Cat Likes to Pee on Clouds?

SniperGuy

So my cat likes to pee on soft things. I've had him for about 3 months at this point, he's about 7-8 months old. I was working on toilet training, and had his litter box next to the can, but it was kinda cramped. After a visit to my home where I took him with me, and came back to my place, he started acting up a bit. He had been peeing on the towel that I had next to the litter box, but when I noticed this I folded up the towel a bit so he couldn't. He then peed on the shorts that I had thrown next to my laundry hamper. And once on my bed. When I changed my sheets and picked up my clothes, as well as moved his litter box into a more open accessible area, it stopped and he went back to the box as normal. That was about a week ago.
This morning, I threw a shirt on the ground and took a shower, and came out to see that the cat had peed on the shirt.

So it seems he likes to pee on soft things, not randomly around the room. I'm not too concerned about the actual pee, but I am concerned about his health. The vet (who wants 50 bucks I can't afford for 2 weeks) suggested they can't tell me anything without seeing him first. He's otherwise healthy as far as I can tell, has a water fountain to drink from, and is eating Wellness food. His appetite hasn't diminished either.

I have another brand of litter I'm going to try, right now I'm using...I think it's the arm and hammer 2 step odor reducing thing. I scoop out his box every few days as well. I feel like this might be the case, as he may just not like his current litter

So should I be panicking and running to the vet? Or give it more time? Are there any other signs I could check to see if he's sick? What would the vet even look for? Halp!

Also, sorry to everyone for making another cat thread.

THEPAIN73

He could have kidney problems or use a different litter but it seems like you are trying that option.

Hawkstone

We have one that does this if we are not vigiliant enough with the scooping. I think the softness is close enough to litter in a kitties mind. Maybe your litter is not absorbent enough? I would really try the new litter for a bit and maybe scoop daily to see if it stops. Also we are very careful about keeping all clothes off the floor that we value and keeping the dryer door closed.

OnTheLastCastle

Scooping daily solved this problem for me.

SniperGuy

Hawkstone wrote: »

We have one that does this if we are not vigiliant enough with the scooping. I think the softness is close enough to litter in a kitties mind. Maybe your litter is not absorbent enough? I would really try the new litter for a bit and maybe scoop daily to see if it stops. Also we are very careful about keeping all clothes off the floor that we value and keeping the dryer door closed.

When I went home, my mom had bought a bag of litter for me and he had no trouble using that litter at home. And the problems only cropped up after I came back to my place. So I'm thinking he may just have liked it, and going back to the other kind annoyed him. He still poops in it though.

Googling about cats seems to be very difficult, as 8 million people have their own crazy opinion about what their animal is doing and how obviously yours must be exactly the same, but some recommended keeping him confined to the room with his box for a few days? Obviously still with toys and food/water and visit from me. I would hate to do that though, just because whenever I leave I can hear him crying for company. Opinions on that as well?

edit: And I haven't been scooping daily, I'll have to start that as well.

edit 2: Also, is there a general "You probably don't need to blow 50 bucks at the vet yet" consensus? I hope?

Neyla

I would start/continue to scoop daily and bring him in for a check up to be sure (when you can, but don't hold off for TOO long). You can never guess or assume kitties' health. If there is something wrong it's better (and cheaper) to discover it sooner rather then later.

OnTheLastCastle

As long as he is urinating regularly and not straining, you're probably fine. Scoop daily.

It would cost more than $50, I promise. They'd need to do an ultrasound and take a sample probably.

Lovely

Scoop daily. Twice a day. And if you have room for a second litter box, I'd suggest putting it out for him to use.

Siska

Can be a sign that he is anxious and marking things with a strong scent of you for security. Cats deal poorly with changes. Good way to get him to deal with stress better is making sure he is not bored, even when you aren't around. Play with him daily (laser pointer!)and set up some high perch spots for him in rooms you are in a lot. Something still safe of course. Cats feel better about life in general if they can watch things from above. Also have some spot by a window where your cat can sit and watch the birds outside.

You may still want to take him to a vet. for a basic check up. To rule out he is not freaking out due to physical pain. He is a bit young for urinary problems and most other health issues, but you never know. Or it could be a dental problem, adult teeth growing crooked, or something. Heck, take a look inside his mouth, yourself, if you can.

