Why does the cat pee wherever he goes?

If the cat's bad behavior has coincided with significant changes, try to reduce the pet's stress.

Why a cat might shit in the wrong place

There are many circumstances that can cause cats to leave unpleasant surprises for their owners. We'll go over the most common reasons.

A pet is sick

Health problems can cause a cat to leave puddles in the wrong places. Here are common illnesses that can bother pets at any age:

• Urinary tract infections.. Bacteria in the urine causes inflammation of the bladder or kidneys. With this condition, the cat has difficulty relieving herself and pees frequently and in small portions. Blood may appear in the urine.
• Crystalluria. In this case, due to genetics, diet or lack of water, the urine has an abnormal pH. The crystals in it damage the bladder, which can provoke the growth of bacteria and the formation of stones. Like infections, this condition can cause frequent voiding in inappropriate places.
• Kidney stones provoke inflammation of the walls and increase the risk of urinary tract infections. Suffering from these problems, the cat will pee a lot, and not always in the litter tray.
• Hyperthyroidism – An overactive thyroid gland that releases hormones. It occurs mainly in older cats, although it can also occur in younger cats. With this disease the pet loses weight, meows often, he may be nauseated, he drinks more and urinates often.
• Arthritis. Joint pain can keep the cat from going to the litter box, especially if it has high walls.
• Kidney disease Can affect young animals as well, but mostly occurs in older animals. Symptoms include thirst and frequent urination, decreased appetite, nausea and weight loss.
• Idiopathic cystitis – frequent urination due to stress. Unlike humans and dogs, in which anxiety and discomfort mainly affect the digestive system, in cats anxiety primarily affects the urinary tract.

How to teach a cat to poop in the wrong place

The first thing to do is to check if the cat has a medical condition. If the vet says the cat is healthy, try the following methods.

Thoroughly clean the place where you found the excrement

The cat will poop where the smell of its feces remains. Particular attention should be paid to eliminating urine, as it is harder to detect than feces, and when it dries, it smells no weaker than fresh feces.

If you can't see where the wet spot is, but you can smell it, carefully examine the apartment to find the source. When you find it, use a special enzyme cleaner, which you can buy at the pet store, or the usual vinegar and baking soda. Read more about how to get rid of cat urine smell here.

You can also treat the place after cleaning with citrus essential oils or a special spray sold at the pet store. Most cats are very sensitive to smells and are unlikely to want to relieve themselves where the scent of orange wafts.

Try covering the place with something unpleasant for the cat

If the animal nestles on a soft and well absorbent surface, try to make it, at least for a while, not so comfortable for him.

For example, if the animal has defecated on the bed, you should try to cover the furniture with a shower curtain or a piece of plastic. Such a surface is unlikely to cause the desire to do things on it.

Create an association of the "scene of the crime" with food

If the cat has pooped on some furniture such as the couch or bed, try playing with it in this place after cleaning and treat it to something tasty.

Animals don't go to the bathroom where they eat. By creating an association with food, you will keep the cat from making more mischief in that area.

Eliminate litter box problems

1. Keep it clean.. Try to clean up feces and absorbed litter in a timely manner. Every 1-2 weeks, shake everything out completely, rinse the litter box and refill it with fresh pellets.

Why does the cat poop in the wrong places: the main causes

To successfully solve the problem, you should first understand the reasons: the cat leaves tags or uses the wrong place for its toilet.

Cat urinating and feces

To distinguish between the process of urination and leaving tags, you need to pay attention to two main signs: the posture of the animal and the amount of urine.

When a cat urinates it assumes a characteristic posture: it does not sit up, as when urinating, but stands upright. At the same time the tail pointing upward shakes slightly, the stream of urine is directed horizontally.

Sometimes the posture may change, so the second sign to distinguish leaving tags from normal toileting is a small amount of urine (no more than 1 ml).

The reasons why a cat leaves the tagsThe reasons can be divided into two groups.

