Upper-age Cat

I'll bet it has something to do with her bladder/kidneys. Probably and infection and she's trying to show you that something is wrong. It's happened to two of my cats and they both had infections. She probably feels very uncomfortable and sick. 10 really isn't that old for a cat and she probably isn't having control issues. That doesn't really happen to cats anyway. She really needs to go to the vet. It's not a very expensive test to see if it's a bladder infection.

Look up a product called Feliway. It’s like a plug in air freshener that emits “good” car pheromones. When a cat smells the “bad’ pheremones, aka pee, they get upset and try to cover it with more bad. It’s a vicious cycle. I have used the Feliway with great success. In fact, one of my cats (I have 4 with no problems) loves the plug in so much, he sleeps by it. We lovingly call it the cat opium den. I will warn you that the plug-ins and refills are not cheap. Good luck.

I hate to tell you this but 10 yrs is OLD for a cat. I would have her put down, or make her an outside cat if you live in the city. You can also restrict her to a bathroom when you are not around. I had a cat like that once. Good luck.....I know they become a part of the family.

I've had cats all my life, and when this has happened, I've been able to figure it out. It sounds like you have the litter box angle covered. A UTI or bladder infection would be the next cause to rule out. I have a 22 year old cat. I'm seeing her miss the litter box, but she is still in the floor next to it. I think arthritis is getting to her, and all the spring storms I think are making it worse for her. Does the urine have a "rusty" color? That would be a sign of infection.

I use a mobile vet. He only charges $60 to come out. He usually runs a kidney function check just to be sure because of my cats age. So far, so good. She just is picking up infections easier now.

Also, for the areas already soiled, buy a gallon of Natures Miracle, and saturate the area, and allow to air dry. Be sure to let it soak down thru the padding, and the subfloor.

Ten years old may be considered senior, but I also take it as I do being of advanced maternal age at 35.

I've worked at a vet and with animals for a while.

Put another litter box where she peed recently, have it available both upstairs and downstairs and in your room if she spends a lot of time in there.. Older cats bladders go quickly and they can't always control it, so make it easy for her to find where she needs to go. It could also be a sign of diabetes.

Animals are considered seniors when they reach 7, so the blood work up is best once their health starts to deteriorate. Also, animals of old age hide their pain... it's a survival tactic. Animals that show pain and weakness usually get eaten, left or killed by the predators or their own pack, so they don't usually show signs of discomfort until it is unbearable for them.

Loss of litter box training:
Arthritis makes it painful for cats to get into litter boxes with high walls. Diseases such as loss of kidney function, hyperthyroidism and diabetes all make cats produce more urine than normal leading to stinky litter boxes and soiling accidents. Decreased cognitive function and the frailty of old age also makes accidents more likely.

Here are two other helpful links that talk about this in more depth and offers more advice:
http://www.best-cat-art.com/cat-urine-problems.html

http://www.2ndchance.info/oldcat.htm

I would take her to vet. Our cat now 14 years old would pee in tub or floor when had bladder infection. It was a quick fix inexpensive and we have had several more great years from her. Also ours had an infected tooth that lead to the bladder infections. Once tooth out she's been great. Good Luck

I would keep up with the urinary tract food, but you should take her to the vet. Tell them up front that you don't have a ton of money to spend on tests. A lot of times they don't need to do a bunch of tests. I had the little furry love of my life for 18 years, and we dealt with several urine issues, but it may be as simple as a new house and new carpet. My cat hated anything that either had NONE of his smell or that smelled of another cat, and he would pee on whatever it was! He also hated houseguests and if I didn't shut the guest door, he would poop on the bed! They have their peculiarities like we all do (and they have very limited ways of expressing them). She's actually not that old for an indoor cat.

Hi A.,
We had the same issue with our cat (she is also 10). I took her to our local vet and explained about the issue and that we had a litter box upstairs and down and she was still peeing on a rug we had out side her box and not in her box. She was tested and ended up having a bladder/urinary tract infection. They gave her a shot of kitty antibiotics and she was/has been fine everysince.
The tests that they did on her were under $100.00
You may consider talking to your vet to see if she has a bladder/urinary tract infection.
Good luck!!

