urine problem with our cat

It has been awhile since I used this form but our new kitty(which is over a year now) was doing so well that I had no further questions. THis spring my husband and I took a week long trip . OUr children 19 and 22 were home with the cat and dog. So it was not like they were alone. But when we came home our cat wanted nothing to do with us and I remember it took at least a week before I could get near her again and on top of that she chose to urinate down the air conditioning vent. She did this 3 times. We thought we had it under control thinking she was upset we had been gone. (She did this behavior after we were home.) We make sure her litter box is cleaned 2 times a day. Now just a week ago she urinated down another vent and again last week. Nothing of our routine changed and no one was away. She uses her litter box to for bowel movements always. This is our first experience with a cat . My husband is ready to send her on her way if this keeps happening. She is a sweet cat and very love able . Can someone out there help me with any tips you might have. It would be greatly appreciated.

 

you first need to rule out a health problem causing the inappropriate urination. Could be many things from urinary tract infection to possibly crystals. Don't blame the cat first...make sure there is nothing medically wrong.
So the place to start is with the vet. Rule out health issues and if that checks out fine then treat as behaviorial. If you treat as behavioral first the problem will never go away if it's health related.
The vet will probably want a urine sample and they can give you things to help with that - they can take a sample with a needle straight from the bladder or they have things you put into the litterbox that soak up the urine and they can extract it from that.
Get kitty to the vet before you get rid of her....if it is health related you'd only be passing that responsiblity onto someone else to deal with. If it is behaviorial you'll find most shelters/rescues don't want the problem either.

 

Thanks Mary for your help. I checked with our vet . and he is on vacation this week. His assistant told me she did not feel it is an infection, only because she did this back in May and then started using her litter again and now is going back and forth. She felt she may like dirt better than litter and I should first try that. Of course if it still contiinues when our vet gets back from vacation by all means she is going to the vet and get a check up. Thanks again.

 

If you rule out physical problems from the vet (when the vet returns), maybe it is something with the litter... like the person suggested to you... they type of litter.

When my cat had some problems, it was suggested to offer more than one litterbox in more than one location. My vet said that we may not understand it, but the cat may not like one location for something as simple as shadows or noises.

I hope it works out for you. Behavioral urinating problems can be harder to fix than physical problems. But, my one cat did have a behavioral problem and we worked through it. He hasn't peed outside the litter in months. (Knock on wood!) he was doing it because we hadn't been home a lot for a week or two in a row and he was trying to tell us he was displeased. Fixing the problem was as simple as making sure he gets some extra attention every night.

Good luck!

 

Dangle a couple of pieces of food where she usually urinates and also try the Cat Attract cat litter.

 

THank you everyone for your ideas and how to maybe treat it. Vene this is our first cat and if I may ask what is CAT ATTRACT. Is this a type of litter? My daughter went and bought another litter box tonite with some different litter. Hoping for the best.

 

Hi. Here is a pic of the cat attract litter. You can get it online or in pet stores (call first to ask if they carry it at your local pet store).

 

THanks Chessmind.... picture and all you are very helpful ..Have a great day.

 

You're welcome. Keep us posted.

 

one of my cat was peeing in all the wrong places (stupid me) and when I really decided to think about it I knew right away what it was. It was the litterbox!!!! She came to me with a large mortar mixing pan (home Depot about $5) and since she is a bit chubby she always preferred that one.
I was putting that one in our full bath when I had a foster in the house. Dixie never likes going near foster cats so she wouldn't use the full bath where her litterbox was. She was going into the 1/2 bath where there is a smaller litterbox. She was peeing on the floor in front of the litterbox.
Well stupid me finally figured it out about 8 months later :roll: and I played musical litterboxes switching the huge one to the 1/2 bath - and viola no more peeing on the floor!!!
Sometimes it can be such a simply solution we overlook it

 

I am keeping my fingers crossed. Sophie has been staying out of the plant and using her litterbox. I sprayed the plant with an organic spray that keeps animals away and won't harm them or the plant. :lol: I also bleached out her litterbox and replaced her litter. At bed time I keep her in the basement where her food and litterbox are kept. All these things are helping . I praise her and give her a treat when I see she is using it. I am leaving for the beach in a couple of days and staying 3 nites. My husband , daughter, and son will be here. Hopefully my being away won't mess up what we are trying to fix. Thanks everyone for all your help.