PLEASE Help Me!

Cass · #1 01-17-2008, 07:30 AM

Hi again everyone,

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Since last time I've got a new fur baby, his name was Diego but I renamed him Kai, he's a Bengal Snow Leopard cat. Only 8 months old, his old owner got pregnant and said she couldn't clean his litterbox out anymore (what kind of excuse is that I mean he is 100% Pedigree?) Anyway, things were going great but now he's peeing anywhere EXCEPT his litterbox. Needless to say my mum isn't impressed and said that unless he starts behaving he has to go

Anyone with ANY hints at all about litter training kitties who have this problem PLEASE let me know because I really DON'T want to lose my new fur baby!

Cass

Irie · #2 01-17-2008, 12:16 PM

Cass I also have a Bengal - he is 10 years old now - he also pees where he shouldn't. When he does it he is actually marking the place because he shakes his tail and backs up to the spot. We got him when he was a baby and he didn't do this for 6 1/2 years then I adopted a neutered male 2 year old cat - that is when it started. I took the other cat back because my Bengal (Moby) was being very mean to him and wouldn't allow him near their food or litter boxes or my other cat. After we took the adopted cat back, Moby started marking places and has done it ever since. I've tried everything, different litters, locations of his cat box, Feliway, giving him special attention but he still does it. He has gotten to the point that he doesn't do it very often now but I've had to take out the carpet in my bedroom and have to steam clean a lot. He does it when he gets upset with me for some reason - whether its going away for a few days or I move a piece of furniture to a different location. I think he just has too much wild in his blood and has become very territorial. I'm sorry I can't give you any suggestions to help so much - it could be anything that is upsetting him. Maybe if you can figure out what is upsetting him you will be able to change his behavior. If you have another male cat that could be a problem.

KittyTyme · #3 01-17-2008, 08:03 PM

First thing you need to do is go to the vet and have any medical problems addressed. I have a female cat that has chronic urinary problems.. when hers flairs up.. she pees in the bathroom sink. In other words.. first and foremost rule out any medical problems.

Yme2 · #4 01-18-2008, 02:07 AM

Hi Cass I had the same problem with my Maine Coon cat Crissy. I keep her in a dog create with a litter box and bed with food and water at night. To keep her from peeing all over the house. But the first thing I did was to take her to the Vet to rule out any medical problems. We found out that Crissy is afraide of the dark and just would not go down stair's to the litter box at night. So now when she see's me get ready for bed she goes to her dog create to sleep. I have a night light for her and problem solved. My Vet was supprised I create trained a cat. The create will also help if there is a additude problem if you cat dose't like the create it will learn what not to do so he don't have to be in it. I told my friend about using a create for a cat and they did. It took there cat 3 months to get it right now they don't need the create any more.
I wish you all the good luck house breaking your cat...

luvmyanimals · #5 01-18-2008, 12:25 PM

I am not a cat owner but I do work with animals. Maybe you could do what Yme2 said, just for like a week or however long it takes, keep him in a big dog cage and keep his litter box and his favorite blanket and toy in it. Or block off part of a room so he only has a little room to go and make that HIS space, put his food and water, toys, blankets, and his litter box, and if you happen to catch him going in his litter box, give him something he loves like tuna or something. And in that area, put pee pads everywhere. And try putting his food and water next to his litter box. And like everyone else said, call your vet first, they will not only check to see if anythings wrong, they can give you advice if there is no problem on how to help Diego use his litter box. And I hope you guys can figure all of this out and you can keep Diego. Please keep us updated.

WE WILL KEEP YOU AND DIEGO IN OUR THOUGHTS!

-THERESA

Irie · #6 01-18-2008, 02:28 PM

I agree - going to the vet is number one - I took Moby - he doesn't have any medical conditions. They had given me tranquilizers for him but we didn't like using those - he sleeps enough as it is.

The dog crate is a great idea - I had never even thought of that. Hmmmm might have to try that myself. Do they make them big enough for men??? Ha

Good luck Cass - hope your kitty gets is straight soon.

KittyTyme · #7 01-18-2008, 08:59 PM

Never put a cats food and water near the litterbox.. they HATE THAT.. and it's VERY unsanitary. Cats like to scratch the litter.. if it gets in their food.. that could be very bad.. especially if you use the clumping kind of litter..it could get down in their stomach and well.. clump. (have you ever tried to get that off the floor if it gets wet?? OMG get out the chisel.. it turns to cement!)
Second thing to try.. is different litter. I have had cats that will ONLY use the clay litter..they would pee all over the house if anything else was in there. AND it had to be pristine clean. Are you using a little box that another cat has or is using? He might not like that. Or he may not like scented litter..or maybe that IS what he wants. He may insist on his OWN toilet. Cats are odd animals.. using the bathroom in places other than the litter box is usually how they let you know .. something is not right in their world.
Let us know what happens!

Irie · #8 01-19-2008, 10:29 AM

That is so true about the litter. Moby hates the regular (non scoopable) litter - he won't use it. Also, I tried some of that powder deordorizer and he hated that too. I keep a litter box for each cat plus and extra one right now that is smaller for Maya (of course Moby gets in that one and uses it even though he is way too big). I've never had a problem with any cat before Moby and I take the blame on that so I just keep trying things to make him happy and for now he is being a good boy - for some reason ever since we got Maya and have been keeping Lita in a different room he has not been marking things very often. I'm wondering if maybe Lita being sick and me steam cleaning every day was affecting him or if him having a new female baby is helping in some way. If only we could tell what they were thinking.

KittyTyme · #9 01-20-2008, 09:48 AM

I know.. wouldn't it be great if they could just say.. "Hey!.. take the lid off this thing.. I'm claustrophobic! I don't like the way this stuff feels on my feet. Get rid of it! Otherwise I'm peeing in the corner over there!"

Cass · #10 01-20-2008, 10:09 AM

Hi again everyone,

I just wanted to say thank you for all your advice, a bit more to KittyTyme, as I think it was a bit of claustrophobia. We had a door on his litterbox, we've taken it off and no problem, but thank you everyone for all your suggestions, I haven't had a baby kitty since our youngest was a baby and it's so nice to have help from other owners. I will be posting The Pet Diaries Part IV soon so keep an eye out. A quick note, because he's still a baby I thought it was safe to change his name, Diego was different but I've always like the name Kai, so Diego is now Kai. Thanks again for all your help everyone, you're the best!

All the Best Cassie :-)