Neutered cat urinating on me

Question
I have a 17 or 18 yr old siamese that is neutered. I know that he has mild kidney disease and have him on a precription diet for it. He sleeps on the bed with my husband and me and cuddles up to me at night. For the last 3 night I have been woken up with urine on me. I have steem cleaned my mattress and have washed the blankets and sheets. I put a potty pad where he usually urinates in bed and then he did it by my legs last night. What should I do now? I know I need to take him in to be seen. Hes been vaccinated and I had bloodwork done already this year. He doesnt have FELV/FIV. I also have 3 2yr old littermates in the house and none of them fight with him. They are really gentle with him and have been from the start. When we got him he would not defecate in the litter box just urinate. What do I do to help this cat? I am at my wits end please help.

Answer
Suzy,

I always recommend ruling out medical problems before assuming that you're dealing with a behavioral issue, the best way to do this is to have the cat(s) examined ASAP by the veterinarian because inappropriate elimination can often be related to serious medical problems that range from urinary tract infections, partial blockages of the urinary tract or stones/crystals in the urinary tract (which I believe is largely related to inappropriate nutrition and chronic dehydration, as these issues can be prevented by proper nutrition and I can provide you with more information to help you understand your cat's complex nutritional needs and information to help you choose the best possible diet for your cats if you'd like - if not you can check out the nutrition section of this website: www.catinfo.org). Some of the medical conditions linked to inappropriate elimination can be life threatening, all of them are extremely serious and require immediate medical treatment. Blockages in a cat's urinary tract can be rapidly fatal without emergency medical care.

Geriatric cats present their own unique challenges when it comes to house soiling. In some cases the cat simply doesn't have the control over his/her bladder and/or bowels that s/he did when s/he was younger other times elderly cats can develop dementia (aka senility) and they simply forget where the litter box is. In your situation I do think it would be wise to have this kitty examined by your vet ASAP to determine whether or not he's got any medical issues that you aren't aware of yet. I would also suggest that you consider purchasing a high quality mattress waterproof mattress protector to save on the expense of removing odors and stains from it on a regular basis if there aren't any 100% reliable options to deal with the issue. My mattress cover is waterproof and the beautiful thing about it is the fact that it's not plastic or rubber all the way through, it's terry cloth on top and there's a thin waterproof layer on the under side of the cover that is either rubber or very thin quiet and flexible plastic. I swear by it because I generally have a few feline guests in addition to my own fur kids at any given point and unfortunately when I rescue a stray cat it's not possible to know his/her full behavioral history. It's probably a very good idea to put 1-2 litter boxes in your bedroom just in case the cat has got a problem controlling his bladder this way he doesn't have to travel all the way to the nearest litter box in the event that he wakes up and needs to urinate in the middle of the night..

Since questions about litter box issues are quite common I've included a copy of my standard answer which covers most of the common issues surrounding inappropriate elimination in cats. Please don't take any gender pronouns that aren't correct personally, this is a standard answer put together over time and cutting and pasting this answer saves time allowing me to help more pet parents with their issues. I'd recommend that you consider checking out catinfo.org - this site was created by a veterinarian who wants to educate pet parents about proper nutrition for cats, common reasons why cats sometimes skip the litter box and basic care/maintenance of cats. This vet has included many useful tips to prevent/stop house soiling IF the litter box issues your cats have been having are purely behavioral. In your case I do suspect that the litter box avoidance is happening as a result of having too few litter boxes available for the number of cats in your home - I've made recommendations about litter boxes later in this answer.

