Inappropriate urination

[Jmccostlin]

I have a 1+ year old male savannah, Godzilla, he was neutered around 6 months of age. In the last handful of months, he has started urinating around the house, on piles of clothes, on the dog beds, on my bed, in boxes... I have done my best to pick up anything that might attract him (all laundry is behind closed doors, the dog is without a bed for the time), but I can't stop the urinating on my bed. He is definitely squatting and relieving himself, NOT spraying. He does this only when I am in the bed, and most often when my boyfriend is in the bed with me. I have started to lock him out of the bedroom at night, but he proceeds to jump on the door all night long.
I did previously have a male savannah that I placed through rescue because he had been spraying throughout the house. When he left, I felt Godzilla was a little too attached to me (screaming when I stepped outside, living right at my feet anytime I was home), so I introduced a new female kitten in hopes of him bonding with her. They bonded, and interact very well, but the urination has not stopped. Overall he is a good cat, but does have an aggressive personality, he frequently bites, not just in play but as he is rubbing on my legs or even while I am just sitting on the couch. He also has a bad habit of chewing on the furniture, pillows, blankets, etc. THOUGHTS!?!?

 

[Jmccostlin]

Oh, and I do use Cat Attract and have tried various other litters in the three boxes in the house. Boxes are scooped twice each day, and I clean them with soap and water usually every other week. No lids, none are located near food, and I have tried one in the bedroom, but it does not change the behavior.

 

[admin]

Have you brought him tot he vet to make sure he does not have a urinary tract infection?

 

[Jmccostlin]

Oh, yes, twice! He was put on an antibiotic as a precaution but the urination continued after that. The vet recommended Prozac, which I am not willing to do at this point. He also wears a pheremone collar. He does have a chronic respiratory infection (calisivirus) and is off an on antibiotics frequently.

 

[admin]

has something changed in the past few months? Also, have you used a good enzyme cleaner to wash everything? Normal soap and water and other cleaners will not remove the smell, so you need to sue something like Anti Ickypoo...

As for the other behavior, what have you done to curb his biting? There are many posts and much inof on this type of behavior on the forum. Just do a search and you will see the threads.

In addition, you may want to contact Marilyn, the Cat Coach.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Paige is right, that was going to be my question too...what have you used to clean up the pee?

AIs the comforter a down filled one? If so, some cats are just attracted to down and changing to a down-alternative one can help. Although if he only does it when you and your boyfriend are in the bed it sounds more like there is a protest going on...how is his relationship with your boyfriend?

 

[Patti]

I agree with Brigitte, it sounds like there might be a jealousy issue with the boyfriend. Is it possible to lock Godzilla in another room with the other kitten during the night? As for the biting, it is not too uncommon for cats to give 'love nips' especially if they get easily excited when they rub up against you or when you pet them. If it is just a gentle nip I would not worry about it, but if it actually hurts you should try to curb the behavior. The best way I have found to do this is to either squirt with a squirt bottle (not so convenient) or put your finger down his throat when he does it. The finger down the throat may sound cruel but it really doesn't hurt him, just gags him, and I've found it to be the most efficient way to train inappropriate biters.

 

[Jmccostlin]

He actually gets along well with my boyfriend, they interact quite a bit. And the boyfriend has been around as long as the car, so it's not as if he is reacting to a change... I don't have a down comforter, good idea though. And the urine never makes it to the comforter thanks to a waterproof mattress pad I didn't even know I had! I do wash the sheets with regular detergent and oxy clean, and recently purchased al new bedding but still had an issue.

I do stick my finger in his mouth when he bites. He's totally unfazed. Tried the screaming thing too, he doesn't react at all. Usually it's not a dangerous bite, more like suckling almost, but sometimes when he is in a mood his ears pin on his head and he really latches on.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

For the bedding, if he has peed on it...I suggest soaking overnight in a solution of enzyme cleaner (AntiIckyPoo or Unique Distributors) and then laundering as usual. You need to make sure that the urine odor is completely gone, and cats' noses are so much more sensitive than ours!

 

[Napoleon]

Our cat relieves himself in our laundry basket every now and then. We just try to keep it behind closed doors, as I don't think it's an accident that it's always on our clothes. As for your litter box, maybe stop washing it with soap - just rinse with water?