Backstory: A month or so ago, my boyfriend's mom's cat got a UTI (or so we think). He had all the symptoms but we unfortunately never got the chance to take him to the vet (I know, bad us!) For about three or four days he was straining in the box and wetting outside of it ... like he'd be at the window watching outside, jump down from the sill suddenly, run three steps, squat and wet.
This is a cat who never ever would go outside of his box ... and now he does all the time ...
He's not got any more symptoms of a UTI, he goes in his box just fine, the only thing is I think he's got it in his head that "Hey I don't have to use the box!" He'll stare you right in the face and go. I don't know if it's because he got into a habit from then or if it's because of his age (almost a year old - but I've seen cats spray and he's not spraying - he's squatting and wetting).
Anyway my question is, what can we do to curb this behavior? He would have a vet appointment to be fixed ... but if this behavior doesn't stop we will have to give him away and it's heartbreaking because she loves this cat We have washed all his favorite areas thoroughly (that's what makes me think it's similar to spraying - he always uses the same areas) but he continues to use them. He has a box upstairs and downstairs so it's not that he can't make it in time. Is there anything that can be done? Thanks in advance
This is a cat who never ever would go outside of his box ... and now he does all the time ...
He's not got any more symptoms of a UTI, he goes in his box just fine, the only thing is I think he's got it in his head that "Hey I don't have to use the box!" He'll stare you right in the face and go. I don't know if it's because he got into a habit from then or if it's because of his age (almost a year old - but I've seen cats spray and he's not spraying - he's squatting and wetting).
Anyway my question is, what can we do to curb this behavior? He would have a vet appointment to be fixed ... but if this behavior doesn't stop we will have to give him away and it's heartbreaking because she loves this cat We have washed all his favorite areas thoroughly (that's what makes me think it's similar to spraying - he always uses the same areas) but he continues to use them. He has a box upstairs and downstairs so it's not that he can't make it in time. Is there anything that can be done? Thanks in advance