Sphynx kitten behavior? Issues

[PurranhasDen]

So I had mentioned the potty issues in a prior post. With the pet steps and Spike getting a bit bigger, I had thought we had conquered the issue with him peeing on my bed. This afternoon, he woke me up (I work night shift) by climbing into his usual spot on my shoulder. While he was purring away, I moved and #$+*#, a big ol’ wet spot. Once again quilt and down comforter in the washer, for like the 5th time in 2 weeks. Fortunately I have a waterproof cover on the mattress, so that’s protected. He’s more than capable of getting on and off the bed and in and out of the high sided litter pans as well as the litter robot. There is also a low sided litter pan in his room.
We went a couple of days with no accidents so I thought we were over that And I got brave enough to put the down comforter back on the bed. He is getting plenty of food. He gets a pouch of Nulo and a can of kitten Instinct twice a day. He turned his nose up at kibble until I added a little water to it. The only change is that I’ve switched the Nulo out for some Weruva because I ran out and the new stuff won’t be here for a couple of days. We‘ll go back to the Nulo when it gets here.
I don’t know if he’s still not able to get off the bed on time or he’s marking or what. I’m thinking of consulting his vet. He’s just barely 4 months old and his vet prefers to not neuter until 6 months.
I love him dearly but I cannot be having this happen. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Edit— some of the issue might be the change in food. The little boo has an upset tummy. I corralled him in my office/his room for the night because I didn’t want to come home to another accident after a 12 hour shift. Well, the stench in his room was ummmm fragrant??. He not only had some stinky diarrhea, he walked in it. Yeccchh!! I cleaned his feet off, cleaned his room, etc. I hate to keep him secluded in there but until the runs clear up, he needs to be. He’ll be back on his regular food as of tomorrow. In the meantime no more wet. He has dry kibble moistened with water and fresh drinking water. We’ll still be getting a vet appointment this week. (Monday, hopefully).

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Are you washing the comforter with enzymatic cleaner added in?

Cats will often continue to eliminate on things they have already peed/pooped on if it is not cleaned with this type of cleaner. Have you tried adding Kitten Attract litter to the litter boxes?

You might to confine them to a small bathroom until you can see they are using the boxes properly for a longer period of time. @PurranhasDen

 

[PurranhasDen]

Nope, no better on the peeing issue. He’s back on his regular food, so no more stinky poo. I washed everything, AGAIN! And soaked the duvet, mattress’s and sheets as well as the mattress (even though that’s under the waterproof cover in the above mention enzyme stuff.
This morning, same thing. He curls up my my neck, purring away. I turn over and ewwwww! So I sit, (at 4am (needing to get up for work soon) on the couch listening to the washer. He is in his room with the door closed. The next step is replacing the duvet and putting a waterproof cover on it.
Incannot live like this. If this happens even after replacing stuff, I’m going to have to re home him. Maybe it’s because I am gone for 12 hours at a clip, I don’t know. When I’m home, he eats, plays, etc like a normal kitten but it’s only when I go to sleep ,and it’s the same damn place every night.
Im out of options at this point.
He knows where the litter box is and uses it just fine. Closeted in the spare bedroom is no way to live, for him or me.☹️
Help!

 

[nudebea]

Oh gosh I really feel for you. Could you try putting something different on the bed for a couple of days, like blankets instead of the duvet, or even sleep in a different bed if that is an option, just to see really if he still pees? Or possibly stop him sleeping with you for a little while? Let us know what your vet s opinion is x

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Agree it could be the duvet. We have seen cats continue to pee on bathroom mats. We tell them pick up the mat just to see and many cats just went to their litter box instead.

 

[PurranhasDen]

Edit: I found an old thread here that recommends getting him neutered ASAP. He’s just over 4lbs, so I think he’s big enough but it’ll be up to the vet.

