Question for Cat Owners

[Valentine]

Hi all,

I hope this is the correct place for an off-topic post. Since there are so many cat lovers on this site, perhaps someone could advise me.

We got a very cute 3 1/2 month old kitten who was abandoned by his mommy. Although he knows how to use the litter box, once in a while he pees or poops on our bed or the sofa. Any suggestions for breaking him of the habit? Also does anyone know a good way to remove cat pee odor from upholstery?

[Morningstar]

Hi all,

I hope this is the correct place for an off-topic post. Since there are so many cat lovers on this site, perhaps someone could advise me.

We got a very cute 3 1/2 month old kitten who was abandoned by his mommy. Although he knows how to use the litter box, once in a while he pees or poops on our bed or the sofa. Any suggestions for breaking him of the habit? Also does anyone know a good way to remove cat pee odor from upholstery?


yikes......
ok pets mart...... natures wonder i think its called......... is theee best. to get that stuff out.
and as far as it doing the ahhh ya know on ur sofa and bed....... just gonna have to watch it..... and when u see it up on the furniture .. grab it..and put him in the litter box.... and its a male huh? hmmmmm
don't know what else to tell ya.
just keep after him and the litter pan.

[ButchBoi007]

Hi all,

I hope this is the correct place for an off-topic post. Since there are so many cat lovers on this site, perhaps someone could advise me.

We got a very cute 3 1/2 month old kitten who was abandoned by his mommy. Although he knows how to use the litter box, once in a while he pees or poops on our bed or the sofa. Any suggestions for breaking him of the habit? Also does anyone know a good way to remove cat pee odor from upholstery?


Valentine, I just recently had the same problem with my cat. It was all behavoral. I changed to an unscented kitty litter and put his litter box in the bathroom (it was in the basement before). That seemed to have solved the problem. Good luck!

[Jens44]

The product I think Morningstar is referring to is "Nature's Miracle" which really does work wonders. You have to let it really soak into the affected areas for it to work, though.

I have an adult cat who pees on furniture when stressed. It's become quite a problem, but I can't bring myself to euthanize her over this issue. I put her on Elavil (5 mg/day) and it's worked very well -- for some reason antidepressants and other psychotropic meds seem to help with this issue.

My guess is that in a kitten as young as yours, it's a training issue. My vet recommended locking the cat in one room with a litter box (cleaned at least every day) and food and water for several days. That will often help re-train the kitty to the litter.

One other thing... if there's one particular piece of furniture the kitten soils, put tin foil sheets on it. Most cats won't step on tin foil with their paws so they stay off the furniture.

Jen

[lingeriebabe]

Natures Miracle is the best i do have to agree..i have 3 cats (2 male and one female) one of my males was poopin all over the place!

and it turned out to be behavioral..cats are very sensitive to environment..is the box in a high traffic area? have you taken the cat the vet to check for bladder/urinary problems (Sometimes sick cats look for soft places to go) is the box near something that makes a lot of noise? ie:a washing machine, air conditioner-sometimes loud noises makes them not want to return....there could be lots of reasons why your new baby isnt using the box...

my cats dont like the larger rock type litter..i have to use the small grains...or they wont use it at all..they dont like liners and they dont like more than 2 boxes....its all about trial and error...

my vet advises not to punish the cat but to just show it where it should go.....i have never locked a cat in a room with a box...(im a softie)...i have put several boxes in the house to make it easier for them..one downstairs and one upstairs...that seemed to have helped too...

as far as cleaning..vinegar helps to remove the smell of urine too...

...~i just realized i know too much about cat poo~

[MissbabyDC]

Great advice here!

I'll second the Nature's Miracle. If you go to a big box pet store, like PetSmart, just make sure you get the cat formula (as opposed to the dog). I don't know what the difference is, I'll confess. LOL.

Cats are very festidious creatures by nature and the type of "acting out" that you describe is indicative of stress , maybe fear, and maybe some kind of illness. If you haven't already, take your little monkey to a vet and get a full work up, including a urine sample to make sure there's no UTI.

Are there other cats in the house? It might be a territory war. Lucky you! ;)

It's also possible that just giving the cat a stable, calm home will be enough to calm it down. It's still a baby and 14 weeks is pretty young. Lots of love and attention and playtime might be all you'll need in the long term.

Good luck!

[LadyMerrick]

Yes, as most have said, it is most likely to be a stress related thing. One thing, make sure you use an unscented kitty litter, the chemicals in the scented ones, can throw cats off. I recommend Feline Pine, as absorbing of odors, without chemicals, easy to clean etc. Plus if you havent used it before, they offer you a bag free or something. Look for their web site. I get it at my local pop & pop Pet Store, but I would think its available at most large chains also. Cats are very fastidious..! Make sure you clean the litter box, often..and keep it easily available, and yet "private" .. Good luck and congratulations on your new "child" !

[Awetum]

Has the cat been neutered? This can have a big impact, as if he's not neutered he's probably marking his territory. Now's the time to do it, and it, along with the other great suggestions, will make a big difference.

[srchforstud]

The product I think Morningstar is referring to is "Nature's Miracle" which really does work wonders. You have to let it really soak into the affected areas for it to work, though.

I have an adult cat who pees on furniture when stressed. It's become quite a problem, but I can't bring myself to euthanize her over this issue. I put her on Elavil (5 mg/day) and it's worked very well -- for some reason antidepressants and other psychotropic meds seem to help with this issue.

My guess is that in a kitten as young as yours, it's a training issue. My vet recommended locking the cat in one room with a litter box (cleaned at least every day) and food and water for several days. That will often help re-train the kitty to the litter.

