Cat toileting rug :-( SHES AT IT AGAIN :-(

Kim_kim

paddypaws101 wrote: »

have you tried the suggestion of changing her litter?

I've used the crystal/silica litter since I got her, about 8 months ago.

Do you really think it could be that?

paddypaws101

http://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/is-your-cat-peeing-or-pooing-in-the-house-this-is-the-house-soiling-thread.371806/
I suggest you join petforums and read the above linked thread, written by the fantastic Shoshannah who is both an experienced vet and a cat slave herself.
Lots of cats do not like silica litter and it can easily become smelly and contaminated, so switching to a better clumping litter would be the first thing I would try. better still, offer her a choice of litters, one clay such as Golden Grey odour and one such as Oko both available from zooplus.

pinkteapot

Kim_kim wrote: »

I've used the crystal/silica litter since I got her, about 8 months ago.

Do you really think it could be that?

Yes.

As others have said, try a good clumping litter. We use Oko Plus Cat's Best. Cheapest in bulk from Zooplus:
http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter/cats_best/14001

But you can buy a small bag from Pets at Home to try it out.

Some people recommend mixing old litter with new to get them used to it. We didn't bother. You could try putting one tray of the new litter down, leaving the old tray down too. That way, if she's uncertain about the new stuff to start with, she can at least go back to old.

As others have said, a lot of cats don't like the silica ones.

With clumping, you only need to fully empty and clean the tray every couple of months. You fill the tray deeply enough that pee clumps into balls, which you scoop out daily (ie deep enough that the pee doesn't touch the bottom of the tray).

It's not going to cost you much to try a new litter and it could really help.

I would also recommend Feliway. We have a bit of an anxious kitty and it definitely helps. If we accidentally let it run out he goes a lot more scatty and then we check the plug! Within a couple of days of putting a new one in, he calms down again. That's a more expensive thing to try though.

NotBothered

I had this problem with one of my cats (although kitten). Took a liking to toileting on the spare bed/duvet.

I threw it out, changed his litter and then shut the door to the bedrooms so that he couldnt get to any duvets. Fortunately, he now does his business outside and he seems perfectly happy with that. It took over a year for me to leave the bedroom doors open though, in case it triggered a nice memory for him.

Can you keep the bathroom door closed and perhaps the room with the rug in, or - as has been recommended - throw the rug away and start afresh once you are confident you have broken that habit and got him comfortable wish his new litter?

Kim_kim

NotBothered wrote: »

I had this problem with one of my cats (although kitten). Took a liking to toileting on the spare bed/duvet.

I threw it out, changed his litter and then shut the door to the bedrooms so that he couldnt get to any duvets. Fortunately, he now does his business outside and he seems perfectly happy with that. It took over a year for me to leave the bedroom doors open though, in case it triggered a nice memory for him.

Can you keep the bathroom door closed and perhaps the room with the rug in, or - as has been recommended - throw the rug away and start afresh once you are confident you have broken that habit and got him comfortable wish his new litter?

That sounds really similar to Rosie.
The rug she's using now is the living room - so not possible to keep her out. I could take it up for a while - I'll have too.
Yes like you I thought I had broke the habit (with the bathroom rug) in the spring last year.
I've never had a cat with these tendencies, it's not a problem I've encountered before.
Do you think some cats are a little bit like this & it's a problem we could revisit again?
I'll try clumping litter.

NotBothered

I think somebody else mentioned that they like to feel comfy when they do their biz. Who doesnt? So if it is nice and soft underfoot that he likes, you might need to try some different litters until he finds one that he is happy with.
I definitely think you need to get rid of the rug.
Fortunately, once Minstral started going outside on the soil he never had an accident in the house again (fingers crossed) and he is 5 now.
He was also a very timid cat and has taken a long, long time for him to be comfortable around strangers.

Kim_kim

She's at it again.

I changed from the crystal litter to the ordinary stuff. "Most of the time she poos in their, but she did it on the rug twice the other day.

I couldn't see wee in it, but I assumed that was the different litter. Then I discovered today she's been doing it in the spare room on the bed, probably for a while :-(

She was s rescue & as a pedigree possibly lived in a cage for breeding - but I don't know that. She came to them an unnetuted 1 year old.

Is she just a dirty cat?
I can't live with her like this & no one else will want her :-(

Kim_kim

It's started with the bath mat, then the living room rug, now the spare bed.
Anywhere but the litter tray!!!

Crazycatwoman

Hi, Kim Kim, first big {{{HUGS}}} for all you are going through right now, and well done for adopting a rescue. Yes, they can be challenging, but so rewarding (I have three!)

Just a few comments - the pet forum link a previous poster recommended is definitely worth a look - it will prove you aren't alone in this!! I would reiterate what another poster has said, that your cat is NOT doing this to "spite" you or to be "naughty", she is trying to tell you something. PLEASE, if you haven't already, take her to the vet as a matter of urgency, for a physical exam. It's quite possible she has a urinary tract infection, which is causing her pain when she uses the tray, therefore she associates the tray with an unpleasant experience, and doesn't use it. With some UTIs there aren't any other obvious symptoms like frequent urination. Have you noticed any blood in the wee? This needs an urgent trip to the vet. When she poos, does this look "normal" to you? Is there any diarrhea, or loose stools, or is she constipated? I know this probably isn't what you want to do right now, but it's an important indication of your cat's health, and a question the vet will ask , to try and rule out other conditions such as IBS. Another condition that comes to mind, is arthritis. I know she's a young cat, so it's less likely that with an older cat, but the pain associated with arthritis can prevent a cat from using the tray (one of my cats started using the bathroom floor, and banging on the bath panel in an attempt to "cover" up - not what you want at 4 in the morning!) Once her arthritis was diagnosed, and she was on the appropriate medication, the problem disappeared.

Once any underlying medical condition has been ruled out, then it's time to consider behavioural issues. Yes, the type of cat litter can make a big difference. Where is her litter tray (s) located? Is it somewhere nice and private? Many cats don't like to be disturbed and get anxious as when they are on the tray they are in a very vulnerable position. That's possibly why behind the TV is often a favourite location!!!!

I would definitely agree with the suggestions of zylkene and feliway - they have worked wonders with my nervous and anxious cats. Also Royal Canin do a "Calm" food, which has good results at calming some kitties. Another suggestion is if it does appear to be a behavioural issue, is to ask your vet for a referral to a feline behaviourist. They can often work wonders - I have used one once, and by following her suggestions, our very, very anxious rescue cat changed almost overnight from spending almost all her time hiding under our bed to sleeping in it curled up next to me at night. Good luck!

Kim_kim

Poos & wee totally normal.
I don't think she's doing it to spite me or be naughty, I do think she's not a clean cat though.

I live alone, I work all day, the house is calm & quiet. She's not disturbed.

Re arthritis, the spare bed is actually quite high, as is my bed. So I don't think she's in any pain trying to jump. The litter tray is far far easier to use.