Is it better to be pissed off or pissed on?

[taurusmoon]

Marmalade, my 8ish-year-old neutered male tabby has a nasty habit that I just can't seem to break him of. He pees. I'm not talking spraying. I'm talking open the floodgates peeing.

Yes, I realize that all creatures pee, but do they have to pee on my stuff? My sofa, my bed, my clothes. If it smells like any one of the humans in the house, it's fair game for a good pee.

I've taken him to the vet and he checked out physically. The answer basically was that the cat is a whack job. The vet gave us a pheromone spray to try out. It didn't work.

I finally was able to stop him from peeing on our couch by buying a scat mat (emits a low-level shock when stepped on). I left the mat on the couch for a couple of weeks. It has been about a week since it's been removed and the couch remains pee free. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

But, the mat won't work on the beds. Not if we want to sleep on them, that is. YOW! Nor will it work on the clothes that someone ahem in this household insists upon tossing on the floor.

(Btw, the cats are a lot smarter than my teenager and his friends who kept touching the mat just to get shocked. Yes, these young men are our future. )

Anyway, my question is twofold:

Do you have any success stories to share on stopping this kind of behavior?

Do you have any odor removal secrets? Febreze does not help. Not even the extra strength formula. Vinegar isn't helping either.



I'm pissed on and pissed off.


Sara

[slick4591[$]]

Sara,

Ever tried a mouse trap on cats? Yep. The natural mouse trap hates a man made one. Set them up and put them on your bed. They will hate your bed. Set them on the cabinets and they will hate them too. The only problem I can see with the mouse trap idea on the bed is, keeping Chip outta the bed nekkid. One slip up on his part and he'll hate the bed too.

Sorry, I can't help with the smell problem. Never got that far.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Shoot, I thought this was a poll. Was gonna vote vis-a-vis pissed off, pissed on... but since I'm here...

My 2 cents is that I had a pee-happy cat too. I had been told the only way to stop the cat from peeing on its various favorite places was to get all the pee smell out -- if there was even just a teeny tiny whiff of it to kitty's nose, it would be reanointed.

However I was 12 at the time and don't remember what we did to get the pee smell out of stuff except for that we threw out some clothes which had been baptized by the little twit.

mj

[nicholmere]

This post is probably going to fall under the heading of "that's a little more info than we needed to know", but here goes:

This is what we use:

Four Paws
INDUSTRIAL
SUPER STRENGTH
STAIN & ODOR
REMOVER
"Works Like Magic"
Guaranteed to Remove Pet Urine Stains & Odors or Your Money Back.
Saves Furniture, Carpeting
and Rugs from Stains
and odors
32 Fl. Oz
Four Paws
Products Ltd.
Hauppauge, NY
11788
Item #1812 Made in the USA
$15.49 Canadian (you do the math)

One of our cats started peeing on the bed about two years ago (before my son was born). We've gone through three beds, one sofa, innumerable pillows, clothing (left on the floor), laptop case (laptop not inside).... etc. Our friends say we should put him to sleep my response to that is We're the type of people who would live on plastic furniture before we'd put an animal to sleep for peeing in the wrong place.

However, it is very, very annoying, frustrating, ... you name it we've felt it. It took us over a year to even figure out which cat was doing it. Once we knew who it was we mentioned it to the vet. We ruled out any physicial problems, and pretty much ruled out environment problems - he doesn't do it on a regular basis, doesn't always do it after XYZ has happend ... no rhyme or reason, known to us anyway.

The vet prescribed some little blue pills called Apo Amitriptyline - 10mg tablets. She said we could do two things. Give it to Otto when we think a trigger event is going to happen (visits from my grandmother were the most consistent cause) or give it to him daily over an extended period. She said he would seem a bit drowsy. First we went with the occassional dose, and it worked .. sometimes. During the course of a month we had several visitors, fed a stray cat, moved furniture ... lots of things that might have stressed him out. I think we had fewer peeing instances than usual. Then suddenly the peeing became more often than not - so we switched to the daily dose. Did that for several weeks, but with the same results ... a bit better, maybe, but he still peed given the opportunity - like a prize sweater left on the floor.

We were at the vet's today and Otto was prescribed daily doses of Prozac. The order has to be sent out to a vet pharmacy so we won't get it until next week. Apparently when it works it works very well, but not all cats (like people) have success with it. We're not supposed to expect any improvement for at least two weeks, and the recommended schedule is to use it for at least two months to determine if it's worth it. If it works then Otto will stay on it for at least a year, then we can take him off to see if there has been a permanent change, for the better, in him. The expected cost is 180$ Canadian per year. The Prozac isn't supposed to make him drowsy.

