Cat People - I really need some avice!

[packrat]

Can you use it indoors? That's a good solution for the floors if you can.

According to HGTV's Property Brothers you can. It's now on my list of flooring options: unfinished hardwood (oak or hickory for me) stained, and sealed with Marine grade A sealant.

Oooo I like those guys. Stained hickory would be inSANE. I'd love that in our house.

 

[Gypsy]

It would be. I would go with the cheapest option though. I'll be honest. I certainly am not in a financial position to spend a year of salary on flooring!

 

[packrat]

We couldn't either. We did sheet vinyl in the basement that looks like wood, so that's what we'll do upstairs too. I'd like to do the cheapy unfinished stuff from Lumber Liquidators b/c it has all the grain and knots/irregularities in it and we like that, but it's a lot of work.

The vinyl in the basement has been wonderful tho for the dang hairballs and other random gross cat vomit..and one time I think one of Trapper's friends peed on the floor b/c it didn't smell strong like cat pee does...so hooray for non-carpet floors for cat and small boy pee!

 

[04diamond<3]

I think that OP is being judged unfairly. We don't know her and to say that she chose hardwood floors over her cat is an unfair statement IMO. Sure, certain types of flooring may be better than others in terms of cleaning up cat urine, but I can't imagine a scenario in which a cat owner would be able to remove 100% of cat pee accidents 100% of the time (even with diligence, black lights, proper cleaning products, etc.) no matter what type of flooring they have. A cat pee accident that's gone unseen and allowed to "sit" for awhile can seep in (cracks at base boards, etc.). The answer to a cat urination problem is not "proper" flooring IMO - the answer (for some folks) is not having cat that urinates outside of a litter box. Unfortunately for some of us, this is something about cats that we learn too late. We choose cats as pets because we want to love & care for them. Some of us learn that cats can have behavioral issues that can't be corrected and this is not something that can necessarily be anticipated. This is exactly why I will never be a cat owner again - because I learned that some cats pee in the house and that's not a risk that I'm willing to take. When it happened to me, my grandma lived on a farm and she offered to take my cat. It was a very painful decision, but I still got to visit him it both cat & grandma seemed happy with the choice.
I think that it's great that you have 6 cats, and again, I realize that this is a sensitive issue, but just because someone is not willing to live with a cat who urinates on the floor, walls, furniture, etc., does not make them a bad person or a bad pet owner for that matter.
My son had a play date friend over today and the friend has 3 cats. They live in a beautiful home that has been ruined by cat pee (IMO). You can smell it when you walk up on to the front porch (and I'm not exaggerating). The boy came to our home today to play and the minute he walked through the door, I could smell the odor - the cat pee smell was in his clothes. Sometimes, I think that cat owners become used to the smell (sensory adaptation) and they don't smell it anymore, but it is still very much present and can be extremely unpleasant to anyone not living in it. If that sort of thing is okay with some folks, that's fine, but some of us don't consider it a problem that we could live with.[/quote]

Thank you momhappy! Your kind words have been appreciated! DH's grandma worked in real estate for 50+ years and prior to us buying our home, she'd tell us the damage she's seen in homes due to cats (his family doesn't like cats). She said that a couple that was trying to sell the home and found in an inspection that the cat pee in the corner of their home caused the hardwood to crystalize and them became brittle. I was horrified by this.

It's not that I'm completely heartless and we're not doing wrong by anyone. I came here seeking advice not to be told what an awful person i am for ASKING FOR ADVICE!

DH is really attached to them, and yeah, i feel like he is making excuses to keep them, but I understand. It would be hard to let them go, and we absolutely would find a far more ideal home (definitely Not a shelter) for them. However, we're still unsure about what we're going to do. We've scheduled a trip for both cats to go to the vet and I'm hoping something can be figured out.

I agree about the smell, it's like a fog to me and I'm so embarrassed to have people over. I smell it every day but other than the places I know he's done it, that we've cleaned up, I can't find where else he has. But I definitely smell it. It's so frustrating.

