unclean cat ...

[miki]

I knoe a thread is open about a cat that pees around the house...We have even more troubles with our cat...She doesn't just pee everywhere, she even poo everywhere...

To get the whole picture...
She was found when 4- 5 months old, they wanted to teach her some "swimming lessons" just because she is black (unlucky color here and some stupid jerks still believe that). She was very unfriendly, scratched like hell. She is now friendly and follows us everywhere but there are still many probs with her.
She never did learn to get in her litter tray when she needs to do it. When she confined to a bathroom (at the begining) she did use her tray but as soon as she was let in other rooms, she wouldn't go in her toilet anymore.She sometimes pissed in the tube but other times she would just go wherever she was...Once I was on a couch watching TV and she jumped on the couch and started to pee
We did went to a vet, it is nothing medically wrong with her...And we have this rocking chair where she used to lay...She pissed herselgf on it and was than sleeping there - and she had other places to go to sleep I mean I would understand if she peed there and than went away but she was actually sleeping on that chair...And she also poo in different spots...It was horrible. We tried to train her and kept her inside for 8 months but there just wasn't any progress...We used different methods (confining, carrying to the litterbox...). Finally we agreed this can't go on anymore and we put her outside (she was used to going outside). But we didn't wanna her to be too much stress for her so we left the window to the garage (where there was no car and the garage is in the house, it even has heating) open so she could go out and in freely...And guess what..she was out the whole time she only went inside to leave us a souvenir (poo) in which I almost stepped into. So we cleaned it and she was doing this day after day so in the end we had to close the garage for her too...
I can't understand what are we doing wrong? The other cat is Ok, she has never used anything but her littertray since she has been with us. Also our other cats that we used to have - they were always clean and we didn't even need to show them where to go...So why can't she learn?
She is so sweet otherwise. She goes for a walk with me when I walk the dog...We also take her inside when someone is supervising her so she can be with us and everything...She is the most loyal (tho not at all cuddly) cat.
Well, I don't think much can be done here because we pretty much tried that for 8 months but maybe...
well I guess all of our cats are special needs, just can't get a normal cat

[dinahsmum]

I'm not suprised no-one has replied Miki - you really have a problem there; a 'special needs' cat, as you say! Isn't she lucky to have found you?
The only bit of cat psychology I could suggest is that, as eliminating can often serve as a territory marking device, she is indeed emphasising that the house and garage are her sanctuary - the only place in the world where she feels really safe, and relaxed enough to do those things.
Doesn't help with you trying to curb it, and make her more conventional in using a litter tray though. It sounds as though you have tried all the usual ways.
Maybe someone else will have a bright idea for you. Hope so

[tilly]

Have you thought of trying to get a large dog crate and putting it in a quite spot with the litter tray in it and then shutting her in it until she had gone and then praising her and letting her out. Also have you tried a cat feramone (sp?) thing such as feliway or rescue remedy. Or ask a behaviourist. Also could it be incontinents. I tought I would just put a load of idea down as one might not have been tried.Or a cat kennel for her to sleep in. But she might mess in that as well.
It sound lke as you said she is a special needs cat and is very lucky to have you to love her and take care of her.


sorry I can't be anymore help. Best of luck.
Sally

ps I noticed you said you have tried confining after I typed but thought I would leave it in incase it might help

[miki]