I understand your love for your fur-baby. :) I had my cat for a wonderful 19 years, and he's been gone now since 2003, and I still miss him...

Take her to the vet to rule out bladder/kidney infection. Cats are notorious for not using their litter box if they are having pain on urination (UTI is fairly common in cats). Don't delay--UTIs can get pretty serious if left untreated.

It could also be caused by stress--if something has changed in her life that is upsetting her, as another responder suggested. Try reviewing anything that may have changed (are you away from the house more or are the kids playing in an area that the cat likes to hang out, etc.?). Remember that what might not seem to be a big change to you might seem like a big change to the cat.

In the meantime, it's important to treat the urine spots asap; animals tend to go back to places they've peed before. Try using an enzymatic cleaner (I've heard good things about PetZyme, and I've used OdoBan) to get rid of the urine. You might need to spot-test to make sure it's safe for your carpet.

No don't send her to the pound.... she, with that problem, will not be adopted.

I had a cat with that problem... he was an older cat... and it was just diminishing health and he had developed tumors etc. He was about 11 years old.... he was a stray cat, that I had taken in along with his sibling... which I found both of them on my door-step one day, peering in at me.

He "knew" he was not his normal self... and then he just sort of stayed in a certain part of the house or room. It couldn't be helped, as he was just aging... and getting old... and the Vet just said let him be unless he is in pain or suffering. He was happy... and just wanted to be with us.

If you really want to figure out her health problem, then you need to take her to the vet. But, I would not just send her to the pound... she will just be put away. No one will adopt an incontinent cat.

all the best,
Susan

I know that it can be expensive, but I strongly encourage you to take her to the vet. Especially if this is something abnormal for her. Cats urinary behaviors can be indicative of health problems. That doesn't mean that there is something wrong. But it is worth an office visit, maybe her yearly exam (she needs those anyway), and asking questions. Your vet can offer you some suggestions for you to try prior to any testing.
Has anything recently changed in your household? I know that our cat will poop in the floor when she is upset at a change in the household. If something has changed, you would need to share that in order to get suggestions/advice.
Good luck!

My friend has foster many kittys and older cats. There has always been a reason for the cats to pee on the floor outside the litter box. Some of them didn't like other cats, some of them were sick.

I agree with just about everyone, take her to the vet to find out. My friend always suggest calling around because different vets charge different amounts. Our vet is awesome when I tell them that I don't have much money at the moment they do very min. things to get it all figured out. :) Best of luck.

10 years is not that old for a cat, something is wrong..... take her to the vet.

All of our cats have lived until their late teens, early 20's... and most of them have moved with us every 2 years.

Out of desperation for our first toothless cat, we started giving him raw food... which cleared up both his and every other cat's health problems in about a month flat. Sigh. Oh well, live and learn. Pitcarin has a book out with some good "recipes" http://www.drpitcairn.com/nutrition/nutrition_index.html, we just winged it with help from our vet cousin. Seriously winged it, as she's a big animal vet from the Chicago Zoo.

She needs to go to the vet. It could be a UTI. They are painful and would't you want to know if your cat was in pain?

Is something going on in your life that might make your cat overly stressed? My cat, who is 8 years old, did this when I was pregnant with my first son, when we moved to our new home, and more recently, during my current pregnancy. I'm the one who usually cleans her litter, but when it didn't get cleaned enough for her, she started peeing around the outside of the box, and more recently, on our living room carpet. She peed in the upstairs hallway of our new home soon after we moved into it, too. Recently, I took her to the vet to have her checked for a UTI, but she was fine. She has two litter boxes that she uses, and I've noticed that she doesn't pee on the carpet if they're scooped out more regularly. Also, they have to have the "right" amount of litter in them for her tastes. She's a finicky cat, but I think we've found what works for us. She still pees outside of her box on the basement (concrete) floor, but she's stopped peeing on the carpet in our living room. I hope that helps!