I've been around cats my whole life (after coming to the States), and my parents had 8 cats at one point. They got everywhere and peed on everything. I really think that if my parents want to sell their home, they should just sell the lot and knock down the house it's so bad. I can't go there without taking medication first. I can't help but feel like this might happen to our home and I really don't want it to. Not because I'm a which, but until you know what it's like, you won't understand (not you).

Anyways, all suggestions are appreciated and we'll do our best.

 

[04diamond<3]

FYI. A Grade Marine Sealant is used on BOATS that are wooden. When properly applied to wood it makes it completely waterproof.

If you are not getting pre-finished hardwood floors, that can be a solution for you to discuss with your contractor.

I sent our builder an email about this - if they could do it, that'd be awesome! I've never heard of it, but would definitely do it if we can. thanks!

 

[04diamond<3]

Everyone that suggested 'Feliway' - thank you! I looked it up and it sounds exactly like something that could help our boy. Living in the place we're in now, it's not like the heavy pee's he used to do in front of the door, it's little spurts everywhere...I'm thinking if we have one of these in every room he'll have access to, then he shouldn't feel the need to pee if he's not scared or stressed....well, I'm hoping at least.

The pee is my biggest thing. The puke and hairballs, fine, they're easier to clean up and don't smell nearly as bad and don't seem to cause long term damage. We'll ask the vet on her opinoins on this to when we go.

 

[TC1987]

I've dealt with the cat pee in the carpet problem and have managed to get rid of the pee smell. I have the smell of the cleaner in there now, but am slowly getting that killed off.

I always try to think like the cat and determine why the cat isn't using the litter box. With the female I have, the problem is she feels threatened in there because the males attacked her if they got the chance. She rarely got enough time to herself to use the litterbox before one of the literally would attack her. So, I bought two covered boxes and I put one upstairs in a BR. I shut her in there by herself with her meal, leave her an hour or two, and she uses the covered litterbox and has the place to herself. I also changed her diet from Science Diet RD that was supposed to help get her weight back down to normal range. But it worsened the peeing outside the box problem and she had blood in her urine. Now she eats Friskies canned and real meat from the table, and some grain-free Blue Buffalo, her weight is drifting down slowly and she uses the litterbox and there is no blood in her urine. Since you have both peeing and vomiting problems, OP, I'd consider changing their foods.

The problem pee-er now is my cat that has hyperthyroid. He just backs up to doors and pees. I scheduled a vet appointment for him. He's done that before when he has an infection. But this time might be kidney failure or something,

To get rid of the smell, I always sop up fresh pee ASAP when I find it, before it gets the chance to stink much. I soak the spot with the extra strength Nature's Miracle. I sop up any extra after a while and leave the remainder in the rug. I own a Bissell spot cleaner and also a Bissell ProHeat 2x model 9400 carpet shampooer. I use either of those to shampoo the Nature's Miracle out after a few days. I found that I can pour hydrogen peroxide into the carpet and it won't fade. That helps kill the pee smell and also the smell of the cleaner's perfumes. I've also used 90% rubbing alcohol. I'm not going to replace any carpet pad until I get the pee-er to stop, so I just make sure that I kill the smell enough that there's no cat pee smell in the house, that I can smell.

Last year I used Urine Off and they must have changed the formula because it left a sour smell in the carpet. Hydrogen peroxide helped kill that. So did liberally sprinkling Arm & Hammer carpet freshener on there and working it in with a brush, and letting it stay there for about 30 days before vacuuming or shampooing that section of carpet.

 

[Gypsy]

My other five are very good with their litterbox habits. And maybe I've been lucky with Jack-- he really only sprays on things that are left on the floor (laundry) , so we don't leave things on the floor and he's not allowed in the closet or laundry areas, and then the drapes, the only reason the rug got hit is because I caught him spraying on the drapes mid-act and shouted "No" which startled him into moving his rear.... right over to the rug. And it was only a small amount and I've washed it, not just sprayed it down, so I know it is okay. But I'm tired of that rug, so I am using that as a bit of an excuse to get a new rug . I do make sure to follow up on any of the accidents quickly. And like I said, we use the black light every day just in case.

