Desperately need help

I have 4 cats. Two of them have been marking their territory quite a bit. Peeing on my couches, laundry, etc. I have a large litter that I clean frequently (2-3x/day). I really have no where else to put another litter box, although I know this would be a good thing to do. Unfortunately its not an option.

For the second time I've taken out my infant son's carseat to find the cats have urinated in it. I am at my wits end at this point. I don't know what else I can do other than give them up for adoption.

I really don't want to get flamed here, I just want help. I would love to be able to keep them and need an alternative other than more litter boxes. Anyone have any ideas? DH is insistant that we give them away, I just don't have the heart to do it. I adore them, but I also can't have them urinating on my son's things. That is where I'm going to have to draw the line.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Re: Desperately need help

have they ALWAYS done this? if so, sorry to say i think its the litter box situation... one box for 4 cats is not okay and its actually a little unfair to them im not trying to flame, but no matter how often you clean it, you should really have AT LEAST 2

did the cats start this when you had your son? if so, they are probably being spiteful... i have no words of wisdom for you on that end b/c my cat has never been spiteful like that

if you decide to give them away, please rehome them to people you trust and who will actually take good care of them

good luck

Re: Desperately need help

cats like thier own litter box. when we had 2 cats and had at least 3 litter boxes.
are they fixed? try speaking to your vet about this. when cat goes out of box could be sick . let us know what happens

Re: Desperately need help

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but with 4 cats, you need more than 1 litter box. I would be willing to bet that adding another litter box would solve the problem, and I'd honestly rather make room for another litter box than deal with my furniture, clothes, and children's things getting soiled with cat urine. I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's the most likely cause of the problem - and if that IS the cause of the problem, it's the only solution to the problem.

If this is something new and nothing in their environment has changed (i.e., new cat introduced, etc.), then I would take them to the vet to have them checked for bladder or urinary tract infections (which are very common in cats and easily treatable).

If you recently introduced a cat and this started, then I really think even moreso that it's the need for a new litter box. The basic rule of thumb is one litter box per cat. I don't think its unreasonable to suggest you have at least 2 litter boxes for 4 cats. I'd think that's the absolutely minimum you could do.

If room is an issue, look up the litter box furniture options available. Kara (kittythestray) has some pieces like that and says they are awesome (and odor free with regular cleaning).

Hope you find a solution that works for you and your kitties.

Re: Desperately need help

Definitley try at least one more liter box.
My girlfriend has 3 liter boxes for 2 cats- they are that picky.
We have one for each cat. (2)
I'm not saying they use their own box exclusively- I see them both going in and out of both boxes- but at least when one is dirty- they have another option.
Cats are very picky about their toilets- if it's not immaculate some cats will urinate elsewhere in protest.

GOOD LUCK!

Re: Desperately need help

Can you put the 2nd box next to the other box? What if you got 2 smaller littler boxes? We had one big one and one small one when we had 2 cats and that worked well. They were both next to each other and it was funny to see one cat used one and the other cat only used the other.

If that doesn't work - take them to the vet. As a pp mentioned, it could be a UTI or something. As a last resort, your vet may try medication. They can give cats anxiety meds and it's been known to help too. Don't give up - something will work.

Re: Desperately need help

You definitely need more litter boxes. Also, do you have a covered litter box? Some larger cats won't use them. Try an old school open litter box and see if that works.

Re: Desperately need help

We have 3 boxes for 2 cats. I have 2 25lb cats and one of them does #2 larger than a small dog, so that was 1 reason we needed another box. Also, because after we got our 2nd cat, the first cat needed his own box. He started to do #2 on our new living room carpet. He only did that when we were home, so we new that was his way of telling us. Good luck.

Re: Desperately need help

I have to agree with everyone else about the litter box situation. We have two boxes for three cats - and they are in the same place - right next to each other. So, they don't have to be in different areas of the house.

You might want to also make sure that they don't have a UTI or some other medical issue - if this is a new thing.

Re: Desperately need help

Vets typically recommend a litter box for each cut and then an extra, so for four cats you should have five! Maybe swap out two smaller ones for the large one? We actually have ours in a large walk in closet. We put in a cat door, so maybe there is an untraditional place where you could squeeze in another one?

Also, talk to your vet. It could be a UTI. For my mom's cat, he started doing this when she brought a second male into the house. The vet said it was anxiety induced, and if it got really bad he could actually put him on anti-anxiety medication to help him.

Good luck!