What to do?

[Nay]

Hi, I can't believe I am even attempting to write about this, but I am sure I am not alone. I have to give some background and will try to be as brief as I can.
A cat came in to be spayed where I work and she was pregnant, Very. Owners wanted it done no matter what and did not want babies. The babies were too term and with permission I took them. One died that night, one a week later and We did not want another cat, 2 was plenty, but bla bla, cute, 14 yr old bla bal now 2 yrs after we still have him. He is a nice cat, but started to have a pee problem, come to find out he, at this very young age developed crystals and that was his way to tell us. Special food, meds and his pee is normal. Well he is still peeing. I have dealt with cats with pee problems at work for over 20 years and we cannot find out what to do to stop him. As I sit at this computer all I can smell is pee, he peed here yesterday and although I have cleaned it over and over, sprayed Febrezze etc. I can still smell it. We just built this house and these are just plywood floors(ran out of money) What will happen if we actually put some real floors down? I LOVE all my pets, except him, and am so torn over what to do. I would give him away, but if I am honest who would take him. I have done all that has ever been suggested, 7 litter boxes, hormone sprays, put him outside. Which he hates. The other cats don't come around when he is near us, and frankly the negative energy does not help him I am sure. I want to put him to sleep and hubby says of course do it. BUT could you?? My son has been good about throwing his *** outside every day, but this AM it was in the 20's and he cried and cried. My barn is down the driveway 1000 feet away and that was all I could hear. I said I would drop him off somewhere and let him fend for himself, but that's not fair and I couldn't do it. Plus the damn cat is microchipped.
What would you do??? My husband spent the last 2 years every single extra minute building our dream house, and as not materialistic as I am, and we loaded it with pets, much to the family's disapproval, is it fair to him to come home and smell ****? He is a saint and will stand by what I want, but this cat!!!
Cute Black and white neutered male all shots, will include toys, free shipping!!
Thoughts, and thanks for letting me vent!!
Na

 

[Kayti]

Oh no I'm so sorry! That must be beyond frustrating.

I worked in a shelter once that had a cat that got shot in the back. She lived, after extensive surgeries, but she lost control of her bladder. When I moved, the shelter manager was looking into cat diapers. May be you could try those? That might be a pain to keep changed, though. And definitely not pleasant for the cat.

Another solution that my friend did for her peeing bengal mix was to put puppy pads down on the floor. He somehow learned to go only on those, and it made clean-up a lot easier. I don't know why he could pee on the pad and not in the littler box, though. Also, she put them in every room. I think he had just partial control of his bowels, but enough to make it to the pads.

Have you taken him to the vet since his initial diagnoses? There could be something additional going on there. I know excessive pee is a very common symptom for a lot of problems.

Good luck

 

[Nay]

Hi Kayti,
Yes, I have had his urine tested again (and again) to just make sure this wasn't medical. It would be nice to really have a reason.
Diapers on a cat is something new to me. I suppose I could give it a try, but somehow think he would abject to it. Puppy pads on the other hand are not something I want to try. I have 6 dogs and having them think anyone can pee anywhere there is some padding on the floor is not something I want to encourage. Solo does pee in the box and they are ALWAYS clean and there are a lot of them, way more than I should have. Just for him.
Thanks for the reply.
Na

 

[dmmj]

I may have missed it in the post but is he peeing anywhere he likes or is he going in the box? I have had success with a water vinegar solution to get rid of cat pee, soak the area where he peed and theen I used a shamwow to pull it all up, (they are miracle workers) he usually does not pee in the same spot where I used the vinegar.

 

[Kayti]

Oh this stuff too:

When I was in High School I had a foster kitten pee into the back seat of my dad's Passat once. I tired every chemical I had, and it still reeked of urine. My friend had some Nature's Miracle, so we poured it into the seat, and the smell left! My dad never noticed, it was the best.

I know kittens wont pee in the same place twice if they don't smell the urine there. If your guy has favorite spots, that might help.

 

[Yvonne G]

I can't remember if you said you had multiple cats in the house? It might just be a marking thing. Being low man on the totum pole he has to let the other cats this is his territory. I have a bad cat pee problem outside because I have so many cats out there, but thank goodness, my house cat doesn't mark.

There is also this product, which I have used and it works:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ENAKQM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Only problem with this is you have to know where the urine spot is. Sometime hard to find when dry.