• Hormonal As a cat grows up, its body changes and this is reflected in its behavior. Tags become a manifestation of the sexual drive. Tags and cats, and cats (during heat), so they announce themselves to potential partners.
• Social Cats leave tags and to mark their territory. In this case, tags can be addressed not only to neighbors, but also to those who live with the pets in the same house: congeners and people.

A cat chooses the wrong place to go to the bathroom

If the cat excretes a small amount of urine when leaving the tags, then finding large puddles and feces away from the litter box takes on a different character – the pet changes the place to urinate and defecate.

Let's look at The main reasons why a cat changes its litter box.

Problems related to the litter box

On the question of choosing where litter box location is worth approaching with caution. The litter box should not be in the passageway: it is important for the cats to feel safe and unnoticed when they are doing their "toilet business". Pungent household cleaning products should be kept away from the litter box.

How to wean a cat from shitting all over the place

What to do next, once the cause has become clear? Eliminate it if possible.

Castration

Castration or spaying can be a reliable way to deal with littering. After neutering the cat stops tagging almost immediately or continues to tag for a while. If the procedure is delayed, the inappropriate behavior can become entrenched.

This relationship is due to a gradual decrease in sex hormones. After a few weeks, the breeding instinct will fade little by little. If a cat or cat has had sexual intercourse as an adult, the habit of urinating may persist for up to a year. The smell of urine becomes less acrid, allowing the cat to forget its previous behavior.

During the recovery period, the pet needs special care, including special nutrition. For example, Purina ONE® Sterilized Cat and Cat Food, which helps regulate metabolism and prevents weight gain due to hormonal changes after surgery.

Resolving litter box problems

If a pet is unhappy with with thewhere the litter tray is located, it should be changed. Noisy places, too open spaces or tight corners should be avoided. Cats will not like the proximity of the litter box to crowded places, they like a secluded corner where they are less visible. Also, the tray should be placed away from foreign and caustic smells, such as household chemicals in the bathroom.

Depending on the age and size of your pet, select a litter tray with a suitable

shape and design. Kittens and cats older than 11 years should enter the litter tray without too much difficulty. Adults should have enough space to turn around and bury their turds.

Fillers Cat litter tray fillers come in different varieties: wood, clay, mineral and others. The cat may react negatively to a particular type or change of filler. In this case, it is better to return to the previous version, as well as check with the breeder, which filler he used, if the kitten has already been accustomed to the litter box.

Training the kitten to the litter box

Another reason for a kitten to crap wherever he goes can be trivial ignorance. The kitten may simply not understand what he wants. Especially if he used to live on the street. Every day the staff of "Murkosha" teaches little kittens to go to the litter box and they know all the tricks in this case.

1. The kitten does not yet understand where he has to go to the toilet. He should be carried to the litter box in your arms every time he wants to go to the toilet. This is very easy to understand: the baby begins to fuss, tear up the carpet with its claws and sit down. You can also limit the space for the first time (for example, to one room), so that the kitten does not have to look for the litter box. When the kitten has done all his business, he should be praised and given a treat. This will form a reflex: if he goes to the litter box you will praise him and give him something to eat.

2. So you don't have to follow your kitten all over the house and wait for him to pee, you can put him in the tray right after he eats and gently massage his tummy. Gentle stroking mimics the licking of the mother cat and stimulates bowel movements. Therefore, the kitty will immediately go to the litter box, getting used to the fact that it must be done here.

How to teach your kitten to poop in the wrong place

The most important rule that all cat owners need to understand is that kittens must not be punished, beaten or hurt for misdeeds. Kittens are already under a great deal of stress when they move into a new home, so anger and resentment will only add to their emotional stress.

The Murkoshi team has compiled a list of tips to help you wean your kitten from shitting all over the apartment:

• Instead of rudeness and punishment, you should spend more time with the pet, give him treats for good deeds and protect him from stress. Quarrels, new family members, new pets, moving house, rearranging furniture and so on can really scare the baby. It is better to refuse to quarrel at all. Get a kitten, if you already have or will soon expect a small child, too, do not recommend – kitten will require no less effort and attention than a child, and time at once for two little ones you may not be enough. It is also not advisable to make drastic changes in the house during the first weeks of a kitten's life.

