[bms1877]

My neighbor really doesn't want to put her down, but the smell has ruined her carpet. any ideas of what we should do. again, the cat is 19 but in good health...how can we stop her from urinating on the floor?

[Tapestry6]

The cat is not in good health when it does that. Cats are very clean creatures and unless the cat box is not being cleaned regularly which is causing the cat to do that, its getting old and losing control of bowels and urinary tract. Cat's do not really show signs of suffering. Have a vet decide if this is caused by old age, I put our cat down when he was 17 because he lost all control of bowels and was leaving diarhea all over the house! It's hard to do this but remember that other cats need homes and this one has had a good run. Please advise the neighbor the cat needs a check up and a talk with the vet but if he is on his last legs let him go and then find a new cat to give a home to...

[C H]

Take him to the doctor and get his liver and stomach scanned. The cat, since the cat is older, may have trouble controlling it. He probably wont need to be put down, but he may need some extra attention from now on.

[mudgettiger]

Firstly, you need to rule out any underlyin medical condition that may not be obvious. There can be urinary infections that come and go, and so aren't always easy to pick. The vet will usually ask for a urine sample and do some tests to find out if it is a medical condition.Remember also that as cats get older, like us they tend to lose some control over their bladder! Another thing age-associated is kidney failure, which can increase urinating. It could also be stress, or simply the cat is trying to say theres something up - whether that be medical, environmental or other. When cleaning up the mess, you need to ensure that the cleaner is non-ammonia based as this will encourange the cat to continue peeing/pooing in this area. Try either a citrus based on enzyme based cleaner (even a little washing powder mixed with water will do the trick). Citrus neutralises the ammonia, enzyme cleans up the stains pretty well. The other reason may be behavioural - whether it be that there is a new child in the house, a new animal (dog, cat, rabbit etc), or increased stress. If it is behavioural, you can get medication to calm the cat, which should stop the urination and defecation. You can also purchase a product called Feliway, which is a synthetic pheromone, and calms the cat and replicates the cheek gland pheromone, which cats use to mark territory etc. Your vet will also be able to help if it is behavioural. Another thing you can try is adding more litter trays. If the litter tray is somewhere near a thoroughfare, or where its noisy they will tend to avoid using it. If you only have one tray, try getting a second and putting it in another part of the house - in a private area the cat has access to. Also look at the kitty litter used - some cats have a litter preference, or if you have suddenly changed litters this can cause them to urinate outside of the tray. You may have to experiment with different types to find which works best for the cat, and for you to clean eg clumping litter is a nightmare to clean, but the rice husk pellets (Max's litter) is easy, cheap and biodegradable.I am going through a similar thing, however mine is due to the fact that we have two other cats, one which he gets along well with the other he "tolerates", and we just got a new puppy, so I totally feel the pain of your neighbour! Our house tends to have a nice cat pee aroma! Just make sure that the mess is cleaned up as quick as possible as this will reduce the stain to the carpet, and stops it soaking into the underlay as much. Keep a spray bottle handy, so if you happen to catch the cat in the act, spray with water and this usually stops them (picking them up mid-act does not...messy...). Also, try watching the behaviour of the cat when they do this, and make a note of it whenever it happens to see if there is a pattern - you may then be abe to stop or change the stimulus.My sympathies and good luck!!

[gracieandlizzie]

The kitty needs to be seen by a Vet.If it has always used a litter box in the past and is now starting to go outside the box, that's a sign of illness.At 19 years of age kitty needs a good check-up.

[mightysquirrell]

I agree it probably needs to be seen by a vet... Other thoughts:is it the kind of litter box with high walls and a roof/lid? my 15 y/o arthritic cat had trouble maneuvering inside of hers and prefers a low-walled no-roof box now with lots of space to walk around it.is there another more dominant cat that makes her feel unsafe using her box? placing my cat's box in a closet in her preferred room of the house made her feel safer using it, too.If the box is in a high-traffic or loud noise area of the house (such as by the laundry machine), it could also make her reluctant to use it. Or, if the box is hard to get to (up/down stairs or in a cluttered room), or hard to see (always in a dark room), or if the box is very dirty, etc. All reasons that could turn the cat away from it.

[kittygirl12]

it is obviously in poor health. she probably has something going on in her uniary tract, that is why she is doing that.my neighboor had her cat do the same thing ,and she took her to the vet and turns out she a bad uniary tract infection. just get it checked just to make it sure.