Cat Chat Feline Forum

Feeling really quite negative at the moment about one of my cats.

I have three cats, two are rescues and I have no issues with them. The one I have problems with is the pampered Ragdoll boy who is just a nightmare with regard to weeing everywhere.

History is that he was my parents cat and they had similar issues with him. They then moved to a one bed flat with no garden due to my Dad increasingly becoming unwell (dementia) and I took the cat on as he was weeing everywhere there and Dad couldn't cope.

I have literally tried everything. He has been vet checked for UTIs and underlying issues which have all been ruled out.

We have Feliway plug ins.

I have one litter tray for each cat plus one extra.

I give him lots of individual attention.

All to no avail...

I recently bought a rug to cover multiple stains on the living room carpet and he has urinated on it multiple times. Problem is that I don't always catch him at it and only realise when I step in the wet patch.


It isn't even all the time....he WILL use the litter tray for weeing and pooping but also randomly wees elsewhere.

My vet has now drawn a blank and all we can come up with is that he is insecure in a multi cat household.

He has been in the garden all morning as the sun is out and yet came in and ate then had a wee on the rug. I only realised as I came into the room and caught him scratching over where he had done it. Yes it is wet...he has soaked it again.

I love him to bits but quite honestly I am struggling with this....the house is beginning to smell. I know that as I don't always catch him at it there are areas I am missing hence the smell.

He is gorgeous and loving, hugely cuddly and loves to snuggle up on the sofa in the evenings and I adore him but am honestly wondering if he would do better as a single cat in another home.

I am reluctant to part with him as even with a rescue I would worry about where he ended up. Another issue is that I never part with my cats...this would be a first if I did so.

Before I think about it further though I just wonder if anyone here has any magic ideas.

firstly well done and thank you for not yet giving up on this boy - so many people would have.

Do you have a bit more background on your boy; ie did you parents get him as a kitten and did your parents have other cats or was it always just him when he lived with them. (which potentially would rule out the multi-cat anxieties?)

What do you use to clean the area's he has wee'd? And is it only wee or does he also poo where he shouldn't?

I'm assuming he's neutered?

sorry about all the question and not having a solution, but the more we know the more we can all brainstorm and hopefully find an answer

Thank you for replying....I really do not want to give up on my boy as he is gorgeous.

His history is that my parents bought him from a breeder with a litter mate. The litter mate sadly died from an inherited heart condition at 19 weeks but seven years on my boy is fine.

He was neutered within the first six months and the spraying and urinating outside the litter tray first began about three years ago. I cannot identify what started this but we have all looked back to try and identify a cause without success.

It is only ever wee....he always uses the litter tray to poop and mostly he will wee in there too (I reward him for using the litter tray to wee) but at least once or twice a day he will wee elsewhere. Currently this seems to be the new rug.

I am using a biological washing powder solution to clean with but the problem is that I am not always catching him going so I am sure there will be areas I have missed.

If it matters he has always been part of a multi cat household but has not always shown this behaviour.

I suppose what I am wondering is if by keeping him here as part of a multi cat household I am making him unhappy. I don't want to part with him but I would if I thought he would be happier elsewhere. My parents were going to re-home him via a rescue but I couldn't see him go and not know where he was going to end up and so I took him ...I have had him for over a year and he seems very settled here with access to a garden (he never ever leaves the garden and is quite happy to just sit out there).

I am willing to try anything which might reduce the urinating outside the litter tray.

Daft question, but how often are cats meant to wee? I have absolutely no clue; but I don't think mine wee all that much (but then I' really don't know) - so maybe there is an underlying health issue? Maybe he has very mild cystitis and at times relates the litter tray to pain; but then that wouldn't really tie in with the fact that he does use it other times - hmmm.

in the meantime things you can try is put food on the rug where he wee's - most cats tend to toilet away from their food. Also foil in places where you don't want him to wee. Admittedly you're running the risk that he's just going to move the problem elsewhere.

Keep on with the biological washing powder and then dilute surgical spirits in a bottle with some water and spray that on the area as well - again to break down the urine enzymes.

I'm about to head off home so will put my thinking cap on whilst on the train. In the meantime - not sure if you've seen this link, but have a read through here and see if it gives you any other ideas: http://www.catchat.org/urination.html