I'd like to start off by saying that cats don't use the toilet outside of the litter box to wreak revenge on their caregivers or make their human family members angry. Punishing/scolding your cats when they urinate/defecate outside of the litter box isn't going to help the situation and may in fact cause fear/anxiety which often makes these issues worse, so I don't recommend this route when you have a kitty who is going outside of the box. It's important to understand that regardless of why your cat(s) soil outside of the litter box there is always a reason for what's going on, sometimes there may be a medical issue that has yet to be diagnosed other times the cat's issues turn out to be purely behavioral - either way there are humane, effective ways to handle this behavioral issue and if you're willing to be patient/consistent there's every hope that your cat(s) will stop house soiling. I can't stress how important it is when a cat is house soiling to completely rule out common medical causes by having the cat seen by the vet to be completely assessed including blood work (pre-anesthetic profile provides a clear picture to the vet about how the cat's major organ systems are functioning) and a urine test (to check for the presence of crystals related to inappropriate diet and be cultured for the presence of bacteria - urine from a healthy bladder shouldn't have any bacteria in it). If the test results all come back in the normal range then you can treat the inappropriate litter box issue as a purely behavioral problem.

If the cause of your cat's inappropriate elimination is behavioral s/he's probably trying to tell you that s/he's not feeling well or that something else is bothering him/her. Unfortunately cats don't speak human so they aren't able to tell us directly what's happening, if they're sick, afraid, jealous or angry. Cats aren't able to write us notes to communicate what's going on either, this means that house soiling is their only means of getting a point across, it's kind of like the feline version of writing their human caregiver(s) a quick note to say that there's a medical, emotional or behavioral reason causing them to miss their litter box. Over the years I've cared for many cats who have started soiling outside of their litter box for no reason. If you're willing to take some time to look at your litter boxes from the cat's point of view and make improvements where they're needed there's a pretty good chance that your cats will stop urinating/defecating outside of their litter box. For most cats once the issue that has caused them to seek alternative places to use the toilet has been resolved the house soiling simply disappears.

It has been my experience that there are a few consistent reasons that explain why cats begin soiling. Cats have extraordinarily sensitive noses, they're also very clean animals by nature - some cats are so clean that once they have used a litter box they won't use the same one again until after their waste has been scooped out and disposed of (I've even dealt with cats from time to time who would refuse to use a litter box after it's been used until all of the litter is scooped out and disposed of and the box has been completely cleaned with hot soapy water and disinfected with a weak bleach solution - I use one part bleach to five parts water). It's important to remember that cats are quite territorial by nature and the way cats communicate with each other is by marking their territory with their urine, feces and scent glands located in their paws and face. I've found that cats are less likely to house soil if cat guardians are willing to ensure that there are enough litter boxes throughout the house for the number of cats that live in your home. I often suggest that kitty caregivers have a minimum of one litter box per cat plus one (some folks say a minimum of 2 litter boxes per cat since many cats prefer to urinate in one litter pan while defecating in another) in your home to prevent issues related to the number litter boxes being the cause of inappropriate elimination.

Sometimes in multiple cat households it's important to watch how the cats interact with each other, after all the way cats communicate with each other is quite subtle, sometimes in multiple cat households the dominant cat can bully more submissive cats and block his/her housemates from using the litter pan or trap them inside the litter box. When cats are anxious or afraid it can lead them to look for a safer place to do their business. From a cat's point of view one can never have too many litter boxes in their home, but it's certainly possible that there aren't enough in your house. When there is a history of one or more cats within a household soiling outside of their litter pan and there's no medical explanation for the potty problems it's a good idea to try increasing the number of litter boxes available to your cats, this will help you to rule out possible reasons for house soiling such as anxiety, one cat bullying another in a multiple cat household or even difficult to diagnose causes like a cat who is distracted and doesn't make it to the litter pan or being unaware that they have to use the toilet until it's too late.

Some cats prefer to use one litter box to urinate in and the other to defecate in, you may find that this kitty will use both litter pans if they are placed in the same room. Cats can be quite finicky about the litter that's used to fill their litter boxes. Some cats will begin soiling outside of the litter box if they don't like the texture/scent of the litter in the litter box. In nature cats would normally find an area with soft, finely textured dirt to use as a toilet which is why stray/feral cats often use sand boxes and flower beds as toilets. Today many kitty litters try to persuade pet parents to purchase products meant to remove litter box odor, the problem with that is the fact that litter boxes shouldn't have an offensive odor if they're properly maintained and appropriate kitty litter is used. Cats may be uncomfortable using many of the kitty litters available on the market today and inappropriate litter can sometimes create house soiling problems. Silica/crystal litters, pine/newspaper pellets or coarse non-clumping kitty litter just don't fit the bill for cats who are sensitive to smells or textures of their litter. Sometimes curing a house soiling problem is as simple as changing the type of kitty litter you use.

