Spraying

Question
Hi Tabbi.

Okay, this is getting a bit out of control. We have 8 cats; 4 are males, and 4 are females. All are over 3 years of age, and all are fixed.

Squeeky has frequent kidney stones, but still uses the litter boxes. On occasion, he does dribble outside, but for the most part, he's very well litter-trained. Or was.

Until about 4 months ago, all the cats were using litter-boxes faithfully. Stepping in, squatting fully, covering when done. Then Shadow, our largest male, started spraying. Everything. We scolded, we cleaned....we've used just about everything on the market. Feliway actually made it much much worse. And the others seemed to think that it's okay to get away with it.

Now, all of our cats are getting out of control. They are spraying, or urinating wherever they feel is good. Feeny is still using the litterbox, but she doesn't squat anymore....she stands straight up. Needless to say, this ends up hitting the wall and worsening the problem.

We have elimated them from all bedrooms and the laundry room, as well as all bedrooms. We have 4 litter boxes, all are very big and have varying amounts of litter, from very shallow to 6'' deep. One is covered, which Squeeky seems to prefer, and contains Feeny's problem, when she uses it. We use Arm and Hammer clumping litter, and sprinkle a small box of baking soda over the litter weekly. We scoop three to four times a day, and do a total dump-and-refill every other week.

My mom is seriously threatening to get rid of cats, and I'm starting to agree. It's heartbreaking to consider, and I know fully well that they would not do well in a shelter, and are unlikely to be adopted. Compounded with the fact that the county shelter is no longer accepting animals, and the non-kill shelters are maxed out and refusing animals, I'm afraid they'd be put down immediately.

But this can't go on any longer. The entire house reeks of cat urine, when it didn't 4 months ago. And it's disgusting to pick up a cord to plug in and feel the slimey urine left on it, or to flip back your sheets to go to bed and find a puddle left.

Do you have ANY suggestions? At this point, I'm ready to accept suggestions on either cleaning up the scents/stopping them from spraying, or finding them new homes. We have elimaniated the cats to the kitchen, living room and dining room, and they're continuing, and we're at our wits end. Please, please help!

Answer
Amanda,

What a mess! There are many reasons for their behavior. Since one of your cats has stones, and if they eat the same foods, the other cats may also have kidney stones, urinary crystals, or urinary tract infections. All are painful and the cats associate that pain with the litter box and go elsewhere.

There is also a chance that there is a tomcat in the area. Since your cats can't get outside to the cat(s) to defend their territory, they can be 'marking' their territory inside. To help prevent that behavior you need to block any windows where they may be seeing the tomcat.

Since I cannot put all the possibilities in this reply, I am including some links to good articles about improper elimination. They will have good information that you should find helpful in dealing with the cat's behavior.
(copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.catsinternational.org/articles/housesoiling/unabridged_litterbox_1.ht...

http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

http://www.apbc.org.uk/article10.htm

AND,

here is a 'recipe' for cat urine odor removal:

1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon of liquid soap

(3% hydrogen peroxide can be bought at most grocery and drug stores in pint and quart bottles).

Gently mix all ingredients in a non-metal container. Do not mix or shake vigorously!

The mixture is best used when fresh but can be stored. Do not keep mixture in an airtight container.  Have a VERY loose lid as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide when mixed together will release oxygen and an airtight container will explode. You can mix and keep it in large spray bottle (Home Depot, etc.) but a plastic liter or 2-liter soda bottle works just a well.

Always test for color-fastness. Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent in stronger concentrations and can lighten materials that are not color-fast.

CLOTHING, COMFORTERS, AND BEDDING:

Put the items in the washing machine and pour in enough of the recipe to cover thoroughly. This might take a few gallons depending on the size of the load. Soak for at least 24 hours. Rinse and rewash using normal washing detergent. If any of the odor is still present, soak again for 24 hours, rinse and rewash.

A small area on a comforter can be spot treated by saturating the area thoroughly, letting it dry for 24 hours, then washing the comforter normally in the washer with detergent. Always check for color-fastness before using.

MATTRESSES, SOFAS, PILLOWS

For mattresses you must saturate the spot thoroughly to get deep down into the padding and springs to neutralize the urine. If the cat has urinated alot in one spot, the mattress can be soiled all the way to the other side! Let the area dry for 24-48 hours without bedding then reapply if necessary.

For sofas the same directions as above apply but always check for color-fastness in a hidden area before using. Cotton is used in alot of upholstery fabrics and is easily bleached. If your sofa pillow cushion covers can be unzipped and taken off (must be color-fast and washable) you can put them in the washing machine. See How to Remove from Clothing, Comforters and Bedding for instructions.

HOW TO REMOVE CAT URINE ODOR FROM CARPETS

FOR INDIVIDUAL URINE SPOTS ON CARPET:
If fresh, sop up as much cat urine as you can with a paper towel first. Use a spray bottle to saturate the spot completely with the recipe - do not blot. The recipe must penetrate the padding and possibly the floor boards underneath, where the urine has penetrated for it to work.

Wait 24-48 hours until dry then vacuum. If the urine odor is still present - repeat the procedure. It usually takes 2-3 applications to completely neutralize the cat urine odor.

FOR LARGE AREAS OF CARPET:

You can use a carpet cleaning machine - one of your own or a rental and use the recipe instead of the shampoo. You will have to make several gallons of the recipe depending on the size of the carpet. Don't use the vacuum part of the machine - you will want to let the solution soak and dry for 24-48 hours before vacuuming.

Most carpet cleaning machines are not made for this use, and baking soda can clog the nozzles of the machine so use caution. Instead, you can use a 1 gallon garden bug sprayer (Home Depot, etc.). Rinse the nozzle out frequently by filling the tank with hot water and spraying it in the bathtub until the nozzle is clear.

If using the sprayer saturate the entire carpet with the recipe, let dry for about 24-48 hours and vacuum. You will have to probably repeat the procedure again. Where heavily saturated with old urine it may take 3 applications over a week.

Also, if the cat urine is old and dried, the smell will probably be worse a day or two later. This is because you are rehydrating the uric acid crystals in the urine to neutralize them. The smell will get better with each application.

I hope this helps! I know it is frustrating to have cats who don't use the litterbox.

Tabbi