At my Wits' End (Cat people only :-)

[baron1282]

I tried getting help from other places, but all I get is the same sarcastic remarks. Just get rid of them, throw them outside, or dumb them off somewhere.

Would you just get rid of your pets? It's frustrating indeed and no one seems to know anything or wants to help. I am hoping I can get help here even though this is a fish forum. I generally found this is a place where people love their animals (Fish or Not) and I hope will have some knowledge they can drop on me.

My problem is two fold!! I have two short hair cats living inside my bottom basement apartment with my wife and I. They are both declawed (So can't go outside). My issue's started when I moved into this apartment as we never had issues for 6 years of our cats lives (Both are 7 years old).

The issue's I am having is them spraying (peeing) everywhere they can think of, and pooping in places where they shouldn't (outside the litter box). I have tried everything. I took them to the Vet about a week ago, to check to see if they are having issues, and NO issues. This is a behavior issue, as I had them checked twice now by two different vets to make sure.

I have two litter boxes and I am about to buy a third to place in the area's they want to poop in. I clean the litter boxes EVERY day, and on occasion I have skipped a day, but its mostly every day I clean them. I am switching the litter later this week to a new litter that I was told to try "natures miracle litter". I am hoping that will work. I change out the litter every week as well.

The other issue is simply my place stinks! I am going to try the "Natures Miracle cleaner" as I hear it's great for getting under the carpets and eating the Oder and urine out of it. I have tried to ask to replace the carpet with hardwood, but they won't let me. Even at my cost! I am embarrassed to have people over because of this issue. I can't even smell it now, but I know it's bad. We are not dirty people, in fact we are very clean! We can make the smell go away for a few days with serious cleaning, but it comes back. We can't get them to stop!

When we moved we moved next to a Dog in the upper area of our apartment. Sometimes the Dog will come down, but we don't allow it to stay at all. It's a good dog, and I love her. It's our families dog! (we live with our family. ) So we can't kick the dog out, even though we do let it outside all day.

I can really use some real help!! I hope there is some more experienced cat people here. I have kept cats forever and never had this issue! I love my cats and I can not give them up. I just want to fix this issue. I am desperate!

 

[Oohitsae]

Are the cats fixed?

It is possible that whoever lived in the apartment before you had a cat that was marking there and your cats want to "protect their territory"

I've also heard that not going inside their own litter box is a sign of territorial dispute..

actually, they could be having the dispute with the dog, maybe the dog had marked there before you moved in?

Giving all your walls and carpet a good bath with bleach would be my next step if I had tried everything that you've mentioned. It's going to be a lot of work, but I truly think that it would help out.

oh, theres also some sort of spray that you can get for the walls that isnt supposed to smell bad to humans, but is supposed to keep the cats from wanting to mark there...I can't remember what it's called, but it's probably better to try washing/bleaching everything first because that'll get rid of all the old stuff instead of masking it.

 

[baron1282]

Both cats are fixed!

I have tried the stuff that is suppose to keep them away from an area. I tried four different brands! They don't care and still go to the area's and do their marking. I don't get it! It works on other cats, but not mine. lol

I know the Dog has done it's business down here before, but we are trying to clean.

We are doing some construction down here, and that is why it's getting very smelly, because I can't get to the spots anymore. When it's done I am going to shampoo all the carpets (again), and go from there. Also won't bleach discolor everything? How would I clean carpets with that if it will ruin the carpet and walls?

Thanks!

 

[Oohitsae]

The bleach MAY discolor the carpet, but if you do a 1/10 (1part bleach per 10 parts water) then it shouldn't be an issue. You could try regular carpet cleaner and see if that will help before you try bleach on that if need be.

With the walls, if the bleach solution is the same, won't discolor the walls at all though. Just get a sponge and scrub the areas you see the cats spray the most down well and then spray and whipe down the rest of the walls with a bleach solution and paper towel or rag and there shouldnt be any problem..


Maybe they are just stressed by the construction and showing their frustration to you?
mine used to always wreak havoc on me/my house when I was doing something they didn't like

 

[Coryluv]

Have you tried Feliway? FELIWAY - Official Site Most vets and some pet stores sell it. It is pricey but it can help. I first used it to reintrodoce one cat to the other (along with lots of love and territory rearrangement) after one cat was confined to one room for a 2 weeks after an injury. Any time there are issues with territory or feeling insecure, I've found it helpful along with all the other recommended training/acclimation tactics.

 

[baron1282]

What I will do is is try to buy a few of the Feliway, after I clean the whole carpet and the walls. Thanks for the tip! It has some good reviews, so it's worth a shot! I will need about three our four of them to cover my whole area.

 

[Coryluv]

Glad I could help Hope it works for you and your kittys as well as it did for mine.

 

[Lewisc12]

My normally well behaved cats will often do their business outside of the litter box if they find something damp. Like a wet towel or floormat thats been left on the floor. If your basement is damp, maybe that's why?

