# Kitten Peeing on Soft Things



## Kesai (May 5, 2019)

My kitten Bell knows the location of her litter boxes and can and does use them frequently. However, she does not always use them. If there is anything soft left out there is a good chance that she will eventually urinate on it. Clothes, chair seats, soft toys, towels, her tunnel (which she loves), the cave in her scratching tree, and the bed we had bought for her (now ruined). She first started using outside of the box after a bought of diarrhea whereby I think it was an issue of not making it to the box in time so we placed an additional box to insure easier access for her. She still uses the boxes for pooping and frequently for urinating but sometimes not. I know that she has access to clean boxes. I do think that it is possible she might not like the litter but I am at a loss to remedy this. Unfortunately Bell is the sort of cat to eat anything and so she will (and does) eat litter and I cannot have soft, clumping cat sand for that reason. I cannot find just plain non clumping cat sand in the local stores. The type of sand I used when I had a hamster was just plain sterile sand but the cost is such that I could not afford to supply her needs for it and it is not sold in generous proportions anyhow. Are there any safe, soft options for a cat who is dog like in her indiscriminate eating online? We are currently using the softest paper bedding we can find. If the litter does not work is there anything that can done or is too late she has already learned to use outside of the box? I am not sure she can be an outdoor cat so she can find her own favorite substrate because she is an indiscriminate eater and has shown a lack of fear to the point of being well beyond foolhardy. I chose a cat over a dog in part because of the bathroom issues. I have never owned a cat who had bathroom issues even with illness and old age so this is new for me. I have seen so many people living in filthy apartments with pet urine and feces all over and I cannot live that way and I don't honestly understand why the pet in question would want to either. I know she isn't human but I don't understand why she would pee on her favorite items and then still play with them. I thought cats were clean animals?


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Firstly how old is Belle and has she been neutered ?
Have you had her to the vet to check whether or not she has a urine infection as this does sound like a cat with a possible UTI


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## Kesai (May 5, 2019)

She was born April 1st I believe. She isn't neutered because the local vets wait until 6 months but she will be neutered at that time. I had thought UTI as a possibility but I had thought with that it was more emergency accidental peeing but she seems to have places in mind where she wants to go and they are close enough to her box that she could just as easily use it. If it is an avoiding the box because she thinks it might be causing pain why go for the same wrong areas? I mean the pain will still be present if it exists whether it is in the box or in her bed wouldn't it? I will still look into it as a precaution but I am just curious. I also thought maybe it had to do with the fact there are so many outdoor cats here and they do poop and pee in the yard. I read they can smell that and may pee on things to mark them. But how do I keep local cats out of the yard so they won't disturb her. Can I somehow get her scent in the yard to mark the area as hers?


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Firstly I would get her seen by your vet to rule out a UTI,cats will often pee on soft things because they associate the pain of peeing with their litter tray so avoid it.
What do you use to clean the area's she pee's on as the smell although no longer obvious to us may still be to her.
I'm not sure of the best stuff to use but I have had success in the past with this ............
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Simple-Sol...+off+for+cats&qid=1564315298&s=gateway&sr=8-5
Other than cat proofing your garden to keep local cats out and yours safe should she be allowed out I don't really see anyway to stop them coming in to your garden..................

https://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/cat-runs-cat-proofed-gardens.211361/

Hopefully there will be others along soon .


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Kesai - cats are clean animals, but they do not regard their urine with disgust as we humans regard ours (or the urine of animals). Cats use urine to scent mark their territory particularly when they feel insecure.

If Bell is scent marking her toys with urine then it suggests she feels they are under threat of being taken over by another cat . If she is your only cat then perhaps it is local cats she can see in your yard and she is fearful they may intrude into her home.

I agree with buffie it is a good idea to have Bell checked by the vet for a possible UTI or cystitis. UTI's are unusual in kittens but she could possibly have intermittent bouts of cystitis. 
Are you feeding her a mostly wet food diet for the health of her kidneys and bladder?


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## Ottery (Jun 14, 2019)

I think you're expecting a lot of her - she's only 4 months old. Her 'foolhardiness' and eating litter and other inappropriate items is due to her age. She's tiny, she won't have any clue about what is safe to eat or to do. She'll learn as she gets older.

However the type of inappropriate weeing you describe is very unusual - at least, none of my many kittens have ever had have done this (they can be quite mucky and tread in what they have done - but they do use the tray). 

I think we'd need to know more about your circumstances to know why she may be doing this. It sounds like a self-comforting mechanism, spreading her scent around the house. Do you have other pets? Is she left alone all day while you are at work?


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## Kesai (May 5, 2019)

She eats mostly wet food probably 80 to 90 percent of her diet. She does get some Orijen treats with training and a small amount of Arcana kibbles for the middle of the night because we don't yet have an automatic pet feeder for nights and she is not going that long without food yet. She is healthy we found out. So my 2 ideas are the fact our yard is very attractive to the local cats (no clue why) and she is smelling their scent because they do use our yard as a toilet (it has been warm with open windows) or seeing them. Or a separation issue since I just realized it happens when we leave particularly when my daughter spends the night with grandparents or we leave all together for a few hours.


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