HI!
Well I tried confining her in the bathroom (small one) but for the first two days she went there and than in tube...
The problem is she actually goes to sleep in her piss so she stinks sometimes. I can't understand why she is doing that at all.
Also when she is afraid (when going to the vet) she actually piss and poos in the crate and it is only like 30 min drive to the vet...
She is not incontinent, the vet had a look, and anyway she doesn't just pee uncontrolably - she makes that pose that cats do when pee it is not like that she is laying and just all the sudden everything is wet...
Well it is only great that I live in a village and not in a city othervise we really couldn't keep her...
i don't know if she is so insecure.She is very afraid of unknown people and animals but is not afraid of us or our dogs (we have 3). And it is interesting because even tho she is such a scardy cat she goes on walks (but she does only go with me when I go in the forest and darts in the bushes whenever anyone approaches).
What confuses me is that when she pees or pooes that she tries to burry it, but she can't cause she goes on hard surfaces...
last year when it was bird flu we found ourselves in the 3km quarantine area so we had to keep cats inside so they couldn't catch birds. And we gave her in a bathroom again. And for the first 4 days she went in the tray everytime and we were so eccited, thinking that maybe now she will go in the tray and we will be able to keep her inside. But from the 5 or 6 day of confinmend she started to use everything but her litter tray again...So frustrating. We did take her outside, but had to keep her on a lead which she didn't seem to mind at all. She was good for 4 or 5 days and than she stopped using the tray. Really confusing. I mean we had 4 cats before her and there were never troubles with them about messing the house and one male wasn't even castrated (we didn't know about spaying at the time...).
I haven't tried the feromones yet - you think they could work? Will try it, maybe it will.Oh I forgot to say - she is spayed.

[tilly]

Just thought have you tried diffferent sorts of litter trays and different sorts of cats litter. Or having more than one tray.
It might be worth trying the feliway rescue remedy as it might help.
I know that my cat Tilly will pee and poo in the car whenever she is in it in. she usually goes with in 5 minutes so it can't be the length of the journey.
Take care
sally

[Steph]

This is beyond me. She is insecure but love and kindness will beat that. `Going` in a basket in transit is not unusual-that may pass.

I can only suggest you try to be a cat-play with her in the garden and then scrape around in the soil as if you want to go?

Well it`s worth trying?

My PhD is in human Psychology-cats are beyond me

[miki]

we did try different litters for cats - we had the ones that are 100 % natural, not fragranced at all, we tried the ones that had little granules and ones that have big granules. Than we tried that special litters - with crystals (blue and white), than lightly fragranced than we even tried dirt. I think she prefers the most natural ones - she did go in there for several times, but she would still go in different places too...
She does trust me and my family, she will come when called, she goes for walks, she brings me prey and we also sometimes play with toys ...
Will try if she would go if I pretend to go and I did order a feliway - will let you know if she improves. But even if she doesn't, she will always have a home here but just won't be able to be inside when no one is watching her.
Man, but I always thought cats are so clean...I think I will be very cautious before getting another cat, but I wouldn't give Pikica away for anything

[Grete]

Cats are clean and fastidious by nature but there are always exceptions to the rule And for so many reasons too - it could be her litter tray isn't cleaned often enough or it's cleaned too often, the litter, she's stressed about something, maybe another cat coming in that you don't know about. The list goes on

I can't offer any advice other than to say there is usually a reason for it because they are by nature clean.

And as you say, she could be a special needs kitty

[miki]

well the litter is cleaned often and I am 100 % sure that no other cat is coming in the house because we have 3 dogs who are very friendly to our cats but will chase neigbhours cats if they come to our teritory...
And we had only Pikica for a while so it is not that she is afraid of Gaia (the other cat) because she wasn't clean from the begining.
She also doesn't lick herself as much as other cats do...
I talked to the vet (we don't have behaviourist for cats) and he told me that maybe she is peeing because she was in such stress before we took her in. As I mentioned she was very unfriendly - once she even scratched my brother when he was just siting on the ground and reading. She scratched him really badly than, he had to go to the doctor because he was bleeding so much - he got stiches. His arms were scratched from elbow to his palms...
But she has turned out to be a great cat except that she is unclean, and yes, I wouldn't complain if she was cudlier
So I get feliway in about a week will see how it goes...

[Elaine]

http://www.wizz-catz.co.uk/soiling.html

Maybe this link can help Miki, you can also contact Wizz by e-mail. She is very kind, patient and most of all wants to help people and their cats.