I am just about to the point that I cant take this any more. We have 3 indoor cats. One of them went through a diabetic episode and ended up in a coma abt a year and a half ago--- we nearly lost him severaal times, and I had to syringe feed him forseveral weeks before he regained his health. When he finally started to eat again, the insulin wasn't necessary--- we started to feed them wet food, which is much lower in carbs (some wet foods anyway), and his sugar stabilized. We monitor his glucose at home, and despite the fact thaat he has regained most of his weight (he is a biiiig boy), his glucose levels are great. One of our other cats has a chronic hep infection in her sinuses, which waxes and wanes. The other one is a nice, healthy older cat who has never given us a lick of trouble or cost us any money (unlike the other 2-- the diabetic episode cost us nearly 1,000 dollars that we did NOT have to spend-- we are still paying on it actually. The little one has to go in for abx and steroid shots every few months, when her nose gets really bad).
So here is the thing--- they are peeing on our d*mn sofa. First they ruined our futon. Then they ruined 2 mattresses, then they ruined the old carpet that was in this room (needed replacing anyway at least), and now they have started in on the sofa. When Azrael was diagnosed as being diabetic, I thought that the peeing might have been related to that-- and it did abate for several months, but it has strted again. In the past (like a couple of years ago), we saw both the little one and the male pee on the carpet, so we know that both of them have been guilty in the past. The sofa and chari are now both pretty much ruined. Enzyme stuff doesnt work, stay off the furniture spray doesnt work, steam cleaning doesnt work. I really am at wits end-- this has been going on for years, and I am tired of having my stuff ruined. They pee at night, when we are in bed, so we can't catch them. We have tried shutting them out of the room, but since that room doesnt close off, it is essentially shutting them in the bedroom area, and I am scared that they will just start peeing on the beds. I don't want to put an animal to sleep for peeing for gods sake, but because of their health issues, I am sure no one else wants them. We have a dog in the backyard, and live on a busy street, so putting them outside isnt an option. I CULD try and beg my dad to take them, but they would be entirely outdoor cats on a lot of property--- mostly kinda like barn cats. Dad had one outside cat already, and I am not sure how it would go over, either with him, or with the cat already there.
Anyway, anyone have any success in fixing the peeing? It seems to get a little bit better for awhile, and then worse again. They will pee on a pile of clothes if we leave them in the hall to wash-- they have actually done this so much that the hardwoods are stained. I know this is gross ya'll. I am embarassed to have people over unless i have steam cleaned, and then I still think you can smell it. I want to replace the sofa and chair (which sucks, because they are in decent shape beyond the freakin pee, but I dont want to do it before I find a solution to the problem.
Someone just tell me what to do---- please. I love my cats, but I really just cant take theis anymore. I dont know which of them for sure is the culprit-- like I said it has been a few years since we have caught any of them in the act.
Ok, gotta run ---Liam needs me
heather

Are they spayed/neutured? Do they have IMMACULATELY clean clumpable litter? Cats are orginally from the desert so they NEVER had to pee in the same place twice, they'd just pee in the sand and never have to smell/see their stuff again so they *hate* dirty litterboxes!

After my cats (who peed all over) got spayed and we got clumpable litter so we could get all the uckies out, they stopped peeing on everything!

Another worry could be that one has a bladder/kidney infection which they have trouble "holding it"

Cats may also revert to their old ways if any changes have happened recently (change in food, family memebers, housing, ect) so if anything's changed they need lots of comfort/reassurance.

I know there are a few of Melaleuca's products that may help with the smell/soiling and also they have a few supplements that may help both your kitties with cronic problems! Other then Melaleuca I am no help because before melaleuca nothing I found helped with anything!!! LOL

~Jess

ditto to the spay/neuter. We have two females that peed in the kitchen sink even... on vinyl floors, on anything cloth... on the sofa toss pillows, on the sofa... anything they could.

We got them spayed, keep everything off the floors(blankets/clothes/etc) and we got a new sofa and scrubbed the house clean clean clean while they recovered from the spay.

No problems yet. If we leave something on the floor like a shirt or blanket... they *might* still pee on it, but usually not. And I keep their littler super super clean. I use the crystal litter, and there is NO smell at all, so that helps.

good luck sweetie!

No infection, we have been to the vet a billion times during this process. Yes, they are all fixed. The small female has been fixed the least amount of time, only for abt 3 years (she is 5), because she only went in heat 1-2 times a year, it wasn't ever an issue for us. The peeing did not seem to coincide with the heats btw (or I would think the male had something to do with it. No changes in anything recently. We have lived here for 3.5 yrs, had the baby for 2.5yrs, havent changed their food since azrael's diabetic episode (and then we just added wet feedings in). That waqs over a year ago.
We don't use clumpable litter or scoop if very often. WE change the boxes twice a week, and have 2 boxes. They are probably scooped once each change, so about every other day. I honestly have so many other things going on, that scooping the litterbox hasnt been a priority, and Dh wont scoop at all. He does the emptying, but wont scoop it. Honestly though, I am not sure that it would make a difference-- they will pee on the sofa the night after Dh changes their litterboxes (he changes themm late at night ususally-- like 10-11pm, and we will wake with pee on the sofa.
Do the products that you sell actually remove all of the traces of the odor? Natures miracle really does seem to take the odor out, but apparently doesnt penetrate the cushion as deeply as the pee, because they still think of it as a littlerbox.
UGH I just don't know what to do!:wah:

We had this situation, and after all health checkups it was determined that the cats just didn't like the babies. They were 9 and 10 when our first was born and they just couldn't adjust.