If the animal feels safe and makes sure its owners won't hurt it, it will stop being afraid and will more easily adapt to your rules.

• If the kitten walks by the litter box, use special sprays and products that give off a pungent smell. Cats have a very strong sense of smell, so they cannot tolerate such preparations. Spray them wherever the kitty goes to the toilet (which means, of course, the wrong place). Citrus scents work great, including a simple lemon air freshener.
• The space where the kitty is used to poop can be covered with foil. Then he won't be able to sit there comfortably and will slip and lose his balance. In addition, cats are very confused by the sound of the foil. After 2-3 unsuccessful attempts, pets usually learn the lesson.
• Kittens will only go to the toilet where they can smell their urine. Therefore, if a pet poops somewhere, the owner should immediately treat this place with special products that neutralize odors and disgust cats (conventional detergents will do). But you should keep in mind that products with chlorine are very toxic for cats, so you need to use them carefully and rinse them off carefully.

How to wean an adult cat from shitting in a wrong place?

A favorite cat is not only a purring joy in the house, but also some inconveniences, among which the most unpleasant – the habit of the animal to crap in the wrong place. Almost all owners are faced with this trouble. Many people often think that only their cat has problems, but this is not true. The Murkosha shelter team is familiar with the problem when a pet has a habit of "doing its business" in the wrong places. But we always manage to cope with the situation, and in this article we want to tell you how.

To understand how to wean a cat from shitting in the wrong place, we must first find out why he wants to do so. Immediately it is worth mentioning that this article will deal specifically with adult active animals. In situations with kittens or older cats, this is not the case, because due to their age they simply forget where they need to crap. In such cases, the little ones are brought up and the older ones are controlled, since it is already problematic to change the situation.

But if the cat or cat, as they say, in the prime of life, then you need to figure out why the animal poops, and take action.

In most cases the problem with the litter box is solved very easily – the pet is castrated, and then he will stop marking the territory. This applies to cats as well as cats. In addition, this simple operation will help to correct the cat's behavior and save the pet from serious health problems.

The most trivial and common reason that many owners simply do not realize is an uncomfortable litter box. People think that the pet will go to any toilet that is offered to him. But this is not the case. The cat may feel uncomfortable because the sides are too high or low, the area is small, the surface is uncomfortable. It's hard to recognize what exactly the animal did not like, but if it understands where the litter box is, but stubbornly does not want to go there – it is worth changing the cat's litter box. Sometimes it helps to get a second litter box, since some cats like to go to two different litter boxes.

Veterinarian tips

Do you know the proverb about letting the cat in first? Well, the cat knows what's good and where it's good, so it's better to agree with the cat than to go against it.

– There are cats that go straight to the litter box when they come into the house, and there are cats that go where they think they should go. And that doesn't mean that one cat is smart and the other isn't. It means that with a cat that went to the litter box, which you put, there is the same opinion that it is more convenient to go there, and no more, – explains the problem of disobedience Alexander Alexeenkov, a veterinarian, explains the problem of disobedience. – The second point. A cat is a very clean animal and will not go to a dirty litter box.

There are many fillings on the market, and by buying one that the cat does not like, you can lose in this game. The cat may not like the smell, the consistency – anything, and she wants comfort. That's why she won't go to that litter box.

– Do not try to punish the cat if she went to the wrong place, – warns Alexander Alexeenkov. – If you hurt the cat, you'll turn it against yourself. Let me remind you, the cat is a partner, not a doer, and it is better to negotiate with it than to try to bring it up!

And one more important factor: sometimes in this way the cat tries to get your attention, because it can't tell you in human language. If something bothers, dislikes, hurts a cat, it will try to shit where you are most often, so that you finally pay attention and start doing something to fix the situation.

