Cat wetting in house

Question

My cats and I have moved twice in the last 6 months due to a death in the family my Bengal has started wetting everywhere in the house she will not go out at all, I have put cat litter in a box for her she will use that and still wee all over the house.l have tried a couple of things they have not worked. Please help.

Answer 1

I will edit my answer as you answer the questions above, but here's a start.

IMPORTANT: Anytime a cat is not using the litter box, you first must rule out medical reasons. After your vet clears your cat of any medical issues, then you can look toward changing behavior.

CHANGE & COMMUNICATION: Cats, no matter the breed, don't like change. Moving twice in such a short period is a lot for a cat to handle. Add to that, your cat is a Bengal, and you may have a whole other set of issues to overcome. If the issue is behavioral, your cat is likely trying to communicate with you. Although you may not like the method of communication, it's now up to you to figure out what your cat is trying to tell you (besides the obvious, "I don't like change").

THE LITTER: You mentioned that your cat used to go outside. Have you leash trained her? If not, it's always safer to keep your cats inside the house. However, if she is used to going out, you may need to make the litter more like the dirt she would use outside. You can dig up some dirt and grass outside and put that in her litter box. Over time, you can mix in a little litter, and slowly change her over to all litter. This will take some time. Be sure not to rush it.

THE BOX: Bengals are big cats. Be sure you have a litter box that is very large. Pet stores will likely not have a box big enough for your cat. You can use a large plastic storage container. Don't be stingy with the dirt/litter. Cats like to dig and cover. Make it like a sandbox for your kitty. You mentioned you had another cat. This means more litter boxes. The recommendation from behavior experts is one litter box per cat plus one. I have two cats, and they will use two large litter boxes, but this is not always the case. You may need three. If you have different levels to your house, you may need to put a litter box on each level.

THE ENVIRONMENT: Now, let's talk about your house. You need to try to make your house more "fun" than the previous houses. Every cat needs stimulation from their environment, but this especially goes for a Bengal. Bengals need plenty of running space, lots of things to climb, and interactive toys- not to mention a lot of attention from you. You can put shelves like stair steps going up and down your walls, and get a couple very tall cat trees with lots of levels. If she is a typical Bengal and likes water, fill the bathtub or sink so she can play in it. I would also recommend interactive food/treat toys, so she has to work for her food.

OTHER: Is your cat spayed? Unaltered cats typically have more unpredictable behavior. Is there another cat outside? If your kitty smells another cat outside, she could be reacting to another cat in her territory. This requires making the perimeter of your house undesirable to other cats.

This is a difficult problem to overcome. Please be patient, and thank you for caring enough about your kitty to post this question. I really hope this helps!