I had to take a hard stance. I will admit that I just don't understand why people keep animals that pee on things. It is a health hazard to your child. No matter how much you love the cats, I am sure you love your son more. The urine in your couches is growing bacteria as I write.

We made our cats outside cats, even though I had been totally against having cats outdoors. One ran off right away, the other stayed for about 2 years, until he figured how to get out of the backyard. I'm sad that they are gone now, but I learned a lesson and I won't have a cat in the house while I have kids. It isn't fair to the cat to have to be the one to leave if things don't work out, so I won't risk it again.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I tried rescue, but they couldn't help me as the cats were older and they said no one would want a cat with urinary issues.

Peace,

Kimberly

If they are just doing the peeing at night, I would get one of those large cat crates, like they use at the pet store and keep the cats in there at night and while you are gone. You could do it one cat at a time until you figure out which one is doing the peeing. The cages are big enough to put a littler box in and then add another shelf or something for the cat to sleep on.

Not that you would want to do it and it sounds grotesque. But there is a surgery where they remove the part of the brain that houses the sense of smell. FREAKY! But it's supposed to be a really successful surgery. I told the vet I couldn't do it to my cat but I know people who have and it worked.

There is also stuff out now that comes in a plug in and a spray that is called Feliway (or Feliaway?). I've heard it works really well too. It's like Kitty pheramones (not spelled right...) which give them a sense of well being and causes them to stop peeing.


Good luck mama!

I had to put my kitty down for the same reason. She couldn't have been an outdoor kitty and I wasn't willing to pass her problems on to someone else. :wah:

:hug:Sorry you are going through this! I have 2 indoor cats and one outdoor. The one that is outside is out there because of peeing on everything. We got her from the pound when she was 6 years old and she was spayed there.She was an indoor/outdoor cat before that. She would pee on everything.Including me! I took her to the vet and spent hundreds to see what was wrong.I kept a immaculate litter box.The vet eventually said that some cats just do this. It broke my heart to put her outside.We give her plenty of shelter and she seems to be very happy.She has been out there for 6 years.Still,she doesn't as much attention as I would like because she is outside.Still even outside I have learned that I need to keep my patio chair cuhions off the chair or she will pee on them!:eek: I gave up buying her nice beds because she pees on them too.:( I have actually seen her do it,she aims and sprays!:eek: Makes me sad,I love her very much.She is still such a sweet kitty......Best wishes,I know how hard these kitties can be!

Originally posted by Chanbele
If they are just doing the peeing at night, I would get one of those large cat crates, like they use at the pet store and keep the cats in there at night and while you are gone. You could do it one cat at a time until you figure out which one is doing the peeing. The cages are big enough to put a littler box in and then add another shelf or something for the cat to sleep on. :ditto:
I had to crate my cat when she got to the point where she was peeing everywhere. She was having seizures and couldn't control her bladder. I hate that she lived her last days in a cage but I couldn't bring myself to have her put down. She was my first baby. I couldn't tolerate the pee everywhere, and I knew she couldn't help it.

We adopted two Siamese mixes as kittens in 1994. They were very happy and content until teh arrival of the dog and DS. After DS was born they began peeing on the bed every chance they got, plus on the carpet in the entryway. We had them checked for bladder/kidney problems, set up more litterboxes, consulted a behaviorist, pretty much everything we could possibly do. I was washing our duvet and cover every day. We bought gallons of Nature's Miracle and lots of Felaway (sp?) spray. Nothing helped

When one of them peed on DS's bed while I was standing there folding clothes it was just the last straw. I had the vet print out their medical records, packed up their food and took them to the shelter so they could find a family with no children or dogs. They were transferred to a no-kill shelter in Colorado and supposedly adopted not too long after.

I hated to do it but I couldn't stand the peeing. As Siamese mixes the behaviorist said they probably never would get over their anger and would probably keep peeing out of spite for the rest of their lives if they stayed in our house. The only option we didn't try was anti-anxiety meds. I miss them but love not having to wash everything on a daily basis.

Good luck. It is a difficult decision to make. I cried off and on for a few weeks afterwards. :(

We made our cats outside cats

That's want my parents did with the cat we had growing up and she loved being outdoors (let me mention here that she peed on my leg once; she just did it and had no apparent reason and after peeing on my leg, she couldn't understand why I was upset or why I walked away). She ruined a scale, carpet and peed on the walls (weird, I know).

I think the mamas who mentioned the jealousy link they experienced with their cats probably know what they are talking about. Either way, as long as you have a garage, crates for any cold nights (or a heater in your garage; some people do) and there aren't any threats of coyotes, you can probably still enjoy their company without the hassle of the pee by making them outdoor cats. I truly believe that in some situations no matter how bad it may make the owner feel, some cats just need to be outdoors. And feeling guilty won't help either.

Jenn