“A Pee-Pee Problem”

Urine-marking can be a troubling behavior for cat owners, and may indicate some stresses in a cat’s life. It is probably the most common form of inappropriate elimination and is the number one cause of surrender of cats to shelters and pounds, which often leads to their death.

There are several reasons why cats may urinate outside their litter boxes, and this motivation must be understood before the problem can be properly addressed.

All cats are capable of urine-marking, though the likelihood is greatest in the intact (un-neutered) male cat. Spraying is the most common form of urine-marking. In spraying, cats back up to a vertical surface, quiver the tip of their tail, and shoot out a fine stream of urine. The purpose of this is to mark the area with their scent. It usually involves varied locations (countertops, clothes, beds, windowsills), can involve multiple sites, and often involves a small amount of urine left on a vertical surface. This problem may be confused with a cat that is urinating inappropriately due to a medical issue such as a urinary tract infection (uti) or bladder infection/inflammation (cystitis). An important first step in resolving this issue is to have your cat’s urine examined by your veterinarian.

Other things that you can do are:

• Neuter or spay your cat – this will eliminate about 90% of behaviorally induced marking.

• Litter boxes – make sure there are enough (at least one more than the number of cats in your house), and cleaned regularly.

• Odors – clean up all urine marks as soon as you can with an enzymatic cleaner. A UV light can help you find urine spots.

• Stress – address any stresses in your cat’s life such as fighting with housemates or separation anxiety.

• Outside visitors – shield the cat from unwelcome visitors (wildlife, or annoying stray cats) by putting up screens or drapes over windows that your cat looks out of.

• Pheromone sprays – Feliway uses facial pheromones to help deter cats from urinating in certain locations.

• Meds – In some cases, urine-marking can be reduced through medication such as fluoxetine (Prozac!) that decreases feline arousal and thus the drive for territorial or anxious urine-marking. Or if there is an infection, antibiotics may be prescribed.

This is a pretty common problem, so if this is happening in your house, don’t get too frustrated without calling your veterinarian for some advice. Now enjoy that great sunshine and all the flowers out there!

Till next time, Dr. Steve

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