Thread: Help! Urinating/defecating inappropriately when we are away

Thanks for the replies. I have tried hooded trays, he seems to prefer open trays.

Just thought I'd update with how things have been going. I added a third litter tray in another location - this one is HUGE - it's actually a worm farm lol, and because it already had a seive tray in it it's pure gold as a giant OZ litter tray!! So I got the tick of approval with this huge size, it's actually big enough that he does poos in one end and wees in the other, and seems to have abandoned the other smaller trays altogether. He still yowled for 15 mins or so before finally using the tray for a number 2, but there were no accidents for a couple weeks. Then I had my sister coming to visit, with her boyfriend, so I cleaned the bathroom, and laid down a fresh white cotton bath mat. I show them around, walk past the bathroom door 5 mins later, and there's a little yellow patch right in the centre. I could just imagine what it said in cat language. 'TOSHIE WOZ HERE'. Aghhhh! It's obvious he didn't even NEED to pee, he must have tried really hard to squeeze out that little deposit, it was only a very small round patch. So no mats are sacred in the bathroom and I have to keep doors closed at all times. So after that we chugged along well for a week or two, then I went out the back to feed the chooks and didn't let him come with me. I could hear him yowling inside. I come back in just in time to see him disappearing into the toilet. I walked in and there he is, squatting on the toilet mat, doing a pee. There were THREE clean litter trays!!!! I had just cleaned the giant one, topped with fresh litter! Oh, it's doing my head in!!!!

Anyway, with great effort, I restrained my impulse to wreak veangeance lol (don't worry, it was only a passing thought) and merely clapped my hands sharply and said AH-AH. He ran off, and I went to wash some more mats. sigh. No mats in the toilet now either. Floors cleaned, doors shut.

So, it would appear that it's gone from separation anxiety to something else. Habit? Territorial marking? There were guests over when he peed on the bath mat, but not when he peed on the toilet mat, so maybe not.

SO. Hubby noted that seeing as he yowls so long before using the tray, maybe he doesn't like the litter. Even tho he was raised on it, he was using breeders choice for a while which was softer, and oz litter is "crunchy" and hard if you know what I mean. So even tho it's by far MY favourite litter choice, I figured what the hell, and went down the store and bought 3 different types of litter. I filled up one with Natty Cat (tiny little lucerne pellets, smells great, much smaller and softer then oz litter) and put it down beside the oz litter tray. He came up, sniffed, stepped in, gave a little chirrup, and promptly christened it. Do I dare hope that he likes this better??? Time will tell!!!

On top of the choice of litter, I have gone through the house with a black light and treated 2 patches on the carpet in my bedroom, rest of house was clean thank goodness, and I ordered 2 feliway diffusers today, figured may as well try the whole lot!!! Any other suggestions?

I'm scared that if I don't get on top of this soon, he'll turn into one of those cats that pees anywhere and ends up in a shelter. Not that I'd do that, but you know what I mean.