 

[ocean]

Simple Solution Advanced Stain and Odor Remover, you can use this to shampoo you'er carpets and it's safe for any water-safe surface. Have you tried keeping the cats in one small room with the littler boxes for a few days or a week? I did this with two of my cats and it worked.

 

[baron1282]

Ocean!

When I get the carpets cleaned I am going to move all the litter boxes to the main area where we live. As I have it right now, we give them free range over the whole basement which is a large area. Our living area is large, like a single bedroom size apartment size. This way they will not be able to spray in the normal area's.

I also did bleach one area of the place they were making a mess at. It was in the far corner of the storage area of the basement. It had concert floors, so pure bleach for that area. Nearly killed me! LOL.. Does not stink now, but it smells like bleach. I am closing off the area so they can never get back there again.

I am also going to use a powerful stain remover. It's got good reviews, so I hope it works. Along with that I am going to take the suggestion that Coryluv said, and use the feliway. I am sure I can get to the bottom of this issue. Thanks for the help! I really hope that the hard work I do pays off! I am embarrassed to have friends over because it makes me feel like I am some kind of unclean person. I also love my cats and my wife would kill me if I got rid of them. lol

The only issue I can see, is the advance cleaners I am going to be using might upset my bird. Worse kill him! So I am going to have to put him upstairs for awhile. It's going to get chemical down in this basement.

 

[ocean]

Good luck! I know how hard it is to remove cat urine and it's odor. Don't be surprised if you have to treat the areas a few times to get rid of the odor.

 

[Ladybug5399]

I do dog fostering and always keep simple solution extreme on hand. I have a few cats who have had issues spraying. We used the simple solution, increased litter boxes and even put some orange peels where we didnt want them to be. Some cats need more personal space... Kitty condo or bed. Do they have a low one they can jump up on? It's a long shot but you can call a local no kill shelter and explain what is happening. They may have seen this issue with some of their own cats and may offer a solution to eliminate spraying and odor. Good luck.

 

[FishN00b83]

My Siberian can has SERIOUS spraying problems, she has since she was a kitten. It turns out it's from anxiety and she's been on multiple medications for it, the most recent one being busbar (5mg per day). You need to really watch your cat, and I mean REALLY watch them and try to figure out what's triggering the peeing, it's not easy. It could be an animal outside, something in the house, it could be something a silly as a fan on or a person they don't like too much.

While you're trying to figure out what is causing the peeing, you really need to spend time with them. Start with a short play session (5 mins) twice a day. Get them really going and give them treats the whole time.

Another thing you should do is put them on a feeding schedule. Half cup of food in the morning, and a half cup at night. This will give them something to look forward to. The first few days they won't know what's going on and probably not eat, but they'll catch on quick and really start to enjoy eating.

My girl and I have 2 cats and they did not get along at all at first, recent we have been trying the things above and they are really coming around. It comes down to time and determination. If you really work at it, they will change, you just need to be consistent.

As for the smell, we have tried everything in the past. Natures miracle, baking soda and vinegar, co2 based cleaners, and the most recent anti icky poo (seems to work the best right now). DO NOT use bleach or ammonia, EVER. It will cover the smell, not get rid of it and the cats will have a new play to pee. You need a enzymatic cleaner to break it down.

I have been in the exact situation as you, and my cat is finally turning around. It took a long time, but it is looking better.

 

[clearancepuppy]

I have had cats that sprayed or peed in places that are not litter boxes.

I am a cat lover from childhood. But I will tell you that there are some cats that just don't work out as indoor cats. I have one which peed directly into the seat of two recliners. He was adopted as a neutered declawed cat (I do not believe in declawing). But that's how he was and I took him. It did not matter how clean I kept the litter box, he was determined to pee where he wasn't supposed to.

Turns out the reason he was available was he pees on furniture. Of course the people from whom I adopted him tried to tell me that he NEVER did that with them. (No surprise there)

Finally had to put him outside. He does great outdoors, that being within a fenced yard with barns to hide in. He is very happy outside.

He is a polydactyl (many toed), so he basically has thumbs which he can use to hold onto anything he climbs.

I say all this to support you and to let you know I understand. But peeing on things indoors is one of my deal breakers. Others are obviously much more patient than I am with this.

 

[Autumnsky]

Vinegar, like white vinegar is very good at neutralizing ammonia, it actually chemically alters the ammonia.

That said, I think there is some residue also from the cats, spraying. So a mild solution with a grease fighting dish washing soap (Dawn original is what is recommended for cleaning dogs when they are sprayed by skunks, so I would use that, it cuts the oil) may also help with walls and things after they are cleaned with white vinegar (full strength).

I have had a problem with cat marking too (also fixed from very early on), just kept the cat outside as much as possible, he is long gone now. My current cat is a good girl.