 

[PurranhasDen]

I spoke with his breeder and her suggestions were the same as what y’all have proposed. So for now he is in his room at night (or day, depending on my work/sleep schedule. I dozed off on the couch this morning and he napped with me and there were no wet spots on the bed. I have a new duvet with a waterproof cover. I don’t particularly like the cover but it will stay for now. I think it really may be territorial. With him in his room, the other 3 fur balls were back on the bed last night. I think we’ll keep this routine for the foreseeable future.
He howls himself to sleep in there and it breaks my heart to here it but hopefully him being around the others when I’m home/awake will help with the territory issues as he grows up a bit. Also neutering at the appropriate time.

 

[Yoda mom]

@PurranhasDen , glad you will be neutering,, many vets 6 mos/ lbs. *reminder to confirm NO Ketamine anesthesia.
echoing advise shared.

I will share decades ago I adopted a male bengal stud show cat. I trained him like a dog. He preferred the large litter box and unscented litter.
I kept a treat jar near litter boxes. when he went in I gave praise . as soon as he exited , I gave praise and two treats immediately on the floor as he got out. he quickly learned the routine. I did a kitty room for him while proofing him and carefully watching him. I gave him praise and random treats his entire life. lol. he would pee in the litter box and then come out and look for a treat and petting.
I also have multiple kitties and scoop 2x day and freshin it up with some fresh litter on top. lol they go in right away as soon as I am done.
my moms kitty had an isssue. switched to an open litter box and dr elseys unscented litter/blue white bag and never an issue again with her girl.
keep up your routine, you got this. let us know when neutering is scheduled.

will also share breeder recommended Mr Max anti poo. comes scented and unscented. I keep it on hand and wash dog beds with it for years in HE machine.

@PurranhasDen ,can get online. my vets office sell it too.
more info on the site: Anti-Icky-Poo | mister-max

Mister Max

Mister Max Quality Products

www.mistermax.com

 

[PurranhasDen]

Sigh. I’m not having any luck. New bedding, blasted what I couldn’t replace (the mattress itself, even though it too had a waterproof cover) in the Natures miracle stuff. I have a Feliway diffuser going in the bedroom and all was well for a few days….then bam!! A new puddle in a new place. The new duvet had a waterproof cover on it so that’s salvageable. The breeder says that he is trying to tell me something. I get that and I am afraid that it is that living with three other adult cats is not good. The other three furball seem to be fine. They don’t particularly interact with him, more just tolerate him. I contacted the breeder again. I think he’s going to need a home where a.) the humans can pay more attention to him and b) perhaps be an only cat. Locked in his room, alone for 18 hours a day while I am either at work or sleeping is no way to live.
The contract says that the breeder has first rights to re-home so we will see what she says.
I hate this as he is such a darling but I cannot be getting peed on constantly.

 

[PurranhasDen]

I have a drop off vet appointment for tomorrow. His vet is familiar with the breed and is in fact the vet for his breeder. I want to rule out anything physical. My experience with UTIs in male cats is that they can’t go. He goes just fine, just in the singular wrong place. What’s makes me think it’s territorial is that when I deposit him in his room, the other 3 go right back to sleeping on the bed and all. How much Feliway is too much? I have the diffuser going. Apparently there is also a spray that I can use on areas where he’s peed. Anyone have experience with that?

 

[Yoda mom]

@PurranhasDen , you are doing all you can (((hugs))). I am glad you have reached out to the breeder to do right by him if necessary. surely heartfelt. kudos to you for the vet check tomorrow to rule out anything physical, maybe stress related UTI? great the vet familiiar with breed and also the breeder's vet. * I always recommend bringing a fresh stool sample for vet to check.

my breeder recommended the mr max anti icky poo. there are several products in their line. I included the pics and link above in my previou reply I tagged you in along with some tips I used.