One other thing... if there's one particular piece of furniture the kitten soils, put tin foil sheets on it. Most cats won't step on tin foil with their paws so they stay off the furniture.

Jen

oh my gosh...what a great idea...tinfoil...I forgot about that...my cat pees in the bathtub..and I can't stop him...I think he was kept there as a kitten ...Im gonna keep tinfoil on the sides....i tried water in the bath..but he will stand on the side and pee into the water....:(....thanks for the tip.....

[J.P.]

I have multiple cats. Don't have any litter problems. Just a few that hack up alot of fur balls. LOL. Yes, unscented litter and easy access to the box. And if you have a lid on it, take it off for now. Some cats don't like the covers. Spay or neuture as soon as he's old enough. Keep puting him in the box alot throughout the day. Missbaby is right, maybe you want to have him checked for a Urinary Track Infection. Cats that have this will just go wherever they are.

To get the pee odor out. I'd go to the vets office. They have some really good cleaning stuff there. Usually. If I can think of anything else, I'll let you know. What's his name?????? (@) :)

[EnergyInACan]

Just a few that hack up alot of fur balls. LOL.

HAIRBALL Laxative rocks! Try it with your furmonsters, and you'll never have to clean up cat puke ever again.

Sorry to derail -- back to peeing and pooping conversation.

-magnolia

[TIGGERGRRL]

Hi all,

I hope this is the correct place for an off-topic post. Since there are so many cat lovers on this site, perhaps someone could advise me.

We got a very cute 3 1/2 month old kitten who was abandoned by his mommy. Although he knows how to use the litter box, once in a while he pees or poops on our bed or the sofa. Any suggestions for breaking him of the habit? Also does anyone know a good way to remove cat pee odor from upholstery?

It's nice to know that I am not the only one with cat problems, we have 5 and the oldest will poop all over the house when she gets into the others food. We found out she has irritable bowel syndrom.... as it turns out she needs special food. Could be the same issue with your baby, if they are having digestive problems it becomes difficult for them to go to the bathroom and they will find the quietest place to do their business. This is the case with our girl. Hope this helps looks like there is lots of great advice here already.

[Valentine]

Hi all,

Thanks for the good advice. I did buy Nature's Miracle and it removed the pee smell from my upholstery. We put the litter box in the living room (for now), so that he doesn't have to go downstairs. We will get him neutered asap. We bagged the cushions in contractor bags just in case.

We also put anti-scratch tape in the furniture and repellent on the potted plants. So far, so good. We think that when he has to go, he has to go. That seems to be the main theory right now, although I'm sure that he is also marking.

[Woodie69]

Val,

I wasn't a cat person until I saved a couple from being used as "bait" for pitbulls (fighting games). I found that a couple of cat toys helped ease the time and transition too. My two cats (1 male and 1 female) love playing with the balls within the larger balls that I bought from the Dollar Store. Then I bought a plastic circle that had a plastic ball inside the circle. For hours upon hours they lay on the floor playing with that toy. At night, the cats usually end up playing with their toys and bring them to bed. So, we go to bed with no toys, and wake up with a bed full of toys. Go figure. :s Just as long as they are happy and healthy is all that matters to me. ;)

[wolfsong069]

Glad I found this thread.....

Here is the issue....I have 2 cats, one of which is a 7 yr old, 12 lbs spayed calico..

basically a basketbell with feet

We have her on a diet but she is not losing any weight and we're concerned about her ending up with diabetes and other various health issues.

Ok....so she has no current health issues causing her not to lose weight and she is on a healthy, veternarian instructed diet....

This cat is the laziest animal ever....she will play, but only when she feels like it and not for a reasonable period of time that would allow her metabolism to get going.

My girlfriend suggests putting her in a harness and walking her to get her to exercise. I have a vision of the cat plopping over on the sidewalk and refusing to move....

What would you guys do?

[The_Lady_Snow]

Dear Garfield Owner..

I want you to know Lamb and I just read this and are laughing our asses off cause we feel you have tooooooooooo much time on your hands..... You sound like a cat lady!!!

LOL...... I am just kidding honey I hope you can find something to do with Ki Ki........ How about getting her one of them feather toys attached to a stick and see if she will run after it.....

Good luck My brother!

(l)

[lingeriebabe]

Aww all this great cat advice!..

we walk our biggest cat Gus..he doesnt like it and he gets most of his exercise trying to get the harness off..lol...and our Gus weighs in at a whopping 25 pounds...we did the vet diet for a while with no success and our vet finally just said..as long as his tests come back good...let him be....he plays with our 12 lb-er and our 10 lb-er....so he isnt very lazy...

Try a laser pointer for good exercise..you can pick them up at staples for fairly cheap...or a remote controlled mouse (petco about $9.99)

[wolfsong069]

Dear Garfield Owner..

I want you to know Lamb and I just read this and are laughing our asses off cause we feel you have tooooooooooo much time on your hands..... You sound like a cat lady!!!

LOL...... I am just kidding honey I hope you can find something to do with Ki Ki........ How about getting her one of them feather toys attached to a stick and see if she will run after it.....

Good luck My brother!

(l)

Well that's my baby......don't want nuthin' bad to happen to her :'(

We did try the feather thing, both stick and fishin' pole but she won't play long enough to work up a sweat so to speak....

[gladechyld]

I had a similar problem with my female cat.. she even peed on me while I was in bed..she was very stressed out by the house being so busy for a couple of weeks and even started losing her hair but things are calm now and she has gotten soooo much better and that Natures Miracle is the best thing ever.

GOOD LUCK!! I like the tin foil trick. I put my couch/chair cushions in heavy duty plastic and then covered them with a sheet for awhile.. it seems to have worked.