I have a cat who is 16 years old who just recently stopped using the catbox to urinate in after all these years of being good about it. I have taken him to the vet and he checks out in perfect health. He has been neutered since he was six months old but now he is spraying all along the walls. I have tried moving his catbox to what seems to be his favorite places and he will poop in it but not urinate. He just moves to a new place. I can't afford to ruin the carpet and I don't want to put him down but this is getting unliveable. Any suggestions?

-- kathy (davidwh6@juno.com), September 23, 2001

Answers

I would love to say that I have a great idea but I don't. I have an old female that does the same thing when the mood strikes her. I have found that if I keep the litter box extra clean it is better. At least yours is doing it on the floor. Mine used to like the sofa! If there are any suggestions, I would be happy to hear them too.

-- Chris (CLMngs@aol.com), September 23, 2001.

Congratulations on being such a good kitty mom! My Lacey is 18 3/4 years old. Sometimes she used to "go" where she wasn't supposed to. I decided to put a litter box upstairs as well as downstairs. She almost never "goes wrong" now. As someone else mentioned, keeping the boxes extra clean might help too.

You know, sometimes I think old animals are like some old people. Recently when I asked my 80 year old dad why he was driving the wrong way down a short one-way street on purpose, he replied "Gray hair has its privilages". This from a one time civil defense officer sworn to uphold the law! : )

-- debra in ks (windfish@toto.net), September 23, 2001.

Have him checked by a different vet. Something is wrong, if this is new behavior. Male cats that are neutered get crystals in their urine (if not taken care of can stop them up and cause death)and this could be irritating him just enough to cause this.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), September 23, 2001.

When you had your cat examined by the vet, did they do blood tests and a urine exam or just a physical exam? You really need at least a urine test done to rule out a physical problem. If the tests were done and were ok you are probably looking at a behavioral problem. There is a difference between normal urination and "spraying". The latter is usually done when the cat is marking his territory. Are there some changes in his environment that would make him feel the need to do this? (new cats, people etc) Sometimes even seeing another cat through a window can stimulate marking behavior so really look around for a change. Of course you can't rule out senility but that really isn't too common in cats. In any case, good luck with a hard problem.

-- teresa (teresam@ascenT.net), September 23, 2001.

Spraying or marking territory because he's feeling the need to meet a perceived challange is an excellent point. Is he also urinating in the litter tray, or is it all on the walls?

Anyway, if you've ruled out all the other reasons, then it's simply senile decay. When they get to this stage it's the equivalent of Alzheimer's or senile dementia. Their brain is physically degenerating, they're losing higher functions and memory and reverting to more primitive instinctive behaviour. They won't regain what they've lost, and the damage is bad enough that they can't re- learn it. The damage MAY plateau for a while before it gets another step worse, or it may get steadily or rapidly worse, but it's all downhill from here. Of course, cats have quite effective instincts, so a fit older cat may be able to get along for quite a while longer living outside.

That's for information. What you decide is up to you.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), September 23, 2001.

I have just heard of a new product called Feliway, that is supposed to stop cats from marking & clawing. It supposedly contains pheromones that make the kitty feel calm and secure so they don't feel the need to mark territory. I saw the ad in Martha Stewart- Living Magazine.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), September 23, 2001.

Anything is worth trying, right? How about putting 2 litterboxes down. I have one older cat that did the same thing and when I put a second box down, he uses one to urinate in and one to defecate in. Always used to use one box for both but now uses one for each purpose. I guess its part of aging and I know sometimes older people get some strange habits too. Chalk it up to senility or some sort of obsessive/compulsive behavior.Hope this helps.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), September 23, 2001.

Just another comment. Put both boxes next to each other so he can find the second one readily and keep them really clean till he gets back into good habits again. Kate

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), September 23, 2001.

Your cat may also be exhibiting pouting emotions. Whenever my wife and son go to visit her parents for a few days, our neutered male starts doing his urination on whatever clothes are on the floor of our sons room or his bed while they are away unless I keep all doors closed.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), September 23, 2001.

