Dear Critter Corner: My cat has been having accidents all over the house, along the bottom of the couches, bottom of doors, and sometimes even the wall next to his litterbox. I’ve been cleaning the spills with bleach, but nothing seems to stop him from using the same area or finding a new one. He’s already neutered, so I’m not sure what else I can do.
It sounds like your cat might be spraying and marking, as opposed to urinating outside of the litterbox. It will be important to have a vet examine him first to rule out any potential underlying conditions, like urinary tract infections, urinary crystals, etc. If your cat’s medical health is clear, then you’ll want to focus behaviorally on what might be causing him stress that is leading to the spraying.
When cleaning up the spray spills, try not to use any harsh chemicals that themselves may be disturbing to your cat’s sense of smell. Instead, use an enzyme cleaner. You may want to also try placing puppy pads at the sight of spills to see if this helps to catch the spill or deter your cat from it.
Try to keep him on a routine so that he can count on when his food, playtime, and naptimes occur. This will help provide him with a sense of security in knowing when each important part of his day will be happening.
If you live in a multi-cat household, you’ll also want to make sure that you’re adequately providing for each cat so that their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing are met. Be sure to offer multiple food bowls, water bowls, additional litter boxes, and cat trees so that your cats have ample resources to share and don’t feel the need to quarrel over them. Also, feel free to add calming music and cat pheromone diffusers to your household to help your cat relax. If there are any stray cats near your home, it may be helpful to close your blinds, curtains, or patio doors to ensure that your cat cannot see the stray, as this may increase their need to mark their territory in order to send a message to the other cat.
It’s also important that cats have adequate vertical space in the home where they feel safe and secure, such as tall cat trees, bookshelves, shelving, or access to other tall furniture. These items allow cats to perch upon them and view their surroundings from a place of safety.