10 years old is not really that old. At least, I don't think so. My cat and my mom's cat both lived until they were 17. Is your cat a pure bred? I think maybe you will need to take her to the vet to see what's going on. I know that you don't want her peeing all over your flooring because that cat pee smell never really goes away. I'm just wondering if she has a UTI or the like. Maybe there is a low-cost animal hospital near where you live . . .?

Sorry I can't be in more healthy. I hope that you find the answers that you need.

i know what you are going through. My baby girl did the same thing. Unfortunately it was diagnosed as early kidney failure. We put her on the special food and meds and that seemed to help for a while. Then she stopped drinking and would not get up. Took her in and they diagnosed her with complete kidney failure. I had her put to sleep at that point. I hope that this is not the case for baby, but it is my experiance.

My senior cat, Casper who is now 15 1/2, my first "child" had similar symptoms. I did have tests done on him to find out he had kidney stones. I think he was about 8 yrs. old then. He did have to have surgery and was on a special prescription food. I think if you don't get your cat checked, it will get worse. We thought it was actually our other cat who kept urinating in corners because he was mad when he was locked in the basement. Here, it was our very friendly and loving cat who had a real problem! He actually couldn't urinate one day and my other cat was growling at him so we knew something was wrong. If we wouldn't have taken him when we did, he would have died. He does now have hyperthyroidism and kidney disease which are both common in older cats. You might think this is crazy, but I take him in once a week (since October) for subcutaneous fluids to flush his kidneys! It is something you can do yourself at home, but I can't stand needles! He will eventually get worse, but for now, he is very happy and content and my daughter will be devistated when we have to put him to sleep.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news! Our "free shelter cat" over the years has been very expensive, but to us, it's been worth it!

Good luck with your decision, and whatever you do will be the right thing for your family.

The new house may be part of it. Is she going large volumes and drinking more? If so could be kidney or she is diabetic, among many other things. How is her weight? Has she recently gained or lost a lot of weight? If she is having trouble getting around and has arthritis she may have a hard time getting into the litterbox.
You may want to at least consider a vet visit for an exam, bloodwork and urine testing.

My friend is going through the same thing with her 12-13-year-old-cat. Her vet gave the cat 2 steroid shots a few weeks apart and that has helped. Don't know anything else about it. But maybe you could ask your vet?

if you have recently moved into a new home I would suspect your cat is unhappy about something - probably the home of the litterbox. We had a cat do that after a move, and once we moved the litterbox to a less high traffic spot the problem went away. Cats pee outside the litter box to send a message. I doubt if your cat is sick.

I hate to be a worry wart but my husband's cat started doing the same thing and she did have a medical problem. I don't know if you wanted to check out this article but it would be interesting to find out if you could get the free cat care.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Free-Cat-Healthcare:-Does-It-Ex...

Good luck with your 4 legged baby!
T.

I agree that this sounds like a UTI (the tests aren't terribly expensive to have this diagnosed - the test itself shouldn't even cost $100, much less $600!) which is easily treated with antibiotics. If that test comes back negative, then you might need to look into various behavioral modification techniques. 10 years old is just the very beginning of the senior years for a cat, and it is unlikely that her bladder is failing her, so your first trip needs to be to the vet or you probably won't be able to solve this problem.

Second, what are you using to clean the carpet? You must use a cleaned specifically designed for CAT urine or the cat will keep coming back. I recommend Nature's Miracle (you can find it at Petsmart) or if you need something stronger, Anti-Ickypoo (no, I'm not kidding, that's what it's called, you can find it online) and baking soda.

Thirdly, place an UNCOVERED litterbox on the spot where she is peeing. Does she intentionally avoid it? If so, you probably have a health problem on your hands. If she uses that litterbox just fine but finds another place in the house to pee, I recommend that you call the Cat Behavior Hotline (you can find it here http://www.catsinternational.org/), which is an entirely free hotline to help people keep their cats when behavioral problems arise. I have used them before - usually you call, leave your name, phone number, and problem, and an expert will call you back. It really is free (although of course they accept donations, but there is no pressure) and very useful.

