I have a cat - Jake - he's a little over a year now. He's a cutie and I love him. My problem is he pee's everywhere and he's a biter. I don't have him neutered, yet. And I, personally, don't mind the bites because they're more playful then bad? If that makes sense? Sometimes he draws blood but its not a big deal to me.
But he pee's EVERYWHERE. Not spraying - I've seen him spraying and this is not it. But I plan on moving within the next few months. I don't want him to pee on everything. And yes - I know what you're thinking just neuter him.
Bu will that take care of the peeing problem? I've looked at forums and chats about this and I'm a little worried. Most people get rid of their cats, but I don't want to get rid of him yet. Unless I have too.
I live around a lot of barns (in the country) and he knows how to hunt mice and take care of himself. But I'm just worried for him. I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to fork over money if it won't fix the problem. But he seems more like an outside cat anyway.
I'm just at a crossroads here. I want the best for him but I want the best for me too.
Update:
EDIT: He's perfectly healthy. I just haven't had him neutered. He has all of his shots and he's fine, health and happy.
Answer
Anonymous:
I think that it's a good idea to neuter him because it's a good idea
anyway as there are so many cats without homes and more kittens just
make this problem worse.
If this doesn't work then as you said he seems
like more of an outdoor cat, you could not let him into your house, I
have a friend who does this and her cats still stick around and they put
food down for them in the garage which has a cat flap.
Have you also
tried litter box training him rather than letting him outside because
that could be an idea.
Grant:
Don't put the cat outside and abandon it. There is a big difference between surviving and living. It will suffer outside alone.
Pay for the surgery. You got the animal it is your responsibility.
Jolly:
Have you had the vet check him for cystitis?
Sabrina:
I really think you should neuter him before you make any major decisions. It sounds like you were already planning to neuter him, and I can not tell you (from working at an animal shelter) how many times neutering fixed peeing/spraying/biting issues in pets.
Of course its not a guarantee, and you should be aware that you might need to do some hardcore training with him to get him to stop.
If you have a litter box, consider adding another one, or changing the one you do have at least twice a day. If you don't have a litter box, I think now would be the time to get one since he obviously would like to pee inside.
You said he's healthy, so unless you think its a valid concern, I wouldn't have him checked for a urinary tract infection. Those are easy enough to spot in cats as they look very stressed when trying to pee.
For the most part, peeing in the house that persists after neutering tends to be because a pet is very upset/anxious/stressed about something and obviously yelling at them won't help.
When you catch him in the act, try picking him up and locking him in a room with a clean litter box for a little. (Obviously not incredibly long, 15 mins at the most, and maybe some clean water in the room just in case you wait a little longer.)
One person has people with cats who have major peeing issues, put a litter box in each room before figuring out which litter boxes the cat is using. While that is a bit extreme, it does get the point across, that sometimes a cat just needs the box cleaned more often, or more than one litter box.
I hope this helps! I know I repeated myself a little and threw a bunch of information at you, but I'm hoping something here helps you out.
And of course do your own research online! One person doesn't know everything but using a bunch of sources can help you find the right solution for your case.
Sabrina:
I really think you should neuter him before you make any major decisions. It sounds like you were already planning to neuter him, and I can not tell you (from working at an animal shelter) how many times neutering fixed peeing/spraying/biting issues in pets.
Of course its not a guarantee, and you should be aware that you might need to do some hardcore training with him to get him to stop.
If you have a litter box, consider adding another one, or changing the one you do have at least twice a day. If you don't have a litter box, I think now would be the time to get one since he obviously would like to pee inside.
You said he's healthy, so unless you think its a valid concern, I wouldn't have him checked for a urinary tract infection. Those are easy enough to spot in cats as they look very stressed when trying to pee.
For the most part, peeing in the house that persists after neutering tends to be because a pet is very upset/anxious/stressed about something and obviously yelling at them won't help.
When you catch him in the act, try picking him up and locking him in a room with a clean litter box for a little. (Obviously not incredibly long, 15 mins at the most, and maybe some clean water in the room just in case you wait a little longer.)
One person has people with cats who have major peeing issues, put a litter box in each room before figuring out which litter boxes the cat is using. While that is a bit extreme, it does get the point across, that sometimes a cat just needs the box cleaned more often, or more than one litter box.
I hope this helps! I know I repeated myself a little and threw a bunch of information at you, but I'm hoping something here helps you out.
And of course do your own research online! One person doesn't know everything but using a bunch of sources can help you find the right solution for your case.
Amanda:
I agree with almost all the previous comments. If he is peeing everywhere (and he has a clean litter box available) then his problem is most likely a urinary tracts infection. You need to take him to a veterinarian.
The neutering is perhaps a factor. His diet may be wrong and there are kidney stones. He should have been fixed when he was much younger (over 2lbs in weight) as this not only prevents the behaviors associated with a tom cat but certainly helps to prevent some cancers and other problems later in life.
Dumping him in a barn would be cruel, unless you have made sure he is medically OK, and is neutered AND the barn owner will feed and care for him.
Outside cats of any kind have short brutal lives as feral animals and is NOT a solution to your problem.
