Improper elimination of fixed female in/out cat

Question
Hi, my question is in regards to my female cat. She is a mid aged cat, fixed. We have her (Nala) and Bender (boy cat) in the house. They both are inside and outside cats.

Okay so we usually let both of them go outside when ever they are by the door and meowing that they want to go out. BUT sometimes i'll be in the kitchen (there is a sliding door leading to the backyard) and thats the door we usually open so they can go outside. There has been several times now that i'll be in the kitchen cooking or washing my babies bottles and she (Nala the female cat) will meow at me that she wants to go out. Sometimes if im not busy ill open the door right away and she walks out. Other times when im busy doing dishes or something else and dont rush to let her out she'll start to meow and walk away into the living room them come back and meows again for me to let her out and the moment i look away for a second she walks backwords with her tail straight up in the air and gets against the stove or cabinets and starts peeing. Its usually one or the other. Sometimes she'll look right at me and do it and starts peeing and she'll start walking forward away from either the stove or cabinet still peeing. I thought she was just mad at me cause she keeps doing it everytime im in the kitchen but she does it to other people in the house. We thought it might be cause of the new baby in the house but she's been doing it before the baby was born. We dont have the money to take her to the vet right now so im just looking for some advise or what we can do to stop her from peeing cause if she doesnt the owner of the house will take her to the humane society and we dont want that.

A little bit more about Nala,

We found her about 4-5 years ago wondering around (she was a stray) She is a nice cat a little agressive sometimes toward Bender the other cat. For example Nala will be laying some where and she'll look at Bender the boy cat and hiss..or Bender will walk by and she'll hiss. For a moment i thought she was a boy cause since we got her she hasnt had kitten so we thought she was fixed. But when the peeing started i googled why cats spray and all i found was mostly about boy cat and how sometimes even if they are fixed they can continue to spray and mostly if there is other male cats in the house. I also found out that girl cats can spary to if they are in heat and are trying to attract boy cat but she could not be in heat if she is fixed. Bender (the male cat) is declawed and fixed also but him we did get him from the humane society. He is a really calm and loves to cuddle and be by you.

As for there activity level, if they are not outside they are inside napping or just layin around somewhere. They are really not that playful, except for bender. he thinks the throw rug is trying to chase him when he walks by it.

If you need more informations on Nala or Bender let me know.

As for the people in the house its me (Alice), my partner Nicole. Nala is basically her cat. Nicole's mom Mary Jo and her moms boyfriend Joe. Mary Jo and Joe work and usually are only here past five. I am always here with the my baby and nicole goes to school in the afternoon. There is always someone here to let the cats in or let them out.

Answer
Hi Alice,

It's wonderful to hear from you.  I'm glad you inquired about this common issue.  While it is true that for elimination problems you should always get some bloodwork done to rule out urinary or kidney issues, it does sound as though it is likely to be behaviorally related.  Now that in no way means I don't think you should get a checkup, as urinary issues are harder to detect in females, as they more commonly get urinary tract infections (UTIs) than they get plugs.  My boyfriend's cat Cairo got a urinary plug that almost killed him.  If we hadn't taken him to the vet the day we did, he would've died from kidney failure.  So I want to make sure you understand the importance of a vet exam for improper elimination as the first course of action.  You can actually get a free exam if you take your pet to Banfield, the pet hospital in Petsmart, during their clinic hours which are usually held two days a week.  Call you local Banfield/Petsmart for details.

As far as the behavior is concerned, I have found improper elimination is usually caused by jealousy, abuse/maltreatment, lack of bladder functioning, or it can even been stimulated be an association formed with a certain material or product.  I'll give you several examples of this.  After I went to college, I got an apartment specifically so I could have my cats.  After about a month living there and getting settled, I brought my older cat Rascal, who was 10 at the time, to the apartment.  He did okay for the first week or so, but then I came home to find he had peed on my brand new bed.  I of course was mad, but did nothing but clean it up as he doesn't know better after the fact.  I knew that if they still smell it at all, they may eliminate in that same spot again because the smell makes them think that is where they can eliminate.  So I rotated the bed.  Sure enough, he peed again on it but in a different spot.  I decided to take him back home the next weekend for a trial to see if he did the same thing back at home with my parents, and he never did it again.  Now granted, if I had it to do over again, I would've made the transition slower and given him more time to adjust, but at the time, I felt it was best for him as due to my class schedule, I didn't have much time I could spend at home.  

When I worked at the shelter, I had a 5 month old kitten returned for elimination problems.  Upon questioning, the woman told me that her husband had yelled and spanked her for it.  When you do that, you break the delicate trust you have spent so much time building, and in a timid or mild mannered cat, you can create a nervous condition that causes them to improperly eliminate.  We rehomed her with a wonderful young woman with no kids and a calm home where she never had any elimination problems.

My 37th foster Neira, who is now my 6th cat, had issues with bladder control when she was a kitten.  I found her and her siblings when they were 3 weeks old and litter trained them myself, so I know she was litter box trained.  But even as she got older, if I left her out downstairs for a certain period of time, she would pee behind the bookcase or entertainment center.  I solved that problem by putting a litter box downstairs and cleaning the spots with a pet enzyme cleaner.

My oldest cat Indy will pee if I leave a plastic bag out or on dirty laundry.  My theory for the plastic bags is that when she was a kitten, I used to use litter box liners.  I have since figured out what a waste of money they are, so I quit using them by the time she was about 2 years old (she is 7 years old now).  I solve that problem by not leaving plastic bags or dirty laundry out, and I don't have a problem.

In conclusion, there can be a variety of reasons why a cat improperly eliminates, and you have to know your cat well enough and observe their behavior and interactions with other people and animals in the home to determine the root of the problem.  Once you have a theory, you can test it.  It sounds to me like it may either be that she can't hold it, in which case I recommend getting her a litter box and keeping it near where you let her out or the nearest bathroom.  If the behavior stops, you have solved the problem.  The other possibility is that she is trying to tell you something, which is usually that they want more attention from you, or are jealous of a new baby, etc.  Research has proven that it is important to prepare your pets for a new arrival.  Elimination problems are common for significant changes to the environment or dynamics of the home.  That being said, animals are sensitive animals, and can sense the change shortly after you get pregnant.  So the fact that it occurred before you actually had your baby is irrelevant.  If the litter box doesn't work, try spending some more quality time with her.  Go in a room with just you and her and play with some toys, pet her, groom her, etc.  All of my pets get daily interactions, regular feeding times in which I utilize the commands I taught them, playtime/exercise, and I comb them daily or every other day, which is another way to bond.

Well, I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions or concerns.  Have a great weekend!

Best regards,
Holly M.