plain jane Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I feel like a mommy monster right now. I need a hug. :( We all came home from a lovely day out to discover that the cat had peed on our couch. The 3yo says he saw him do it, but that's debatable. We know it's not the dog because the dog acts very guilty when he does the least thing and the dog is acting completely normal. We have to get rid of the cat. :( This cat (declawed) has scratched our brand new leather couch and (I've posted about it here before) chewed through my Macbook cord, dh's laptop cord AND dh's $5000 work laptop cord. Same cat is constantly on our counters and kitchen table and will even try to steal food off a plate beside me while I'm eating. :001_huh: We have lost countless meals to this cat because we turn our backs for 20 seconds and he's eating off a plate or bowl or whatever. We've tried all the tricks to deter him but this is the final straw. I thought I'd read that once a cat pees on furniture they will keep returning there. Is this indeed true? I fear that we will have to turn in the cat tomorrow. I'm devastated. I love him dearly. My kids are all crying hysterically and angry at me. I feel like a monster and I"m not the one who peed on the couch. :glare: Ugh. Why, oh, why would he do this all of a sudden? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Amanda~ Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Is he fixed? there are enzyme sprays you can buy to get rid of the scent to help stop him from returning. Sometimes when cats urinate outside of the litter box, its because they are having trouble. Urinary tract infections and kidney stones are pretty common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I feel like a mommy monster right now. I need a hug. :( We all came home from a lovely day out to discover that the cat had peed on our couch. The 3yo says he saw him do it, but that's debatable. We know it's not the dog because the dog acts very guilty when he does the least thing and the dog is acting completely normal. We have to get rid of the cat. :( This cat (declawed) has scratched our brand new leather couch and (I've posted about it here before) chewed through my Macbook cord, dh's laptop cord AND dh's $5000 work laptop cord. Same cat is constantly on our counters and kitchen table and will even try to steal food off a plate beside me while I'm eating. :001_huh: We have lost countless meals to this cat because we turn our backs for 20 seconds and he's eating off a plate or bowl or whatever. We've tried all the tricks to deter him but this is the final straw. I thought I'd read that once a cat pees on furniture they will keep returning there. Is this indeed true? I fear that we will have to turn in the cat tomorrow. I'm devastated. I love him dearly. My kids are all crying hysterically and angry at me. I feel like a monster and I"m not the one who peed on the couch. :glare: Ugh. Why, oh, why would he do this all of a sudden? Possibly because he has a UTI. He should be checked out by vet. He could just be sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Is he fixed? there are enzyme sprays you can buy to get rid of the scent to help stop him from returning. Sometimes when cats urinate outside of the litter box, its because they are having trouble. Urinary tract infections and kidney stones are pretty common. Yes, he was fixed as soon as we could do it... 8 weeks or so? I can't remember. Whatever the appropriate age is. :) Would there be other symptoms of his being sick? He eats a raw diet, which I had hoped would greatly cut down his getting sick. At least i heard it's supposed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Possibly because he has a UTI. He should be checked out by vet. He could just be sick. Ugh. More money on this cat. :w00t: Dh is still recovering from the cost of replacing 3 laptop cords. Now the ruined couch. I don't know if we're prepared to pay for a vet visit. If we do pay for a vet visit, anyone know that if it's "just" a UTI that he won't pee on our furniture again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Are you sure it was the cat that peed and not the finger pointing 3 yr old? If the cat is not a good fit for your family then yes rehoming it would be better for it but unless I caught the cat piddling outside of the litter box or found the puddle after everyone else was out of the house my first thought would be that my little child actually did it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Is the cat neutered? Unneutered male cats do mark their territory. I would make sure the litter box is cleaned more thoroughly as cats are picky over "old" scents or substitute kitty litter they do not like. Another thought is the cat could have a UTI due to not drinking enough water? http://cats.about.com/od/litterboxproblem1/tp/caturineproblems.