Non-neutered or spayed cats will crap on things as a protest. Try to get in their shoes to understand. That's why cats that will live at home need to be neutered and spayed!

As for the resentment of the cat against its owner, after which it begins to "take revenge" on him, professionals do not agree with this.

– It is a common misconception that cats take revenge, or express their feelings in this way", says Darryl, a cat behavior analyst. an expert on the correction of the behavior of cats, Daria Polyanskaya. – Because cats are not capable of very complex chains of logic, their thoughts are linear and cannot give rise to such complex inferences as resentment.

Popular Questions and Answers

On how to train a cat to the litter box, we talked to Anastasia Kalinina, veterinarian and pet engineer.

At what age should you train a kitten to the litter box?

You will have the least problems in toilet training if you take a kitten from a respectable breeder at the age of 2,5-3 months. If kittens live with their mother cat, then at this age they already know how to go to the litter box. The fact that kittens learn everything from their mother.

Is it possible to teach a very young kitten to the litter box?

When weaned up to 2 months old kittens have not yet formed the habit of cleanliness, the baby can not tolerate for a long time and may need to stimulate the mother (at the age of 1 month) to go to the toilet. Very young kittens do not leave the nest (den) to go to the toilet. The mother licks them with her tongue and cleans up after them so that the smell does not attract predators to the babies.

How to train a kitten from the street to the litter box?

You need to find a place which the kitten itself has taken a fancy to the toilet. In no case do not poke the baby in a puddle of muzzle. Soak a paper towel or cloth in a puddle of urine and place it in the kitty's tray. Place the tray on the kitten's favorite spot. Be sure to praise the baby when he goes to the tray and give him a treat. Then you can gradually move the tray to a more comfortable place.

How do I choose the right litter box and litter box?

Taking the kitten from the breeder, look at the litter box kittens and mother go to the toilet, what the breeder uses the filler. Be sure to ask for some filler from the litter box – you will add it to your litter box by mixing it with clean filler. This way, the kitten will know where to run for its urgent needs.

How often can I change the litter if the owner is not happy with it?

During the first 2 weeks after the cat goes to the litter box, you should not change the litter for a product of another manufacturer, even if you are not happy with it for some reason. The filler should be changed within 5 to 7 days, with gradual mixing.

How do I teach my cat to crap all over the place?

The reasons why the cat began to crap wherever, we found out. Now let's try to figure out how to wean your pet to defecate in the wrong places. It's not uncommon that we encounter this unpleasantness when a pet starts shitting in corners, on beds, in indoor flowers or in flowerbeds (if you have your own garden). What steps should you take to get him back to his litter box?

• If your pet began to tag the corners – try to move the cat's litter box to one of them, and spray the rest with a special spray. Antigadine" is very popular, you can buy it at any pet store. But first wash all the corners with soapy water and vinegar or bleach – this will discourage the cat from going there.
• But what should you do if your pet likes to use the cat's bed as a toilet? Why did the cat poop on the bed? Because it's soft and comfortable! And as long as it has not become a habit – you can not delay. Give up the habit of sleeping with the pet, close the door, spray the bed with lavender oil.

• Lovers of houseplants often encounter a problem when a pet starts using flowers as a toilet. Why? The answer is simple, it's instinct to defecate in the ground. This problem is solvable. Take the flowers out on the balcony or put lemon peels and garlic cloves in the pots to discourage the cat.
• For those who have their own garden and vegetable garden, cat feces in the beds can also be a real problem. But it is possible to cope with it, and even in more than one way. For example, sprinkle the edges of beds with red pepper or put spruce branches along them. Try placing bowls of food in beds so that cats won't crap where they eat.

How to wean a neutered cat from shitting

It is thought that if you castrate a cat it will immediately stop going to the toilet in the wrong places. Alas, this is not always the case. The fact is that with the help of urine, cats try to transmit information about themselves, and, deprived of the most "valuable", your fluffy friend at an intuitive level may begin to protest.

