Hi,
I have a 9 month old Female Bengal who has started eliminating outside her box. She's been so good from the day we got her (at 13 weeks from a registered breeder) apart from couple of accidents the first couple of days, then she went a good 2-3 months of using her litter tray really well. We then moved house and during the time we were packing up moving furniture, which took about a week, she started peeing on clothes and the bed (which she usually sleeps on) but also still using her box. I put it down to stress and I did get her checked at the vet who gave me medication just in case she had a urine infection but he also put it down to stress. I purchased a feliway plugin which seemed to help too.

We then moved in to our new house and again she was really good for the first couple of weeks, I still kept the feliway plugged in, the litter box is in a very accessible area for her and cleaned out at least once a day. I also bought a second tray which is the other end of the house (we live in a bungalow) and again is accessible and she uses it regularly.

After she was spayed and had all her injections I then started letting her out, she only goes out when there is someone home and never out all night, she'll always come back when I call her name.
She's now recently started peeing in random places again, three times on plastic bags, and three times on top of the canvas type wardrobes we have although never the same place twice.. I always clean it up and use natures miracle cleaner on the area which seeme to work, and if I can catch her I try to put her in the litter box to try and remind her that's where she should be going.

I first thought she was doing it when she'd been left alone during the day for longer than 'normal' ie if spew were later home from work than we would normally be, but this evening I've been home normal time, spent some time playing with her and fussing over her and she's had a good couple of hours outside playing and running around, she comes in and pees on the wardrobe again.
I've purchased a second feliway although where the first one is located it's more than close enough to cover the area area where she is eliminating. I've also thought about a bigger litter box although she's not a big cat at all and I already have a 'large' covered litter box. I have used exactly the same make and model/type of litter box and litter that she had at the breeders so was used to it.

I don't know what else to do or try? I've tried asking the breeder but got no response from her. Not at my wits end but don't know what could be wrong with her or what I can do to discourage it.

She's a very affectionate cat, chatty and loves to snuggle up under the duvet with you, she's a lap cat all over. Just don't know what's troubling her.

Also just to mention as well I don't tell her off, the most I do if I catch her doing the peeing is to clap my hands at her and then try to get her in to the litter box.

Maybe she's destined to do it forever but just hoping someone has a solution for me to try! But she doesn't do it during the day when she's on her own, and she does use her litter trays.

Should also add that they're like proper big pees (If that makes sense) not little piddles for scent marking.

Any help would be appreciated!

Welcome to our great forum! Inappropriate peeing is the #1 problem for cat owners. The #1 cause is stress!!! Ruling out any medical issues is very important and not sure why a vet would actually give medication for a UTI without making sure there was indeed a UTI present!

You moved -- that can cause issues. And many times a cat will use the litter box AND pee in other places. It appears you have done everything you can inside -- adding a litter box and Feliway. However, you cannot control what she sees and smells when she is outside. Other cats marking around the perimeter of your home can be an issue. Other wild critters who may come around (squirrels, raccoons, possums, etc. can also be an issue.

I would advise getting some Cat Attract or change the type of litter you are using. Cleaning a box once a day may be okay for a cat, but a bengal may need it cleaned immediately after using it. Try to keep these other areas and things inaccessible to her -- although you say she never uses the same area twice. Know that Feliway also makes a spray that you can spray these areas after you clean them.

This is an exasperating problem for cat owners -- not to mention smelly! I would consider taking the top of the covered litter box and see if that helps. While she may have enjoyed it as a kitten, she may prefer the cover off at this point. You need to try different things and see what works. Also know the cat litter manufacturers seem to like to try to improve their cat litters. What I have been buying is being phased out and they are making the Ultimate Care -- which I don't know if my bengal will like using, so I'm trying to stock up on the other when I can find it.

Try not to stress too much over this (your cat can sense this) and do not punish as she has no idea what she's just done. My bengal loves to pee and mark on our walks, so getting your kitty used to a harness and leash and taking daily walks may be an answer.

