Almost to the final straw :(

[jazzcat]

I can't take it anymore. Someone or several someones are peeing in the house. I feel almost certain that it is Moxie and/or Decker. It's a total behavior thing because they do it when I leave the house, even just take a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood, or if it's around meal time. On top of that someone is marking things around the house that the cats use. Today alone I discovered someone peed/marked a cat blanket and then someone peed in the dining room. I have carpet runners on the carpet all along the walls where they like to pee and sometimes they will pee on the plastic runner but today while I was gone they did it on the carpet right in front of the runner.

I've been dealing with this for almost two years now and it's just getting worse. I've talked to the vet and she feels it is just behavior too. We really don't think it is any kind of illness or infection. I truly believe it's Moxie and/or Decker, the last two in. We've had so many problems since they arrived. Moxie gets upset if she thinks I won't be home in time to feed her and she is just a beast about food. A lot of these peeing incidents seem to happen when she is getting concerned about food. I can't leave food out all the time because we have some special diets but trust me, I feed her plenty. She acts awful about getting her food. She even jumps up where she's not suppose to and knocks things off while meowing her high pitch squeal that is absolutely shrill! The whole act is grating and unpleasant.

I don't know what to do and on top of it all I think Richard is going to throw us all out. I don't blame him, he doesn't work hard to pay for this house just so a couple of cats can ruin it.

I've tried everything I can think of and I've tried many suggestions from here. I use several Feliway Plug-Ins plus the spray, I have more than enough litterboxes but since this is behavioral I don't believe it is the reason. I don't have anywhere to confine them and I don't think shutting them in a small bathroom for the rest of their lives is an option anyway.

I really feel like I need to rehome Moxie and Decker. I don't anyone who will take them, especially since they have potty issues. I've asked around, no one wants two cats right now. Really my only choice would be shelter/rescue. I know two year old cats aren't really high on the adoption list plus Decker is very timid and scared, especially with strangers. He probably would never win anyone over even though he's a sweetheart and handsome. I really wish that momma cat hadn't had her kittens in my backyard.

Something has to give!!!

Okay, I waited to post this because Richard came home and wanted to go out to dinner. We were only gone 45 minutes and someone peed on the carpet runner, just a little bit. WHY!!!!!!!

Why can't they understand that they have to do their part for this to work!

[kimlovescats]

OH, LORI!!!! I'm so sorry! I totally understand your frustration! Another one of our dear PTers is dealing with the same issue! She is about at the end of her rope as well. Sometimes it just comes down to re-homing and/or getting your numbers down to where everyone can co-exist in harmony again! I know you know that I will support you 110% on whatever you decide you need to do.

In the meantime, I'm hear for your venting and sending lots of ((((((HUGS)))))))).

Kim

[Uabassoon]

We had problems like this with Tuna. If you didn't feed him the second you got out of bed she would spray. We couldn't leave out food for him because he was so obese, the vet kept telling us to put him on a diet which made him only spray more. He ate more than enough however in his mind he wasn't getting nearly enough food and would let you know by running to the door and spraying. We had tried everything when finally I told Alexa that I had enough. I was tired of walking into a house that smelled like pee. We couldn't buy any new furniture because he peed on everything we owned, I didn't even feel like I could have guests in my home because of him. Finally after telling her that something needed to change we took him to the vet for prozac. He hasn't had an incidents since we put him on the prozac. I know that some people are against medicating for that, but I think it was the best thing for us. We were finally able to have our house back.

[jazzcat]

Thanks Kim. I knew you would understand.

As for the other PTer, I'm here if you want to cry with someone in the same boat. Feel free to PM me.

[jazzcat]

Uabassoon - Does Tuna act lethargic and drugged on the Prozac? Honestly I don't think I would mind with Moxie, she's just so rotten about food. When she's full and happy she is a very sweet kitty and she will come to me to nurse on my hand like she did when I found her as a kitten.

I really need to find out who is doing it for sure. I wonder if I could set up a camera. Has anyone tried that before? Do they sell motion activated camera?

Would it be possible to give them a pill to dye their urine? Maybe I could try that.

[Taz_Zoee]

I do not have advice on what to do, but as far as finding out who's doing it....maybe put Moxie and/or Decker in a bathroom just for a while when you leave for a short period of time. Test it out that way to see. If someone pees while they are not out in the house then it's not them. I don't know. I just hope you can figure it out. I know that if either of mine were doing that we would be kicked out, for sure.
Good luck!!

[jazzcat]

I do not have advice on what to do, but as far as finding out who's doing it....maybe put Moxie and/or Decker in a bathroom just for a while when you leave for a short period of time. Test it out that way to see. If someone pees while they are not out in the house then it's not them. I don't know. I just hope you can figure it out. I know that if either of mine were doing that we would be kicked out, for sure.
Good luck!!