I don't worry about having people over. My house doesn't smell like pee. And I'm not fooling myself about that.

But I do have 6 cats. And it's their home too so there is lots of cat furniture around, bowls, toys, and FUR. A good vacuum is a necessity.

I think I have a nice home. I buy decent quality stuff. But do make sure that the materials are cat friendly. So I stick to microfiber and tight weaves for upholstery. My cats don't scratch REAL leather, but the fake bi- cast stuff they love. Don't know why. I try to stick to indoor/outdoor rugs and there are some really nice ones and they are very affordable so that's not a hardship. My dining set in an inherited vintage mid-century set. I buy great quality linens when I can afford them. I do find that glass top tables are a good value.

So we do have nice stuff.

 

[brownbear]

My cat pees on the rugs from time to time and now I have laid down puppy pads under all the rugs. I don't worry about the urine seeping into laminate. I just wash the spot that was violated and change the puppy pad. My cat also has urinary tract issues so we mix half a capsule of cranberry extract with his wet food every night. It has helped a lot and it's so much cheaper than buying cat treats with cranberry extract - i take the pills for my own UTI issues so if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for him!
He doesn't need it anymore, but the Thundershirt helped with his anxiety.

 

[Gypsy]

Thundershirt helped? I wonder if that would work for Jack. I still don't know what sets him off. We are willing to try anything though.

I put plastic sheeting under the area where the curtains are that he sprays.

The cranberry extract is very smart! Those treats can get expensive!

 

[packrat]

We had to buy long/tall rubbermaid containers for litter boxes b/c Opilio is a stand up pee-er. She also acts like she's spraying, but never actually sprays, and I hope she doesn't start. Up until we started having problems w/Chucknorris (and we'd had him for two years before having a problem so I dunno what was up w/that-he suddenly didn't like anything of JD's or Trapper's) people that didn't know I was a crazy cat person were surprised when they'd be here and see one (or...several) of the cats walk by. I like that. Even people w/severe allergies have never had a problem in our house, and that's a good feeling. We freak out tho, about smells..JD grew up in a house basically saturated w/urine and feces, so he gets upset if something happens in our house. It's not a strange occurrence to come to our house and find me on the floor, crawling around to smell the carpet. Should get a black light and do Gypsy's trick....maybe look a little less strange..

A lot of our home improvements now will center more around being animal friendly. It's just not worth it anymore to "fight" it..well, not fight it, but that's the only word I can think of. Vinyl floors instead of carpeting. We'll be making a built in cat tree w/the entertainment center wall this winter so the cats have more of their "own" space upstairs. Couches are going to be frames w/twin size mattresses covered in that water proof car seat cover fabric. I figure that's pretty indestructible. I don't of course put any of these ideas as "better for the cats" when I bring them up...I talk about how much easier it would be for *me* to have certain things, so he doesn't think we're turning into crazy cat people. The couches will be easier when we get another dog too.

 

[movie zombie]

thundershirt!
never heard of it.
just researched it.
just ordered it!
Brita needs it for travel to the vet and/or meds.
Spikey needs it to feel more secure.
Fredde needs it because he just gets so over stimulated.
Parkour does not need it.
luckily, one size will fit all three that do need it so I only ordered one.
will let you know what I think...oh, and there is free name embroidery and shipping right now if you order from their website.

 

[momhappy]

This thread got me wondering - what percentage of cats have this problem? Reading through the responses, it almost seems like the norm that cats pee on the floor. I have had two cats in my adult life and 1 out of 2 peed on everything….. I guess that I was just wondering how common it actually is?

