Cat Urinating - Please Help!

[RobbieKB]

I bought a kitten just over 18 months ago. She seems to be crossed with a Bengal. She's been quite a naughty cat since we got her (stealing food, taking things apart and scratching) but we've made peace (as much as possible) with that. However, a few months ago she ran in to the lounge and urinated on the sofa. We put it down to a one off but then a week or two later she did it again. Then she urinated on the sofa in our kitchen, on a bed and then this morning again on a sofa.

She does urinate outside still, so we can't work out the rhyme or reason. She's VERY skittish but very friendly. She purrs a lot but doesn't seem to be stressed in any way. I catch her rubbing her backside on the rug and licking herself a lot. She scratches everything with a vengeance and has ruined a hell of a lot of stuff.

• We've taken her to the vets and they couldn't find any problems.
• We've used these plug-in air fresheners that are meant to calm cats.
• We've used a spray that is meant to calm cats.

I'm at a loss as to what to do and if I don't fix this soon, the other people who live in this house are going to want her gone and I don't have much of a case.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I bloody love this cat.

[bexVN]

Would be worth trying Zylkene capsules. Do you have a litter tray for her?

Most common issue is stress from other neighbourhood cats. Making taking a pee outside a very stressful act for a nervy cat.

Edited by bexVN on Sunday 9th February 17:36

[Munter]

bexVN said:

Do you have a litter tray for her.

That was my thought. We always have one available, when one cat starts using it you know something is up.

Though "something" includes "it's cold and wet outside" now.

[Mobile Chicane]

Rubbing backside on rug could indicate a problem. I'd go back to the vet, unless you've already mentioned this behaviour and they couldn't find anything wrong.

Definitely supply a litter tray indoors. One with a lid for privacy, and sited somewhere quiet.

[RobbieKB]

Ok guys, litter tray is a good shout. It's weird that she does go outside to defecate and urinate but sometimes she gets it in her head that she's doing it in doors.

She's so skittish, it's really odd.

I'm taking her back to the vets on Tuesday but they couldn't find anything before. The symptoms correlate with cat chlamydia which they can get from their mothers - that sends them a bit mental too.

Thanks again for the advice - I'm desperate to sort this.

[Erasmia]

We had similar issues with our bengal but it wasn't just wee! It was also the sofa and our bed and always while we were around, so clearly a protest. The solution for us was to get him a friend and to let him outside. Once he had a friend the problem stopped immediately. Now he just knocks glasses off surfaces if he feels ignored. Bengals are certainly high maintenance but we love ours to bits!

[bexVN]

She's a bengal mix, many of them are skittish.

Her behaviour is really not that uncommon. We are asked frequently about inappropriate urination. She will toilet outside if she is not under threat at that time but any suggestion to her she might be she'll go where she feels safe.

Was she poorly as a kitten. Chlamydia usually presents clinical signs in very young kittens such as urt and/or severe conjunctivitis. Have to be honest I'm not so familiar with it causing odd behaviour.

Toxoplasmosis can present with behavioural abnormalities.

Edited by bexVN on Sunday 9th February 18:06

Edited by bexVN on Sunday 9th February 18:12

[SuperDude]

One of mine will go anywhere soft if his litter tray is even a little bit dirty. He's a nightmare for it. I've hand to ban him from the bedroom because beds are his prime target and some days I just cant keep things up to his standard! (I mean, I do try!)

[Davel]

[quote=bexVN]Most common issue is stress from other neighbourhood cats. Making taking a pee outside a very stressful act for a nervy cat.
[footnote

That's really useful..

We were adopted by our cat, when we moved in 4 years ago. She had lived in the stables with the horses prior to us buying the place and she had never been fussed or ever even gone into the house.

After a great deal of attention from the wife and kids, she hardly goes out now and, as soon as one of us sits down, she stretches and ends up on a knee.

The other day, after eating, she went to the patio doors to go out and then changed her mind, climbed onto my 18 year old daughter, who was sat on the settee and promptly pissed all over her.

She hates other cats from the next door farm coming into the garden but I hadn't thought of that as a reason.

So what's the answer? She won't use a litter tray.

[RobbieKB]

Thanks for all the replies.

We've got her on calming food, calming air freshener, calming spray and calming tablets all recommended by our vet. She is still roaming around like she's on acid.

We're going to try the Zylkene capsules as suggested above (thank you for that) and for the time being we have set her up a litter tray in a private area which seems to have solved the urinating for the time being.

The vet seems to think she's an unusual mix of a Bengal and a tabby and not full Bengal as she has white on her but sports many of the characteristics Bengals are known for. She's an odd mog through and through!