I know there are a lot of cat lovers on Dokuga (which proves to me that you don't have to be EITHER a cat lover OR a dog lover...

I have learned to have a blanket on my lap when I am sitting at the computer desk, because the cat loves to jump up on my lap and either lay there or mess with the computer. So tonight, the cat jumped up in his usual manner, and situated himself on my lap. I said to my husband, "Look at this cat~ it looks like he is going pee!" We both giggled a little, thinking the cat was just sitting oddly.

Then, the cat SCRATCHED the blanket. I didn't feel any liquid, since the blanket was a thick acrylic throw, but I suddenly realized that the cat had actually PEED on my lap!

NOBODY LAUGH!

Seriously, I have never heard of a cat doing such a thing before. I thought we had a good relationship. I guess, since he's a male, I should have expected him to eventually p*** on me! Any cat behaviorists out there, who have any idea what he is thinking?

XD I'm trying not to laugh but that's amusing. I've actually seen video's and heard that cat's do then when they go into heat or, in your case, might be responding to another cat that IS in heat near by.

I have a dog myself and have had my leg christened as well though. i have since forgiven my puppy b/c he pee'd on my X-bf when we did the awkward "exchange of stuff we still had between one another."

While my bare leg was christened, his jean-clad legs were christened, and he had 2-3 hours to drive home =x it was ... AWESOME!

don't feel too bad!

It sounds like your cat is marking.

Male cats will do that to people, furniture, cushions, anything that the view as THEIRS. r0o is right, it could be in response to another cat in heat, but males (especially if they are un neutered or were neutered later in life) will go through phases of marking and being... well... jerks.

Best thing to do, there are sprays and little plug in things of cat smellies (hormones? Pharamones? I am not sure which) They are designed to temper the cat and make them not so anxious to mark in a certain area. Also, spray bottle and "BAD KITTY". Don't bother trying to train them, male cats are notoriously rebellious. My cat (and I have had him since he fit in the palm of my hand) every now and then, just to be a jerk, will pee in front of me.

On a more serious note-- sometimes when male cats pee in odd places it is because they have a UTI. If he is straining, or it appears painful for him to go to the bathroom get him to a vet immediately. Male cats develop crystals in their urine, and it starts with the kidney. This is the equivalent of a human kidney stone. They are painful to pass, and sometimes impossible to pass. He can easily block up, back up, and die from an infection. Feel his lower stomach. If it feels tight and he stiffens, or goes into a stance where he acts like he is going to pee and nothing comes out, then go to a vet. Depending on his age, this is a serious thing to look for. (2+ years)

I had one male cat pass away from it when I graduated college and my current male cat had a bout with it a couple years ago.


Edit-- One more thing. LITTERBOX. If their litterbox is not clean, the WILL go in other places. Sometimes that is their way of saying "CHANGE THE DAMN LITTER WOMAN".

That does add an interesting element, Sugar. If I were a really good animal trainer, I could teach him to do this behavior on command. To people other than me. Who I really don't like.

Wow, Terri, you know a lot about cats! I knew I would find someone who could tell me what is up with him. Acutally, I just CLEANED his litter box a few hours previously, and he seems to perform all of his functions normally. About a week ago, I noticed it looked like his right eye was bothering him, so I took him to the vet, who tested him for Feline Lukemia because of coming from a rescue home with over 80 cats in it (results, thankfully, were negative). He gave me a prescription for antibiotic drops for his eye. The vet didn't think I could administer them, but the cat gave me no problems with that. He actually seemed to cuddle and purr even more after being held and given the eye drops. The drops ran out yesterday, and for the first time in a week, I didn't grab him several times a day and put the drops in his eye. Could it be something to do with that? Also, I ran out of Fancy Feast, and gave him some beef I had canned myself at home (no salt or anything added). Could he be angry at no Fancy Feast? Or at not getting eye drops? This seems like quite a stretch of the imagination. He is fixed. He came that way to me from an animal rescue about a year-and-a-half ago, and hasn't done anything "male catty" in all that time until now...

I learned so much about cats when my first one got sick. The one thing I learned was that it is always safest to assume the worst.

If he was in a house with so many other cats, than he is most assuredly marking. Or at least that is the most logical assumption.

It takes cats a long time to settle in to a place, especially if they are being handed off from a house, to a rescue group, to a new owner in a short amount of time. So now that he feels homie he might be staking out his territory.

Like I said, there are sprays you can get to calm him a bit. I'd wait though and see if he does it again, or in a different spot. It could very well have been a one time thing. Check beds, because that is where cats mark the most. (It is where their people's smell is) Check couches too, anyplace where you sit or sleep for long periods of time. The spray is not that costly, but the plug in thingy (it is like a glade plug in, and comes with refills) is pretty pricy.