If you use scented litter, air fresheners in/around the litter pan, gadgets/gizmos intended to remove odor or the litter you use has any fragrance or dyes added to it your cat(s) may be trying to tell you that s/he is sensitive to the perfumes or dyes commonly found in certain brands of kitty litter. My oldest resident cat is very sensitive to kitty litters containing perfumes/dyes and although she's an extremely clean who doesn't generally go to the toilet outside of the litter box, she will urinate on the floor beside the litter box if we accidentally purchase scented litter. If the kitty litter that you use isn't an UNscented clumping clay kitty litter it might be worth seeing how your cat reacts to a more natural litter box filler. There is a possibility that this kitty may be sensitive to dust or chemicals commonly found in standard clumping kitty litters, however since they don't tend to exhibit similar allergy/sensitivity symptoms to humans this possibility is often overlooked.

Some cats prefer specific types/designs of litter boxes. There are many different designs and types of litter boxes available on the market. Sometimes the size of the litter box that you are using may play a significant role when it comes to a kitty soiling outside of their litter box. I don't recommend using tiny litter pans except in the case of young kittens. It's very important that your cat(s) can easily get into and out of the litter box comfortably. Cats should also be able to do their duty in a clean, private and comfortable environment free of unpleasant odors. If litter box hygiene is being left to children in the home it may not be getting done properly or often enough. I recommend thoroughly scooping all waste out of the litter pan and washing the box inside and out with mild dish soap, rinsed thoroughly and wiped down with a weak bleach solution (I use 5 parts water to 1 part bleach. After being washed completely, rinsed well and dried completely the litter pan should be refilled with fresh, clean kitty litter on an as needed basis - this depends on how often waste is removed from the box and the quality/type of your kitty litter. I usually scoop my litter boxes 1-2 times daily and discard all of the kitty litter once every couple of months.

It's not uncommon for cats to opt out of using a stinky or dirty litter box and go off in search of a cleaner place to relieve themselves - after all, nobody likes to use a smelly, dirty public toilet, it's kind of the same idea for cats except for the fact that a cat's sense of smell is substantially better than a person's. If a cat must go to the toilet in an area where there is no privacy they may try to hold it until they have some privacy and accidents around the house may happen just because a cat couldn't hold it any longer. In your cat's case if there isn't a medical explanation for the inappropriate elimination I wouldn't be surprised if the house soiling is about marking his/her territory, but it's best not to make any assumptions until s/he's been examined by your vet.

If the litter box area is colder, noisier or otherwise vastly different in comparison to the rest of the house it's possible that the cats just aren't comfortable with the area their litter boxes are being kept. If you use a self cleaning litter box your kitty may be frightened by the motion and noise commonly associated with these high tech kitty toilets. If you use open litter boxes you could try using a covered litter pan or increasing the size of the litter boxes available for your cats to see if these changes make any difference. Some cats need more room to dig, use the toilet and bury their waste than others. There should be plenty of room for your cat/kitten to stand up, turn around, dig and squat/prop themselves up in a vertical position to urinate or defecate without folding themselves into an uncomfortable position to relieve themselves or feeling squished or crowded. I have cared for a few cats that have been uncomfortable using their litter box if the area is dark. It may be worth installing a small battery operated light with a sensor or even a night light that automatically switches on once the room is dimly lit in the area where the litter pans are to see if having a light on helps with the house soiling issue.  

