My cat peed on me

by DonnaLynn
(Texas)

My cat Trixie is a little over a year or so old. She has been litter trained a while now.

We have lived in my new house since January and now it's August.

She was fine till about a month or two ago and she began pottying in odd places... closets, under the bed, bathrooms, laundry shoot, and now me!!!!!!!! Help!

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My Thoughts:

I'm sorry to hear that you're having problems with Trixie, DonnaLynn. That's pretty disgusting!

There are a number of medical conditions that can account for urinary incontinence in cats, including neurological and congenital problems.

Does she leak urine? Are there any wet spots where she sleeps? In order to determine if she has a medical problem, she'll need to see a veterinarian for a check up and may need some diagnostic tests.

Does she urinate often (both in the box and out)? If she's drinking and urinating excessively, that could be an indication that she's developing diabetes.

Is she spraying or urinating? If she's spraying, has she been spayed?

Yes, female cats do spray, sometimes even after they've been fixed, but...

Did the incidents start when she went into heat? Female cats are said to be seasonally polyestrous and need 12 hours of daylight (spring and summer heat cycles). They also often reach puberty at about 9 or 10 months old.

So, if she hasn't been fixed, the timing is right.

If that's not it, and it's urination for sure and the vet can't find a medical reason, we look at environment and behavior. Is she intimidated by any household members or visitors?

Some cats develop a preference for urinating in one box and defecating in another. Make sure you have two litter boxes in the house for one cat. If the house is very large or has multiple floors, you may need more.

Some cats need a squeaky clean box that is cleaned every time they use it. Automatic litter boxes may help with this if that is the case.

Do you use amonia-based cleansers in the house at all? This may perpetuate a urination problem.

Since the problem started a month or two ago, can you think back to when the problem first started and think of any changes that occurred during that time? What changed in her life around that time?

You had been in your new house a few months by then (a stressful experience for a cat), but it can take 6 months or longer for a cat to adjust to a new home. Anything that puts added stress on your cat during this time might "tip the apple cart" so to speak and set off a problem.

Visitors, changing furniture around, adding or removing household members, vacations or a change of work schedule for members of the household are some of the things that can add stress.

Think of each time she's done this. What was happening around that time or just prior? What's the trigger (if any)?

Is there another pet in the house? Disputes can arise and cause problems, even if you don't notice the dispute. If there is a second cat in the house, you should have at least three litter boxes.

Did another animal visit the home? Are there animals outside the house? Some cats can be thrown off the litter box simply by the presence of another cat or predator outside.

If you suspect her problem is stress related, buying a Feliway diffuser might help. You might try adding Cat Attract to her litter box, as it sometimes helps to encourage cats to use the box.

Normally I would say that to get her back on track, you can try isolation retraining. If she only urinates outside the box periodically, though, it will be hard to tell when she's retrained.

Please keep us updated on her progress and any additional information you think might help to uncover the cause. I hope her troubles end soon.
-Kurt