Good luck. I can't tell you how much I feel for you. I just had to put our older cat to sleep yesterday for that same problem. I had put out 3 litter boxes, with a variety of litter options, tried the vet route, put him outside frequently, etc. I did what I could, but he still went on anything laying on the floor, or in the clothing basket, or in the dog bed, my husbands shoes, and I shudder to think of the areas I have not found yet (but will come summer humidity). I loved my cat, and gave him a good life for many many years. I was sorry to have to put him to sleep, but I won't have an animal wreck my house either. Each one of us has to make that call on our own, where we draw the line. I know that I was a nervouse wreck everytime the cat was in the house and out of sight. I hope you resolve your problem, but maybe after all is said and done, we have to acknowlage that we can't change old age. The best we can do is provide a wonderful life with no suffering and then after that, maybe adopt another cat that can have a wonderful life.

-- Joan (JTYTOR@pressenter.com), September 23, 2001.

I think it's just age. We moved 2 inside cats to outside because of this and they did very well outside. We do have a heated house for them. I couldn't have them destroying the house. One lived past 20 and other is over 17!!

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), September 23, 2001.

Since I know cats who are 18 and 20 years old and still using the litter box, and the vet has said the cat is healthy, think about this angle; has something changed to cause the cat distress. Cats don't like change. A friend moved a chair in her living room and the cat stopped using the litter box! So, being a slave to the critters, she put the chair back and the cat returned to the litter box! It can be something simple or not. New member living in the house. Change of food. Think about what's been going on in your house.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), September 24, 2001.

My old cat at Mom and Dad's was put down recently. It was painful the way mom told me, no gentling the news or anything, just as if she was talking about the weather or some gossip. Lets just say tact is NOT her middle name. She had been having this problem with Lucifer for the last couple of years and then he developed some ear condition that they felt would cost money in the long run so my beautiful Lucifer was put down at the ripe ol' age of 13. I had suggested many times in the past the Lucifer come live with me but they always said they felt it would be a strain on him to change homes (yeah right). i got him as a runty kitten in a pet store my second year in University and he grew to be huge and had fur like sable. this "turning dirty" was unacceptable though. Whenever Mom scrubbed or washed what he had sprayed(doors, curtains, etc), he would respray it. The house was getting pretty stinky from this. There were no other pets or change in the house to justify the behaviour. So, as sad as it was to hear about I understood how they came to the decision and probably would have done the same.

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), September 24, 2001.

I didn't answer this one, because various people said everything I could offer as well. However, Alison's post struck a nerve. My now deceased male cat would spray sometimes in the house. I did the vet routine, clean litterboxes, etc. Nothing helped, including drugs (poor kitty, will never do that again). I discovered entirely by accident that other cats were visiting my yard and stressing him out (he was very territorial). Cats on the loose can be very sneaky and slip in and out of your cat's territory without YOU knowing about it at all.

And as someone else noted, the "change" that upsets your cat might not be anything the WE would ever consider to be upsetting. A great deal of thinking and observing and being a detective will probably be called for. In the meantime, a good enzymatic cleaner will go a long way to helping alleviate the odor.

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), September 24, 2001.

Most likely he has develped FUS to the degree it has highly irritated his bladder and feels like he has to "go" all the time. Have his urine checked for infection and crystals, try using one of the many urine acidifiers the vet has to offer, try them even if the vet doesn't think it will help anyway!!!

Also, 50mg. of plain Amoxicillian twice a day for 10 days helps "calm" the bladder and relieve the feeling of needing to "go" all the time.

Use bottled water instead of well or city water, the dissolved minerals in the well and city water are not good for a cat with FUS at all.

Consider making his access to the house smaller until you get his problem under control, I have to use two baby type gates to limit my 20 year old spayed female's access to the house for similar reasons!!!

Nature's Miracle enzyme cleaner is the best product to remove and eliminate urine odors on carpet and fabrics, as well as hard surfaces.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), September 24, 2001.

We have gone through this recently with a couple of our cats. Sounds like yours has a urinary tract infection or crystals built up in the urinary tract. It can be caused by the amount of magnesium in their food. Try to get a urine sample the next time he goes and take that and the cat to the vet (getting the sample at home will save you the expense of having to leave the cat there until he goes). The vet can give an antibiotic and something to help sooth the urinary tract. We were told that when they stop using the litter box, it's because they associate it with the pain they have when urinating so they don't want to go there any more. Once they feel better, they will start using it again. The vet will also probably recommend a change in his food. Good luck!

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), September 24, 2001.