Foiling marking behavior?

[Jenk]

Our vet suggested that we put blankets in our Mini Rexes' pens (they were on linoleum) due to their sore hocks. But our one girl pees onvarious corners of her blanket.

She's dedicated to using her litter box (in one corner of her pen) except for when she marks her blanket. I don't want to wash blankets daily butfear that urine sitting around for a week will just encourage her to continue peeing in that spot (and will make the blanket smell permanently).

Any suggestions on what I might try to get her to stop peeing anywhere but in her litter box? (PS: If we move her box from its current corner, it's likely that she'll mark its former spot.)

Thank you,

Jenk

 

[tamsin]

It might be because the blankets make it feel a bit like new territory. You could try putting extra trays down to keep things clean and you may find the behaviour naturally decreases again as she adjusts.

If she doesn't sit in the corners you could just leave them blanket free. With out them being in the corner (a fav wee spot anyway) she might not do it.

There stuff it the UK called vet bed that is good for flooring. It's like a fleecy rug but designed so the urine soaks through (you can put paper underneath to soak it up, so you don't get a wet patch. It's probably available in the states to but I don't know if it would be sold under the same name.

 

[Jenk]

tamsin wrote:

It might be because the blankets make it feel a bit like new territory. You could try putting extra trays down to keep things clean and you may find the behaviour naturally decreases again as she adjusts.

I've considered that option but really don't want to clean multiple boxes within one pen each day.

If she doesn't sit in the corners you could just leave them blanket free. With out them being in the corner (a fav wee spot anyway) she might not do it.

She does tend to sit in the corners--with or without a blanket present. And we put the blankets in because she suffers from sore hocks, which never seem to heal entirely. So going back to just the linoleum isn't really a good option for her feet.

Also, I suspect that she might now still pee in another corner, even without a blanket present.

There stuff it the UK called vet bed that is good for flooring. It's like a fleecy rug but designed so the urine soaks through (you can put paper underneath to soak it up, so you don't get a wet patch. It's probably available in the states to but I don't know if it would be sold under the same name.

I know the material you mean, but she'd eat it (and the paper, too). And due to her chronic gut issues, we can't give her access to inedible stuff that she'd ingest. I do wish that she were more trustworthy with such stuff.