Why is my adopted cat peeing on the sofa? Is it medical or behavioral?

Question

My cat is originally a stray cat. I adopted her for about a year. Now two and a half years old, I have two other cats living together. She refused to use litter box. Maybe its because shes a stray cat before, so I put a pad next to the litter box for her. She is used to pee on the pad. But I found her peeing on the sofa today. Is there any problem of her body? Is it better to train her to use the litter box? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed

Laura Johnson VMD · Accepted Answer

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are medical reasons for peeing outside the litter box: urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, bladder stones or bladder inflammation. Medical causes can become behavioral problems or there is no medical reason and it is just behavioral. Cats really get stressed over each other, they are territorial and when in close contact some cats become stressed or the other cats pick on one cat causing stress. Stressed cats can urinate outside the litter box. My recommendation is to rule out the medical causes. Then I would confine Momo is a room for 2-4 weeks with food/water and a litter box. Discuss starting Prozac with your Vet during the confinement. Clean all soiled areas with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle. Then make the areas undesirable: block them, place aluminum foil over it, etc. Get a few Feliway diffusers to put in areas the cats like to sleep and use one in the room Momo is in. Close all blinds/curtains so Momo can't see outside stray cats. I had to go through this with my owner cat, it isn't fun. But it can work. I wish you the best!

Why is my adopted cat peeing on the sofa? Is it medical or behavioral?

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