Cat urination

Question
For about a month now, my Siamese has been relieving herself either on my bed, couch, or leather chair.  My time being home has recently been less, and I figure that her urination everywhere is due to her being mad at me.  However, even when I am home for long periods of time, she still urinates everywhere, even on the bed when I am in it.  I really don't know what to do anymore.  I have locked her out of my room during the day and have put protective coverings on everything, but she won't even use the litter box anymore.  Can you offer any suggestions or advice?  Some friends have recommended me taking her to the vet and getting her on anti-depressants, and that's fine, but I would rather try to correct her behavior than do that.  I really don't want to give her away either, but I can't take this much longer.  I have had her for 10 years now, and she's like my kid! Help!

Answer
Hi Amanda.  I know what a frustrating problem this is.  There is little that ruins a home more quickly than a cat who refuses to use a litter box.

I would recommend to start with a vet visit just in case this is all related to a physical illness.  It is very possibly anxiety-related due to your schedule change, but some physical urinary tract problems, like interstitial cystitis, can be triggered by stress.  And treating physical ailments if one is present will probably solve your problem.

One product I always highly recommend for anxiety is Feliway.  I use it at all times in my household, because when I don't, things go haywire.  I use the plug-in diffusers as opposed to the spray because it's easy.  You just plug it in and replace it with a refill about once every 4-6 weeks.  You'll probably need one for each room that she has access to.  You can learn more about Feliway at www.feliway.com  You can buy it at pet stores, on the internet and through some vets.  I've seen the diffuser set ups on amazon.com for about half what I paid in pet stores.

It could be a good idea to purchase a spray bottle of Feliway to treat accident areas, too.  You would clean accident areas with rubbing alcohol to clean them, then allow them to dry.  Then you would spray the area with Feliway a few times a day.  This should prevent her from urinating in the spot again.

You may also want to try a litter called Cat Attract.  It's formulated with an herbal attractant to correct litter box problems.  It guarantees 100% litter box usage, or your money back.  You can find a retailer through their website, www.preciouscat.com

I certainly think that trying an antidepressant is worth a shot if these things don't help.  I've had to use them in a couple cases, and I've never had to have a cat on them for more than 6 months.  There are many choices, so if you try one and don't get results, don't be discouraged.