 

[movie zombie]

it goes like this with cats: pissed off so i'm going to piss on you/your things.
certainly a means of communication that rings loud and clear.
now if we only knew why a particular cat at any given moment is doing it.
while my two youngest cats, Parkour and Fredde, love change and can't get enough of my moving things around Spikey finds it threatening and feels a lot of anxiety which can set off the spraying..............
not getting enough attention sets Spikey off as well, especially as I noted above, if we come in the door and don't acknowledge him by name and petting.
cats are an awful lot like people just w/o the verbal skills so they use the tools they do have..............which includes spraying, not using a litter box, clawing, etc.
if we are observant we can figure it out over time........because, of course, we're more intelligent than them, right?!

 

[monarch64]

I have only had one cat of my own in my life, and I will never get another one. My parents had a cat (they took him in as a stray and he was the nicest animal ever, sadly he succumbed to complications from FIV he'd contracted in the wild years back, but we'll never forget him) and I re-homed another one to them so I have other points of reference.

My cat did the (I thought) strangest things to let me know how TERRIBLY unhappy she was. She hated any sort of small rug. Bath mats, kitchen mats, door mats, etc. She would deliberately poop on them, and not just regular #2's. No. These (every single time) were cow pies. Not diarrhea, nope. Perfectly formed round cow pies like you'd see in a pasture with, yes, cattle. I went through a lot of replacement rugs until I figured out she just would not tolerate them.

Next, it was peeing in my overnight bag or suitcase when I got home from a trip. I had to travel a little (really not much) for work, and I had two neighbors (one of whom was an old friend) check in on her, feed her, play with her, etc. while I was gone every time. She never peed outside the litter box but she would wait til I wasn't looking, go in the bedroom and find my bag and get inside it and pee.

I moved to Chicago. She was fine for years living with me and my ex. No issues whatsoever, even the bathmat/doormat/kitchen rug thing stopped. At that point she just used to attack my feet at 4 a.m. every morning but refused to be shut out of the bedroom. Ffw a couple years: we decided to get a puppy. Still no problems. She didn't LIKE the dog, but she didn't retaliate.

Next year, we buy a house and move in. She starts peeing all over the place. I take her to the vet. Vet says she's fine health-wise and that this is a reaction to too many new things at once. My ex said he would not give up the dog and obviously we weren't going to sell the house and go back to our apartment. So, I re-homed my cat to a girl at work whose childhood companion kitty had just died. They were very happy together from then on.

I am just not a cat person. My husband is terribly allergic, to the point that he has to take meds before we visit certain friends who have kitties. I just don't see myself ever again taking the chance on getting another even if it is just me when I'm 95 years old. I have been loved by a cat and conquered by a cat and I will never again be conquered by one!

 

[CJ2008]

I've had 3 cats in my life (2 living now, 1 passed) - I've never had any of them pee anywhere they were not supposed to.

I didn't realize it was so common for cats to spray / pee outside the litter box.

 

[msop04]

Can you use it indoors? That's a good solution for the floors if you can.

According to HGTV's Property Brothers you can. It's now on my list of flooring options: unfinished hardwood (oak or hickory for me) stained, and sealed with Marine grade A sealant.

This would be AWESOME -- thanks for the info, Gypsy!

 

[momhappy]

I have only had one cat of my own in my life, and I will never get another one. My parents had a cat (they took him in as a stray and he was the nicest animal ever, sadly he succumbed to complications from FIV he'd contracted in the wild years back, but we'll never forget him) and I re-homed another one to them so I have other points of reference.

My cat did the (I thought) strangest things to let me know how TERRIBLY unhappy she was. She hated any sort of small rug. Bath mats, kitchen mats, door mats, etc. She would deliberately poop on them, and not just regular #2's. No. These (every single time) were cow pies. Not diarrhea, nope. Perfectly formed round cow pies like you'd see in a pasture with, yes, cattle. I went through a lot of replacement rugs until I figured out she just would not tolerate them.

