Cat peeing in house

Question
Recently moved about a month ago.  The cat (5 years old) has a litter box, but insists on peeing in several locations throughout the apartment.  I share the apartment with my sister and her two children (4 % 1).  This behavior cannot continue.  I'm worried about the toxic affect on my niece & nephew.  I love my cat, but don't want to sacrifice the health of my family members, not to mention the horrible odor.

Answer
Kay,

First off, I am sending you a link to a superb article on bad bathroom habits of cats written by a vet who is also a breeder.

 http://www.netcat.org/housesoiling.html

I am also assuming the cat is neutered or spayed.  If not, neutering or spaying might cure the problem.

Secondly, I would have him checked by a vet for any urinary tract problems.  These could have been caused by the stress of moving.

Thirdly, if the problem is not physical, then it is behavioral.  It is possible, the 4 year old has the cat terrorized to use the litter pan.  Is it possible that the cat needs the litter pan somewhere the kids cannot get to?  Cats tend to get very attached to territory, so the cat still may be trying to adjust to the new digs.

Regardless, you need to clean any area where the cat pees inappropriately with an enzyme based product specifically for pet stains and pet odors.  These are available from most pet supermarkets or farm stores. In addition, another option may be to purchase a Feliway diffuser to keep where the cat is peeing inappropriately.  Feliway is a pheramone based product which seems to help with some inappropriate peeing problems.

As far as health, I know of no toxic effects of cat pee on people.  I agree that the smell is no fun.  However, the pet stain and pet odor product should help with that.

Good luck and best regards... Norm.