As for peeing on the bed? When we bought our new bed in the spring of 2000 we got the super-duper extra coverage which says the bed will be replaced if it is ruined by bodily fluids (cat pee included) as long as we use a specific type of mattress pad. So we bought the mattress pad $80 Canadian, and have been using it ever since. Otto has peed on the bed at least three times since then and not once has the pee soaked through to the bed. It's truly amazing to see, especially after watching him destroy our other beds. The only drawback is that the mattress pad hasn't been very comfortable on hot humid days.

The cleaner that I mentioned works great on the carpet. We used it on the old beds too, but eventually we were spending more on the cleaner than we would on a new bed, which is why we threw out the old and bought the new. The cleaner has an ... odd smell ... far better than cat pee of course, and unlike cat pee the smell does go away. I've used it on my leather chair, and while it didn't remove the urine stain, it helped with the odor tremendously.

I hope some of that information is helpful. Good Luck!

[nicholmere]

Originally posted by mjfrombuffalo
I had been told the only way to stop the cat from peeing on its various favorite places was to get all the pee smell out -- if there was even just a teeny tiny whiff of it to kitty's nose, it would be reanointed.

Yes, that's what we were told too. The one thing the vet added was to make sure we do not use bleach/ammonia cleaning products to clean the area. Even after everything is nice and tidy again the cat can smell the ammonia, and it might think that that's where it should pee ... starts the cycle all over again, even when the cat thinks it's doing the correct thing.

Frisky peed on and ruined two chairs and nearly ruined a sofa before we got him to stop. How?

We found out that he was too afraid to use the communal litterboxes because Nardo would chase him and harass him. So, we got him his own secure literbox near the sofa and chair he hides around and sure enough, no more unwanted peeing incidents.

[taurusmoon]

Originally posted by slick4591
The only problem I can see with the mouse trap idea on the bed is, keeping Chip outta the bed nekkid. One slip up on his part and he'll hate the bed too.

Sara

[taurusmoon]

Thanks for your tips.

I have a good mattress pad. It does prevent the pee from saturating the bed. Unfortunately it doesn't prevent the jolt caused by crawling into what you think is a nice warm bed for the night and realizing that, well, it's not.

I don't know if I've tried the Four Paws brand of deodorizer, but I'll give it a shot nonetheless. The factory's not too far from home. I should be able to find it without a problem.

Adding more litterboxes is next to impossible. The apartment is just too small for that. But, I don't think that he's intimidated by stepping in there. He's the alpha cat in the house. So much so that he's trying to put the humans in our places.

I'm anxious to hear how the meds work out. I am not about to put this guy down (he's a real sweetie) but I would like to make my situation a little more livable.

Btw, this is the culprit. Evil looking, isn't he?

http://home.nyc.rr.com/sascalon/marm4.jpg


He has a very short tail. I think he's overcompensating. And, the bedding in the picture? History.


Keep the suggestions coming.

Sara

[jenninca]

The crazy cat we had when I was 11 or 12 had a pee problem. Fortunately, he only picked one area--the carpet in the corner of the living room. My parents ended up having to get new carpet. One thing that worked pretty well was getting one of those plastic mats that go under rolly chairs. They turned it upside down so that the spiky things were up and put it in that area. The cat didn't like stepping on it because it hurt his paws. Not that you could cover your whole apartment in that stuff, though.

Cindy

[nicholmere]

Originally posted by jenninca
Not that you could cover your whole apartment in that stuff, though.

It's very, very tempting though.


Katherine <- who woke up to discover that her NEW bathrobe had fallen on the floor overnight and, yes, it had been peed on.

[kurt_messick]

Alas, I feel (and smell) your pain...

I've had the experience of opening up my briefcase at the office to find (eek!) it had been peed into the night before.

[hadassahchana[$]]

Aromatherapy!

No, not for you - the cat is taking care of that. You can buy small vials of essential oils in fragrances that cats absolutely hate, and these will make the cat stop peeing in an area treated with them.

Use:
lemongrass
orange or tnagerine
lavender

You don't even have to mix them , just buy all three and shake a few drops of each over your couch, carpet, etc. While this won't help clothing left on the floor (and anyway, isn't dropped clothing supposed to smell like cat pee? ) it will keep your sweetie from peeing in the bed. It'll keep your cat from doing that, too, Sara!





Cindy

[taurusmoon]

Originally posted by hadassahchana
...it will keep your sweetie from peeing in the bed. It'll keep your cat from doing that, too, Sara!
Cindy

I'll give it a try. I think I have some orange oil in the house. I'll add the other two to my shopping list.

