My cat pees everywhere except the litter box, HELP!

by Denise
(Midland, MI)

Ace is our 2 1/2 year old neutered male cat (not declawed). We have two other male cats approximately 3 1/2 years old, one female dog (puggle), and one ferret (he loves playing with our ferret Meika).

Ace has been in three households during his lifetime (all with myself and my fiance), two apartments, and a house.

The house is brand new and he has picked his spots to pee. His favorites are in the corners of the dining room, in front of the front door, in the "pet room" and he just recently started peeing in the living room. He usually goes next to a wall or in a corner.

All of the surfaces are different; the dining room is wood, in front of the front door there is a rug, the "pet room" is laminate, and the living room is carpet.

We have three litter boxes in the same area in the "pet room." They are large storage bins (since our dog was eating the cat poop), one covered and the other two uncovered. Ace has been peeing outside of the box for probably close to two years now.

I am probably going to start by cleaning all of the areas thoroughly and adding another litter box. Does the comfort zone things work?

I have not changed the brand of litter either; it has been the same all along. I just want some help because I absolutely do NOT want to have to give our cat away! Please help!

My Thoughts: I admire your dedication and devotion to your cat! Many people would have given up a long time ago. Ace has been experiencing his litter box problem for a long time, so it may take some doing to correct the problem.

Cleaning the areas is essential, so that's a good start. Otherwise he'll have the urge to return to those spots. An additional litter box is probably a good idea as well.

It's been a while, but if you can think back to what might have started it, you might be able to determine the cause. Did something change in his life to cause stress or anxiety?

A new pet or a move? Or, perhaps he had a bout with a urinary tract problem and began to associate painful urination with the litter box.

Since stress is often a major factor, do whatever you can to reduce stress. Feliway has been reported by some other cat owners to reduce stress and "cure" litter box problems. You can get the spray or let the diffuser fill the room.

Since this has been going on so long, isolation retraining may work best. See this article on litter box training using isolation for how to do that.

If his problem is that he's battling for territory with another pet in the house, or upset by the presence of another pet, you'll have to work through those issues. Personalities do clash sometimes and this may be the only evidence of it until you dig deeper.

Best of luck with him and let us know how it goes,
-Kurt