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

Good for you susing out the litter change, that was good. I do hope that this works for you, fingers crossed. x

so I started writing a long response earlier, that I was very proud of, and then someone called me, my computer crashed and I lost it all! darn!

first about the peeing : is he by any chance having a tantrum? he sees what works to get you rattled and voila.... ? I am thinking of asking a vet for a specialist of cat behaviour for Neevie - at the moment she's lovely but she goes through phases...

Feliway has worked wonders with her though - hope it works for you - you have to wait about 2 or 3 weeks before it starts having an effect, it's not immediate.

also, about the yowling - does it sound like he may be in pain? like, constipated? or the reverse? or having problem passing water? may be it burns? may be that's what throws him? you know, the same way if it hurts every time you eat something, you might take a dislike to that perticular food?

Cats also hate the smell of citrus, so I don't know if you could try a citrus disinfectant such as zoflora (which isn't poisonous to cats) or something similar, perhaps citrus air freshner in the loo?
The outdoor cat you mentioned, has she ever bothered McIntosh when he's in the tray so he feels he has to go else where?
Most cats prefer open trays for exactly that reason, they have a 360 view of their surroundings.
Hope the change of litter has the desired affect. Keep us posted.

Alekto - It is possible that he was throwing a tantrum, but I think it's more that he was feeling insecure - he's just a stressy type cat, always has been from day one as a kitten, so I think it's the only way he could communicate that he was lonely and unhappy about something!

Ginacool - the citrus disinfectant is a great idea - I will definitely replace the old pine scent for citrus to discourage further relapses.

Update: Well, since my last post we have remained accident free!!!! That's 6 weeks! I think it has been a combination of factors.
1) He definitely prefers the lucern litter
2) He definitely needs seperate pee and poo boxes
3) Feliway diffuser really seemed to help calm his general anxiety - for him I noticed a difference within 48 hours.
4) We got a new kitten


I decided to take the plunge with a new arrival about the same time we started using the lucern litter. Jasper is an adorable bundle of blue point ragdoll fluff, and within 3 hours of his arrival made firm friends with a rather bemused maine coon. I wanted another maine coon, but it was my hubbys turn to pick, and I must say I think his choice has been the best possible for Toshie. Jasper is so relaxed and laid back, and confident, and has really helped settle Toshie down. In fact he's already the alpha cat, at only 4 months old! Mainly because Tosh does not have any dominance at all in his personality. He lets Jasper do whatever he pleases. They play incessantly, galloping all over the house, knocking stuff over, Toshie baths him every day, and they often curl up in the same bed to sleep. The early morning yowling has all but ceased, he is nowhere near as demanding, and the ultimate improvement - no further inappropriate toilet behaviour - even when we went away for a week. I have caught him scratching on the tiles while meowing the last few days, but that was after I had removed one of the smaller trays and was in the process of replacing it with a larger one. Each time I was able to direct him to the litter and he used it without an accident. Now that the new tray is in place, he seems to have settled again.

So I feel almost confident to announce a total success!!!

The only drawback? Since the arrival of the new playmate and friend, I no longer get my daily snuggles and love. :( :( :( I am in withdrawal. He used come and chirp at me til I laid on the bed and he would hop up for a snuggle, every day. Now, not at all. He's too busy playing and when he's not playing, he's content to curl up in his bed to sleep, and doesn't seem to desire any cuddles at all! Will he ever come back to me?