Cats are creatures of habit and they like to be able to anticipate the comings and goings of their human guardians and they prefer to lead a somewhat consistent and routine life. It's possible that one or more of your cats has a case of separation anxiety, especially if they have recently been spending more time alone due to a change in work and recreational schedules. Cats aren't comfortable with sudden changes in their routine and that can contribute to the potty problems. You may want to consider leaving the radio or television on for the cats to help them feel less anxious in your absence, you could even set up timers for the radio and television so that these kitties don't feel as anxious when their favorite human isn't at home.

Another solution that's well worth trying out is to try and provide your cats with comforting scents while they're home alone. My youngest resident cat (Kizmit) was a rescued stray and she developed a serious case of separation anxiety once she became accustomed to gentle, consistent handling and loads of attention. I found that placing my dirty laundry in an open laundry basket helped to ease her anxiety levels. I often came home from work to see Kizmit sleeping peacefully buried in the dirty clothes. Prior to making the dirty laundry accessible Kizmit would urinate in the middle of my bed and/or cry all day until I came home from work. Coming home after a long shift to find urine in my bed was less than pleasant and when the neighbors started to complain about my vocal kitten I realized that Kiz was experiencing anxiety and communicating it in the only way that she knew how to. If your cats are used to being cuddled and pampered while you are at home it's possible that they become anxious when you leave home because they don't understand why they're being left alone. Depending on where your cats came from before they came to live with you they may have reason to be fearful that you aren't coming back or some kitties could just be worried about how long you'll be gone, especially in the case of rescued kitties who came from abusive, neglectful backgrounds or were abandoned by a previous person because when you rescue a pet from a shelter quite often you just don't have much information about their history. Separation anxiety doesn't usually happen in cats whose caretakers pay little attention to them - it's a disorder typical of well loved pets.  

In a multiple cat household it can be difficult to know for sure who is responsible for all of the accidents outside of the litter box - its possible that both cats are urinating outside the litter pan so your vet can provide you with a special dye to put in their food so that you know for sure that both cats aren't going outside the box. I know that it can be very frustrating to have one or more cats urinating outside of the litter box, but I think that it's worth mentioning that cats don't eliminate outside of the litter pan to upset their human caregivers, there's always a reason and once the reason is addressed the problem tends to disappear. Cats try their best to communicate with their human guardians, unfortunately human beings don't usually recognize inappropriate elimination as a means of communication because we no longer consciously communicate by scent marking and territorial displays. It's important to remember that cats haven't become accustomed to communicating quite the way we have. Cats tend to be geared towards communicating with those around them by leaving and smelling scents left behind in their territory - body language is also high up on the list of a cat's communication skills. In the interests of science it's worth noting that some scientists still believe that human beings are susceptible to pheromones and although we can't smell these chemicals they may play more of a role than we realize in terms of things like the way we socialize and even who we socialize with.

Some cats will house soil in response to the noise, activity, change in status/attention that major life changes like adding a dog or other new pets, a death in the family, loss of another pet or person in the household, marriage, divorce, having a baby or any number of other common occurrences can cause. The changes I've mentioned are some of the more common triggers that could cause sensitive cats to begin house soiling. If you live in a busy household your cats may be experiencing difficulty with all of the activity going on around them on a daily basis. Basic changes within a household like having less time off than usual, changes in a work or school schedule or different days off than you or another family member did previously can also affect cats. It's very important to think back to when this behavior started and what was happening at that point in time in your life.