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Possibly because he has a UTI. He should be checked out by vet. He could just be sick. :iagree: When our cat started peeing on stuff, that was the problem. I love my cat, but the pee...oh man - not a problem I ever want to deal with. We checked to see if the problem was one we could possibly help him with, and it was - he had crystals in his urine and it was painful to pass urine. He associated his box with pain and decided to do so anywhere else. A change of diet and some antibiotics returned him to his usual cool self. And a lot of enzyme cleaner and vinegar on our part. Good luck - I hope that's all the problem is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 There necessarily wouldn't be any other symptoms of him being sick. Our dog that has since passed used to do things like this when she was ill with a UTI. We'd take her out, she would do nothing, come in, stand right in front of us and pee. It was her way of saying "HEY! Somethings wrong" I've never had my cat steal food off of our plates, but we don't feed him a raw diet either. Maybe he doesn't understand why your food and his food are different? Just a thought, I've never fed raw so not sure. I don't have an issue with cats on the table or counter, so that doesn't bother me. Our current cat will go on the table but not the counter because he came to us that way. In fact he won't jump on the table unless someone pulls out a chair for him to jump on first. He's lazy that way. He'll actually sit and meow at me from the floor to pick him up and put him on my bed because it's "too high" for his lazy behind to jump on to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 A UTI if it's the cat. But honestly, having had three year old boys....they love to pee on stuff, too. Mine have peed on the carpet in their bedrooms, down the basement stairs, and one time ON a bed. :glare: I wouldn't be so quick to assume it was the cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Agreeing that it's probably either a UTI or the 3 yo - and my bet would be on the 3yo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Agreeing that it's probably either a UTI or the 3 yo - and my bet would be on the 3yo. Another vote for a vet check. If the peeing is new, and it's not your child then your cat is either ill or very unhappy with the condition of the litterbox. As for chewing on stuff, he's probably bored. Do you do any active play with him during the day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I think it would be easy to sniff it and figure out who did it. Cat pee has a very distinct smell. I would get rid of the cat, too and while I would feel bad for my kids, I wouldn't feel bad about about the cat. We had to get rid our dogs 10 yers ago because they ruined 2 brand new fences in a period of 2 weeks. I understand.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 UTI or 3 year old. Also I'd check to make sure cat was getting enough taurine in their diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I feel like a mommy monster right now. I need a hug. :( We all came home from a lovely day out to discover that the cat had peed on our couch. The 3yo says he saw him do it, but that's debatable. We know it's not the dog because the dog acts very guilty when he does the least thing and the dog is acting completely normal. We have to get rid of the cat. :( This cat (declawed) has scratched our brand new leather couch and (I've posted about it here before) chewed through my Macbook cord, dh's laptop cord AND dh's $5000 work laptop cord. Same cat is constantly on our counters and kitchen table and will even try to steal food off a plate beside me while I'm eating. :001_huh: We have lost countless meals to this cat because we turn our backs for 20 seconds and he's eating off a plate or bowl or whatever. We've tried all the tricks to deter him but this is the final straw. I thought I'd read that once a cat pees on furniture they will keep returning there. Is this indeed true? I fear that we will have to turn in the cat tomorrow. I'm devastated. I love him dearly. My kids are all crying hysterically and angry at me. I feel like a monster and I"m not the one who peed on the couch. :glare: Ugh. Why, oh, why would he do this all of a sudden? This is true. In my BC days, I had a gorgeous Coach purse and matching wallet. I was babysitting and their cat peed on it. I tried all kinds of stuff, but the cat kept coming back to my purse. Even after a week of various things. They were very good about it, but still, It killed me to 'charge' them for the purse and billfold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Where do you live? I will take the cat. (like I need another one! LOL) Here is my take and I do not mean this to offend you, but here it is: From your posts in the past and this one, I am really thinking you don't much like having a cat. A good for instance...I have 5 indoor cats (2 outdoor cats, but we won't discuss them here because there is no relevance). They