newly adopted cat peeing outside the box?

Question

Please bear with me, I will try to include as much info as possible to hopefully get an accurate answer.

10 days ago we adopted a pair of cats, one is aged 4 years, the other 2.5. We already have a dog and neither cat has experience of dogs as far as we know, certainly not with their last owners.

Both cats were brought directly to a safe room within the house and stayed in there with the door shut for the first few days (we visited frequently). No problems with eating, drinking, or using the litter box.

The older cat (Bob) is incredibly easy going and was friendly from the first moment, no hiding or anything. The younger (Harry) was very shy and we didn't see him at all during the day but he would come out at night and was extremely affectionate.

For the last few days we have left the door open and both have ventured out and both have even had tentative meetings with the dog (our dog is big but completely non aggressive and she has been very good, not chasing but rather lying and wagging her tail on seeing the cats, the occasional sniff.

Bob the confident one of the two has for the last couple of days been going outside (however seems to go straight to the litter box when he comes back in).

Since starting to go outside, Bob has been peeing in all kinds of places. On the couch, the floor in the living room and hall, and has just now gone In behind the tv and peed there - where there are a bunch of wires. It's actually getting dangerous now. advice?

Answer 1

If he is not fixed, he is spraying. This will be corrected upon him getting neutered. Promise.



If he is fixed, you have a different issue on your hands, and can be a mystery even to the best of ethologists (animal behaviorists). There are a few options you can try before giving up on this precious kitty.



1.) give him his OWN litter box. As in do no not let the other cat have access to the Bob's litter box. You may also try changing the type of litter in the box so he can identify it as his own (pine litter is a good option).



2.) At the same time, buy him a larger box. Some cats smell the litter, and assume they are peeing in the box when they are peeing next to it. This can be because they are confused by their new surroundings.



3.) Lay paper towels all around the outside of the box. Completely surround it. If he pees on the paper towel, move into his new box to show him that THIS is where he should be peeing.



Outside kitties have a harder time peeing in a litter box as they may be used to peeing more freely in the open. Keeping him inside for a few days may help. You must understand that as a male kitty (even a fixed one) he may try to own his territory. He may think that he has the right to go wherever he wants, even if that wasnt as issue in the past. Can you imagine having been relocated as a child? He is probably having a hard time adjusting. These problems hardly ever persist. I used to have a foster kitty that would bury her food with her litter because she thought she needed to protect it. But after a week of showing her that her new food supply would not run out, she quit. If he isnt fixed, hes not peeing. Hes spraying. It comes from a different gland but is still a liquid. He must be neutered to stop this. Giving him his own room and box for awhile is probably going to be your best shot. He also may not like the litter you chose. This is actually a quite common issues in relocated older cats. but like I said, it hardly ever persists if you make changes. Trial and error, my friend. and bless you for adopting these little ones.

Answer 2

This is a common territory issue among cats, the one pissing everywhere is not really sure what is his and what isn't so he is just marking everything and see what washes... I highly recommend crate training for introducing new animals (especially cats), into a new household - a wire crate (kennel), that everybody can see everybody, there are no surprises for once they can touch without protection of bars. Cats are these little critters that will really just freak out on some things, and the thing is you really can't predict what will freak them out, so you keep everybody safe and the house from being a "Beetlejuice" red light district with the cat urine painted everywhere. Highly recommend Bruce Fogle D.V.M. "The Cat's Mind", for going beyond training and actually figuring out how their brains tick.

Answer 3

Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/Wxmdm



The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.



The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.



It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.

Answer 4

Thats normal, cats will pee outsidethe box to "mark" which is like marking their territory... But if you have two cats, you are supposed to have two litter boxes, because they will eventually want theyre own space and place to go!

Answer 5

It could also be a urinary tract infection.

Answer 6

I believe it is the stress, so many new environments can be overwhelming. Give it a week or two if it is still happening, ask the cats vet, they usually know what's going on 😃

Answer 7

Male cats do this when they are jealous, or marking its territory even if the cat is fixed.