Fascinating to read what I posted in '09 and '10. Now it's almost November '12. I didn't remember that he had actually peed on me before.

Today, Zeke, who is loving and affectionate at night and who wakes me up with snuggles, jumped back on the bed around 5 a.m, and as I waited for him to lie down to purr and hug, instead, he PEED ON ME! On my neck and my bedshirt! (didn't get on my sheets, phew!).

No reason. He could get out of my room. There was food in his dish (which he has since eaten). And again, the total guilt, shrinking, hiding, fear that comes from him. (Oddly, although I jumped up, I didn't even feel angry, let alone hit him or even yell at him.) I am still wearing the top he peed on, so I smell of pee. When he's being nice (e.g., coming for love while I'm on the pot) and I pick him up and he smells the pee, he shrinks again and almost shakes in fear. So I'm being totally loving and kind and letting him process his own shame. It has been two hours, and he's still kinda Freaky Zekey.

All I can think of (since this is his way of communicating, sigh) is that he wanted to go to the porch, which is closed. And I remember his peeing on something years ago, when I ignored his demand to open that door.

I was afraid, years ago, that this would become a pattern, and considered taking him back to the shelter, but got him a companion instead. Now, I'm totally in love with him and have learned to deal. I bought a rug shampooer and whenever there is a problem, I shampoo it up. This is the way he is. Instead of talking it over <g>, or yowling, or walking on me, he pees inappropriately. And I WILL test his urine asap.

Testing and exams all fine. I really wish he'd learn to speak English, cuz getting pissed on doesn't make me feel cooperative. I'm far more resigned to this than I thought.

Have you had a similar situation.

could you put a cat flap on the door to the porch?

If he's peeing cus he wants out, then a cat flap may well solve that issue. Then you can get down to solving the other issues. Plus it will take a load off of you too.

Thanks again!

I can't help but think that maybe he just wants to go out, I understand why people choose to keep their cats as indoors cats completely, I just feel that some cats are happy to do this and others really are not because they do not know what we do this for they just act on impulses. My cat was a nightmare I never let him out until he was 6 months, neutered and chipped he is much more chilled. I know some people live in areas that are too dangerous and I appreciate that.

He continues to pee on mirrors and other shiny things, without looking just as if he were outside. Last night, he came to say hi, and backed up suspiciously. I said "NO!" and he ran into the bedroom, jumped into a box, and peed appropriately.

I have him on Clavamox right now, because his urine is showing some leucocytes and low level proteinuria. I am also giving him supplemental methionine. I feed him 100% wet food, but neither cat likes the good stuff like wellness etc. I fed them all sorts of things from taste of the wild on and they only will eat some Friskies wet (and the fish types). They won't eat fresh fish, chicken or beef. And, at this point, I won't even try to stress them by changing foods. However, I think Friskies is probably deficient and would prefer a raw food diet.

I had them outside a few times this week (I do not let them go free. They have had their intial vaccinations, but I will not update them because, while I know they are safe (voluminous research) the state does not believe it. (My last cat died after several surgeries from Vaccine Associated Sarcoma (VAS).)

I have been using Nature's Miracle, and clearly it doesn't work. I use it. Shampoo. Shampoo again, and use more Nature's Miracle. And, he goes right back there, ergo, I need to again order some Sink The Stink (used for diving gear and body bags) to see if that will work. I woke up thinking I need to open a Yahoo group on Innappropriate Peeing Feline so everyone with this sort of kitty problem (across breeds) can share information and tips. If I do, I'll let you all know. I just don't have the time right now.

Thanks for reading. And if you have any tips to share about how you solved this problem, please help!

Well, last night I started using the Sink The Stink again (from dive shop but will order the 1/2 gallon from an online place).

I diluted an ounce in a spray bottle (when used for dive gear, it's 1oz : 10-20 gallons of water). It's the water that activates the thingies and it remain active for up to one month thus diluted.

I sprayed it on the cabinets, mirrors, walls, doors (esp to outside) and plastic rolling drawers where he has been spraying. All these are vertical surfaces or recipients (such as the drawers) of spray.

Tomorrow, I will make a bucket solution of 1 oz, and pour it on any areas where there has been pee overflow (at the walls, in front of mirrors and cabinets and rolling drawers). I will thoroughly soak these places so it not only gets down to the undercarpet and soaks that, but also enough that it gets down into the concrete (my house is on a slab.) and soaks and penetrates that as best is possible.

Then, I will let it dry naturally. That will probably take a couple of days (it did a few years ago, after which, no problems until recently).

The slow drying is so the microbes (this isn't the enzyme stuff of all the other things) can devour all the stink making stuff and eliminate the smell so the CAT can't smell it.

When I was diving, dozens of us would soak our gear and clothes in huge vats, then hang our gear up (no washing) to let it dry naturally. Next day, wetsuit next to the skin and NO problem or irritation. It was wonderful

I'll keep you up-to-date about how this is working. I might need to do it a couple of times, but I'm determined to see this to a positive end.

Hey, I started buying StS in little turtle packs, but then I went to the 4 ounce bottles. I just ordered 1/2 gallon online. Best price I found was at http://store.addhelium.com/search.asp?k ... earch.y=12 and I used PayPal. I can get the 4 oz size on Amazon.

Thanks for sharing my journey.

