F1 Bathroom Habits

[Maggie]

Our 5 month old, male Savannah has started peeing in the toilet and in the sink. He'll go over any type of drain, really. I've read that it's not unusual behavior. He'll only go in the sink if it's empty. Should we try to stop this behavior? He uses the box to poop and has never peed on the floor or furniture, he just prefers drains. Suggestions/advice?

 

[Patti]

Is he neutered? I have one cat (F2) who routinely urinates in the kitchen sink - as far as I'm concerned it's an easier cleanup than a litter box so I don't try to correct the habit, however it all depends on your tolerance to the behavior. If you want to try to correct it there are a few things you can try:
-Have at least two litter boxes available (some cats like to pee in one and poop in the other)
-Try using Cat Attract litter or additive to see if that will entice him to use the litter box
-Reward him with a special treat when he does go in the box

 

[Maggie]

He was recently neutered. We used litter attract to box train him in the beginning, and he was doing fine. This is new behavior. We have 3 boxes.

I'm ok with it, I just wanted to make sure it's ok to let him and isn't an indication of a behavioral problem. I haven't tried to stop him because I don't think he's doing it to be defiant, he just prefers drains. It's definitely easier clean-up than the box. Thank you for your response!

 

[WitchyWoman]

Maggie, my F1 male occasionally pees in the kitchen sink too. He only does it when the water is running. It usually happens as I'm rinsing out the sink after having cleaned it with Clorox spray cleaning which has bleach in it but not always -- sometimes he just looks like he's in bliss when peeing in a sink with running water. Bleach is a cat attractant that may cause them to pee in/on things that have been cleaned with it.

 

[SV Dad]

Bleach is a cat attractant

I didn't know this and it explains the cats hunting me down after I put chlorine tablets in the pool.

 

[Maggie]

The first time he did it, he jumped in because we turned on the water and he wants to play in it. Now I think he just likes it. No bleach to clean.

 

[WitchyWoman]

The first time he did it, he jumped in because we turned on the water and he wants to play in it.

I have to confess that I play around with my Atticus when he wants to pee in the sink. He only pees if the water is runnning. He'll jump in the sink, squat over the drain, raise his tail and I'll shut the water off. Up comes his butt. I turn the water back on, down goes the butt and he gets ready to pee. I shut the water off. Yeah, I get perverse pleasure from this. The elevator butt -- up down, up down -- is just too funny and I consider it revenge for all the real trouble he gets in everyday

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I think peeing in the sink is only a problem if it freaks you out. As others have said, it's cleanable at least.

My first F2 used to do this, but none of the others have been interested. I always attributed his propensity to it to the Bengal in his heritage (as although F2 Savannah he was 3/4 Bengal also) as I had read that Asian Leopard Cats are known to pee in water in the wild...

 

[Patti]

The elevator butt -- up down, up down

and where is the video of THIS???

 

[WitchyWoman]

and where is the video of THIS???

I will try to get one.