Some cats will develop destructive behaviors like house soiling or exercising their claws in inappropriate places because they're bored. There are a fair number of cost effective ways to entertain cats so that they don't go looking to create their own entertainment by getting themselves into trouble. While many pet parents believe that cats are meant to sleep all day every day that's just not the case. By helping your much loved kitties to fulfill their physical and psychological needs for exercise you may find that the house soiling behavior will disappear as suddenly as it started. It's not a bad idea to choose toys that are quiet, after all noisy toys can easily disturb a peaceful night's sleep. I can tell you from personal experience that cats can be incredibly good at hiding their noisy toys when they've woken you up in the wee hours of the morning. Once you've had your night's rest interrupted several times during the night without being able to find the toy that's causing the commotion I can pretty much guarantee that you won't be overly impressed with your kitty's hunting prowess. In our household the cats have several large grocery bags worth of toys which we buy on sale and we simply rotate the toys so that our cats don't become bored with having the same toys for extended periods of time. I recommend small mice that can be held in their mouths, if they are made of softer materials that's usually best. I have also found that small ping pong ball shaped, soft foam balls are a hit both with cats that I have fostered and those which I have cared for on a permanent basis. There certainly isn't any shortage of cat toys out there and manufacturers are becoming more inventive every year.

Sometimes cats can become upset if household renovations are happening or there are repair or tradespeople in your home or outside of it making noise and disrupting their regular routine. Some cats become anxious or fearful when loud sounds like a car backfiring or road crews using a jackhammer nearby. The bottom line is that cats are territorial animals and they really aren't fond of change so making necessary household renovations and repairs as easy as possible for your cats is important. You can do this by confining them to an easy to clean room in the home such as the bathroom with food, water, toys, litter, a comfy place to sleep and possibly even a small radio left on at a low volume. In some cats loud noises provoke extreme reactions related to fear or anxiety, in cases like this it's well worth considering consulting a holistic veterinarian for help. Holistic vets are trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies which may include acupuncture, Reiki, homeopathy or massage to name a few. It has been my experience that cats respond very well to the holistic approach, my family vet is a holistic practitioner and she uses homeopathy in her practice. I've seen some pretty amazing results in my own cats when homeopathic remedies have been prescribed, so it's certainly worth a try. Cats can also benefit from acupuncture, massage and other alternative therapies if these tools are properly used by a knowledgeable and experienced holistic vet.

In situations where a cat is very anxious I sometimes recommend that their caregivers try out a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which contains a blend of flower essences that help to calm and reassure. I would suggest that you try out the Rescue Remedy by adding 4-5 drops to each bowl of fresh water each morning. You may notice a difference in the cats' behavior and demeanor quite quickly. Rescue Remedy can usually be found in health food/natural health stores and naturopathic pharmacies, you can also purchase this remedy online. Some mainstream pharmacies have begun to carry Rescue Remedy, if your pharmacy has it you'll most likely find the remedy in the section where vitamins and other nutritional supplements are sold. Bach flower remedies are very safe and they are used by many people seeking a drug free approach to deal with issues like anxiety or fear, in fact these remedies are just as effective on human beings as they are on pets when they are used appropriately and the right remedy is being used to treat the condition. Many pet parents and veterinarians around the world use Bach remedies to treat different causes of anxiety or fear in pets. Rescue Remedy is particularly well known and in my experience it's well worth trying in a case where a cat is timid or anxious.

Your family vet could prescribe an anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drug that would reduce any anxiety that your cat may be experiencing which could potentially stop the accidents that s/he is having around the house and these drugs can be quite effective in stopping house soiling. The reason that I typically recommend that a pharmaceutical approach be used as a last resort is because many of the drugs commonly prescribed by vets to control anxiety, inappropriate elimination and depression are small doses of human anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drugs. The use of powerful psychotropic drugs isn't without risk or side effects in cats, so it is extremely important to do your research and make an informed decision prior to agreeing to administer powerful mood altering drugs to your cat. Cats are very sensitive to these drugs so I highly suggest that you exercise caution if you opt to treat your cat with these medicines. Any drug that alters a cat's brain chemistry isn't something to be used lightly - some cats can have serious reactions to these and other medicines so I do believe that it's to your cat's benefit if you try exhaust all of the less invasive and risky options first.