I had a PM from Phineas land today which is really spooky as I was coming back here to ask for more help/support/advice

<Takes deep Ace Ventura breath>We're getting to the end of our tether with Mowgli. We've just become parents for the 1st time; we've now got an 11 week old son who is taking up all of our time and energy - not in a bad way, just doing what babies do. Mowgli has not coped particularly well this this - he has gone down the pecking order. We tried to introduce gradual change: Mowgli's room upstairs got changed into the nursery way before Tommy arrived and Mow's stuff moved into the office, for example. But I suppose nothing can prepare anyone for the first child!

Tommy had bad colic for several weeks which resulted in two/three hours of uncontrolable crying in the evening. Every evening - Mowgli didn't know where he wanted to be; there was nowhere for him to "hide". He started marking again in the old places plus in some new ones (the dining room in particular). We've been to the vets and the up-shot is now Mow's on Xanax! It seeemd to be working for him and for us. This combined with the colic going away, we thought would be the start of things smoothing out. Not the case, in the past two days he's marked back in the dining room and in the lounge.

We don't know what to do; we're using puppy pads in the dining room and lounge where we can, even got that garlic cat repellant stuff in tuppaware boxed behind the telly!! At one point, we were going through a bottle of Feliway in two/three days to try and keep all his spraying places "clean" (difusers have no real affect); steaming, bleaching, soap and water, lemon juice, orange juice, nothing seems to work for more than a day or two at best.

We can't offer him (Mowgli) any more space and we don't know what else to try.

The new baby will make him feel displaced (and, he has been literally displaced, and moved out of his space), so I think we must treat our kitties just like children--give them extra one-on-one time and extra play time.

Have you considered putting up shelves for him to climb around higher, since he's been displaced? And, FWIW, the best cleaner I have found is Sink The Stink, a divers' product which I get for Zeke's problem. It takes away the lingering odor in a way Natures Miracle never did no matter what I did.

Another thing for displaced Mowgli, is to play with him a whole lot. Definitely, play with him for about 10 minutes a day--try to wear him out. I can't promise it will stop the inappropriate peeing, but it will make for a happier kitty. I use Feliway all the time, and it is not effective in our situation. Nevertheless, I spray it places just-in-case.

This is what I have been doing. I'm sure I cannot cure Zeke, but I must make this place liveable, not be traumatized when he does it, and clean up easily.

I have been putting up paper (Post-it Table Top Dry Erase Pad -Super Sticky) on the walls where he likes to spray (no prevention seemed to work, so I'm into easy clean-up. I place it low enough on the wall so that the bottom curls up and catches the pee if he goes there. I put plastic under there so it doesn't get to the carpet. Often I use Magic Whiteboard Cling Dry Erase Sheets to place underneath. I have one set of drawers he regularly sprays. I have my large rubbermaid tub lids in front of that and to the side, under which I have placed plastic.

Further, I have found battery powered Scat Mat (gives mini electric shock) helpful too. Come to think of it, problems started again some time after I thought he was "cured" and now he has found so many other spots to spray! (this wouldn't work long-term for Mowgli as once the baby starts crawling . . . )

Oh, and finally, last year I invested in a Hoover rug shampooer. I have wall-to-wall carpets, and I simply could NOT spend money on having people come in every time he sprayed and I couldn't live with the smell. Now, if he sprays and it eludes the papers and plastic, I just whip out the shampooer (it's as easy as vacuuming) and get the pee out, then I apply the StS solution (via the shampooer) and let it dry out, killing any residual smell as it dries.

I love a behaviorist here in the States, who has some nifty ideas about cats going to high spaces and their need for play, etc. http://tinyurl.com/c29rceb Jackson Galaxy, cat whisperer

Hope this gives you some ideas!

Best,
MaryG.

How not to kill a cat!

I have been letting the cats out for more than a year now. They've used a lockable cat door since then, and I lock it from dawn to dusk. I don't let them out if I consider it too early (coyotes exist in this area but are not prevalent--I've seen two pre-dawn on different occasions. Enough to make me cautious). And I don't feed them fresh food until 6am. With the time change to EST, this means they need patience. This has NOT, however, changed Zeke's Pissed-Off behavior.

This morning, Zeke wanted to go out, but it's too early. At my computer, I heard that familiar sound of him pissing nearby (he usually does it near me). I was exasperated, natch. He was scared and ran away, but I got him and gently carried him to the carrier. I put him in there for his time out. After a while, I let him out. And he hid from me. When he let me, I picked him up, soothed him, cuddled him and told him I loved him and had a psychology discussion with him about his not speaking English and about the rules-of-the-house, but he wouldn't have any of it. He growled. He was still mad at me for not obeying.

A while later, I noticed one of my cats was sniffing . . . uh oh. A NEW fresh, wet pee spot on a painting on the floor. This time, I went berserk. I took him by the collar yelling "bad cat" and tossed him in the crate (where he still is). For his own protection. I have ignored him ever since. I fed the other cats (one tortie DSH and one Japanese Bobtail) and let them outside, but he's still there. And I'm still angry.

Please, no lectures about this--I really do understand that he doesn't. And I know my feeling angry back at him accomplishes nothing, but I want to throw him out with a suitcase! I don't really. I really love this cat (or I wouldn't have put up with this for so long). I've insulated most of my house with plastic or litter lid (I use and I want to protect myself and my home from his, um, disability. And I know no one will put up with this when I die and that upsets me. (I don't plan for either of us to die today).

Thank god for Sink The Stink.

I just needed to vent.

I learned to know what is it that my boy is after when he screams. Years ago I too tried ignoring this negative behaviour which prompted him to spray in the area I was at that time. I now learned what is it that he is after every time he is talking to me. It could be that simple as he wants some attention and cuddles to open a water tap for me. It takes time to learn but I would not ignore him when he is trying to tell me something.