And keep an eye on him for a bit too. I am still worried it might be a UTI. Diet changes CAN cause that, but from what it sounds like, your feeding him properly. (Just don't give him nine lives or anything. I use Science Diet, a prescription kind, to keep my male cat form having a reoccurrence)

This is gross, but check his litter. if it is the clumpy kind, make sure its clumping to decent amount. Cats should pass at least 1/2 cup of urine a day. If he is only spotting a few drops you may have a problem. If he isn't drinking and eating, again, get him straight to the vet. That is a sure sign something is wrong.

okay well I WAS going to reply, but Terri pretty much summed everything I was going to say up. My first instinct would be to check the litter box to make sure its not too full and to then watch him closely for a UTI. Untreaded a UTI can turn into a urinary block, which could spell death for your feline friend. Take it seriously, because it could be his way of saying "momma, I dont feel good!" we had a near disaster with our little guy, like this too. I thought he was just scent markng but it turned out to be a UTI which went into a full blown urinary block. If in doubt, take him to the vet! The Dr's visit will be a hell of a lot cheeper than the surgery to fix the block, TRUST ME!

Sorry Moxy =(

UTIs in kitties scares me. It was a terrible thing to go through, a horrible financial situation and I lost my best kitty friend ever.

lol its okay, I'll beat u for it later.

I'm sorry about your kitty, but I'm glad you shared. Its important for people to be aware of these signs, because they are so easy to miss if you dont know what you are looking for. We almost lost ours the exact same way. We had just moved into a new place and he started peeing everywhere! I was livid and thought he was just being a little twerp. We came home one afternoon to find him curled up under a dresser, and licking himself. Naturally i saw this as odd behavior for him and picked him up to notice blood on my clothes. I searched for the source to find it was coming from his unmentionables, and paniced. I raced him over to our 24hr Emergency Vet clinic and they immediately took him away from us to undergo minor surgery to remove the block. I didn't have kids at the time so he WAS my baby so you can imagine my terror when they told me we could loose him.

Turns out, Kitty had crystals in his urinary tract! So you guys are brilliant! So for the past three weeks or so, he has been eating a prescription cat food. I have been adding the liquid from two cranberry gelcaps to his nighttime feeding. The vet didn't recommend this, but when I asked her if it was ok, she thought it was brilliant if he would eat it. Which he does. Here is the part that troubles me, though. She sold me a bottle of Cosequin, and told me to mix the contents of two capsules into his morning food. I didn't think anything of it, until I started seeing advertising on television and found out that Cosequin is a medication for JOINT HEALTH. Now I am kind of doubtful about my vet. I work for a retired doctor. The reason he retired is that he said the doctors are practically forced to push the expensive prescription medicines, which sometimes are not as effective as cheapter, older and well-known cures, such as cranberry to acidify a urinary tract, in Kitty's case. The vet is VERY young, and very likable, but now I wonder if she is just trying to make extra money off me by prescribing an unwarranted medication to Kitty. She said that he should stay on it for his whole life. Does anyone have any input for me on this?

That medication actually has two uses. Here is a link that should answer some of your questions. Hope it helps.

www.vetinfo.com/cosequin-joint-supplement-cats.html

You should talk to your vet and ask her why she recommended it. It may be a preventative measure for your cat's future health. You don't say what breed your cat is. I have a male that is 1/2 Maine Coon. They are prone to hip dysplasia. Some breeds are more susceptible to certain diseases and conditions. She may simply be looking out for you and your cat.

Younger vets are more apt to follow the newer theories and advancements in medicine than the older vets who may be set in their ways and think that the tried and true is the only way to go. Whatever the question, don't be afraid to ask. If your vet blows it off, or gives you an unsatisfactory answer, then it is time to find a new vet. One who will be patient and thorough in answering all your questions.

I have gone through this three times.

Each time my vet has given me Amoxicillin-- What that fights is the INFECTION that the crystals can cause. Sadly, your cat has to pass them in order to be rid of them, and the prescription food is supposed to help prevent anymore from forming. So if anything, he needs to stay on a prescription food since he has shown that he can and will form them.

Cranberry juice is a good idea.

I have never heard of a joint medication being prescribed for a UTI or for blockage. Do some looking into it, and flat out ask her if it is needed and why. If she cannot give you a good answer then stop using it. Or you can always get a second opinion. Vets do sometimes push things on people that are completely un needed. (Stool sample for a floatation test? Thats just an extra 20 bucks in their pocket and it doesn't show anything. I have had several vets tell me this.)

