Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi All,

First a little back ground.

About 5 years ago I came across a stray female cat. Skin and bone, half bald half short hair. So I took her in and called her Floss. She was health checked, spayed and checked for a chip, flea treated and wormed and so on. Only issues seemed to be a flea allergy (caused the baldness) and being very thin. I soon had a healthy LONG haired Floss. She was thought to be around 3/4 years old, the same age as my Zelda (female short I had from a kitten)

But she has always peed in the house on and off. There is no cycle to it. She will go up to 6-8 weeks not doing it, then start again, then stop again...I can't work out WHY?

Over the years I have moved house a few times, taken in another female charity case and it doesn't matter what I do, which house, Floss pees in the house.

I have been in my current house for 2 and a half years, I currently do not have trays as there is a cat flap. I did originally have trays but she seemed happy to go outside. I bought them back when peeing in the house started but she just peed next to it so I gave up.

The other two cats have always been fine with litter trays or going outside.

I've had her checked for illness. I've had several litter trays. Tried different litters. Different locations. Cleaning the tray fully every day if used.... I've put repellents down, tin foil, pepper, paper, strong oils, mats...anything to try to put her off using that area. I've moved trays to the area and she's peed next to it. I've moved food into the area and she's still peed there!!!

It has cost me a fortune in cleaning products and I can never seem to get the smell out. All cats are now shut downstairs at night (I used to let them sleep with me) as she peed in the hall. Now she pees the other side of the door and it seeps under.

I have replaced the carpet once before already and it was new when I moved in!

Has anyone got any suggestions? I don't know what to do any more. I can't carry on with this.

Sorry to hear about this Bunny.

I can only offer you advice from what I already know, which is as follows. If anything leaps out I hope it helps. I'm sure other folks on here will have a better remedy for you but I thought I'd post these because at heart I am an egotistical sod

Do you move things around a lot in the house? Cats can freak out over the smallest thing and if you're moving furniture around lets say every... month or so, it's possible Floss doesn't like it and displays her displeasure.
Have you tried consistently keeping the cat trays in one place and mopping up her wee with a paper towel and putting it in her tray? (A question you may roll your eyes at but some cats, especially ferals, were never taught were to go and Floss may have built up a bad habit of just going where she pleases without realising an alternative)
Does Floss have a lot of places to roam high in your place? Some cats can feel intimidated by other animals and feel the need to be the boss. Floss may be urinating because she's scared her territory may be lost, especially as she's a former feral. If there are lots of high places for her to roam like shelves and cat towers (something about your shoulder height that she can jump up to is acceptable)
You mentioned she only does this sporadically. Can you pinpoint the times? Are any of your other cats going into heat at this time or has anything about your environment changed when she starts?
Does she drink a lot to your knowledge? If so it might be more than just a behavourial problem. Although if she's been doing it for so long I would've thought more symptoms would've cropped up by now.

That's as much as I can think of. If any of these points help then I'm glad, if not, then I apologise.

Thank you for replying

Someone pooped on the floor this morning as well as leaving puddles. Just to clarify, its not spraying, it's puddles on the floor.

I have a very small house so literally cannot move stuff around. In my previous house I didn't have much to move around so probably not that. It's basically like a starter home but with 3 bedrooms, once you got furniture in there's just enough space to move around it!

I have tried mopping the pee up and popping the tissue in the litter tray in the past. I went a while without trays but a while ago bought one back and put it where she goes...difficult as its behind the door. She pees next to it. The other cats do not use it. I have tried various litters and currently trying just newspaper in case she prefers the hardness (the floor is laminate)

Space is a big issue especially as the cats are only downstairs whereas they used to roam freely wherever. They all had to be banned from upstairs when the peeing on the hall carpet started. One of the others scratched the carpet to bits if the door was shut so had to do total no access.
Now she just pees the other side of the door and it seeps under so the carpet it still b*ggered.

She used to sit on the high kitchen cupboards but seems to have stopped since I got a big cat tower with various levels. It's taller than me so quite high up.

All my ladies are spayed. (All 3 cats female)

As far as I know she doesn't drink a lot. She has been to the vets a couple of times about it but there doesn't seem to be a medical issue.

It is very sporadic. It'll stop for a while, start again, stop start...all different time periods. I can't see a pattern to it. As far as I am aware there is nothing changing, however, I work all day and there are a lot of cats in my area. Its possible one could be upsetting her.

But this has gone on for 5 years, through 3 houses, in different areas. I've been in this house for 3 years in October.

If I can get hold of one, I am going to a try Feliway diffuser...went to 3 pet shops yesterday and none had any

I'm just overly fed up with it. If she wishes to be an indoor cat (she doesn't go out roaming as much as the other two) then she needs to stop peeing on the floor. I don't want to have to keep her outside as it would upset her. But her peeing inside upsets me. Vicious cycle anyone??

Hi, I can't really add anything useful except to say feliway is cheaper online. Animed has free delivery but takes 3-5 days. I find it calms my lot down so hope it works for yours. Good luck.