As you might know, my Luna is a very sweet and friendly kitty but she has developed a bad behavior problem now: She does not use her litter box. Little accidents happen almost daily now.
Luna and her litterboxes (yes, she has TWO of them) is a long story. Back in 2001, when she was about one year old, she started peeing onto my bed, first only occasionally, later almost every day. I finally found out what she wanted to tell me: One day I saw her scratching in her litterbox, then walk out to another place in the kitchen where she scratched on the floor. I figured that she wanted a second litter box in that area, bought it and from that day on things went better. For a while, she would wait until I came home from work, then jump onto my bed, start scratching, look at me, continue scratching and when I told her to use her box, she would run into the kitchen and use the box. Additionally, I used synthetic facial pheromones from the vet. Eventually, the litter box business worked without problems - till now!
I have moved last December - from a single room apartment into one with four rooms - a lot of space for Luna to run and play. I expected the peeing thing to start right after we've moved, but she continued to use her boxes and also seemed to enjoy all the space she has now. Luna even got her own room where her boxes are, and where she's eating (but her food isn't close to her boxes; in the old apartment, it has been even closer).
A while ago, I noticed that she sometimes peed on the floor in her room, once or twice, she even pooped onto it. And on time she peed next to her bowl of food! At that time her room was still empty except for a closet, her boxes and her bowls for her food, and I figured it might be too "open", if you know what I mean. So I got a second hand couch (which I had actually planned to use as a guest bed), some small furniture and a big scratching post which she loves. She also seemed to like the couch and started sleeping on it. But then - after a while - she started peeing onto that couch. First only once a week, now almost EVERY day! Can you imagine the smell coming out of that room meanwhile? Needless to say, the couch is totally ruined.
I had asked the vet to make sure Luna's not sick but the vet thinks it's not a health problem. If it was, Luna would lose drops of urine everywhere or at least pee everywhere, but she's only doing it in her room (where her boxes are), and that's so strange. Another strange thing is that the pheromones don't work this time.
The bad thing is I just have no idea why she's doing it. We (a couple of online friends in my little cat forum and I) have some theories but maybe somebody here as another idea...
Some of our theories:
- New litter: Okay, I had to change the litter 'cause Luna's litter isn't available anymore. But I found one that looks and smells (at least to me) exactly like her old one, it's also a natural scoopable clay litter. Also, the first "accidents" here had happened before I had to change the litter.
- She's feeling isolated: In the old apartment, we had only one big room so I was around all the time. Luna grew up in that environment. Now, even though she enjoys all the new space, she prefers to be in the same room with me, and she often wants me to follow her into her room where she wants me to play with her at the new scratching post or brush her. She would often walk into her room and then call me. I had figured she would enjoy her privacy while using the litterbox, but who knows...
- She's confused: I have recently lost my job under very bad circumstances and I'm very very upset and worried about my current situation. Luna might sense that and react with misbehaving, also, the change in the daily routine she has been used to might confuse her as well.
- She's bored: I've noticed that the last times she peed onto the couch, she always did it when I wasn't at home. Maybe she just doesn't like being alone? If that's the case, it might help her to get her little sister Lily soon.
Sorry, I know this was long, but maybe somebody here has another idea why she's acting like that? Any cat psychologists around? LOL
Thanks for reading,
Kirsten
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