We have 2 cats, approximately 4 and 5 years old, both female and both have been spayed. About a year ago we got a puppy. The dog and the cats don't exactly get along but they don't fight either.. if the cats run he chases them, they run to safety.. either to the basement or the upstairs where the dog can't get to. If he does happen to catch them they put him in his place, sometimes they don't run and then he just leaves them alone. My problem is that approximately the same time that we got the dog we noticed that one of the cats, (or both) not sure which, started peeing in the basement on the carpet and on laundry if any is left on the floor, or just about anything that is left on the floor. It is only in the basement that they do it.. They have a litter box upstairs and in the basement and it is still being used, we clean it just about everyday. The only thing I can think of is that the cat(s) are acting out because of the dog but it seems to me that if they didn't like the dog they would pee on his bed or somewhere he sleeps rather than all over the basement..
I really don't think it is a urinary tract infection but I have thought of that.. I would appreciate any ideas ppl can give me. My husband would be just as happy to get rid of the cats or let them be outside cats but I don't want that either..
Any positive advice would be appreciated.
The cats are mad at you for getting the puppy that's why they go after the human stuff instead of the dog's stuff.
It's a behavioral issue. Speak to a Vet and ask what to do to redirect their behavior.
Nanc
They probably started out punishing you, but now, the cats are either smelling the old pee or in the habit of being stressed. I HIGHLY recommend the Cat Behavior Hotline. They are a free service to help keep cats in their homes, and what you do is you call and leave your information, and someone calls you back. They're really wonderful, and they don't use or sell your phone number or anything like that. They're very reliable and helpful! I used them with my cat, and it was such a relief to have a number of different solutions suggested to me. They can also recommend good ways to clean the areas where the cats have peed to get rid of the smell. You can find their phone number here: http://www.catsinternational.org/
Also, see a vet and ask about a UTI test (they're only about $25) just to rule out a physical cause, and ask about the possibility of some kitty prozac. I did this with my cat, and it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders! She was just so much happier, friendlier, as though she had been walking around stressed for years. Your cats may be stressed now just because they have forgotten any other way to be.
They could be made at you. Could be a UTI. Could be they don't care for the dirt. Most likely, I think, is that they are mad at you. I would look into getting the dog trained and disabusing him of his amusement of chasing your poor cats around the house. I used a static collar on one of my dogs. He enjoyed chasing my cats. He stopped chasing them quickly after I used the collar on him. He was a rowdy golden that had selective hearing. There's no blocking a static collar tho.
Use odoban products to get the stink out of your carpets. SamsClub.com sells the brand. There is a specific formulation for cat/dog odors. You can also use a part of the brand on laundry to get the smell out.
I think they're mad at YOU for getting the dog!
Try to get rid of all odor where they pee with Nature's Miracle--you can get it at any pet store.
I agree with Jaime... They are definitely mad at you. Think about it...the puppy has invaded their house and they aren't happy. They will not pee on a bed because it is a place where "someone" sleeps as they will not pee on their beds. They are doing it on things they know will anger you and are yours. I would also address the UTI issue. If it is just a small amount, it may be a UTI. I have a male altered cat and it is prone to UTIs and is on special food to minimize the crystals in his urine. That may be necessary for you to do. If it is a small amount, they may be spasming in the bladder. Think of what you go through with a UTI. Maybe a call to the vet as they may have some thoughts on it. If they are alpha cats, they just aren't happy about the new puppy! Good luck.
We had a similar issue with our cats, but not when we got our dog. It was when our son was 3 months old (he is over 2 now). I do recommend bringing them to the vet to make sure it's not a medical issue.
We have 2 cats and we do have 3 litter boxes; all 3 are in our basement. 2 are near each other, and 1 is in another part of the basement. We actually had 3 boxes before this issue arose, since we had a peeing issue when we first brought the offending cat home. The 3 boxes worked well for us, until we had our son.
We were able to determine which cat was having the issue (the same one that caused the 3 litter boxes in the first place). She would pee and poop on our son's floor in front of the crib. She also peed in other places throughout the house - on clothes, bedding (ugh that was an issue with the mattress but we were able to clean it and get rid of the smell) and it wouldn’t matter if we were in the bed or not!
Our vet recommended the cat have her own space. He said we could even use our old dog crate, or a room for her, or even some outdoor time. We decided to use our basement since we have a partition in our basement (can close off). We put her in there with a litter box, food and water. Every day I would change her water and food, but no interaction with her. Well, the first couple of days I did interact with her and she still wasn't using the litter box. So after 2 days of that, I stopped petting her and spending time with her. I would only refill her water and food bowls (and I would clean out the litter box every day/clean up the floor when she didn't use the littler box). It was hard! But it worked! After 2 days she started using the litter box consistently. (I brought a towel in for her to use at that point as a bed, since she peed on the first one I brought in day 1). After 2 more days of consistently using the litter box, I let her back into the rest of the house. We did have another problem a couple months after that (we went away for a few days) and had to repeat the isolation for her and after a couple of days (instead of nearly a week) she was back with us. We haven't had an issue since. <knock on wood>
Good luck!
sounds behavioral... i'm a vet tech at a cat only hospital and we see inappropriate urination a lot. I would definitely rule out a UTI or urinary crystals first - i've seen people do all sorts of behavioral modification only to find out the cat had a UTI and would have been a much simpler fix with antibiotics. So the first place you should call is your vet and get your cat in for an exam and a urinalysis.
But if its behavioral, that can be a tough one.
** Adding another litterpan sometimes helps - in the area where they're peeing if possible. The rule of thumb is one more litterbox than the number of cats you have (although many people usually get by with less).
** An enzyme cleaner (we use Anti-Icky Poo at our clinic) will clean so deep that they can't smell the urine anymore - they often go to the same spot because they can still smell the urine there, even if we can't.
** Another thing we use a lot is Feliway - we sell it at our hospital but i've seen it at PetSmart too... its a synthetic pheremone that is a "happy" "relaxing" scent and often decreases tensions in homes. It also has a claim that it works against inappropriate urination. Very few people i've worked with say it didn't work for them, most people will swear by it. It comes in a spray you can put on the rug, pillows, etc... or a diffuser to plug in to fill a room.
The longer the behavior goes on, the more it's hardwired in their brain, no matter if it is the result of a medical or behavioral problem... so try to get this nipped quick!
Hope that helped a bit -- but definitely your vet is the first place i'd go, just to rule out a simple fix. Good luck!!!
hi put the litter box in the basement its the one place the cats feel safe,, if they don't use it then they are acting out because of the dog a bit like sibling rivalery in humans don't make a fuss over it the cats will think "ah she getting miffed at this we'll keep going until she gets rid of the puppy" hope this helpsxxx
It could be age, I have have cats my whole life. and my spayded female cats started peeing on everything around that age. And once the smell is there they will continue to go back there. Neutrilize the areas with vinegar, and bleech where it is safe to do so. The laundry on the floor is dirty so they will pee on it.
My cats didn't like my husband and they sprayed and peeded on his stuff. Unless you actually catch the one who is doing it there is not much you can do except keep things bleached and off the floor. J.