do chew cords when they get to them. They have had accidents on furniture when sick, they have put a scratch or two on my leather furniture, unintentionally. I love them to pieces and so does my family and to be completely honest, it is part of owning a pet. About 20 minutes ago, my husband discovered that the cat had chewed through a wire that goes to our Wii. He sat down and fixed it in about 5 minutes and it is fine now. When you have young cats, it is just something you have to watch. We make sure that all of our important cords are up and out of the way and if we see one of the cats chewing on a cord, we scold them. Most of the time I can say their name and "NO" while walking toward them clapping my hands. A few times of that and then all I have to do is clap my hands when they are messing with something and they know to stop. Cats are very smart, and believe it or not, very trainable. For the leather furniture, I trim all 5 cats' nails about once a week. Sometimes they don't need it that often, but I still check their nails at least that much so I can catch anything that is getting sharp. I also pay attention when I am holding them and they jump down. If something scratches me, even a little bit, I get the clippers and take care of it immediately. They can't scratch the furniture if they don't have claws. And, again, if I see them trying to scratch, I immediately scold them. Does your cat have toys? I know people tend to think that cats aren't like dogs and they don't need toys, but that is so wrong! My cats have two cat trees, around 10 scratching posts, a scratching block, and a basket full of various toys. My cats will go to the basket and get the toys they want when they want them. Most of the time, they choose the balls - especially the celophane ones. They also like the little mice that rattle and have cat nip in the middle. :) If I can "re-direct" the cats when they are doing something inappropriate, I have better luck than if I just scold them. Peeing: Oh my. First of all, if a cat pees, you know it. It smells like straight amonia. There is NOTHING in the world like the smell of cat pee. A dog's urine is really dilute and usually doesn't have much of a smell....but a cat's does. If the pee on the couch doesn't absolutely knock your backwards, you may want to check with that 3 year old! If the urine does belong to the cat, then he/she is likely either dealing with a UTI, a bladder stone/crystals (VERY common in male cats), or the little box is horribly full. Marking is generally done on a vertical surface, so I would not think of something hormonal for this at all. The cat needs to go to the vet. The bottom line is that pets cost money. Sometimes, lots of money. My cocker spaniel was a really cute puppy. I paid over $750 to get him in the first place and then at least $500 more on shots and neuter, food and toys. However, I have spent countless THOUSANDS on him since then because at a year of age, he developed horrible allergies. He itches constantly, has to eat special food ($40 a month), take allergy shots (which have now stopped working and he has moved on to allergy pills that cost upwards of $50 a month). This doesn't include the vet visits several times a year or the antibiotics to clear the staph infection he gets occasionally. I also have an elderly cat who, while very inexpensive when he was younger, has gotten very expensive in his old age. He has thyroid disease and takes 4 pills a day, has to eat special canned food because of his teeth (or lack thereof), and has had to have cancers removed from his skin. However, I would sell my car before I let him go without medical care. I have had him for 14 years! My point is that, if you are worried about these small things and are this frustrated over spending the money and time it takes to own a cat, then rehoming him probably is best...for you AND the cat. If he is suffering from a UTI, he is in pain! Spending money on him should not be the biggest issue here. Good luck with whatever you decide! ETA: No, it is not true that once a cat pees on furniture it always will. If the cat is SICK, it does the inappropriate peeing to let you know it needs help! My 2 year old tortie, Chloe, peed on my son's bed once (just through the comforter, not the mattress) but it was because she was locked in his room. She was crying for us to let her out, but ds8 went to the wrong room and then announced she wasn't in there. By the time we found her, the deed was done. That was about 3 months ago and she has never done it again. She goes to the litter box just like before. She just felt she had no choice. I also had a 13 year old cat pee on my kitchen counter once. I was upset, understandably, but I had had her for 12 of those 13 years and she had never done that before. I took her to the vet and she had a horrible UTI (no blood in the urine or anything). She recovered and never again had an accident outside the litter box as long as she lived. Edited February 20, 2012 by Tree House Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Our pee cat has happily lived outside for the past 4 years. