Need advice on bad cat behavior from you cat experts in the Lounge.

[Danger Mouse]

My cat has been misbehaving lately. For the past several months, she has been peeing in the house, typically on clothes but sometimes on the bare floor.
She is an indoor/outdoor cat and has never been trouble before...she tells us when she wants to go outside, does her business, then comes back in.
She still does this, but from time to time we will find her squatting somewhere and pissing. She knows she's doing something bad because as soon as she's discovered she runs off in a panic.
I'm at my wits end...why is she doing this? What could make her stop?

[LeftyMom]

1. Make sure she doens't have a UTI or other health problem first.

Then stop letting your cat out, it's bad for her.

From there, there are plenty of instructions online about how to get the smell out of things. You need to do it completely to dissuade a repeat offender, be really on the ball about scooping and changing out her litter, and chances are that'll take care of it. Dr. Eisley's makes some litter additive that makes your litter smell like grass, it works really well in my experience.

[Kali]

2. do you have a litter box inside?

agree with checking for UTI or other health issue

any new or disturbing events happening in the house that might have her upset (or even a new cat out side might be freaking her out)

[rurallib]

8. We changed litter brands and paid for it dearly

I was amazed that changing litter brands could be such a problem.
But definetly have the cat checked for illness.

[racaulk]

3. Has there been an introduction of a new pet or another big change in the house?

As opposed to most dogs, cats don't deal well with change and will react in unexpected ways when something is suddenly different about their environment. A new pet, moving to a new house, someone moving out of the house, a new baby...these things can really stress a cat out.

Assuming that none of these is the case, I would take her to a vet soon and have her checked out. She may just be feeling bad for any number of reasons, including a possible UTI as mentioned upthread. But your vet will be able to examine her and determine if she is having any health problems.

Good luck. I hope her behavior improves. :hi:

[jobycom]

4. She's sick, most likely.

If you have other cats or something interfering with her litter box, that could be the problem. If her box is dirty, or if it's inaccessible sometimes--closed door, or running washing machine that troubles her, or even something like a pile of laundry blocking her path or too close to the box for her happiness, that could cause her to go somewhere else. Or she could be upset with something else related to her daily routine. Cats sometimes go off their box because they are upset about the box or about something else in their life, but also they sometimes feel the need to claim a different area of the house. One cat I had used to follow a newer cat around and pee wherever that cat liked to lay down, for instance.

But if you don't have another cat, and there's nothing interfering with her box, and it's clean and you aren't switching litter brands, and her normal routine isn't messed up, I'd bet on her having a bladder infection or UTI or even a kidney problem.

Almost every time a cat of mine has peed outside the box it's been a health issue, even at times when I first thought it was something else. That's the most likely cause. Female cats are harder to spot UTIs in than males. A male gets complete blockage, and it's very painful, so you know right away. Female cats don't get blocked the same way, so they still go, but they have less control, so they go where they happen to be, or just try to go wherever they are when the pain builds up.

Take her to a vet. they'll probably give her antibiotics and give you a better food to feed her. Also, give her filtered water if you don't already. Not mineral or spring water. If you want to skip the vet at first, try getting a high quality food from a pet store that doesn't carry Purina style brands--they don't have a lot of the contaminants that cause UTIs and blockage. That might fix it by itself.

It could also be something health-related but not a UTI. If the cat is just sick in general, she could go off her box. Get her to a vet, have her tested for the usual problems, and see what they find.

One last thought--We rescued a litter and an outdoor cat once, and kept her inside with her kittens until they were big enough to give them homes. The mother never would use a box, even though she had a room and her own box. She would pee on the furniture and poop everywhere. The worst was the time she got on the kitchen counter and left her message. That was pure rebellion--she was showing us what she thought. It doesn't sound like that's your problem, since it's a new problem with a cat you've had a while, but thought I'd mention it.

[ThomThom]

5. Could be just wants more love and attention

[Haole Girl]

6. Here's the deal with cats...

indoors they need litter boxes.

Lots of em. And clean ones. Very clean. :hi:

p.s., It never hurts to get them checked out, by a vet, to make sure they're ok too.

[applegrove]

7. Try a water pistol and shoot water at her whenever you catch her.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. That will absoutely NOT work.

It's very probable that the kitty has a UTI. Punishing her would be cruel.

[applegrove]

10. Obviously check her for a UTI. Then if it is a behaviour question shoot

water at her. I used to with my Sam. After a while all I would have to do is point the water pistol at her and say the word "FREEZE!" and she would stop scratching the furniture.