But there is another reason: anesthesia after surgery. Coming to consciousness, cats are still under anesthesia, and may not have time to run to the litter box. They just feel they need to go to the bathroom, so they leave the puddle somewhere else. And if the cat poops wherever he goes after being neutered, you should know that he's not doing it on purpose. His muscles are just weak, and he doesn't have control over what he does. As a rule, this does not happen again when the body recovers.

But what if a neutered cat continues to poop? Veterinarians assure you that the cat will take revenge on its owner, especially if the animal is naturally vindictive. If you personally took your pet to the operation, held his paws and were near him the whole time, do not doubt that the cat remembers it. Pay more attention, play and talk to him – in a while he will forget the offense.

Fear and stress

The most common reason for a cat to crap on the bed is that it is afraid of something, so it feels unprotected in your apartment. He may be afraid of many things: perhaps the house has recently received a new person whom the cat does not trust, or a new pet, which the cat perceives as a competitor in the fight for territory, perhaps there is too much noise in your house (for example, because of the appearance of the child, or repairs, or frequent scandals), but the worst thing if the cat is afraid of the owners, who are used to shout at him or even to punish him.

Also a pet pees in bed, if he was just brought and immediately put on the bed and left to sleep with him – he may be confused in the new environment, will be afraid of the new place to go somewhere in search of a suitable place. Therefore, "Murkosha" recommends a special place for the cat, where food, water, toilet and shelter will be available.

This is an incomplete list of things that can scare your cat and cause him stress. However, the common thing in all this is that the cat is afraid, feels insecure, but, of course, wants to be protected. He sees the owners as a source of security and understands that they are in charge here. Moreover, scents are very important for cats; they know whose territory it is, and they tell others by their scent marks that this territory is theirs. So, when a cat poops on your bed, it just tries to mix its smell with yours, to show (and you, and himself) that this is its home too, that it is with the owners at the same time, and therefore it should be safe in this territory.

In this situation you need to reassure the animal, to show that no one will hurt it and will not kick it out. If the problem lies in the scandals and screams, the household should learn to restrain their emotions, so that the cat will not turn into a neurotic. If a cat is frightened by the arrival of someone new (a person or another pet) he should be given time and support. Here the games will help – with their help you distract the cat from his worries, show his attention, awaken his hunting instincts – and this will boost his self-confidence. This will be especially helpful if your relationship with the cat is not very good yet. Encourage him to play more often and give him a treat, and he'll associate you with a good thing. You can also use felive or catnip to help relieve the cat's stress level. When the cat will understand that he is not in danger he will calm down, stop defending himself, and stop defending his territory in this unpleasant way.

Jealousy, lack of attention and boredom

The second reason is closely related to the first one. Again, the cat feels insecure. Only in this case the insecurity is not caused by fear, but by the fact that the cat feels unwanted, not enough attention, and therefore it cannot consider your home as its own. Then the cat will shit on the bed in order to mix its smell with that of its owner; in general, its motives in this case are almost identical to those described in the case of fear and stress.

There's only one solution: make time for your mustachioed pet. Even if you are very busy and come home in fact only to sleep, at least take the cat in your arms, stroke it, give it a treat. It is extremely desirable also to play – at least twice a day, in the morning and before you go to bed, for 10-15 minutes. This will allow the cat to feel needed, to have at least acceptable level of activity, will help not to get bored too much and to survive a long time of absence of the owner.

The Murkoshi team recommends that people with such a schedule and rhythm of life take quieter, more independent pets. Hyperactive and playful breeds such as Abyssinian, Bengal, Egyptian Mau (or just pets with that character) are unlikely to suit you. And for them the almost constant loneliness will be torture, and you risk to find everything upside down when you come home.

And, of course, it's better to take an adult rather than a kitten. Indeed, in addition to constant attention kitten needs frequent visits to the vet (at a young age kittens are often ill) and a special regime of feeding (a little, but 5-6 times a day). Whereas adult cats more easily tolerate loneliness.

