger male marking over the older ones scent because the older one never urinated that much of a stream and the younger one is also trying to dominate the older male and he knows the older one is alpha out of all the cats in the house plus the dog. Between cat pee and dog hair i think I may lose it! bear_wacko and I know how hard it is to get that smell out if it's even possible. I have 4 females and the 2 males and by far the males are more of a problem. Julius the younger male always wants attention, bullies all the cats and won't let my one female leave the litter box without chasing her. I have 4 litter boxes but they seem to only want to use the one on the main floor so maybe Ill add another one on the main floor and see if that helps any. I'll try those diffusers too.

dangerbears Dangerbears
Wisconsin
Posts: 6,021
Website

Wow! Six cats is a lot.

Your extra litterbox is a good idea. I've tried Feliway (it contains the pheromone that cats deposit when they rub their faces on things - makes them feel "at home") to try to calm an aggressive cat, but without any success. Ii hope you have some luck with it.

I've now got the population at my house down to two cats - one male and one female - and that keeps the peace.

Fingers crossed,
Becky

boohbears Booh Bears
Glendale, Arizona
Posts: 1,833
Website

Hi Brenda,
They recommend that you have one more littler box than you do cats.  So if you have 6 cats, you should have 7 litter boxes.   We have 3 cats so we have 4 litter boxes! It sounds like your baby is trying to show everyone that he wants to be in control!   They make a special formula of "Natures Miracle" only for cat urine - it has special enzymes and bacteria fighting agents that work pretty well to remove the odor.   We have a 1 year old female who occasionally uses our bath mat as a litter box and I have found that full strength white vinegar takes out the odor, too, and it's a lot less expensive than Nature's Miracle!   I douse the entire mat in white vinegar and then wash!
Good luck!
Janice

ursidae Posts: 227

Feliway--tried it too with no luck

Nature's Miracle--a bit expensive when covering larger areas but works like a charm and worth every penny in my books.

Like Becky we were down to two cats and now one lonely one.  At our peek we had seven but liked to keep it around three until our big headache.  Never thought males would be such an issue considering our males have always been the more cuddly/lovey.

Hope you find a solution
g

thumperantiques Newcastle, Ontario
Posts: 5,643

I think so m uch depends on the individual cat, rather than their sex. We have had only males and have had up to 5 at one time, without any problems.  We have two males now, without problems. I think I'd consider finding a new home for the younger cat, if he is at the base of all the problems. I wouldn't consider letting him ruin the house   bear_sad

rowarrior The Littlest Thistle
Glasgow
Posts: 6,212

A friend of mine had a problem with one of her female cats peeing everywhere, including on their bed.  She had 2 cats, and they hated each other.  They think maybe the other one was bulling this one when they were out at work, and it ended up the 'pee-er' was on some kind of kitty prozac for stress!  I think it worked though.

momanimallover Taber, Alberta
Posts: 1,795

It's a hard decision bear_sad No puddles today so far. I'm torn, he is a very loveable cuddly cat but very dominating with the other cats. I used the advanced natures miracle and so far that has worked the best, but I know one thing for sure, I'm ripping out all these rugs and not putting anymore rugs in as long as we have that many animals. I'll see how things go.......

boohbears Booh Bears
Glendale, Arizona
Posts: 1,833
Website

I wish you all the best, Brenda.   
Hang in there!
Hugs,
Janice

momanimallover Taber, Alberta
Posts: 1,795

Thanks bear_original I'm a little worried tonight, I found a couple of piddles of blood on the rug in the bedroom that wasn't there yesterday. It doesn't look like your normal piddle of pee with blood, it looks more like when they vomit if you know what I mean. Now i have to find out which one is doing that bear_shocked

Us Bears Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,479

You might be right.  It might be a social problem where one animal is trying to establish dominance in the house.  If that's the case, you might have a long row to hoe before you solve it.

I don't want to sound disparaging but it seems to me that animals are running your house.
I've seen this happen before.  I know a woman who had eight dogs.
Feeding, cleaning up, grooming, exercise and discipline...  They ran her ragged!

Finally, one of the dogs started attacking the others.  Not just "play biting."  Snarling, growling and baring teeth.  One of the dogs had to go to the vet after being in a fight with this dog.

I told her that she was either going to have to take control and learn to be the "biggest dog" in the house or else she was going to have to find new homes for one or more of the dogs.

I don't think your situation is nearly as dire but I think that some more assertion on your part might help in this situation.
This isn't meant to be a quick fix.  It's a long-term solution.  One that will take weeks to put in place and months to have full effect.  Just be the biggest dog.  (Or in your case, maybe you should be the biggest lioness!  bear_happy )

But, if you can't find a solution, don't be afraid to make one or more of the cats live in the garage or the basement, etc.  If that doesn't work, don't be afraid to find a new home for one or more of them.

I know it's not a nice thing to think about.  You want your animals to live in a happy home, don't you?
If they can't be happy in your home, maybe they can be happy in another home.

