My one year old kitten that is a torbie sort of cat (vet never distinguished her breed) has been having issues.
I just recently moved to Texas with my father who has two cats.
My cat, Feyre, has been extremely adaptable and hasn’t hissed once at either cats.
She’s a torbie of some sort so she’s very sassy, and does stuff out of spite.
We’ve put two baby gates up to encourage the cats to see each other, and interact as my father’s diluted torbie cat and my torbie cat are making good friends!
All of a sudden thought she’s been peeing in her litter box, and she starts to raise up and twitch her tail like she’s spraying.
Has anyone had any experience with this?!?
It’s all hardwood floors in the house, so I’m not concerned about that but it’s not my house.
My father understands and wants to find a good solution, but it’s frustrating because then my room smells like pee and she’s hardly done this since being spayed.
Please any tips/tricks are helpful!
I’m sure it’s just territorial behavior, her letting the other cats know that this is her and my other cats room, but I just want to help her if it’s also possibly a medical issue.
Brief Answer:
Your cat, Feyre, is exhibiting a very specific behavior known as “elimination marking” or spraying-while-peeing, strongly indicating that this is a high-anxiety territorial response amplified by the move and the presence of two new cats.
The raised, twitching tail is the classic signal of spraying, but performing this in the litter box is her attempt to reconcile her need to mark territory with her learned appropriate elimination spot.
Although her adaptability is encouraging, the internal stress of establishing her space is manifesting through this behavior.
The first step is mandatory: a veterinary consultation (urinalysis and physical exam) to definitively rule out a medical issue like a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) or cystitis, which can mimic or exacerbate spraying.
Assuming a clean bill of health, the most effective behavioral solution is a low-cost, immediate two-part fix: replacing her current litter box with a very large, high-sided storage bin to contain the spray, and immediately plugging in a Feliway Multicat diffuser in her room to reduce the social tension that is causing the territorial stress.
Detailed Answer:
It is critical to understand that while Feyre appears “adaptable” (not hissing), internal stress in cats can be completely silent until it erupts into an elimination behavior.
Torbie cats, like many tortoiseshell and calico patterns, are anecdotally known for having strong personalities and heightened sensitivity, which makes them more prone to anxiety-driven territorial behavior when their environment changes.
The act of peeing, raising her hindquarters, and twitching her tail is a clear attempt to perform a vertical scent mark (spraying), but she is doing it in the box because she is a well-litter-trained cat attempting to follow the rules in a high-stress situation.
She is trying to assert her ownership over her immediate territory (your room) which is being “invaded” by the scent of the two new cats, even through baby gates.
You must save money and time by ruling out a medical cause first.
Any inflammation or discomfort in her urinary tract (UTI, crystals, sterile cystitis) will lower her stress threshold, making her much more likely to spray.
This vet check is the most essential, cost-effective diagnostic you can perform before investing heavily in behavioral solutions.
For the behavioral fix, there are two primary, cost-saving interventions: Litter Box Modification and Anxiety Management.
Litter Box Modification: Your current box is clearly failing to contain the spray.
Given the vertical aim, switch immediately from any standard or enclosed box to an extra-large, high-sided plastic storage container (a large, clear bin with walls 14-18 inches high) with a low entry cut into one side.
This is a low-cost solution that physically contains the vertical spray entirely, solving your immediate cleaning and odor problem in your father’s house.
Anxiety Management: Since the stress is social (new cats), you need to reduce the perceived threat.
Plug in a Feliway Multicat diffuser in your room and potentially another one in the common area near the baby gates.
Feliway Multicat releases the Cat Appeasing Pheromone, which is specifically designed to reduce tension and conflict in multi-cat settings, easing Feyre’s perception of the other two cats as a territorial threat.
You should also refer to the Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse guide to ensure your introduction process (scent swapping, feeding near the gates) is extremely slow and controlled, minimizing the stress that is fueling her need to mark.
This combination of physical containment and chemical calming is the quickest, most effective way to eliminate this problematic, stress-driven spraying behavior.
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