SniperGuy

I did check his mouth, everything seems to be ok there. Gums are light pink. Stress could definitely be part of it, there's been a lot of moving my room around and such lately. Will definitely give him a better window perch as well. He used to be able to get up into it by jumping off my desk but then my desk moved. Came home to check him during my lunch break, he had only used the box so I think I'm ok, at least for now. He doesn't seem sick in any way other than the peeing thing. He had a basic checkup when i got him originally and the vet said he looked fine and healthy.

Aurora Borealis

My cat does this same thing. If I have not scooped that day, and/or if she's mad at me for any reason (I was gone for more than 8 hours, she's bored/hungry/lonely, there is a strange/scary noise outside, etc,) any laundry or newspaper on the floor will get peed on. If there is no laundry or newspaper on the floor she will pee on the floor next to the box.

I no longer leave laundry on the floor ever. She can't pee on something that's not there.

There is also a garbage bag covered with a carpet I don't care about under her box, so that if she pees there it cannot reach the floor. And when I leave for vacation (she hates that), I usually put newspaper or a decoy piece of old clothing on the floor, she'll pee on that instead of something I care about.

She's never peed on the bed though. I've been given to understand that a cat what pees on your bed is a stressed out angry cat who is in fact deliberately telling you something. In your case I would guess it's the litter/moving furniture thing.

JaysonFour

He might just be growing up and marking his territory. Or like others have said, he might be doing it because then you're forced to pay attention to them.

Always give them some attention when you can- when mine get needy, they'll jump up on the 360 and sit there until someone shoos them away or gives them turkey.

MushroomStick

I would try the litter scooping thing before I resorted to a vet if I were you. Of course past experiences have unfortunately caused me to view veterinarians as being similar to shady auto mechanics.

Descendant X

If he's not fixed, now is the time to do it.

mts

our one cat did this, though he would pee on our guest bed and our dog beds. turned out he had some crystals in his urine. we switched him to a urinary diet and it stopped unless he was really pissed at us.

SniperGuy

He is fixed, definitely. mts, what do you mean by urinary diet?

I just watched him (sneakily) grab some water and then go use the box, so that's good! Gave him much praise. I think he has peed on the towel next to the box, but he hasn't touched my bed or anything again. So yeah, it seems like it was most likely stress and annoyance at the litter box location. I'm also scooping it daily now.

mts

Well intially we were using the Science diet presciption urinary diet, it increases the acidity of his urine to keep crystals from forming, we have switched to purina pro plan urinary diet since it is a touch cheaper and you don't need a script.

it comes in wet and dry

also something you might want to pick up is Ikea sells this waterproof mattress covers that feel just like a normal cover and not like you are laying on a sheet of plastic, we have them on both our beds just in case since is easy to wash a set of sheets and a pain to do the mattress

LadyM

If he has a urinary tract infection, he may be associating the pain he feels when he pees with the litterbox, as in "Ow! I am peeing and it hurts and I am in the litterbox, so it must be the litterbox making me hurt."

Or it may be that he just likes to pee on soft things. One of my kittens was like that. He was about eight weeks old and kept peeing on the bed, on rugs, on towels, on clothes . . .

Here's what I did. First, I became vigilant about not putting clothes where he could reach them and I kept him out of the bedroom so he couldn't get at the bed. Then I took up all the remaining rugs and stored them in the closet. Then I would periodically put down a single towel, right next to me. ("It's a trap!" </Ackbar>) When he started scratching around or squatting on it, I scolded him, then immediately picked him up, rushed him to his litterbox, and praised him and gave him a treat. Even if he stepped out of the litterbox without peeing, I praised him. And when he decided on his own to use the litterbox, more praise and treats.

Eventually he got the idea--litterbox good, soft things bad.

Another thing to consider is that he may have decided he doesn't like the litter, or the litterbox may be in a spot he doesn't care for. You can experiment by moving around and/or trying different types of litter.

DjCalvin

I'd push for more frequent cleanings and add another litter box if you havent already.
My vet pushes the 2 litter boxes per cat rule. we have 2 cats and 4 litter boxes.

My cat will pee on our bath mat if the litter box has gone more than 2 days without cleaning, he will still poop in it though. I just have to keep up with it (remember the milk on my phone helps with that)

other than that.. kitty may be stressed or have a uti as previously suggested