Next, it was peeing in my overnight bag or suitcase when I got home from a trip. I had to travel a little (really not much) for work, and I had two neighbors (one of whom was an old friend) check in on her, feed her, play with her, etc. while I was gone every time. She never peed outside the litter box but she would wait til I wasn't looking, go in the bedroom and find my bag and get inside it and pee.

I moved to Chicago. She was fine for years living with me and my ex. No issues whatsoever, even the bathmat/doormat/kitchen rug thing stopped. At that point she just used to attack my feet at 4 a.m. every morning but refused to be shut out of the bedroom. Ffw a couple years: we decided to get a puppy. Still no problems. She didn't LIKE the dog, but she didn't retaliate.

Next year, we buy a house and move in. She starts peeing all over the place. I take her to the vet. Vet says she's fine health-wise and that this is a reaction to too many new things at once. My ex said he would not give up the dog and obviously we weren't going to sell the house and go back to our apartment. So, I re-homed my cat to a girl at work whose childhood companion kitty had just died. They were very happy together from then on.

I am just not a cat person. My husband is terribly allergic, to the point that he has to take meds before we visit certain friends who have kitties. I just don't see myself ever again taking the chance on getting another even if it is just me when I'm 95 years old. I have been loved by a cat and conquered by a cat and I will never again be conquered by one!

I agree with you - based on my past experiences, owning a cat is simply too risky. A pet (any pet) that uses my home (any part of my home except the yard) as a toilet on a regular basis, is not a pet that I wish to own. I love cats and think that they are adorable, but peeing in the house is a deal-breaker for me.

 

[msop04]

It's not that I'm completely heartless and we're not doing wrong by anyone. I came here seeking advice not to be told what an awful person i am for ASKING FOR ADVICE!

DH is really attached to them, and yeah, i feel like he is making excuses to keep them, but I understand. It would be hard to let them go, and we absolutely would find a far more ideal home (definitely Not a shelter) for them. However, we're still unsure about what we're going to do. We've scheduled a trip for both cats to go to the vet and I'm hoping something can be figured out.

I agree about the smell, it's like a fog to me and I'm so embarrassed to have people over. I smell it every day but other than the places I know he's done it, that we've cleaned up, I can't find where else he has. But I definitely smell it. It's so frustrating.

I've been around cats my whole life (after coming to the States), and my parents had 8 cats at one point. They got everywhere and peed on everything. I really think that if my parents want to sell their home, they should just sell the lot and knock down the house it's so bad. I can't go there without taking medication first. I can't help but feel like this might happen to our home and I really don't want it to. Not because I'm a which, but until you know what it's like, you won't understand (not you).

Anyways, all suggestions are appreciated and we'll do our best.

I'm so sorry for your dilemma, OP -- I completely understand! I had a kitty (Lola) who started out great, but then developed a habit of peeing right beside the littler box (which is in our front bedroom and carpeted)... When I took her to the vet, she had a clean bill of health and he seemed to think it was 100% behavioural, since I had 2 more cats. She was a very sweet cat, but became absolutely terrified of everything within about 4 months of having her. She literally went from cozying up to my other cats to living under my bed ALL THE TIME.

I lived with her issues for about 15 months until I spoke with my aunt (who runs a spay/neuter clinic). She suggested that Lola may need to be in a "one-cat home" -- after weeks of deliberation, I agree to let her live with one of my aunt's coworkers. It killed me, and I felt soooo guilty -- I had agreed to take this kitty, and now I was letting her go! However, I had to think of the cat as well... Lola was leading a really sad, miserable life and deserved to be happy. I let my aunt know that if her friend had any problems or if Lola wasn't acting like a happy cat, then I would take her back and go from there. I hadn't heard anything from my aunt for almost 2 months after Lola was placed in her friend's home. When I called, I was soooo happy with the news. Per my aunt's friend, Lola crept out of the cat carrier and walked around her whole house for an hour or so, then jumped right up into her lap and has been there since -- happy and acting like the kitty I adopted prior to her decline. She just needed to be in a one-animal/one-cat home. There are days I really miss her, but I just think about how happy she is now -- if I had just let her continue to "mess up" and stay under the bed, she'd still be there today... miserable and scared. She's living the life as the "queen bee" in her new home, and I couldn't be happier with my decision!

