Hello

We have noticed over the past couple of months that our female bengal has started urinating inappropriately. The first couple of times we thought it was an accident or didn't notice it until much later however in the last few weeks there has been a huge increase in her doing it and even worse, neighbours have started telling us she's done it in their house too!

We can't figure out what is causing this, she is just over a year and lives with her brother - they seem to get on well in that they cuddle up together and eat together but i have seen her acting aggressively to him on a couple of occasions.

I am 99% sure that it's not medical as she is very deliberately targeting our soft furnishings and whenever she has had an infection before she has been very obviously under the weather.

She's quite a highly strung cat but hasn't seemed to be anymore so than usual.

She is an outdoor cat but i don't believe any new cats have moved into the area and either way, there has been no change in her brothers behaviour.

We are going to try some feliway but does this sound familiar to anyone else? - i see peeing is an issue on this forum but since she's an outdoor cat its not a litter box issue!

Thank you

Female Cats can mark and be territorial it's just not as common or as pronounced usually though it's stress related. You wouldn't 100% know if another cat had taken her territory but it could be that one has and she's now unable to go to the toilet outside as much as she would like so she's having accidents. She also could be very stressed by the whole situation. Has her litter tray been moved recently or has there been any change to the litter? Also she could be marking due to asserting her dominance in the house. Is there anywhere in particular she is marking? That can also be a sign of what's upsetting her if she's marking a certain persons items or if it's just randomly around the house.

Is she using the litter box as all? Has there been any changes to the litter, maybe get another one as it could be she won't use the same one as her brother anymore and needs her own. Male bengals are highly territorial and she may not want to use what's his.

You will also find with cats unless you use a cat enzyme spray to clean up the pee (such as natures miracle I'm not sure how great the cat urine off is) she will still be able to smell it and thus the area will smell like a litter tray to her so she will keep using it. So even though we can't smell the stain anymore she can usually it's a good idea to go around the house with a black light and some enzyme spray and spray everywhere she has pee'd if you want to get rid of the issue.

I would think it is stress related but if it continues I would get her checked to make 100% sure she doesn't have a UTI as they don't always display symptoms of discomfort bengals have an incredibly high tolerance to pain. If it's stress a combination of Feliway in the house when Zylkene can work wonders in calming her down I would also go around the house with an enzyme cleaner to stop the house smelling to her like there are litter trays wherever she previously pee'd. You can give cystophan in her food if you think it could possibly be a UTI.

Hopefully it will calm down but I will say just because you haven't seen a new cat in the area doesn't mean she doesn't know one is there a cats sense of smell is a lot more powerful compared to our own.

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- Sarah
Arya 24/04/16 - Seal Lynx Point Rosetted Bengal
Griffith 16/04/16 - Silver Seal Lynx Point Rosetted Bengal
Mina (in my avatar)- 1999-2016 - Seal Mink Spotted Bengal (Snow) - run free at rainbow bridge

Do your kitties have indoor litter boxes? Just because a cat goes outside does not mean they do not need an indoor litter box. Please get two and place them in your house and see if this helps. You have diagnosed that it is nothing medical, but you haven't had a vet check her out. You say she is urinating in your neighbor's house? What is she doing there?

You first start with a urine analysis at the vet. Nothing wrong medically? Then something has stressed her out. All bengals are territorial -- and you've mentioned aggressiveness toward your other kitty! Since she is an outdoor cat, there could be other outdoor cats stressing her out. Has anything changed in your household? Did you move furniture around? The least little change can upset a kitty. You need to take a look at where she is peeing and why that is so much to her liking. The areas need to be cleaned completely with an enzyme cleaner such as Natures Miracle. You may want to check out Jackson Galaxy's Spirit Essences http://store.jacksongalaxy.com/category-s/1876.htm and see if there is something there that might help your baby.

Inappropriate peeing is the #1 complaint from cat owners. There is always a solution unless the kitty is quite elderly or sick and has lost control of their bladder. Your baby is young! You're going to have to take the time to "think like a cat" and look around your home and see if you can figure out why your kitty is doing this.

Good luck.

I have two boys and recently had one pee'ing in appropriately. Doesn't matter if your other Bengal isn't stressed, your female may be more sensitive. I had jagger checked at the vet, there were no medical issues so it was stress. I introduced a third tray and put him on zylkene for a few weeks and now he seems fine. His stressor was probably foxes but Hendrix wasn't affected. He would growl if he saw them but jagger seemed to hold it all in.

Some of it also may have been that the litter trays were used more by Hendrix as the new tray now seems to belong to jagger. Get the book 'Cat v Cat' it's very helpful.

My two have totally different personalities completely and yet from the same litter. So you can't think that because one is fine that the other isn't stressed!

Let us know how you get on!

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