In situations where the cat tends to urinate or defecate repeatedly in the same location it's quite possible that s/he's repeating the mistake because s/he can smell previous mistakes or ammonia which is an ingredient in many household cleaners (to cats it smells like urine). Some household cleaners and detergents seem to remove the scent and stain permanently, it's not uncommon for cats to still smell urine or feces because their sense of smell is so much more sensitive than that of a person's. Some products like Febreze really don't remove the odor at all, in fact they just add the smell of perfume to areas where cats have soiled outside of the litter box which can actually make the problem worse. It's really best to avoid masking odors from house soiling accidents or other areas of your home including where the litter boxes are kept.

The best way to deal with removing the odor of urine (or other organic substances like feces, blood, vomit) permanently from your furniture, carpeting, sheets, bedding, etc is to use an enzymatic cleaner. Cleaners like Petzyme use beneficial bacteria (enzymes) to permanently break down and remove the organic components of substances such as urine, feces, blood and vomit that cause odor and stains. I've found that Petzyme works well to remove stains and odors and this product has so far proven to be safe on upholstery, and carpeting throughout my home. The manufacturer even provides instructions on the label that will allow you to use Petzyme in the washing machine along with regular laundry detergent. Petzyme is available at Petsmart - I recommend that you purchase it from the dog section because you can purchase a gallon for roughly $20 CAN (the spray bottle costs about $15 and only contains 750 ml). A good sized jug of enzymatic cleaner is a smart thing to have on hand if you have a resident pet, the gallon jug will last awhile and allow you to see whether the cat is simply having accidents throughout your house because s/he can smell previous mistakes. I simply fill a spray bottle (the type used for misting plants, from the dollar store) using the gallon sized jug of Petzyme so that it's ready to use when I need it. In order to be absolutely sure that you've gotten rid of all traces of urine it's not a bad idea to purchase a black light. When a room is completely dark and you turn a black light on and shine it throughout each room in your home any urine stains will fluoresce under that light allowing you to thoroughly clean any traces of previous litter box accidents - this allows you to be fairly certain that there aren't any hidden litter box accidents throughout your home. If your local pet supply store doesn't carry a good selection of enzymatic cleaners in the cat section it's worth checking out the dog section as these cleaners are often marketed for use during puppy potty training. In the event that you aren't able to find Petzyme in your area you can try checking with your local janitorial supply store because enzymatic cleaners are often used in institutions where body fluids must be cleaned.

Cats are very clean animals and they don't usually eliminate where they eat. You could try placing a dish of regular cat food on the bed and/or on the rugs where the cat usually urinates. I have had people tell me that their cats have simply opted out of eating or urinated on the same surface at the furthest point from the food. If this happens with your cat you may find that using partially crumpled aluminum foil will work well. Most cats don't like the sharp feeling of partially crumpled tin foil on their sensitive pads. The trick is to loosely crumple the foil and then gently uncrumple it slightly so that it's about half of the size of the original piece of foil. The more sharp edges the better, if you simply place tin foil that hasn't been crumpled around your home there's always a chance that the cat will simply urinate on the flat foil. If your cat decides to remove the foil from the bed so that s/he can urinate below it you can try a couple of different things.

There is a great product called Sticky Paws available in most pet supply stores. This is a medical grade double sided tape that is safe for most fabrics and surfaces. Cats don't like to have anything stick to their paws so applying a layer of double sided tape will certainly mean that this kitty will most likely avoid urinating on in specific areas outside of the litter pan while the tape is there. If you want to deter your feline friend from going to specific areas to relieve him/herself you can use motion activated tools to get the message across. There are products such as Ssscat which is a motion activated behavioral modification tool which sends off a burst of compressed air from a can when the motion sensor is tripped. The majority of cats will find the hissing sound very offensive and you may only need to use these types of products for a short period of time to correct the issue. You can also try a product called Scat Mat which is a pressure sensitive mat that administers a mild static electric shock when stepped on - this will certainly convince your kitty that s/he doesn't want to urinate in a specific area outside of the litter box.

