Missing the litter tray?

[Jacciisamazing]

Hi,

We've recently moved house, and have taken our cat (rescued 3 years ago) with us! She has settled really well and isn't hiding or acting afraid.
She uses a litter tray as we haven't let her outside yet, and lately she's been weirdly standing in the tray when she needs a wee, but lifts her tail and pees up the wall behind instead! It doesn't happen every time, and she's used a litter tray multiple times in the past and had no issues. I'm worried it's a sign of unhappiness or stress, even though all her other behaviour is normal and affectionate.
Wondering if anyone else has ever had this before?

[fjm]

Sounds like scent marking to me - a way of marking the new property as her territory. She may be doing it on other vertical surfaces too. I would try putting a piece of plastic or other wipeable material there, but leave the scent for the time being to reassure her. Once she has settled in and is able to mark outside you may find that the behaviour stops and you can remove the screen. Do check other possible surfaces like radiators and walls, especially near external doors.

[Jacciisamazing]

Sounds like that could be possible, especially as her litter tray is near an external door! I haven't noticed it anywhere else though, and she didn't do it in our old house when we first rescued her. She's also spayed, which I thought suppressed their urge to scent mark? I could be wrong about that though!

[Mollycat]

A new environment can be a trigger especially if there is any residual cat scent from the previous tenants or cats in the area outside. But there are normally differences between marking behaviour and a normal pee misaimed. Have you caught her in the act?

Is it the same or the same design of litter tray she had before? Has she grown and the tray is a bit small for her to be comfortable in it? My girl had the funniest cutest habit when we had shallower trays with a rim, she would perch on the corner of the rim with her feet out of the litter. I did worry when I had to change the trays (because the other cat chucked all the grit all over the floor) but she's been fine, just piddles normally now.

[Jacciisamazing]

I've seen her do it twice, she stands in the litter and wees up the wall, for a good while too, not just a spray. I did think it might be marking at first, but she fully empties her bladder, it creates a puddle! She does also wee normally (squatting close to the litter, and all in the tray) rather than the standing, vertical tail, directed stream against the wall. I don't try to stop her because I don't want to scare her. It's the same tray she's always had and we got her when she was 2, so more or less fully grown. I just find it so strange that she's never done this before.