 

[Nay]

Oh yes, thanks for that Natures Miracle. Someone else mentioned that some other time. I couldn't think of it.
Yes I do have 2 other cats, but they both use the pet door and go into my cat safe backyard (fenced with this cool way to keep cats in) I have not found just one spot he pees. Once in awhile it will be in an open space, which would make you think he is telling me something. But it is a gallon of pee and when tested no blood, or bacteria.Cats that mark usually do a small amount. He also will poop, which is mostly behavioral, from my experience.He has peed on my dining room chairs, which I could say that might have been a "I am Here"Once he peed on our bed one morning, a foam bed!!!And a very unhappy husband!!! He is just probably not a happy cat. We have a busy household and loads of pets. The quietest is my torts, the rest are noisey birds, and barking dogs. Throw in the negative feelings from all around him and I feel for the poor guy. But it can't be helped unless I find him another home.He will use the litter box, I have seen him.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Na

 

[Maggie Cummings]

You need to find him another home. He is peeing because you don't like him. That is very obvious, and I bet the farm, put in a house where he is loved and he will stop peeing. Please do not dump him out somewhere, he will not survive that way and would die a horrible death especially now that it is winter. It would be a bad way to die. Why haven't you tried to find him another home? The pee problem will go away once he is put in a house where he gets enough attention and is played with etc. You don't try to find a home and say that he pees all over the house. You tell the prospective new people exactly what you have told us just now. Any cat person will take him and he will be a great friend for them. But you need to make an honest try at finding him another home. An HONEST attempt!

 

[Stephanie Logan]

OMG, you are living my problem! Four cats, all strictly indoor, all beloved family pets. I don't know who started the peeing or when, but once it's there, any or all cats could be using the same spots to mark (all of mine are neutered males). Last summer I had finally cracked, so I pulled up all of our basement carpet, hauled it out, pulled up every single carpet tackboard. Poured straight BLEACH all over the concrete floor including under the baseboards as far as it could go, scrubbed it in, let it dry, washed it up. Then I poured about four gallons of Nature's Miracle all around the edges, scrubbed it in, let it dry, washed it up. Then I used a special primer/sealant which I painted over the concrete all around the edges to about a two-foot distance. Then we got new carpet and new tack boards.

Within a week someone was peeing on it again. I could just poke my eyes out. Now I use Boundary (a repellent), to no avail. It's killing me that when I come home after a few days gone, I can smell cat urine in my freshly carpeted basement. Like you, I have several cat boxes which I clean and sweep up around THREE times a day. I have changed brands of cat litter. I have even started leaving the light on in the laundry room (since it has no windows I thought maybe they can't see well in that total dark and are disinclined to search for the box). They have been vet checked, but I can hardly afford to have urine tests run regularly on four cats, plus two of them are about 15 years old, so mere age may be a compelling factor.

Next I am going to find a "blue light" (my friend with the same problem used one) that shine--maybe it's a black light--on the spots so they show up. The thing is, I have NEVER EVER EVER caught one of my cats in the act (clever ba**ards!), so what do I do? Put them all to sleep?! I made a commitment to these critters when I brought them home from the shelter, but the situation is NOT sitting well with my husband, yet the kids would be traumatized if I put their beloved pets down. It's a BIG problem. I SO sympathize with you, Nay!!! We have had cats since we got married 26 years ago and this problem has only occurred over the last 4 years or so. SO frustrating.

I think my next step will be to nix the carpet and get fake hardwood flooring for the basement. That is what my friend eventually did and it seems to be working for her. Hah! "WORK" is defnitely the operative word here!!!

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm with Maggie on this one Na. If you try to find the cat a new home where he can be an only child I think the problem will go a way. You mentioned that no one would want him because of the peeing problem, but if you're honest with folks, I'm sure you will be able to find someone to take him. You did a good thing when you took him in, and I'm sorry its not working out. I know what smelling cat pee all the time does to your state of mind...you just want to KILL the damned cat!! Good luck in finding him a new home.

 

[Laura]

Linolleum flooring that LOOKs Like hardwood is what is in our plan for the room. Or Home Depot has a new product. its planks so it looks like wood, but its linoleum.. Alure i think it is called..
Either the cat needs to find a new home, made a barn cat, or lock him in a room and only out when supervised. DO NOT toss him somewhere thinking he will fend for himself. If that is what you wnat to do, then do it the humane way and take him to the vet to be euthanised.

 

[Nay]

Hi all, First off let me ASSURE all that although I am saying it, it's hard with email to know, but I would NEVER EVER just dump him out. I would euthanise him first. I just say that and you guys have no way of knowing I couldn't do it. I have started to serious put him out there(advertising him) and Maggie totally agree that it is all this negative energy. I would do a trial and if he needs to come back I will do something else. I just see ALL the cats and kittens out there and as far as his looks, I wouldn't say he is the best looking specimen I have ever laid eyes on. But then you never know just who he will attract.
Stephanie, UGH your problem makes mine seem minor. I do know changes in the household, anything from a new baby to different litter can cause this to happen. Just narrowing it down is hard sometimes.
Thanks everyone,Na