If your kitties have been declawed its possible that has some bearing on whats happening so I've taken the liberty of providing information about this cosmetic surgery that (in my opinion) is performed on cats way too often. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends that veterinarians declawing cats administer a long acting narcotic pain reliever once the cat's been sedated for surgery. Before performing the actual procedure the AVMA recommends that the vet administer a four point nerve block on each of the cat's paws to reduce the significant pain caused by this procedure in the immediate post operative period. Veterinarians wanting to ensure that their feline patients don't suffer unbearable pain after they've been taken home to recover send along powerful long acting narcotics such as Fentanyl in the form of a patch to be replaced at specific times recommended by the vet. If your kitty was recently declawed and the vet didn't send home pain medication to administer by mouth or patch I'd suggest considering the possibility that the potty problems are related to sore paws, my theory is that cats often suffer something similar to phantom limb pain in people after being declawed.

To declaw a cat isn't a simple task and there are serious risks associated with this surgery. People often compare declawing a cat to amputating our fingers at the first joint, but it's just not that simple. Human beings don't use their fingers in the same way that cats do and we don't retract our fingertips. Declaw surgery is extremely painful for the cat and it can have lasting psychological, physical and behavioral problems associated with it. The actual surgery involves amputating the cat's digits, tendons, ligaments and soft tissues at the first joint. If any tissue or bone beyond the first joint is still present it can cause a painful abscess and require the veterinarian to anesthetize the cat again and perform a second surgery in an attempt to correct the first improperly performed operation.

It's important to remember that cats instinctively dig a hole to urinate or defecate in and most cover their urine or feces afterwards. As a result of the way cats use the toilet there's a substantial risk of infection when they're declawed. Cats who undergo surgery to remove their claws can also lose a substantial amount of blood, it's important to recognize that cats are quite a bit smaller than people and what may look like minor blood loss can be fatal. Cats that have been declawed are more likely to develop problems with house soiling, my theory is that they develop a similar condition to people that have had a limb amputated - phantom limb pain. Some cats also develop severe arthritis in their paws after being declawed - this may be as a result of the trauma of the surgery, it might be because declawed cats often change the way that they walk, normal, healthy cats walk on their toes, declawed cats try to reduce their pain by walking on the backs of their feet which means that in addition to the physical risks and problems associated with the surgery declawed cats also lose a substantial amount of the beauty and grace we admire so much.

Some cats undergo drastic personality changes after being declawed as a direct result of the pain caused by the surgery. It's well known that declawed cats are more likely to bite than cats that have their claws and that's dangerous in a household with elderly family members or small children. Cats are normally quite polite when they express their displeasure at being handled improperly or bothered. The signs that a cat's annoyed are progressive, there's often a change in body posture and they may flick their tail about - if the subtle messages aren't understood a cat will increase the intensity of the warning by swatting at the person or pet that's disturbing them with sheathed claws. If the cat's wish to be left alone still isn't clear s/he will progress to lightly scratching the person or pet that's upsetting him/her. Cats don't usually bite as a means of defending themselves but if they've been declawed it seems to leave them feeling more insecure and vulnerable which often means that they are more likely to bite someone. Sadly declawed cats are often abused, abandoned, admitted to animal shelters or euthanized because they've developed inappropriate behaviors and human family members are concerned that their cat is going to hurt someone.

Cats use their claws for a variety of purposes. Many people believe that cats sharpen their claws, this is actually a myth - when they claw a scratch post or piece of furniture they're exercising their shoulder and back muscles, stretching their body out and marking the area with their unique scent because cats have scent glands located in their paws, and head. Scent glands are also present on either side of a cat's rectum, that allows other cats who find the droppings to learn about the cat that left them, their age, reproductive status, gender, diet and health problems. Most cats will play with toys using their front paws to bat the toy around so that they can chase it. I've had some amazing experiences with cats who haven't been declawed - there's nothing quite as powerful as a cat using a paw with carefully sheathed claws to gently touch your hand or face as a gesture of love. I'm more than willing to answer any questions or address any concerns that you may have, so please don't be afraid to contact me again, I'll do my best to help you solve the issues that you're having with your kitten.

