Adult cat not using litter tray

[Mrs TP]

I have twin 3yr old cats, one male and one female. I have a litter tray set up just inside our back door, which they use when in the house but they do mainly toilet outside.

The male cat became stressed and anxious last Weds and became hesitant to go outside. He only usually goes out of the back door and did roam the local gardens quite happily. I have seen two other new cats in our garden recently who were fighting amongst themselves and probably with my two. Our male cat got so nervy on Thurs eve that me and my 9yr old daughter sat with him on the patio whilst he had a little mooch around but was out for less than 20 mins. Since then he has got braver and started going out again and even stayed out (unusual but not unheard of) all night last night but he has also started peeing by our front door and not in the litter tray.

I am pretty sure he is stressed by these other cats and seems to be recovering from a definite negative encounter of some kind although not injured. However he has taken to peeing by our front door on part of a fixed mat, that I can't easily rip up.

Any tips on getting him back to using the litter tray?

[jennyh]

We have a cat who has bad anxiety and it came from being bullied by the neighbours cat. We've not been able to do much about that and she goes through periods of weeing in the flat rather than the tray. We found that because she was scared she was holding in her wee a lot and getting cystitis which then contributed to her weeing all over the place. She also developed a habit of over grooming which needed treatment. I would say get him checked for a urine infection and also make sure the litter is always clean as that helps. Also perhaps get some feliway which pumps out happy hormones and can help to calm an anxious cat.

I do sympathise, it's not nice when your pet displays signs of stress as it really impacts their behaviour a lot.

[susyp]

I have to put my litter tray in the hallway overnight because she can hear other cats or foxes

Overnight and can see them through the cat flap. Orherwise she goes in the bath of all

Places!

Susypx

Oh and another vote here for feliway! During building work I could tell when it ran out as she wouldn't move from the bed. Def does something.

[JulieP]

Another vote for felaway. Although now the area is marked, he might keep going back there unless you can completely get rid of the smell. I remember reading about this a few years ago when it happened to us (I think vinegar might have been suggested and there are specialist cleaners) apparently you shouldn't use bleach as this has similar chemicals to cat urine and will encourage them to keep going back to the same place.

[Saffron]

It's ammonia-based cleaners that are not recommended for cleaning cat urine, as the urine produces ammonia. So the logic is that to a cat this may still smell like urine.

Chlorine-base bleach would be fine, but it's not really that nice for pouring all over surfaces like a fixed mat.

One alternative might be fresh coffee grounds mixed with essential peppermint or lavender oil, or tea tree oil. Sprinkle moist coffee grounds liberally with the essential oil, then rub them into the mat. Vacuum them out, or brush them away when they dry. The coffee grounds help to eliminate the ammonia odour, and essential oil discourages the animal from weeing there again... although that's not to say he won't wee right next to it. Cats can be very stubborn!

For indoor carpets, use bicarbonate of soda powder instead of coffee grounds to prevent staining, and for the essential oil try using black pepper powder.

If you're not upset by the 'eww' factor, you can also try strategically pouring some of your own wee (or some used litter from your cats' tray) around the perimeter of your garden where you think the other cats may be entering.

[Jo'sEnglish]

I wouldn't recommend chlorine-based bleach. One of my cats is obsessed with chlorine (can't get her off me when I've been the pool!) and I googled it once and apparently attraction to chlorine (and therefore bleach)is common.

Agree with keeping the litter tray spotless, and perhaps even trying an extra one put in the spot where he has been weeing? Feliway well worth a try to calm him down, and probably get him checked by a vet if no improvement to check for cystitis. They can also give you a thing called Calmex which helps to get them back into balance.

We had a problem with a cat coming into our house and stealing food recently and was stressing my cats out (even though he was friendly enough!) we solved by changing the cat flap to a electronic one. Just mentioning it in case you have a normal cat flap and it does become a problem that they try to get in. I also think shutting them away from a back door/cat flap or covering it up at night might help. We also just chased the cat away every time we saw it. Not sure what else you can do?

Hope he is feeling back to normal soon :(

[Mrs TP]

Cheers all. Been checked at the vets no urine infection thank goodness but does mean a behaviour problem we have to break. His favourite child did coax him into the litter tray with success earlier and we will give all the other tips a go. Just making a big fuss of him at the mo and trying to build his confidence up again.

[Saffron]

Jo'sEnglish Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I wouldn't recommend chlorine-based bleach. One of

> my cats is obsessed with chlorine (can't get her

> off me when I've been the pool!) and I googled it

> once and apparently attraction to chlorine (and

> therefore bleach)is common.

Haha, yes that's true. One of our cats loves to sniff and knead my hair when I've been to the swimming pool. Although thankfully never had a wee in it!! ;-) Although she has been known to poo on Hubbie's pillow if something displeases her.

Mrs TP, you haven't changed your brand of litter recently? Some cats can be very picky about the type of litter they prefer, particularly if they're feeling nervy. Glad to hear it's not a urinary infection. Hope he's back to his old self soon. xx

[Mrs TP]

Saffron - no change in litter. He has just got really spooked outside and is nervy as anything. I moved the litter tray to the spot he has been peeing in last night and he used the tray so it is not the tray but the position, which is something. The vet said it should be in a quiet position not near hustle and bustle and as our cats don't use the front door this is probably why he thinks it is a quiet spot.

He will go out the back but barely moves from a newly adopted watch position on the patio table. We are trying to give him lots of cuddles and love and reassurance and I am desperately waiting for a feliway plug in to arrive.

He also adores our middle daughter, who has been away for a few days on a school trip, which I am sure added to his depression. But she is back now and he is making friends with her again.

Our other cat, his twin sister seems oblivious to the whole thing and is happily going about her business - phew.