I use the anti icky poo spray in my HE wash machine no problem to actually spray dog beds to wash.

also, brainstorming, what litter do you use? are the litter boxes large, uncovered? location near washer or dryer?

my boys perfer a large litter box with dr elseys unscented litter.
and I have the jumbo catit litter box I always pop off the door flap. the other big box they love is the good petstuff hidden litter box (I don't use the decorative moss it comes with**) . I have at least 1 extra litter box per kitty.

as for the feliway, I personally had to remove/unplug. I put them in when I got toby at 11 mos old and was not neutered and scheduled his neuter asap. He actually would sniff the feliway diffuser growl and twitch his tail. many use with good results and surely will chime in.

please be sure to check out the pics and link I shared in above reply for Mr max anti icky poo. I buy the gallon online (scented or unscented) and put full strength in a spray bottle.

following closely for updates ((((hugs n head smooches)))

ps: my first sphynx kitten was a weirdo. she would pee in the litter box with dr elseys unscented litter.(blue white bag) , and poo in a litterbox next to it with pellet litter. she was so picky.

did you start out using the same litter /box style as the breeder?

Sphynx pooping or peeing outside the litter box

It can be very frustrating when a cat/kitten starts not using the litter box. The first thing to do is see your vet to rule out a UTI (urinary tract infection) if your cat see is peeing outside of the litter box. A urinary infection can become very serious very fast if it is not treated quickly...

sphynxlair.com

 

[PurranhasDen]

The house has 4 boxes. 2 are large ones that I’ve taken the lid off of. One of those is in the laundry room but it’s just me so the W/D is not constantly running. Plus it’s a well ventilated room. Another is in my bathroom (because we all need company while using the facilities, lol) I have a litter robot that everyone (including Spike) uses. Judging by the frequency of the notices from the app (my friggin’ litter box has WiFi???) it is a very popular choice. There is also a lower sided regular box in his room. I am using the ‘Scoop and slide’ litter as it works very well with the robot and clumps wonderfully. Hopefully delivered today is some Dr Elsey’s kitten attract stuff.
Just spoke with his breeder (she really is a wonderful resource) and she suggested crating him for a while. Possibly being shut in his room is not getting the point across. So I have a 3 level crate on the way and will put that in my room where he will be when I am sleeping or not home. That will allow the others to be around him and he will hopefully warm up to them. This will actually be good as I am having workmen through the house in the next few weeks for some new flooring.

 

[Yoda mom]

@PurranhasDen , thank you for the update. glad you are talking with the breeder. I know members have used the 3 level crate. ** be sure no clothing collars on as can get stuck on crate. ( my moms neighs pup had an incident).
side note, with workers in and out I put up my kiitties in my bedroom so no accidental escapes. I also double check with the microchip company that they have my current info and numbers just as a precaution.

some other members use the liitter robot too.. I didnt know they had wifi!

 

[PurranhasDen]

The robot thing is by Meowant. I guess it’s sort of an off brand. However it works great, is quiet and actually has a lower step in approach. No stair climbing necessary. The app thing gets programmed with the weights of the cats and when cat climbs in and does its thing, it triggers a notification with who was in there and for how long. It also has a cleaning schedule in addition to when the cat leaves it.
It’s not nearly as expensive at the litter robot. I’m thinking of getting a second one to replace one of the others. It does make litter chores so much easier

 

[Yoda mom]

@PurranhasDen , thank you for sharing the Meowant litter box. helpful to the community here looking at alternative automatic boxes/prices

 

[PurranhasDen]

So, a bit of an update. A visit to the vet elicited a good bill of health and a chance for the staff to love all over him. Urine is being sent out to completely rule out any issues. Feliway plug ins are all over the house. For the moment, Spike is still in his room at night (or day when I am asleep). He also is in there to eat so that the others don’t snarf his food. I’ve noticed with the Feliway, he doesn’t scream all night. Hollers a little then goes to sleep. I am expecting delivery of a sizable kennel that will be placed in my room. He will be in there when I am in bed. He can then be within sight of me and the other 3 fur balls. I’ll feed him in there as well. This will go on for a few weeks, at least until the floor renovation is done.
it seems to be okay to leave him out when I am at work. I suspect that is because there is no interest in being on the bed as I am not there. The vet also recommended something called Zylkene to mix with his food.
I think all of this plus him growing up a little (getting a bit bigger) will be helpful. He will also be getting neutered in about 6 weeks.
All in all, I believe that we are on a positive direction with my little boy.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Sounds like a good game plan! Great observations on your part that you shared with your vet.


