How I Got My Cats to Stop Peeing All Over the House

If you are a cat lover like me, you do your best to understand your cats, and to make their home and their life with you as pleasant and carefree as possible. But because we are different creatures after all, sometimes conflicts and unpleasant problems can occur that interfere with your enjoyment of your feline friends. When your cat suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly) refuses to use his litter box, and instead pees all over the house, it can make your whole life miserable, and you feel you would do anything it takes to make the problem go away. I would like to tell you what happened in my house, and how I found a workable solution.

In our home, we had two neutered male cats, Eric and Felix, who we absolutely adored. Both were very friendly and affectionate, well behaved cats. Then, my husband was asked to be out of town for work for an extended period. Although this did cause some stress in our house, it was not an insurmountable problem. I now had sole responsibility for taking care of my daughter and the two cats for the duration of his trip, along with the ongoing responsibilities of my own full time job. It wasn't always easy. Of course my daughter and I missed my husband very much and lived in anticipation of the few occasions when we were able to get together for a visit.

Thank goodness we had our two sweet cats to help us get through this time! Eric, being the dominant cat, took on my husband's role as "man of the house". He would make his rounds each day and night, making sure that we were all OK, and that nothing was amiss inside our home. At night he would curl up on my husband's side of the bed, and often he would even snore! Felix, being the softer and gentler one, seemed to take it all in stride, although he did seek even more attention than normal, which we were only too happy to provide.

The problems started when my husband finally returned home permanently. Eric had grown to see himself as the "alpha male", and was now being threatened by the returning human. He began spraying and peeing outside the litter box, and at times he would even attack Felix and provoke fights. It didn't take long before Felix was peeing on the floor and the furniture too. Our home had become a battleground, and our life inside it a constant struggle. Based on what I already knew about cats, I could tell that some kind of territorial issue was happening, but I had no idea how to deal with it or make it stop. We tried being extra affectionate with both cats, we tried punishing them when we caught them peeing inappropriately, but it didn't make any difference. We found ourselves in a constant mode of cleaning up stains, yelling at the cats, yelling at each other. Our bills for having the furniture and rugs constantly cleaned were getting out of hand, and we couldn't get the smell of cat pee out of the house. We were too embarrassed to have friends over, or to entertain the way we liked to do. Life had become unbearable, and I was desperate for any solution.

I began doing some research on the web, and asking various cat owners and experts for advice. One of the best things I heard was that in a household with more than one cat, it is best for each to have his own litter box, and then if possible have another extra one. This way, each cat had his own territory. Our house was quite small, and there really wasn't any way we could imagine having three litter boxes. However, we were able to fit in one more, at least making it possible for each cat to have his own. Another excellent suggestion was to start using a special feline spray, which would make each cat feel comfortable in the space, and would reduce fighting between the cats.

Once we had implemented these ideas, it took only a short time before we saw a huge change in our cats behavior. Within just a few days, our cats had stopped using the floor and furniture to pee, and were using the litter boxes just as they should. The few occasional slips were now easy to deal with, and before long they ended altogether. We were finally able to get the house clean, keep it clean, and restore order to our lives. Eric and my husband even got along better, and still do!

In our case, it was the territorial issues, changes in our household and the competition that Eric felt with my husband that were the main problem. But in a wonderful book called "Thinking Outside The Box", Mike Whyte goes into detail about many possible causes of inappropriate urination, including medical problems, issues with the litter or the box itself, placement of the litter box, multiple cat issues, and issues unique to outdoor cats. He even provides a section on how to toilet train your cat, if you feel that would be a good alternative to litter. If you are have a problem with your cat, check it out!

Here's wishing all the best to you and your feline friends,
Beth

I love cats and I believe that every cat and cat lover deserves a happy and harmonious home together. I am always seeking out information about cats and I enjoy sharing it with other people who enjoy them as much as I do. Please visit my blog at http:/www.ourcatsplace.com/ for my latest updates!