rub his nose in it then put him outside quicklyMy cats soiling my new house?
First question that comes to mind is, are you keeping all his cat boxes really clean? Does he have his own special cat box just for him? Cats are naturally very clean animals. They cannot stand to use a ';used'; litter box. Yes, it is very necessary that you clean the box every single time they use it. Also, never put the litter box where the cat eats. Would you like to eat next to your toilet? I line my cat's litter box with a plastic trash bag, and I never put too much litter in it, just enough for the cat to cover up his mess. That way all I have to do is lift the liner and mess out of the box and wrap it up in the plastic bag and straight into the garbage bin. I keep my cat's litter box in my bathroom. By the way, male cats are ';neutered';, not ';castrated';. Whew, you had me going there. You might consider investing in a self-cleaning litter box if you can't be home very often. Also, scented litter does help. Keep it clean and your kitty will use it! And please, NEVER smack your cat! Remember, their hearing is 100 times more sensitive than yours. All you have to do is ';clap'; your hands together right next to him. My dad taught me to do this, and it really works. Sometimes a rolled up newspaper slapped on the floor next to him also works. Use the Hisssssing sound to tell him NO! Good luck.
You don't mention how old the cat is or how recently he has been seen by a vet, but it might be worth taking him in for a check up to ensure he doesn't have any health problems.
If your cat is fit and healthy, then the most likely explanation, especially as he is not yet neutered, is that he is marking his territory by soiling. This behaviour is called middening and is usually exhibited by insecure cats. Is it possible that he had an unpleasant encounter outside with another cat? How does he get along with the other two - is he the most timid of the three? Moving home is a very stressful experience for many cats, and your new home will smell unfamiliar to him. Middening is the desperate act of an insecure cat to try to hold onto it's territory, which is the source of it's food, shelter and love. It's usually carried out in open areas as a sign to warn other cats ';keep out %26amp; stay away';.
I've posted a link below to a couple of websites that will give you further advice and suggestions on possible causes for your cat's behaviour and how to resolve it.
http://www.apbc.org.uk/article10.htm...
http://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/Paw鈥?/a>
Whether a genuine accident or not, once the cat has urinated or defecated at a particular spot, the animal鈥檚 sensitive nose encourages the cat to use that place again. The best way to break the habit is to keep the cat away from the area for as
long as possible and remove any residual smell the cat could detect. Wash the area with a solution of biological or enzymatic washing liquid/powder and then use a plant-mister to spray it with surgical spirit. Scrub this off too and leave it to dry. You are advised to try a small area first on delicate fabrics. Placing some dried cat food in the area may help to prevent the cat using it again for this purpose.
Please don't try to discipline him. He will think that he has been told off for going to the toilet, and won't understand that it's because he has done it in the wrong place. Punishing him will only serve to make him feel more insecure or may make him fear you. Be patient, he is trying to tell you something is wrong, you just need to figure out what it is.
Good luck.
He may stop once he is neutered. He could have a urinary tract infection, a kidney infection etc etc. He could just be really mad at you (for moving) cats are crazy and they definitely let you know when they are upset. Try natures miracle for cats on the spots where he has already gone. It takes the smell out really well.
As he has not been neutered, all he is doing is marking his territory, watch him outside, and he'll be doing the same, just letting the other neighbour hood toms know he's town. Did the previous owners have cats? if so he's probably spraying over where previous cats have scent marked, I've noticed even my girlie cats do this, but without the pong! Once he's been done, he'll still continue scent marking but without the pong! Only allow the cats access to one room whilst you are away, this will limit the area hes spraying. Your local pet store should stock stuff to get rid of the odour of male cat, I've got some wonderful stuff called Pets Remedy from local arty-farty shop which cleans and deodorises the area. The website is www.colony.com I don't think they sell on-line but should be able to recommend stockists of their products. I've also found a mixture of washing powder/fabric conditioner and Flash works just as well.. Make sure if he's sprayed on the carpet, that you clean the flooring underneath.
Why keep a cat? Do you have rats or mice? Cats only kill nice song birds.
It's called marking his territory - all cats will do it - especially if they have not been neutered.
Cats don't usually like moving house a good tip would be for any owner to introduce the new house to the cat gradually so that he can put his smell about.
You will just have to keep cleaning the house, it is a natural process the cat does when in unfamiliar territory. Once he is satisfied he had put his smell everywhere he will stop doing it.
This is one reason why some people don't own cats, that and pooing all over the garden and chasing off and killing the garden birds.
To Peanut
I feel so sorry for the poor cat. Cats are territorial animals and he is obviously uptight about having changed address.
Do you have to go on holiday so soon after shifting. He is badly stressed and your not being there will upset him even more and he wouldn't want to be let out when you are not there as he will try to find his old address. There is too much happening in this cat's life - shifting, being castrated, having you desert him - It is all too much. Please rethink taking a holiday at this time but if you must it might be better to leave the cats at a proper facility. He might at this stage need pills to calm him down. Good luck. The only other thing I can think of is pay your neighbour good money to clean up the cat's mess every day to stop the stench!!!!!
I had the same problem when I moved. One of my kittens (was 4 months old), and due to be getting the snip a couple of weeks after, went to the loo (number 1 and 2!) behind our tv repeatedly for about a month!!! I used a water sprayer for discipline aswell so just rubbed his face in it, sprayed him and put him in another room. It took a couple of weeks of him getting a smelly face but he suddenly stopped doing it. I reckon it was the upheaval of moving even tho we moved to a smaller house and the littertray was accessible. He was just nervous and worried! Hope he sorts himself out! Good luck!!!
Make sure he knows where the litter box is in new surroundings it may be hard for him to find it. Bring him to the litter box and rub his paws in it like they do before they use the pan. Or put a litter pan in the dining room while you are gone.
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