Genitourinary diseases

Before looking for the causes of peeing out of place, you should examine the pet by a veterinarian and rule out urolithiasis, kidney failure, cystitis, etc. Especially if the cat has always peed in the litter box or other established place, nothing has changed in his life (no move, no new family member or pet, no other obvious reasons for stress), but for some unknown reason "behavioral problems" have started.

Cats in nature have adapted to concentrate urine, which increases the risk of developing urolithiasis, which you can read more about here. Stress – even non-obvious to humans – can provoke idiopathic cystitis.

What you can do

Observe the cat's behavior while urinating, so that you can describe the process to the veterinarian at the clinic. It's best to film and show him: certain movements and postures may indicate pain and your observations will help the vet.

Painful urination, urinating in inappropriate places, blood in the urine can be a sign of an inflammatory process in the urinary tract. If any of these symptoms are present, you should see a veterinarian for a face-to-face examination, have urine tested and have an ultrasound of the urinary system. The doctor will prescribe treatment based on the results of diagnostics. All clear, no organic diseases? We are looking for the causes further.

Sexual hunting

An un-neutered animal may not only urinate with a special odorous secretion, but also urinate where it thinks the smell will be better heard by candidates for mating. Most often at the front door, but not necessarily.

What can be done

Both dogs and cats not participating in breeding programs are recommended to be neutered – and not just as a behavioral correction measure.

"If there is no mating and no pregnancy, estrus (the period of heat) in mature cats can occur every 2-3 weeks, turning into a constant sexual hunt with few interruptions. The frequency and duration of heat is affected by heredity, the length of daylight hours (including artificial light), and individual hormonal characteristics. If you do not plan to use the animal in breeding, I recommend neutering the cat. Castration (removal of ovaries with uterus in females or testicles in males) rid the animal of anxiety and stress associated with unrealized sexual instincts; prevent hormone-dependent diseases (false pregnancy; cysts, neoplasms, inflammation of genitals and breasts, etc.) and help avoid unwanted pregnancy", explains I. Kholodova.

Hormonal drugs for controlling heat do not solve the problem at all, and besides, on the basis of their use there is a risk of future complications and hormone-dependent neoplasms in a pet.

Methods of treatment

As a rule, the doctor prescribes an ultrasound examination of the internal organs of the animal. If the cat frequently takes a piss and is not thirsty, you will need to have his urine and blood tested. Perhaps he will be sent for an X-ray examination.

Based on the results, the doctor determines the diagnosis and prescribes an individual therapy. Most often domestic cats are treated with antibiotics, hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs. Sometimes antispasmodics and pain medications may be necessary. Sometimes the pet can only be helped by surgical intervention.

If tests show the formation of stones in the pet's kidneys, the owner may be offered to operate on the cat. Later, the veterinarian makes a special diet, which excludes from the diet the products provoking the pathology. For the period of treatment, the cat is isolated from other pets.

Prevention

The most important condition for preventing polyuria is a properly organized diet. The cat's owner should take into account the specifics of the cat, his history, age and weight and choose food that does not cause digestive or bowel movements.

Sometimes the question as to why the cat often goes to the toilet is answered by the doctor with the most obvious reason being that the cat has been neutered recently or that hereditary conditions are poor. In these cases it is desirable to change the way of feeding the cat – go to a special prophylactic compositions.

Domestic cats are completely dependent on their owners. After all, animals can not tell where they are in pain. Behavior is the main indicator of a pet's health. And the best thing an owner can do is to arrange for an unscheduled checkup at the vet. But this is relevant if the elimination of possible physiological causes has not restored the pet's normal condition.

💡 And today you do not need to go to the veterinarian to get a consultation. More than a half of questions related to your pet's health can be solved remotely: by phone or online correspondence. You can consult with a veterinarian online, anytime and in the most convenient way. The cost of the service: 399 rubles.