Hi thank you for the warm welcome!

Some great tips there I'm going to try taking the hood off one of the boxes. I noticed that she jumps straight in the box when I take the lid off to clean it out and either pees or poops in there while I'm trying to clean it. I may try a bigger box too.

I have the feliway spray already I use it to spray her carry box before I take her anywhere so I will give that a go and try this cat attract.

The litter I use is the cats best wood chipping stuff but I may try the crystal kind my sister uses for her indoor cat.

I hadn't thought about other cats marking the house outside, the neighbours cat is quite often hanging around and although isn't aggressive in anyway I'm not sure Miley is happy to have them around, and it has run in the house twice.

I've definitely not ever disciplined her, I know they live for the moment so to speak and therefore she wouldn't have out 2 and 2 together I just clapped to get her to stop.

She's had a nice chilled out day today with me and is nice and calm now so here's hoping for a pee free night!
I'll try those few bits and see how I get on and will post back

Thank you again

So from what you're saying...

1. You believe it is peeing as opposed to marking
2. She does use her boxes, just not consistently
3. She's "going" in random places around the house, not hitting the same places over and over.

So to me, one important observation that you can make is: when she goes outside her box, does she first go to her box and sniff around, then go somewhere else? Or does she march right off for somewhere else and just "go".

I think this would give you insight into whether it's a rejection of the box itself (too smelly, too close to food, too noisy etc) or whether it might be a matter of going somewhere more "convenient"?

Another thing... how large are her boxes? And are they open or closed? It is possible that she's now "grown out of" her original boxes now at 9 months. Honestly it's hard to find boxes that are large enough for bengals. Also, if this is the same box that she's had for awhile, maybe it's time to replace it.

The first thing I'd try (depending on your answers to the above questions) is to get at least one really large, new, open box, and put it somewhere in the vicinity of where she is going inappropriately.

_________________
The little monsters 3

Hi,

Yes to all 3 points. And I thought we'd cracked it last night, really calm all night, spent lots of time in and out of the house, lots of playing and fussing, and I left the lid off one of the boxes so she could go more easily if it was the size of the box and she went in the box. Then this morning she got up on to one of the wardrobes (different one again) and crouched down to pee. I managed to get hold of her before she peed and put her in the litter box and she went, but I am going to order a larger litter box today. She's not a big cat and quite small for a Bengal but it just may be uncomfortable for her I think.

Both boxes are opposite ends of the house away from her food, and it's not a noisy or busy place. The last 10 days it's just been me there as my other half is away and we've no other pets, or children, and no one round to visit. And we live in a very small village in rural Scotland so not a busy place.

I have also phoned the vets and got an appointment for them to see her tomorrow.

Wish they could talk to us sometimes, tell us what's bothering them!

Thanks again guys will keep you posted how we get on.

Also sorry meant to say.. She doesn't even make the effort to go near the litter box, it's just like she's wondering around like she normally does and just decides she needs to 'go'.

Hi msmoo

I'm just wondering how long you have been in your new home? It does appear this started when you began packing to move. Cats really don't like change at all, so definitely sounds like stress and anxiety are the root cause of this, and then again when she'd been spayed and you started to let her outside and this other cat running into the house.

Just a random thought, but maybe she doesn't like where the litter trays are. I appreciate you say they are in a quiet private place, but maybe she thinks they should be somewhere else? It could also be that she is still simply a bit unsettled with all the changes. And if you have another cat running into the house, she really won't like that! Do you know if the previous owners of the house had pets? If so, it may be that she can still detect them and that is making her insecure. If this other cat keeps running in, maybe he used to be allowed in there with the previous house owners and that is causing her distress.