Finally, if this is stress from moving, a good vet will be able to give you some kitty prozac to help your cat relax. This can actually be very helpful, although it is expensive, and you can wean the cat off the drugs once the behavior disappears.

I wish you good luck. I live with a cat who urinates in the house because of behavioral issues (she was rescued from an abusive home), and I know that cat pee reeks! Ug, there is very little as gross. In the end, we had to buy a very large cat crate for her because nothing else worked and I wasn't going to give her to the shelter! Fortunately, I suspect your problem will be easier to solve. Good luck.

my cats are still kinda youngish...but, have you taken her the vet for just a check up? they could have medacine that might help. i would observe her for a few days, is she even attempting to use the cat box? she may have lost control of her bladder, where the meds could help, you will notice that is the problem if she is not even getting up, just peeing while she lays there
:( you can try crating her while you are at work, or know you will not be home for an extended time. she won't like it at first, but should get used to it. Good Luck with her...we all love our 4 legged babies...

I would recomend taking her to the vet .. I know it's expensive but it could be something as simple as a UTI that needs antibiotics.
and PS. 10 years old is NOT that old for a cat! Typical house cats can live up to 15 - 18 years old!

Please ignore momb. How could anyone recommend putting a 10 year old cat down without a medical reason. Or making a 10 year old cat an outside cat IF you live in the city. Cats routinely live to 15 years and beyond. And an older cat indoor may not have the street smarts to survive outside in the city with cars and people everywhere, in hte country with predators. I agree with those saying it could be a UTI. We have an outdoor cat who has recurrent UTIs. Call you vet and ask for a UTI test and tell then you cannot afford expensive tests or treatments. If they are a decent vet they will help you do what's best with the least expense. Also try PET out or natures miracle or another enzyme based cleaner. on your carpet They are great on smells and stains! and can be used on carpets and clothing and furniture.

She really isn't that old, my Bill lived to 18! But what she is doing is a classic sign of a UTI. A urine test and antibiotics will fix her up good as new. But you really need to get her to a vet as soon as possible. She may be in quite a bit of pain, so call your vet today.

Why would you even think of sending her to the pound? When you made the decision to add a pet to your life, it is a lifetime commitment and you should expect things like this to come up. People get sick, so do animals. Please take care of her, she deserves at least basic care.

It doesn't cost very much to have a cat tested for a bladder or UTI infection so you may want to rule that out.

Sometimes it gets to hard for the cat to climb into the box as they get old - a shallower one might help. Basically the easier to get into the better.

We had a problem with our young cat, and it turned out that she just didn't like much litter in her box. She wanted a hard surface to stand on and we had so much litter in there it was like she was sinking into it. Now we put in just an inch or so and scoop it everyday. Thank goodness our vet thought to suggest less litter! I guess some cats just like a hard surface to stand on.

You do need to take her to the vet. Have them at least run a urine sample on her. The most common reason for a cat to stop going to the litterbox is from a urinary tract infection. They can also develop stones which would be seen as crystals in the urine sample. Not seen from the naked eye only under a microscope. The should be performing a dip stick with their microscopic check to tell whether there is any blood, white cells (infection) or glucose (indicate diabetes). Cats as they get older also do experience kidney disease which would make them drink more and urinate more. If caught early enough can be controlled with special diets. UTI's are painful and they start urinating outside their litterbox because they associate pain when going to the litterbox. You want to confine her to a small bathroom to reinforce the litterbox and make the other spot she keeps going to on the carpet undesirable to use as her toilet. Aluminum foil, double back sticky tape, upside down carpet runner with the spikes can keep her from going back to the area. She may decide to go to another area if you don't address the reason she started going outside the litterbox in the first place. Keep that in mind. Also cats are particular they are sensitive to stress in the family and envirnoment, changes in their litter used, location of their litterboxes even. If she is getting older it may even be the type of litterbox you have. Some find it hard to get up into a taller box when they are older so one that doesn't have a tall lip on it, or that has more room to move around in can help. Some prefer more privacy so one with a hood on might work. It is my expereince though as a vet tech that a medical reason for her urinating elsewhere needs to be ruled out before you go to drastic measures like the pound. Hope this helps.