My cat pees in the bathtub after new dog. Why and how to stop it?

Question

In the past few weeks, Charlie has been doing her buisness in the bathtub. It feels like ever since we got the dog, she's been doing it. The dog is pretty good with her, besides barking and the occasional chase. She knows where her litter box is, as she uses it sometimes but other times she just prefers the bathtub. What can we do to stop and why is she doing this? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 0 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

Inappropriate elimination can be due to either medical or behavioral problems. I always recommend having the cat examined by a vet to rule out any medical problems first, like GI disease, intestinal parasites or a urinary tract infection. If everything is normal on exam then you can consider this a behavioral issue. Cats will sometimes go outside the box if it is not cleaned frequently enough, if the litter or location of the box has been changed, or if there is something in the environment causing the cat stress (like the new housemate). You need to also consider pain/discomfort when using the box, either due to posturing or getting in/out of the box, especially if your cat is older. You may want to consider adding an extra litter box or two to your home, making the boxes more easily accessible. To help decrease your cat’s stress levels try adding pheromone diffusers like Feliway throughout the house. You may want to also consider talking to your vet about a urinary specific diet and possibly consider anti-anxiety medication to help relieve stress. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My cat pees in the bathtub after new dog. Why and how to stop it?

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