Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five funny cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
I grew up in Queensland, Australia, then lived in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory for a few years before moving to the UK. And before I had the five cats I now have at home, there was Gilbert and Sullivan; two adorable female tabbies.
Gilbert was the first on the scene, and Sully joined us two years later. They’re not the best friends I’d hoped they’d be, but they seem to get along without conflict, happy to share space with my bed and various perches in the cat tree. After about a year, however, we began to suspect that all was not well when Sully started peeing everywhere that wasn’t a litter box.
Sully’s Urinating Problem
Shopping bags, handbags and shoes are her favorites – particularly embarrassing when they belong to guests. There has been the occasional incident in my bed, but by far the worst is when he goes around on the steam mop – steaming cat urine is an unforgettable experience. My Dad would argue that the most regrettable pee situation is the one in the fruit bowl, only to be discovered after he sliced a banana in his breakfast cereal. At least this is a fruit where the skin is completely removed before eating!
If you’ve had to deal with inappropriate cat urination, you may be familiar with some of the tips, tricks, and techniques we may have used to tackle our little problem:
- Urinalysis to rule out inflammation, infection, or crystals
- Pheromone diffusers and sprays to help him settle down
- Adding an extra litter box to the 3 we already have, in a new location with a different type of litter
- Any dirty surfaces are cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner specifically designed for this purpose
Some of these methods help for a while, but eventually, the urination will return. The areas he was talking to suggested it was territorial behavior, choosing vertical surfaces, my bed, and things that regularly came in and out of the house. The problem is clear: despite appearances, Sully feels threatened by Gilbert, and uses passive-aggressive tactics to try to improve his position at home.
to Sully Persisting Urinating problems
Unfortunately, realizing that this was the problem did nothing to help me find a solution, but it did show that there can be some pretty intense friction between cats who seem to get along well.
This was a constant problem for my family and I until the time I moved to Alice Springs, bringing Gilbert and Sully with me. I prepared the new house with pheromone diffusers and sprays, and placed litter boxes in a few different locations to give them lots of options. When I first let them out of their travel crates, they spent the first 48 hours together in the back of the bathroom, barely moving an inch. Then, they bravely set out to explore their new home, including their newly built outdoor catio.
And guess what? The entire time we lived in the red center, there was not a single territorial urine. Each pee was contained inside the box, and I never had to buy another bottle of pee cleaner.
Lessons from Sully’s Problematic Urination
So what has changed?
Well, I have a theory.
When Sully enters the Queensland house, Gilbert has been there for years, comfortable and settled in his firm territory, so Sully uses his pheromonal defense system. When we moved to Alice Springs, they entered the house as equals, sharing the trauma of relocation and new territory.
Does that mean you have to move house to stop your cat from marking their territory? I hope not! This is not a particularly economical solution! But, I have a friend who used a version of this method when she was having the same problem with her cats. Like Sully, one of her cats came home later than the others and ended up urinating on various things and places. Having tried everything, she took my advice and sent her three cats to stay at a cattery for a week. While they were gone, she thoroughly cleaned the house, furniture, sheets, and clothes, even using a UV lamp to check for traces of urine.
Lo and behold; when all three cats came home at the same time, the territorial urination went away.
This may seem like an extreme way to approach this problem, but if you’re dealing with inappropriate urination in a multi-cat household, and you’ve explored all possible causes and solutions, just a week what you need to keep the cat. pee smell! At least it’s worth a try.
This article is part of a series by Dr. Karyn with her five funny cats.