 

[Enardone]

I have 5 cats and up to 15 foster cats/kittens at a time. First things first, get a third litter box. Rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one. Second, get a black light flash light. There are several cheap ones on amazon. You will have to find every spot and clean it or they will continue to mark over and over those spots. One you find a spot, spray it with a solution of 50/50 vinegar and water. This will neutralize the ammonia in the urine. Pat it dry. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and use a brush to really get it down into the carpet fibers. You will need to mix up a spray bottle with 1tsp blue Dawn dish soap to 1/4 cup of peroxide. (test this in a small area before doing in big areas. I've never had a problem with it though). Spray this over the baking soda area and let dry. Vacuum up. This will make things smell so clean you won't believe it!
Be vigilant with cleaning up new spots. If they continue to go outside the litter box, try confining then in a small area with their box for a while, then slowly letting them out for short periods of time. Also, make sure they have enough high surfaces they can climb up on top get off the floor. Like cat trees and shelves. Could be the dog irritating them and they can't get away from it.
Thank you for keeping your cats I hope this helps you out.

 

[baron1282]

I play with my cats every day. Laser Pointer for at least 30 minutes a day, I know they need to hunt (sort of speaking. ) To get it out of their system. I also have a ton of places for them to get up high and watch their territory. They are good cats when it comes to playing around, and spending time with them is not an issue. My cat sleeps next to me all night, and my wife's cat is more of a loner, but likes to hang with us on the couch. He also plays fetch like a Dog, it's funny!

As for cleaning the area's. I only bleached one area, of open concert. I can tell you being I put direct bleach on, I can not smell anything anymore in that area, and it's so white and clean now. LOL

I am getting another litter box, and I am going to get some of the anxiety spray that someone already suggested I try. I never tried that stuff, so it's worth a shot!

As for a black light! I tried them, and they don't seem to work. I shined it over an area, I KNOW for sure there was pee, and nothing lite up. Any good suggested black lights? Because the one I got sucks. LOL

The Dog is upstairs and we never let the Dog down in the basement. My theory is that being we had other cats down here before, and I know the Dogs had done their business down here before (Accidents), I think that triggered this whole thing.

My family is getting on my nerves more than the Cats. I have one that insist they were neutered wrong because Fixed Cats will not spray. I know that is not true, but it gets annoying when they throw the fact that I am being disrespectful by having the cats do this, even thou I am trying to get this taken care of. I know I never had this issue before, I know it stunk down here before (Not as bad). Now my cats are not helping.

The Good news is this is only temporary living arrangements. I will be getting my own house within a year (The hope anyway), and be out again. That is another thing that they like to throw in my face, how I am disrespectful by ruing their things than leaving.

This is why it's a BIG issue for me. It embarrasses me as well, and I know it can be fixed, but they don't want to help. I told them before I even moved in about the Cats. They knew, the whole reason why their declawed is because of living indoors their whole life. So sorry for the Rant! It's really just one family member getting on my last nerve about it.

 

[Enardone]

This is the light I have and it lights everything well even when the lights are on. LEDwholesalers 395 nM 51 UV Ultraviolet LED flashlight Blacklight 3 AA, 7202UV395 - Amazon.com

 

[BBradbury]

Your Catastrophy

Hello Baron...

Welcome to the world of unpredictable cats. I feel your frustration. We have 12 cats, 8 living inside (declawed) and 4 outside transients.

So, let's talk. You've changed where you live, so your cats are showing their frustration and punishing you. They need a long time to adjust. That's tough in an apartment, in a basement, with small windows and artificial lights, not much sun. That would drive anything crazy! But it's not hopeless.

Sorry about the marking (spraying). Totally normal. The cats are trying to reestablish territories that they had before. Having their own scent around is a comfort. Right now, they're smelling only things that aren't familiar. We've dealt with this for years. Males are especially bad. For now, locate an odor remover called "Bacout". The stuff neutralizes the odor. I'd invest in a small, electric rug cleaner, they're not very expensive. Then use it. Twice yearly rug cleanings by a professional company is a must.

So, litter boxes. You really need one per cat and an extra. Get larger boxes, cat's like to dig deep holes to do their business. Put them in the most marked places. We scoop our cats' boxes 3 times a day. It keeps odors to a minimum for us and them. The other places that have been marked, clean them well and put a small bowl of their favorite food there. Cats won't go to the bathroom near where they eat.

As for cat litter. No fragrances, they're too strong. A cat's sense of smell is 35 times more sensitive than ours. Nice smelling litter is for us, not the cats. Get a name brand, clay litter without the pretty smell.

There's much more to this, but my fingers are getting tired. See if you can PM me on this forum and we'll discuss things.

The wife and I have had multiple cats in the house for 30 years and have a few tricks up our sleeves for those "furballs"!

B

 

[Rodeo one]

Do you use unscented litter? Cuz cat s hate the scented. Also have heard to put food dishes by the worst areas. But IDK, my cats spray & it s a constant battle . I put a Felaway diffuser above my toaster & they ve sprayed below it twice this week! I do use urine enzyme spray & I ve put sheets of tinfoil down which has worked . Good luck!