sudden onset of urinating and biting issues

by Molly
(Louisville, KY)

I have a male cat, Tristan, who I adopted from the Humane Society 7 years ago when he was 4 months old. He has always been a wonderful cat-playful, affectionate, and hardly ever a behavior problem. He has peed in a corner occasionally (maybe once or twice every couple years), but never anything consistent. When I got him he had recently recovered from a broken leg, but other than that and a urinary tract infection 5ish years ago, he's had no other heath problems. He has recently, (in the past couple months), began both peeing on things (personal things-in my purse, on my husband's shoes, etc) and biting me when I pet him. He still wants to come sit in both my and my husband's lap (although my lap has become only a way to get to my husband's) but when I reach to pet him he will bite (or attempt to bite) either right away or after a few seconds of petting and then immediately flinch and jump down and run off.

I feel like since he chooses personal things to pee on that he's trying to tell me something, or that he's angry with me. We are moving into an apartment in two weeks, and he can't be peeing all over the place. He is healthy, no urinary issues. Does he just, (and I know this sounds silly, but), not like me anymore? If you have any ideas at all, I would truly appreciate it. Thank you so
much for your time.
-Molly T. Louisville, Ky

Answer by KAte
umm A strange one this. cats don't behave like we do i.e thinks like anger, jealousy etc are not part of their makeup.

Everything they do is for a reason other than emotional, so either he sense the up and coming move and this has scared and unsettled him and he is trying to make the home smell more like him to comfort him (using personal items from their owners is common as they smell most strongly of you and this helps to comfort them) or he is feeling unwell and the only way a cat can show us this is when their behavior changes.

the hand biting is odd though if he has not done this before.

if it were me i would take him to the vets for a check up, discuss the issue with the vet just in case there could be some problem with his urinary tract which could be making him feel under the weather and grumpy.

If he gets a clean bill of heath then it has to be down to something which is upsetting him and i would say that with the move coming up and changes happening around him such as packing etc this may be the cause.

please read my pages about moving with a cat to help him settle in.

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/moving-with-cat.html

May also want to go through the litter training process with him in the new home too

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter-box.html

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Same problems
by: Anonymous

While you seem to think this is strange, it sounds exactly like my situation. I have had my male cat for 10 years. No changes to home, not moving, my son is a teenager now and I have taken the cat to the vet and a clean bill of health. With that said, over the last year, will come up, cuddle in my lap, pet for a few minutes and then attack. Jump down & run off. As of late, peeing on shoes. Pees on plastic bags, clothes on the floor. Litter box is cleaned every morning. He is shown affection but then will wander off and just pee somewhere. I'm desperately trying to find out the reason for this behavior, since his life is very stable and I don't see anything that he should be stressed about.

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