random urinating

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have two cats (and 1 dog) - mother aged 10 and daughter aged 8 1/2.  One of our cats has been peeing on things on and off for about 5 years now.  We have had both checked by the vet a couple of times and no problems have been found.  We recently have decided with detective work that the problem (about 98% sure) is the mom.  She pees on the stove burners, in the kitchen sink, on the kitchen table, towels left on the floor, scatter mats, purses and shoes.  This behaviour is not consistent and sometimes disappears for weeks at a time (sometimes even longer)  One of the times it happens if we have been away (on our return)  We have 3 litter boxes and they are cleaned 3 - 4 times a week.  They also spend a good deal of time outdoors.  The last two weeks has been horrible with puddles found 2 - 3 times per day.  I am at my wits end.  I love my cats very much and want to solve the problem but I can't seem to.  This problem does seem to intensify if we go away (it happens when we return) (there is always someone looking in on them) but also happens when we are here full time.  We have also witnessed it when we have a large amount of company (holiday time) or other dogs visiting.  The believed culprit is a very skiddish kitty and I am pretty sure it is stress related but I don't know what to do about it.  Please Help!  Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated as I am fearing the possibility of having to give her up.
Thank you!

ANSWER: Karen,
It sounds like you and your family are dedicated to doing what is best for your pets and family. I have to assume that there is some degree of smell still left over (not to human noses, but kitty noses are extremely sensitive) as traditional cleaning products do not always kill the odor, they tend to mask it. You may want to visit a local pet store and ask about enzymatic cleaners which have live (friendly) bacteria which eat the odor. Clean any and all of her favorite places to mark with this cleaner in order to be sure that she isn't just repeating the behavior because she can smell past mistakes. You may also want to try a product called sticky paws to keep her off of the offending areas in your kitchen (this product is simply 2 sided tape which will not hurt kitty or furniture). I am not sure about using this product on your stove though it may leave a mess, the area around your kitchen sink is okay, it will stop her from going into the sink via the counter.
I know that this is going to sound ridiculous but try putting at least one litter pan per room of your house and cleaning them 1-2 times daily (which sounds like a lot, but cats are very clean and do not like strong smells or getting their paws dirty), that way you can be certain that the urination is not a question of control (and it doesn't sound like it is). By the way sometimes the problem can be scented kitty litter which may mask the smell to us however some cats will not tolerate perfume in their litter pan (if you are using the rough clay type she may not like the feel on her paws, and that could be why she has changed where she urinates). On a similar note, if you have a bunch of potpourri/air freshners she may be trying to overpower those perfumes as well. As I said, some cats are highly sensitive to artificially produced scents.
Now finally, is there something that you cook and you find that she urinates more frequently afterwards as you mentioned that she marks frequently in the kitchen? She may not like the smell of last night's dinner and she may be trying to cover it up. If this is the case you could try locking her in the bathroom when you cook and eat this dinner (with her own dinner, some water and a clean litter pan). When you have finished cleaning up then let her out.
The next question I have for you is: does kitty have access to a window in any of the rooms that she routinely eliminates inappropriately in? If so she may be seeing something outdoors that is irritating, frustrating or scaring her, such as the neighbor's pets, wildlife, dogs, etc. Watch her closely and see if looking out the window precedes inappropriate elimination. The solution for this is to buy a temporary window film at your local hardware store that is frosted to block her view to the outdoors (they can come in some pretty tasteful designs with varying price ranges so shop around). Use the films on the windows in the rooms she most frequently marks in. Don't worry, this is just to break the cycle, it doesn't have to be permanent.
You may also want to have her urine checked again by your vet to ensure that she doesn't have some sort of a low grade chronic bladder infection.
Failing this you could try to isolate her in a room with tile (the bathroom is perfect for this in most houses). Make sure that she is not allowed contact with the other cat or the dog, and that she has ample food and water and don't forget to take time to spend with her giving one on one attention (sometimes the issue is jealousy). You can try reintroducing her after 2-3 weeks and see if that makes a difference. The litter box in that room should be kept extremely clean in case she is the type of kitty that will not use the litter once it has been soiled. If you should happen to catch her in the act, redirect her to the nearest litter pan to finish the job and stay with her to ensure that she completes her business where it belongs. When she finishes in the litter praise her.
None of the suggestions I have given you are instant fixes, they all take time, dedication, and consistancy. Above all these solutions are relatively simple and inexpensive, they will serve to eliminate the most common causes of inappropriate elimination.
Failing all of these ideas you should go back to your veterinarian, tell him/her what you have tried. You may want to ask for their opinion on trying an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety drug. There is also the option of asking for a referral to an animal behaviorist who can come into your home and assess the environment and the kitty and offer more personalized suggestions.
I know that this is a frustrating situation to deal with. Hopefully the advice I have given will be of some use to you. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your quick reply Ali!  As this problem has been going on for a very long time, I have tried pretty much everything you have suggested.  We have not put a litter box in every room - I will have to think on that one as we have 10 rooms in the house and our dog has bad habits with litter boxes!  We have tried locking her in the bathroom but she is VERY quick and 9 times out of 10 escapes when the door is open.  She howls when she has been left in there for more than a few hours, stops when we sit with her and stroke her and then continues when we leave again.  This summer we had to be away from our home for almost 3 months due to a serious accident in the family.  During this time our friends came in daily to spend time with the cats and make sure that their dishes were kept clean and full.  We were home one day a week and it was at this time that their litter boxes were cleaned, which is much less than normal.  They had access to the outdoor through a kitty door which they used at their own discretion.  The interesting thing that happened during this time was that there was No inappropriate elimination issues at all.  It all started back up after we had been home for a couple of weeks!  We have taken both cats just recently to the vets again to make sure that they were both fine.  There was no issues found.  While I love my animals dearly, an animal behaviourist is just not in our family budget as we are living on a fixed income.  I have a product which I have been using from the pet store called "Out" which I use every time she makes a mess.  It seems that most of the behaviour happens in the night or very early morning.
Thanks again!

Answer
Karen,
Just a quick thought on the dog/litterbox issue: have you considered covered litterboxes? Booda makes one in the shape of a semi circle with a small kitty sized set of stairs leading around a small corner into the litter pan. This may make your dog's gross but normal obsession a little harder to continue. Have you considered putting up a baby gate to keep doggy out of the litterbox area? That may also work. Could your kitty be afraid of the dark? A night light may help. I know it sounds odd, but I once fostered a cat that would not go into her litterbox after dark unless there was a night light on. I wish I could suggest something more. Good luck, as for the behaviorist, your vet should have at least some experience with behavior modification and be able to suggest something that I haven't. If I can help you further on this issue please don't hesitate to contact me.