Sara
Who couldn't find the Four Paws deordorizer at Petco yesterday.

[hadassahchana[$]]

BTW, Shlomo Yehudah is keeping me from writing a review. He is sitting here watching Marmalade and asking how long it will take him to walk to NYC.


Cindy, who also thinks that Marmalade is pretty darned cute

[taurusmoon]

Originally posted by hadassahchana
BTW, Shlomo Yehudah is keeping me from writing a review. He is sitting here watching Marmalade and asking how long it will take him to walk to NYC.

What a coincidence. I happened to have caught Marms looking out the window facing Northwest. He must have been contemplating if there was anything worth peeing on in Ontario.



Sara

[emeleel]

Luckily, my cat only pees on stuff that gets left in the bathroom floor - that's right in front of her litter box. If we don't leave anything there, no peeing. What a relief I don't have to deal with some of you guys horror stories! (Well, she does upchuck a lot - icky, but no after-smell and it's not deliberate)

Anyhoo, two things that help tremendously in the wash are just plain ol' baking soda - at least a cup in the wash - and/or the new Febreeze Clean Wash Laundry Aid. Not the spray stuff, this is in the laundry aisle in a bottle the size of liquid laundry detergent.

I don't know that these will *keep* kitty from peeing on the same things over and over, but it does kill the smell to my nose, anyway.

[cyndilouwhoo]

Oh dear...

Bleepin' felines. Sweet as they are they can drive most of us nuts.

I have found that sprinking fresh black pepper on those places where kitties like to pee is wonderfully effective.

Cats find it impossible to pee where they can't smell--and believe me, a snoot full of pepper makes it just about impossible for a cat to get into the proper frame of mind in that regard.

I'd rather live with pepper in my bed clothes than pee, believe me.

Cyndi

The cat lady

[taurusmoon]

Originally posted by cyndilouwhoo
I'd rather live with pepper in my bed clothes than pee, believe me.

Cyndi

The cat lady

I suppose that's one way to put a little spice in your love life.

Sara

[cyndilouwhoo]

Well Sara, now that you've gotten that bad pun out of your system...

I have found that Oxy-Clean is a great odor remover. It doesn't just cover up the cat pee smell, it seems to eliminate it.

I discovered this after a desperate search for an organic odor remover after one of my 4 lovelies peed in my shoe.

Apparently the cat doesn't like my style selections when it comes to footwear.

Cyndi

Who is ready to make "Jane, the shoe peeing cat" a full time outdoor feline

[taurusmoon]

I've tried Oxy Clean, even Ultra Clean, a similar product that I find superior.


Nope. Doesn't work in this case.

Not only do the cats still smell it. We do too.

Sigh.

Stinks, don't it?


Sara

[vania]

I'm so glad for this thread!!! When I heard there was going to be a Pet Forum, I couldn't wait to ask this question myself!

My problem is my roommate's cat. She pees indiscriminately... but usually in my room. I can keep my bedroom door closed, but I have to leave the adjoining bathroom open because that is where I keep my cat's food and litter box. Now my roommate's cat will pee on my bathmat (I've learned to pick it up every morning), or, even worse, on the carpet in the dressing area.

This behavior is annoying enough, I imagine, when it's your own cat.... but absolutely intolerable when it's someone else's!! (My own sweetie would never dream of letting go anywhere but his litter box.) To make matters worse, my roommate has NO SYMPATHY for my situation. Her only response has been, "Well, she pees in my room, too."

Well, gee, doesn't that make me feel better??!?

Anyway, I've tried EVERYTHING-- spent tons and tons of money-- to get her to stop this nonsense, and I've tried everything to make the stains and smell go away.

I have tried "pet repellent" spray, but you have to use it every day, and besides, it usually only motivates her to go find some other area of the room instead of the treated one! (Besides, I don't want to repel my own cat from his room.)

I can't find anything to make her stop, but I've found something that seems to work at taking the smell out, though you have to use tons of it:

It's called-- I think-- "Crazy Cat Pheremone Magic" or something to that effect. I found it at Petsmart. If you first clean the area with carpet cleaner, and then saturate it with this Pheremone stuff, the smell does go away for the most part. It sometimes works to discourage the cat from peeing there, too, but the effect is only temporary.

Sigh.

Well, it's nice to know I'm not alone in this, anyway. Misery loves company.

valerie (who has 6 months to go before she and her cat can move into their own non-smelly place. in the meantime, i'm off to buy some citrus oils.)

[nicholmere]

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