Definitely get as big a tray as you can. Bengals seem to like one tray to pee and one to poo, so definitely keep up with at least two. Place additional trays as already suggested where she is peeing and then start noting which trays she uses most and whether hooded or not. Remove the ones she isn't using and keep the one's she is using exactly where they are. You might have quite a few trays dotted around for a while but you never know, she might just be saying I want a tray in here where I feel safe - not where they are now.

My two continued using their trays when they first went outside. I guess they didn't feel secure enough to pee outside initially and kept to the safety of their trays. Hendrix has reverted to this at the moment and that I think is linked to the high presence of foxes we have right now and he doesn't feel safe enough to pee outside. She may be holding on too long when outside, and then suddenly needs to go once back indoors. Maybe when she comes in, take her straight to a tray and see if she will go.

I'm guessing from her age you haven't been in your new home that long, so it may just be she is taking a while to settle, and she's had a lot to deal with, the packing at your old home, the move, unpacking, being spayed, being introduced to the big outdoors, this cat charging into your house etc..

Good luck and keep us posted!

_________________
Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

I would consider the new litter box an additional box. Jackson Galaxy had a My Cat From Hell episode where a cat went outside of the litter box. He had the owners put a litter box in every area the cat went. Ended up with SEVEN of them. Then ... he had them remove the litter box that had the least amount of waste in it -- one per week until they were down to just two boxes.

It is such a challenge because these little munchkins cannot tell us what is going on. You feel they are doing this just to get us angry. They are not! There is definitely a reason they are doing this. You stated the boxes were in opposite sides of the house. Then put a third box in the middle. You want to make it EASY for her to use a box. So if it means having four of them -- so be it! She needs to learn to use the litter box 100% of the time with no accidents, period!

Ok, so no effort at all to go in one of the existing boxes and she just goes somewhere else. To me that suggests that she's not rejecting the litterbox, per say, so it's either marking, or the boxes may just be inconveniently located, and like others have said, more boxes are needed if she has the run of the house. Perhaps it's a bladder control problem?

One other option: you might want to kind of "reset" and keep her in a single room for awhile, with a big, open, clean litterbox in it, possibly with that cat attract litter in it, and see how things go.

_________________
The little monsters 3

Hi everyone,

Some good news last couple days no peeing! Took her to the vets yesterday and definitely no physical issues, she's given me some nutracalm to put in her food which she's yet to eat but I'll keep trying. Had a good chat with the vet and she said I was doing all the right things and just to persevere with it. To put a third litter box down which I've ordered and will be here next week, I've gone for an extra large one.

I've got a second feliway plugged in too now at the other end of the house, I've taken the kids of both boxes and she seems a lot happier using them. The vet had said we might need to go back to kitten basics a bit and just keep putting her in the boxes to remind her they are there and she can use them.

I thought that second cat in the neighbourhood had only been in a couple of times but today I'd dozed off and woke hearing Miley growling and this cat was tucking into her dinner. I shooed it out and I, going to have to keep the door shut I think. I've washed all the bowls down and changed the matting the bowls were on but I wonder if it's been in a bit more than I thought and she's upset by it. I've no idea if she lady before used to let this cat it, she died and the house was empty for 18 months. My neighbours have said a cat keeps coming in to their house too so maybe the same one and it likes a wonder. I'm wondering about a water pistol for when it tries to come in next time.

Miley definitely seems a bit happier and quieter today and I just keep picking her ip every so often and putting her in the boxes and she's been a couple of times I've done that but I've also heard her digging away in them too.

I've dug the feliway spray out the garage to spray around the areas she's peed or tried to pee so fingers crossed she's a bit happier.

Will keep you all posted how we get on

This is great news!!! Hopefully, the third litter box will also help. Removing the lids seems to have helped as well. Know that other outdoor cats give your baby a lot of stress! Some other cat is in her territory! So, try to eliminate that cat coming around (so much easier said than done. I've been there and it seems impossible to deal with). Keep doing what you're doing! Something has to work at some point. I'm sure you've already given her a good talking to (several times). Unfortunately, I have found those do not work!