Our question this week was:

We adopted two kittens a year ago (we have poodle, they all seem to love each other). One cat is about 15 months old now. In the last 4 months he has taken to peeing on leather. My husband's briefcase, our couches, etc.. Now he has also started peeing on the clothes in the hamper. He is on smz tmp ordered by our vet. I am seeing no change in his behavior. He is a loving cat, but we have sustained about $1200 dollars worth of damage. The smell will not come out of the leather sofa. My husband says it is time to consider getting rid of him. I don't know what to do. Please make suggestions.

Thank you,

Cindy Mann


Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. I'm really sorry to hear about your issue. Inappropriate urination is one of the most common behavioral problems in cats and a very frustrating one! First, I'd recommend that your vet recheck the cat to ensure that there is no active urinary tract infection. It sounds like he subscribed an antibiotic and if there was an infection, I'd recommending having him recheck to make sure that it is "gone" before assuming the problem is behavioral.

Some cats really like different textures to urinate on. Some cats can prefer the feel of different surfaces and textures to paw at, smell and ultimately urination on. I'd recommend that you make sure that you are maximizing the litter box area, making it as attractive as possible. You should have at least 3 litter boxes since you have 2 cats or more if you have more than 3 levels in your home.

Have you recently moved the box? Changed litters? Is there a new cat outside stressing your cats? Are your cats spayed and neutered?

An article that might be helpful to you is The Fine Art of Litter Box Care and The Top 8 Reasons Why Your Kitty Won't Use the Litter Box. These are both EXCELLENT articles and go through most of the things you can do.

Best of luck!


Dr. Jon


P.S. – Do you have any great pet tips on how to get your cat to use the box? Email me and I may share your tip with other PetPlace users! send me your pet tips!



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