I am glad you caught it early! Please PLEASE make sure to keep him on a food that won't cause them. If you stop giving him the prescription stuff, and switch to another DO NO BUY SHELF BRAND. Nine lives and Friskey's has been PROVEN to kill animals because of its contents.

Whatever he is on now, try and find the non prescription of that and see if anything happens. Keep an eye on him because usually switching the food can cause it to happen again. (I gave up and just stuck with the prescription food. He had a repeat UTI with Iams, Pedigree and the normal bags of Science Diet)

I don't usually push my odd feedings habits on others, but cats are originally desert animals. They get most of their water intake from the food they eat. So dry food isnt good for them. Wet is better.

Personally, I feed a raw prey model diet. My cats have never had an issue with UTI's or crystals but people I know that have had those problems with their cats seemed to have cleared up when switched.

Cats are carnivores. So things like grains, veggies, fruits, etc they can't digest those well. They're fillers in the food, not only that but some of them are allergens.

Just something to think about. Hope your kitty gets well fast!

Thanks, Creature of Shadow, that site explained the alternate use of Cosequin for Kitty's bladder. That's a load off my mind, because I didn't want to be ticked off at my vet, I like her!

Time on My Hands~ Kitty seemed to be a young cat, and is a very common Tabby. Since he came from a lady who was running a rescue, and had 80-some cats running loose around her house, the first thing the vet was worried about was feline leukemia, since there was blood in Kitty's urine. He tested negative on feline leukemia, thank goodness, and hopefully, he will not relapse as long as I keep feeding him prescription food, the Cosequin, and I also plan to continue the cranberry pills (though I am amazed he doesn't seem to dislike them...)

Terri~ Thanks for the sound advice. I know I would have a tendency to think the prescription food is just a way for the vet to make money, so I am EXTREMELY grateful for your advice! I WILL NOT screw up and take him off the prescription food, thanks to you~ And I'm sure Kitty is grateful to you, as well!

You know, Khayos, that is a brilliant observation, and here is why: I had been wondering WHY I had cats for years, practically wild barn cats that my old landlord kept bringing to the little farm I lived on (he liked to give me presents, but man...) And while I had to get them all fixed (while working for $3.38 per hour) and treat them regularly for worms and ear mites, none of them had any kind of digestive or urinary tract problems at all. The answer was provided by your post~ they hunted and ate mice, chipmunks, pigeons, etc. almost exclusively. They would hardly touch the food I gave them, and it occurs to me now that not only did their prey probably TASTE better to them, but probably kept them healthier, as well!

My all time best cat, Minerva, would take off for months at a time, but always come back. She loved to go for walks with my first husband and me and our dog, and would walk along ahead of us for miles though the old abandoned farm fields and woodlands around our place. She hunted for herself, and the other cats as well, whom she held in contempt. She gave them the most withering, condescending looks when she gave them her prey! I got random "parts", laid out in a precise line on the porch. One day it would be 20 mouse heads, exactly an inch apart. The next it would be five chipmunk paws~ always the same paw, for example, front right. The next, what appeared to be a dozen identical stomaches of... something. She was the most fascinating cat, but quite a savage hunter. She would accompany my husband when he went to the barn with a .22, loaded with the tiny bird-shot cartridges you can get. He would shoot a pigeon, and she would run and get it like a bird dog! I miss that cat so much, but I don't think she would be happy living in suburbia, where I live now. She moved on to her happy hunting grounds many years ago, but I think about her just about every day. ~sniff~

Cats will do that especially male cats or if they are sick.

I have one female cat in the house currently and she is running around like she is in heat, but since she is too young to go into heat I am thinking along the lines that she is insane lol.

Cats can go into heat as early as 4 months! Just FYI


lol that was exactly my line of thinking a couple years ago! I kept comparing my indoor cats to the ferals I fed and it just clicked one day.

It is amazing how each cat and dog (and horse) has such a unique and individual personality. It is no wonder we love them so much! If only it was so easy to find human companions who possessed so much capacity for love, loyalty, and the ability to take joy in the everyday, common things in life!

Anna~ maybe because I find myself having less energy to spare with each passing day, I find it so adorable when the pets zoom around, pounce on things, and yowl at non-existant beings. But I do think it's amazing that Kitty was able to figure out a sure-fire way of signaling to me that there was something wrong with him. He definitely came up with a direct approach, to tell me he was having trouble urinating, by going pee in my lap!

I am very glad the link helped. I wish you and Kitty the best of luck in kicking this and keeping it gone.