I hope you find peace with whatever you decide, OP... Best of luck to you!

This is Lola (grey tabby) in happier times with my little Peanut... until the behavioral issue started, they were inseparable!

 

[momhappy]

^That's adorable I really do like cats… it's a shame that they can be so tricky sometimes

 

[brownbear]

Thundershirt helped? I wonder if that would work for Jack. I still don't know what sets him off. We are willing to try anything though.

I put plastic sheeting under the area where the curtains are that he sprays.

The cranberry extract is very smart! Those treats can get expensive!

My kitty, London, was still adjusting to our new condo... having the thundershirt made him feel secure. We put him in it for about 30 minutes every evening until he chilled a bit more.

I like the puppy pads because they are absorbent but the plastic keeps it from leaking into the floor.

 

[brownbear]

thundershirt!
never heard of it.
just researched it.
just ordered it!
Brita needs it for travel to the vet and/or meds.
Spikey needs it to feel more secure.
Fredde needs it because he just gets so over stimulated.
Parkour does not need it.
luckily, one size will fit all three that do need it so I only ordered one.
will let you know what I think...oh, and there is free name embroidery and shipping right now if you order from their website.

I hope it works for you! It's worth a shot, right? We haven't had to bring London to the vet yet but when the time comes, we'll definitely put the Thundershirt on him.

 

[zoebartlett]

This thread got me wondering - what percentage of cats have this problem? Reading through the responses, it almost seems like the norm that cats pee on the floor. I have had two cats in my adult life and 1 out of 2 peed on everything….. I guess that I was just wondering how common it actually is?

We have a male and a female cat (not litter mates). Our female cat has never given us any problems. Our male cat, on the other hand, has peed in our tub instead of the litter box quite a few times. We like to think he's considerate because at least he chooses the tub instead of the floor or our carpet upstairs. Our vet thinks it's mostly behavioral, although he did have a UTI a while back. The vet explained that if something's not right (not feeling well, etc.), cats will find another spot to go, as someone mentioned already. We've tried a few new litter boxes, and ended up with essentially a rubbermaid-like container that comes with liners. That's worked out great. We haven't had any problems in a while.

 

[Gypsy]

Cat ownership is not for everyone. I have no issues with responsibly re-homing a cat if it is in the cat's best interests. One of my best friends just did that, and I fully supported the decision. And I have no issue with people sayining "cats aren't for me," and never getting one.

I do have an issue with people who are already pet owners who get housing/furniture that is not pet friendly and using that as a reason to get rid of pets they made a commitment to. My husband works in residential housing. I can't tell you the number of people with pets that get housing that is 'no pets' and just give up their animals and make it everyone else's problem when they could have just as easily gotten pet friendly housing. That's why I said my issue is with priorities. Whether you consider them your kids or not, they are living breathing dependents you made a commitment to.

I also have a problem with people who treat shelters like the library. They check out a cat when it is convenient and check in a cat when it is not.

I think there are a number of good solutions to the OP's problem. Some have been mentioned here. Hopefully it will work out.

 

[TC1987]

I agree with you - based on my past experiences, owning a cat is simply too risky. A pet (any pet) that uses my home (any part of my home except the yard) as a toilet on a regular basis, is not a pet that I wish to own. I love cats and think that they are adorable, but peeing in the house is a deal-breaker for me.

Well the thing that I observed that grossed me out the most was a friend's diaperless child get loose and pee on their living room carpet. Pee on my rugs, kids, and I'll scrub the floor with you and yer mamma and daddy, too!