In some cases nutrition can cause serious health problems that ultimately end up playing a large role in house soiling. In today's world the convenience of commercial pet foods leads many pet parents to feed their pets canned/dry foods. Pet parents have been told for years that commercially produced pet foods are the only good option for our pets and these products provide the safest, most balanced option in terms of giving our much loved furry family members the best nutrition possible to maintain their overall health throughout their pet's lifetime. The pet food industry is a multi-million (or more) dollar a year industry in North America and a profit driven company isn't going to necessarily keep a close eye on the quality of their product. The 2007 Menu Foods recall illustrated a serious flaw in the system; companies that manufacture pet food have few standards or guidelines to follow in terms of what is and isn't acceptable to put in pet food - this means that companies have been and for the most part still are responsible for the quality of ingredients they choose to include in the finished products. In my opinion allowing pet food manufacturers to decide what's acceptable without stringent standards dictating the type and quality of ingredients end up in pet food which is somewhat like a cat guarding a bird's nest - bad things can happen quickly.

My eldest resident cat almost lost her life as a result of eating tainted food during the Menu Foods pet food recall, I was feeding high quality food that was supposedly vet recommended and I learned a heartbreaking lesson the day that my baby girl almost died - just because the label says the food is high quality, premium or vet recommended doesn't mean it's species appropriate or even safe. Over the last couple of years my kitty has required ongoing medical care in order to maintain kidney function and I've lived with tremendous guilt caused by the fact that my baby girl has suffered through hospitalization, frequent blood work, and routine injections of fluids under her skin because I fed her food that was poisoned. I've been left with a healthy distrust for the safety of foods manufactured by a poorly regulated pet food industry or anyone else who stands to profit from my fur kids get sick.

Many popular pet foods that are routinely recommended by veterinarians aren't entirely species appropriate because they contain significant percentages of grain, vegetables or soy. The problem with that is that cats aren't able to digest their plant based diets so these foods just don't provide our feline companions with what they need in order to live longer, healthier lives. All cats, regardless of size, species or breed are obligate or true carnivores, this means that all cats must eat a high quality meat based diet. Long before we domesticated cats they had successfully evolved over thousands of years by hunting, killing and eating prey animals. Cats do get small amounts of grains, nuts, vegetable matter and seeds by eating the partially digested stomach contents of their prey, that provides them with vitamins, minerals and fiber to help them stay healthy. If you'd like more information I'd be happy to send you more information about the unique nutritional needs of cats which will help you to make informed decisions about the pet food industry, the marketing tricks they use to create the impression that foods are made with higher quality ingredients than they actually are. Lower quality foods sold in pet supply stores, discount outlets and in some cases even vet clinics can cause stones/crystals to form in a cat's urinary tract, this issue is more common in male cats, but it sometimes happens to female cats from time to time as well. If your female cat has crystals present in her urinary tract it's not likely that she'll experience a blockage, however the crystals could be scraping against the surface of her urinary tract causing irritation that leads to an unpleasant burning sensation when she urinates.

Although some behaviorists and veterinarians recommend the use of synthetic pheromone products like Feliway it's been my experience that these products are expensive and there's no guarantee that they'll work at all, in fact many pet parents have written to me on this site after trying these products expressing disappointment that these products didn't magically solve the elimination problems they were having with their cat. I've also heard mixed comments about using an indoor cat repellant, the general consensus is that the cat repellents typically repel more people than they do cats. You can however place dishes of dried hot peppers or citrus peels in areas where your cat has urinated - for many cats these natural substances will be offensive enough to keep them away from places that you don't want them to be. Hopefully this answer has given you an idea just how complex a medical or behavioral issue like inappropriate urination is and provides you with the basics so that you can ask your vet detailed questions that you've thought out before going to have your cat assessed since vet appointments are often time limited. If you have any further questions, concerns or you'd like me to clarify anything in this answer, please don't hesitate to contact me again, I'd be happy to help you out in any way that I'm able to.