Any Cat Psychologitsts here! :)

[Richard]

So we've had Carrot Top (and yes, for the sake of humiliating him, I'm going to show his picture!!)

Anyway, without counting, we've had him for say, 10 years. Indoor/outdoor having his own cat door in a window he can come/go as he pleases.

For company, we have three (now two, RIP Otis) dogs. Carrot would go out with us when we took the dogs out. Almost like he thought he was a dog.

Though he's got the run of the house, he's primarily restricted to the (finished) basement.

Walking through room one day and squish.... stepped into something that not only soaked my foot, but smelled.

Long story short and cutting to the chase, he has very suddenly decided that he was going to use the basement shower (the one I use) as his personal toilet (urination). After I noticed what he did, we keep that door closed. Now he will yell, scream and bang on the door to get in there. I shoo him out the front door....he comes back through the window to try to get into shower. Back out the front, back through the window.

Getting exasperated with this, I put him out the front door and LOCKED his window so he can figure it out.....that which he's been perfect with for 10 years.

We finally got him a litterbox. Put it in my office. The litter REALLY smelled. Not a stink but a fragrance that was just blech... so we put the litterbox OUTSIDE so he can use it.

As this has unraveled, it seems he's REALLY fussy..... maybe he'll go out to his litterbox (if we toss him out), maybe he'll walk on past it. Looks like if it's dirty at ALL he snubs it in favor of the shower if he can get in there OR, the rug (small) in front of the french doors going into that bathroom which brings back "The Squishy Foot Syndrome"

He's a freaking angel, loves people, LOVES to curl up on your lap, LOVES for you to scratch his chin but he is pretty insistent.... "I AM going to pee either in your shower or, on the rug next to the door"

I've told my wife he's finally beating us down.... we might have to bring his litter box inside (she HATES it inside as he can be messy with it and get litter all over the place)

We're really perplexed.... He's been to the vet for general checkups (not since he's started this) and always been very fit & trim.

I'm dumbfounded as to what might have snapped in his head to make him start this.

Any thoughts?

Here's the perp!!

It would be nice if i could teach him to use the toilet he was so fond of!!

 

[Richard]

Oh, and the little bugger loves to lay on my desk (picture above) while I'm working. Loves to crawl onto my lap while I'm working.

He's my little (psychotic) pal.....

The toilet in picture is now properly installed in finished bathroom where the perp-shower is.

 

[txdon]

Put a litter pan of "Fresh Step Clean Paws - low tracking" in the shower and have a "Litter Genie" next to it with a scoop so that he can go in the shower and you can scoop it out easily every day without having to go outside. The litter genie lasts a week. After a week, remove the full bag and throw it in the outside garbage. The genie is great---no smell.

https://www.target.com/p/litter-gen...VS73ACh0XQQQKEAQYBCABEgJY9PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...MI57Gp2pfV6QIVUL7ACh2_gwHbEAQYAyABEgKRlvD_BwE

Surrender to your cat now, sooner or later you will anyway, but the sooner you do the less frustration.

 

[johnnyvol]

How long has this been going on? Is it urination or number 2 as well? What kind of food do you feed him? Was he raised using a litter box?

An indoor/outdoor cat of 10 years, who wasn't raised on a litter box, has plenty of places to pee and generally won't be picky as long as he can dig a small hole. Check his food and make sure he's not getting too much magnesium. A cat that age is susceptible to crystalline particles forming in the urethra and having difficulty urinating. This can become a serious situation.

If it's a number 2 problem, then you're right, he's beating you into submission.

 

[mapper]

Best litter we have found is pelletized animal bedding from TSC, mild natural pine smell, doesn't track much, and is cheap!
There are far worse places he could use than your shower!

 

[Clint S]

Take him to the vet, this usually happens when they have some sort of urinary issues like an infection, kidney stones or chrystal or kidney issues. Your vet will ask for a urine sample . We usually replace litter with popcorn kernels and get the sample like that.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I wish I could teach my cats to pee in the shower. Bugs me to no end when one of them comes in to use the litter. Apparently, they just don't follow my lead.

Cats are very territorial. Had one cat for years, got another cat that slept with me, first cat craps on bed and never went back. Same kind fof BS at my Moms place with her cats. Who sleeps with the "slave" seem to mean a lot to them.

 

[Jstpssng]

Has he been snipped? At that age it shouldn't matter, but intact males can be pretty obnoxious.

 

[Citydude]

He’s the spitting image of Lester. Lester was my buddy back in the early 90’s. He had me trained within 6 months after he figured me out.

 

[drssg]

If the cat will consistently use a litter box in the house, then I would accept that as a solution. IME, once they start peeing in weird places, it never gets any better. We've had multiple cats that got downgraded to barn cats for that habit.

As others have said, it wouldn't hurt to check with the vet to ensure there isn't a recently developed health issue. Some things can come on quite quickly.

 

[MossRoad]

Take him to the vet, this usually happens when they have some sort of urinary issues like an infection, kidney stones or chrystal or kidney issues. Your vet will ask for a urine sample . We usually replace litter with popcorn kernels and get the sample like that.

THIS! :thumbsup:

Have him checked for a urinary tract infection and/or a blocked/ semi-blocked urethra. We've had two male cats with the crystals blocking the urethra.

Or, he's just a ****.

 

[buck12]

As others have said, get him to the vet. The same thing happened with our male cat. All of a sudden he started whizzing in the bath tub or on a glass door. He looked perfectly healthy. The vet said many outside cats look fine but die suddenly from these infections because the owner never realizes it’s a problem. He kept getting infections until my wife bought cat food to prevent urinary tract infections. The old guy lived to be 17.

 

[kcflhrc]

Yep, elderly male cats develop urinary infections quite easy. Take him to the vet .

 

[Thomas]

You have spoil Carrot Top and he knows it and at his age doubt very much your going to retrain him.
Arm & Hammer also Scoop offers good brand kitty littler.

 

[riptides]

Other than the vet check...

It's a cat.

Once they set their minds to something....it's a cat. LOL.

 

[Richard]

We'll get him to the vet.

This is an almost overnight situation (though been going on now for a number of weeks, maybe couple months)

He's never had a litter box. In fact, took him to vet once, vet said his kidney's were full....grabbed HIS kitty litter box and boom, Carrot went right to it and used it. That was the first time he had ever used a litter box and it was like he was pre-programmed for it.

Now, something interesting (to me) We had a decent pile of "block material" (what we put down under our flagstone patio) and this pile is sitting right over near the driveway. From a cat perspective, it's a HUGE litter box and as best I can tell.... he still prefers to use the shower!

Side comment... he did ONCE, use #2 in there. I was surprised at how firm it was and it was like little Milk Duds (if you remember those) not the shape I would have expected.....then again, I've never gone out of my way to view my animals droppings although you can't miss the dog's.

 

[bcp]

“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.”
― Robert A. Heinlein



Bruce

 

[dodge man]

He is an indoor outdoor cat? Change that to an outdoor only cat.