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 No, it doesn't mean they will always return to pee there. Get some enzyme cleaner (Nature's Miracle is a great one that I trust, sold at pet stores) and saturate the area. you want to soak it as far in as the pee went. As for why a cat would do that all of a sudden, there are a few reasons. Main ones are a urinary infection or other urinary medical issue, or a litter box that isn't clean enough. Is it scooped daily? Big enough? If the cat has never peed outside the box before I wouldn't think this would be a recurrent problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 No, it wasn't the three year old. No way no how. It really was the cat. :) Litterbox was just cleaned and is regularly cleaned. My dh did miss a couple days because he's been really sick & sleeping in the guest room but it's not the first time the box missed a day or two. I don't think that was it either. I guess we'll have to take a trip to the vet. Tree House- you're right in some ways. I don't much like having a cat. I mean, I do, but this one is ... different. Very strong personality, stubborn, and naughty. Yes, he does have toys, the kids regularly play with him (until he bites them to signal he's done :tongue_smilie:). I'm just frustrated at how naughty this cat is. And stubborn ... and daring! I can run at him clapping (or with a spray bottle) and he only moves when I'm within inches of him. :001_huh: He's a lot more trouble than I ever thought a cat could be and more so than any of my friends' cats.:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I think it would be easy to sniff it and figure out who did it. Cat pee has a very distinct smell. I would get rid of the cat, too and while I would feel bad for my kids, I wouldn't feel bad about about the cat. We had to get rid our dogs 10 yers ago because they ruined 2 brand new fences in a period of 2 weeks. I understand.:grouphug: :iagree: Once you've smelled cat pee, it's pretty hard to mix it up with anything else. We had a cat that started peeing on things after dd was born. We eventually had to give him up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 It is definitely misery to have an animal that you are really tired of dealing with. I would go ahead and consider rehoming in that case. Some cats really are just tougher than others and need a more experienced hand to train. I have two outdoor cats that truly NEED to be outdoors. They couldn't live in my house if I wanted them to...they are feral. Momma cat is a hunter and she is vicious. I love her and she is great with US...but I sure would hate to be another cat that came into her territory. She will tear them up in a heartbeat. She rules the roost outside! Does your kitty have lots of toys and scratching pads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 :grouphug: You have my sympathies. I am a huge cat lover, but we have one cat who is truly awful and pees everywhere. DH was all for giving him to the SPCA but the cat is 16-17 years old now and not exactly adoptable, plus I felt guilty about trying to rehome him at this point. Our solution was to house him in a rabbit hutch. We let him outside during the day, and if and only if my ds is supervising him, he can be on ds's bed for awhile, but otherwise he is in the hutch with a piece of carpet to sleep on, a litter pan, and food and water bowls. He is declawed, which I why I haven't made in an outdoors only cat. Have yours checked for a UTI first, since that is pretty common in male cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) You have my sympathies also. I spent $250 on our cat's UTI last year and just spent $400 to find out absolutely nothing other than that my cat was currently constipated (duh). They wanted me to spend EVEN MORE money on a barium study. I thought the vet was out of her ever-loving mind. I left with my cat. I wouldn't have spent that $400 if I'd known that a blood test, exam, and ONE x-ray would add up to that much. I called up my mother who raises goats and she talked me through giving the cat an...enema. Thankfully, our cat pulled through. If not, I would have put her down. I was NOT spending any more money. I'd get rid of a cat that behaved the way you've described and I wouldn't let anyone make feel guilty over it either. I probably wouldn't rehome it either because I can't imagine hating anyone that much. Edited February 21, 2012 by Daisy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 :grouphug: I'm sorry, but it's true. We actually had to get rid of two of our four cats because of this, after we had tried everything we could to get them to stop. It went on for years. I'm sorry..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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