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[Yoda mom]

@PurranhasDen , so happy Spike got a clean bill of health! keep us updated on his urine test.
you are certainly going the extra mile with soo much love and care. you got this! and you definitely have a game plan.
hugs n head smooches Team Spike and all paws! following for updates. all paws are family.

 

[PurranhasDen]

Ye olde update on the pee-ing chronicles. Crate came and is set up in my bedroom. Around the same time we went a few days without any peeing issues so I figured I’d limit crate usage to when he is eating, so as to not have him need to defend his food from the other three adults. He gladly goes in there eats, and then loudly informs me when it’s time to get out. I thought the entire issue had been fixed until two days ago when I realized, there were two large dried pee stains on the waterproof duvet cover. Nothing other than the cover was damaged and that’s washable. But there is still the issue of it happening. So now, if I am in bed, he is in his crate. He screamed loudly for a while, but now , he briefly expresses his opinion about it and then settles down and goes to sleep. He has toys in there, a water fountain, and a fresh litter box. I guess he’s OK being in there all night. I’m going to continue to try leaving him out when I’m not home with the idea that maybe it has something to do with me being in bed. If I have another accident, he will have to be in the crate when I’m at work and when I’m in bed.
I am still wondering if maybe his little legs are just too short to navigate the fluffiness of the duvet. If that is the case this, then this will be our routine until he’s a little bigger. As much as I hate it, he seems to be OK with it. I suspect it bothers me more than it bothers him. Even though he jumps on and off the couch and chairs and uses the steps to get on the bed as well as diving off the bed, it may be that it’s just too soft and squishy for him to feel sure of foot at the same time he’s got to potty.
Just as an aside, I added an additional litter robot to the house, bring the total to 1 per cat plus the small one in Spike’s crate. Don’t know if that will help the inappropriate peeing issue, but it certainly can’t hurt with having four cats here. I am also adding Zylkene to his food. Anyone else have experience with this stuff?
As the joke in nursing charting goes….”will continue to monitor.”

 

[Sheldon13]

Are all of your litter boxes with litter robots?


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[PurranhasDen]

Are all of your litter boxes with litter robots?


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I have 2 big open boxes and 2 litter robots. They are actually a different brand than the Litter Robot but same idea. They have a lower approach to get in them (no stairs) and Spike uses them just fine.

 

[Sheldon13]

Hmmm. I’m just wondering if he has an aversion to either the box or the litter type. Just another thought. They can be just as picky as some humans when it comes to bathroom habits.


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[Yoda mom]

@PurranhasDen , great job Team Spike. keep us updated. not sure if I shared, we switched my moms kitty to dr elseys unscented clumping in blue and white bag and never an issue again

Sphynx pooping or peeing outside the litter box

It can be very frustrating when a cat/kitten starts not using the litter box. The first thing to do is see your vet to rule out a UTI (urinary tract infection) if your cat see is peeing outside of the litter box. A urinary infection can become very serious very fast if it is not treated quickly...

sphynxlair.com

 

[PurranhasDen]

I am very sad to report that I am having to make arrangements for Spike to go back to his breeder. After all the different things I’ve tried (kenneling, etc.) I still found another pee spot on the bed. I don’t think it’s another of my beasties because the end of the bed where this happens is also where they all prefer to sleep. By process of elimination, it only happens when Spike is out of his kennel (or out of his room when that was the situation).
He needs a better home where maybe he’s not with 3 adults. I’ve spent an unholy amount of money trying to fix this issue but I cannot and will not live with getting pissed on all the time. I realize he’s just a baby and I’ve tried to be patient but I am at the end of my rope. His vet says they are not territorial at this age but I’m kinda wondering. He’s not yet old enough to be neutered but I’m not sure I have the patience to wait. When one is trying to reapply a waterproof cover to one’s bedding at 4am (again) it’s difficult to not be upset.
I feel like a horrible catmom. After all I went through to get him, I’m heartbroken at having to give him up. But we both need to be happy and clearly neither of us are.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

So sorry. I am sure it was a very hard decision to make.


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