Cats peeing someplace other than litter box is not the norm, in my experience. My problems started when I had to park my cats with my parents for that year that I went to R.N. school. I had to relocate for school and couldn't find a pet-friendly rental apartment or house there. So, I ended up renting a room in that town, and leaving my cats with my mother. Before that, there were no problems whatsoever. The cats were 8 years old at the time, and had lived with me since they were 12 weeks old. Psychological trauma and major upheaval and separation anxiety are what caused them to start, I am certain. Also, my parents had a small feral cat colony at the time, and those feral cats lounged around on the porches at that house. So, from my cats' perspective, they had been abandoned by me and left with a bunch of scary ferals outdoors.

IF they have some kind of bad experience with the litterbox (like my male cats jump my female) or they just decide it's easier to use the rug as a toilet, that can be a hard habit to break. But I think it can be done, with diligence. You have to pen the cat up in a crate or a cat playpen (big cage) so that its choices are pee in the litterbox, or pee where it sits/eats/plays/sleeps. It doesn't take them very long to get over that aversion to the litterbox.

My female is using her regular box now. My one male that pees on doors probably had one or more health issues causing that. The other two males are fastidiously clean and always use a litterbox.

 

[brownbear]

We got a new cooler... London gets a box! He loves it cuz he knows it's *his* box. The cutouts just work! We are never throwing this box out!

OP - hope you can figure out how to happily co-exist with your kitty. It definitely took some time for me to figure out how to live with my husband's cat and I think he was trying to figure out how to live with me! He's my first pet and I love him to pieces.

 

[CJ2008]

I can't tell you the number of people with pets that get housing that is 'no pets' and just give up their animals and make it everyone else's problem when they could have just as easily gotten pet friendly housing.

That is so sad...and yes, I've run into a few instances of situations like this too - it's amazing to me how easily some people can give up their pets.

I have an ex-brother law who has gotten so many pets and then just gave them up. That's bad enough in it itself. But what I hate is what his daughters are learning from seeing that happen.

 

[TC1987]

who started out great, but then developed a habit of peeing right beside the littler box (which is in our front bedroom and carpeted)...

My first cat did that, sometimes, after he'd lost his vision due to a stroke. I bought a large metal oil drip pan from Autozone. Probably all car parts stores carry them. I put newspapers on it, but bed pads for incontinence or puppy pads or whatever would work. I bought a long low "dog litterbox" from a pet store. It was very low with a long opening on one side. Easy for a blind old cat to get in /out of.

If he peed and missed the box, it would be caught by the newspaper on that trak. Slide the litterbox over, roll up the newspapers, wash off the tray with spray bottle & paper towels, replace newspaper, slide llitterbox back. That drip pan caught it all. Problem solved.

 

[Laila619]

I've had 3 cats in my life (2 living now, 1 passed) - I've never had any of them pee anywhere they were not supposed to.

I didn't realize it was so common for cats to spray / pee outside the litter box.

I think it's more of an issue with male cats. I have two female cats, and they both use the litter box without issues.

That said, I will not own any pets ever again after these two pass away. I love them, but they are too much work and they have destroyed things with their claws.

 

[msop04]

who started out great, but then developed a habit of peeing right beside the littler box (which is in our front bedroom and carpeted)...

My first cat did that, sometimes, after he'd lost his vision due to a stroke. I bought a large metal oil drip pan from Autozone. Probably all car parts stores carry them. I put newspapers on it, but bed pads for incontinence or puppy pads or whatever would work. I bought a long low "dog litterbox" from a pet store. It was very low with a long opening on one side. Easy for a blind old cat to get in /out of.

If he peed and missed the box, it would be caught by the newspaper on that trak. Slide the litterbox over, roll up the newspapers, wash off the tray with spray bottle & paper towels, replace newspaper, slide llitterbox back. That drip pan caught it all. Problem solved.

That's a good idea -- poor kitty couldn't see... I tried everything under the sun, but Lola would make it a point to go on the carpet -- she even managed to rip a hole through the puppy pads plastic lining!! (Kitty was p*ssed!!)