But, first, by the sign of the blood and the pee-puddles, I think you have some medical problems to rule out first.
Start there and take it one step at a time.

momanimallover Taber, Alberta
Posts: 1,795

Okay, right now I could probably list in order who ranks where but.. that would be a little much LOL, I'm the top "animal" or I'd like to think i am but KITTY the oldest male keeps them in line but he listens to me, actually they all do except for Julius and Julius wont even back down to any dog and he's a big boy at 25 lbs or so (not fat just big) even Dakota (my Bernese in case some people don't know my dog) is in the lower ranking among this pack bear_grin So how do I go about making Julius realize he's lower rank than me? I know how with a dog but cats?? their in it for themselves. I have never had a difficult cat before

Us Bears Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,479

You're the same as me.  I grew up with dogs.  I practically speak "Dog."  It's not difficult to solve most dog problems.

Cats are weird.  Instead of being pack animals like dogs, they are territorial loners.  Although dogs can be territorial, they have a more fixed sense of territory.  A dog thinks, "This is my yard.  I own all this land.  Everybody else keep out."  A cat's sense of territory is more fluid.  They don't think in terms of strict boundaries, they think in terms of situations.  "This is my territory as long as my smell is on this chair," they might think.  Wherever that chair goes, that is their territory.

Cats can also "time share" their territory.  They might perfectly well allow some other cat to come into their territory as long as it is at some specific time of day.  Have you ever seen two cats take turns sitting on a window ledge?  See if you can't notice a pattern to the time.  You might find one cat gets to use the window in the morning and the other gets to use it in the afternoon.

Look at how dogs establish dominance over one another.  It's simple.  They just use their might.  They bark and bite and chase the other away.  It's like "King of the Hill."

Cats often claw and hiss and bite but it's a lot more subtle.  A cat might establish dominance simply by being where other cats can see him.  A cat might think, "I own this window ledge.  I am king of all that I survey.  You are other cats are my subjects."

Still, when it comes down to it, the "big cat" rules.  The cues might be more subtle but it's the same basic principle.  I guess the simple answer is to pay attention and learn to speak "Cat."  bear_happy

Us Bears Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,479

Just had another thought.  You might have already thought of this but, if not, I'd like to know what you think...

Kitty is the old, "top cat" and Julius is the second in command.  Right?
Do you think that Julius knows that Kitty is getting up there in years and is beginning to make a play for the "top cat" position?

Kitty is 13 years old.  Even though cats can live a long time, at 13, he's still an old man.  Julius is a big 25-pounder.  He might be thinking he should be in charge.  If so, he probably thinks you are paying attention to the wrong cat.  His behavior could be nothing more than a call for attention in order to receive treatment as "top cat" from you.

Now, Kitty is still top cat until he says otherwise.  He's trying to keep his position.
Whenever Julius comes into his territory, he'll try to make his presence known by scent marking.  Julius, thinking Kitty should let him be in charge comes along and makes a mess on top of Kitty's mess in order to "erase" his rival's mark.

Do you remember in grade school when kids would write things on the blackboard when the teacher wasn't looking?
One kid would write his name on the board but, a minute later, some other kid would sneak in and write, "...is a jerk!" after it.  Then the first kid would cross that out and write, "...is GREAT!"

What happens when the teacher comes back into the room?  She erases the blackboard and makes both kids go sit in the corner.

So, basically, you've got two grade school kids writing their names on the blackboard, trying to get one-up on each other, erasing things and writing over top of each other.

Well, YOU are the teacher.  You're going to erase the blackboard and send BOTH kids to the principal's office.   bear_grin  bear_grin

I guess the question is how to do that.

Erasing the blackboard is the easy part...  clean up the pee.  (I didn't say it would be fun...  bear_happy )
But, what can we do to appropriately discipline both cats?  I don't know.  That's where somebody who speaks "Cat" comes in.  bear_happy

If we were talking about dogs, I'd make them BOTH sleep in the garage for a while and only let them in the house one at a time until I have established the fact that *I* am the owner of the house and that *I* am the only one who gets to say who is allowed to come inside and when they are allowed to come inside.  If either one of them acted up, both of them might find themselves outside.

Basically, treat them like fifth graders.  bear_happy

For cats, the specifics will be different.  Maybe you don't make them sleep in the basement.  Maybe you lock one in the bathroom for an hour and then lock the other one in the bathroom for an hour, taking turns until they both understand that you are the boss.

Anyway...  That's just an idea...  I don't know...  Just thinking out loud.  bear_original

Gantaeno Je Suis Lugly!
Posts: 1,065
Website

Hiya,

Just a quick note on the blood pee comment: I'd take your cat to the vet and ask them to check if his urine is crystalising: we had this problem with Winnie. Basically crystals formed in his bladder (it's common in older spayed males) and they blocked his ureter, causing him a lot of pain and then uncontrollable peeing when the build up became too much. We rushed him to the vets and were told it's potentially life threatening, but a few dietary changes fixed it: definitely work taking him to the vets and asking!

dangerbears Dangerbears
Wisconsin
Posts: 6,021
Website

Chloe is absolutely right. I hope the cat has seen a vet by now.

My older male required an expensive, but life-saving surgery because of urinary crystals. (And I hate to remember how he suffered.  bear_cry )

Becky

momanimallover Taber, Alberta
Posts: 1,795

the thing about the blood is I don't know which cat is doing it. I know my one oldest female had crystals but she never goes in that bedroom. maybe I'll have to close most doors so they have to be around the main area more and then i can keep an eye out. the oldest male does need a check up to make sure everything is okay after his surgery. I dread taking him in because he pees all over himself in the crate.

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