Cat - strange toilet behaviour

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TJH72
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Cat - strange toilet behaviour

Post by TJH72 »

I adopted a 2 yr old female cat back in October. I thought I had got lucky because she headed straight for the scratching post instead of the furniture and had no problems using the litter tray. A couple of weeks ago however, I saw her go to the litter tray, and instead of sitting down, she stretched her behind up into the air and wee'd up the wall. I kept an eye after that and all seemed fine, but she did it again last night. My previous female cats who lived to 18 and 19 never did that (I know male cats will spray). Just wondering if anyone else's female cat does this and whether it's actually fairly common? Or whether anyone knows if there could be a reason for this occasional behaviour? Thanks
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Lilith
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Re: Cat - strange toilet behaviour

Post by Lilith »

Lol - they do, they do! :lol:

In my previous house the upstairs cat tray was next to the loo above the draining board in the kitchen. I kept noticing liquid sitting on the draining board. Mystery until I was in the bathroom one day and one of my Siamese marched in there for a wee, which she did standing up ... everything was out of true in that house and there was a big gap between the skirting board and floor. Light dawned - I ran down to the kitchen and there was cat wee dripping on to the draining board ... :o :shock:

I've seen this quite often in females, spayed and unspayed, oh yes, and they can spray just like the lads too. (Anything toms can do, wee can do better...)

You need to get a hooded tray if she'll use it - many cats prefer them - but beware of her digging her hole and then sticking her tail out of the entrance and ... oh no? Oh yes.

Cats eh? :shock: :)
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Kay
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Re: Cat - strange toilet behaviour

Post by Kay »

this can be a problem too when they are getting a bit arthritic in old age, and finding it difficult to squat

as Lilith says, a hooded tray is the answer, though one without a midline join is best, otherwise the wee can still seep through - and best leave off a flap if there is one, as many cats are put off by them - you'd be unlucky if she did wee bottom out, as I find most cats like to face outwards when they are in any kind of enclosed space
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TJH72
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Re: Cat - strange toilet behaviour

Post by TJH72 »

Thanks for the replies. Guess I've been lucky not to have come across this before. I know what I'll be shopping for this weekend...
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Lilith
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Re: Cat - strange toilet behaviour

Post by Lilith »

Ah yes, forgot about the catflap they all come with nowadays - I leave this off, definitely; neither use nor ornament and confusing to the cat. And as Kay says they usually like to have their head towards the opening ... but not always ... :o

The decent brands are designed with an inward-fitting lip to prevent any leaks from a top and bottom join. This is the brand I like the best:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosewood-Openi ... d+cat+tray

My lot have a pink and a green one (green is that yellowy chartreuse which I don't much like) and you don't usually have to remove the whole upper half to clean, as the different coloured panel on the front of the top half lifts up, which is really handy. They're a bit pricey but roomy, and the cats like them :)
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Mrs Kane
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Re: Cat - strange toilet behaviour

Post by Mrs Kane »

Why do you think I have an enclosed cat tray? :lol: I had way too many incidents where my Uncles girl thought the wall was the tray. In fact, I had a few instances myself when I didn't get the lid back on fast enough when we first got Sofi. She's calmed down now though. She just like to watch.
"Come on peasants. Clean out that tray!"

In my previous house the upstairs cat tray was next to the loo above the draining board in the kitchen. I kept noticing liquid sitting on the draining board. Mystery until I was in the bathroom one day and one of my Siamese marched in there for a wee, which she did standing up ... everything was out of true in that house and there was a big gap between the skirting board and floor. Light dawned - I ran down to the kitchen and there was cat wee dripping on to the draining board ... :o :shock:
Oh Jeez! I if I ever caught Sofi doing that she'd be whipped so quick she'd wish her bum was in the tray!

I kid of course, I love my cat. But after reading posts from you lot I'm glad the only things I need to worry about are the occasional barf and soak and slide (BF's term for a bum bath).
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Ruth B
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Re: Cat - strange toilet behaviour

Post by Ruth B »

The only time I have had cats doing this was when they were stressed (frantically touching wood now).

The worst time was when one of the two cats i had became terminally ill but had months lefts to live. The two were a mother and daughter pair (Katie the mother, and Patch the daughter), I decided to get a third cat to give Patch someone to play with and hopefully make the separation less hard when Katie's time finally came. It was a disaster. I ended up with a dominance struggle between Katie and Suzie the new comer that Patch then joined in. They never physically fought as I think Katie didn't feel up to it, they just sprayed everywhere, particularly in the litter trays. After three months of constant cleaning up and the stress levels of everyone in the house cats and humans sky rocketing, I made the decision and Suzie went back to the charity she came from. With in a couple of days peace reigned. Katie and Patch returned to using the litter trays properly (although I have always had high sided if uncovered ones since then, just in case) and I heard that Suzie after being kept in a cattery pen for a week and using the litter tray fine was rehomed as an only cat.

I have recently noticed that Tiggy doesn't squat quite as well as she used to but I think it is more to do with age and old joints than any thing else, it certainly isn't the stand up and spray that I saw before.

You might want to think about if anything has changed that might have caused her a bit of stress that has made her want to mark her territory. Thinking about it all the cats I have had, male and female will spray outside to mark the territory, so could she have smelt or seen another cat that made her react like this.

A covered litter tray would certainly help prevent it getting into carpets or furniture if she would use one or rigid plastic sheets under and around the litter tray can also help prevent damage. Mine are actually placed on sheets of thin MDF, our Homebase will cut sheets for us so a 2' x 6' sheet gives us 3 2'sq pieces, one goes under, and as the litter trays are normally in corners the other go against the walls to direct any leakage down onto the the board under the tray. A couple of coats of sprayed on car paint can also help waterproof them and make them look more attractive.
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