That's a good answer, but there are a few general themes I think one should consider with a cat that's peeing inappropriately.
- The cat thinks that whatever it is...clothing, shoes, a pillow, you name it...needs to smell more like cat. Possible reasons: marking territory, marking an area as "safe" because the cat is anxious or fearful, covering up strange scents with safe scent. So just as plausible as the cat marking daughter or daughter's clothing as his territory...is a possibility that some smell associated with daughter or her clothing bothers him, and he's neutralizing it the only way he can.
- Peeing in the other place is somehow safer or more comfortable than going in the box. This is where one troubleshoots with a.) Is it a medical problem? If an animal tries in the box, it hurts, then goes elsewhere and it hurts less, that's instant training. If a cat gets declawed, they will often avoid the box for obvious reasons. b.) Placement of the box...if other pets bother the cat while he's trying to go in the box, but he can hide in a bathroom and no one knows he's in there...it only takes a few times of being hassled when you're trying to potty before you look for other alternatives, right?
-EDIT: this one is so obvious I forgot to list it at first. The litterbox needs to be kept clean. To most of us, duh!...to some cat owners I know, complete revelation. Ya gotta scoop it like every day, drives me nuts how many cat owners don't do this...
I think the first category is what you're dealing with. It's a scent thing, either territorial or "safe-scenting". Picking up clothes is the best solution. As others have said.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