Richard and I discussed that over dinner. I'm going to try shutting Moxie up first. I bet she will destroy the bathroom trying to get out.

[Moesha]

I haven't had to deal with a problem like this but can imagine how terribly frustrating it is. I also know a family that has a large furfamily that had a spraying issue with one of their kitties. He went on prozac also and it stopped immediately.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

I found this on the ASPCA website:

Sometimes an elimination problem develops as a result of conflict between cats in the home. If you have multiple cats and aren’t sure which cat is soiling, speak with your veterinarian about administering fluorescein, a harmless dye, to the cat (either by injection, Fluorescite injection 10 percent, 0.3 ml subcutaneously, or orally, 0.5 mL of the same solution). The dye does not stain carpeting, but causes the urine to fluoresce blue for 24 hours under an ultraviolet light. Alternatively, cats can be confined, one at a time, to determine which cat is soiling.

Your urine dye idea is a good one! The only downside is what the vet would charge to inject it , and you would have to subject the kitties to a vet visit.

[jazzcat]

I will ask my vet about the flourescein. That would really help in figuring out who is the culprit. Maybe I can get it in the oral form so no injection involved and hopefully no vet visits.

Once I figure out who it is for sure I'm willing to try Prozac. Like I said, I'm almost to the final straw but not quite. I will try first.

[Emeraldgreen]

I think your best bet is to set up a 'cat cam'. We did this once when a few of our cats were fighting. We wanted to know who was the aggressor and since it was only happening whenever we left the room, we set up our camera and found out that our little cat 'Tiny' was actually the one starting the fights!
At that time we used our 8mm camera. The tapes for those cameras are usually 2 hours but you can get them for longer periods of time. It sounds like the cats tend to pee on the runner the most so maybe you could set the camera facing this area and then leave the house. Come back and watch the tape and you might have your culprit.
If you don't have a video camera, you could rent one or you could use a web cam. We set one up at work because money was going missing and we wanted to find out who was doing it afterhours. The web cam cost about 30.00 at Staples and was easy to install. It is motion activated and if you put it on the highest sensitivity setting it will make sure that it picks up the cats movement. The only problem would be to have the computer near enough to the spot they pee in because the cord is only about 3 feet long.

I think the kitty prozac is a good idea once you know who it is. Medusa has used it with great success with her cats for this very reason. It would certainly be worth a try before taking the more serious step of rehoming them. Hopefully it will all work out with a happy ending.
Good luck with the detective work! Let us know how the 'sting' goes.

[kitten645]

I hope you can get the urine dye and give it orally. You probably already know this but there are special packages of Urine Gone that come with the ultraviolet light. Seems like you're gonna need plenty of Urine Gone anyway Good luck to you. I'm still de-stinking my house after the passing of my geriatric foster in mid June. It isn't easy.
to you.
Claudia

[Uabassoon]

Uabassoon - Does Tuna act lethargic and drugged on the Prozac?

Not at all. This was one of Alexa's major concerns as well. I can't remember the name of the first drug they gave us, but he did act drugged out and we took him off it right away. We went back and asked for Prozac specifically and he is his normal sweet self. The only difference now is that he doesn't pee all over the house.

[Medusa]

I can relate w/this situation, believe me. Before I began medicating my pee cats, I thought I was doomed to live in a giant litterbox. My males had pee wars and it just became maddening. I tried different meds to no avail until I found Clomicalm and it saved my house and my sanity and my cats from being rehomed. My vet feels Prozac is great for behavior problems but I've never tried it because my previous vet started them on Clomicalm and I've seen great success w/it. Some say it takes a while to start working but, in my case, it began working right away. However, if it ever stops, I won't hesitate to try Prozac. Anything is better than smelling urine all the time, having to wash clothes over again and scrubbing carpet on a daily basis. It got so bad here that Specs totally ruined a dining room server. He sprayed up against it so many times that it warped the door and I could no longer close it. (He's the one who got the pee wars started. All was fine until I brought him into the fold.) I now give them 5 mg. before bed, it keeps them calm but they're not drugged, they don't stagger around or anything, no side effects whatsoever and best of all, they don't pee everywhere. Oh and btw, it isn't just males. My female Yoda is part of the pee group. I have 4 of my 7 cats on Clomicalm.

If you decide against Prozac for your own reasons, ask your vet about Clomicalm. It's used mainly for behavior problems in dogs but has been used successfully in cats. It's been a lifesaver for me and for these pee cats, trust me. Hang in there, girl. There is help out there. You've just got to ask your vet about it. It isn't worth losing Richard over when it's so easily remedied.

[sasvermont]

I would do the Prozac for sure. It is cheap, cheap, cheap (generic version) and if it stops the problems, so be it. Also, it cannot hurt the other cats, should they eat a little of the food, peppered with the powder.

Gosh, I feel your pain. Nothing any worse than cat pee smell. UGH! x 1,000,000


Sas