If no-one else on here can help, maybe have a chat to the vet? They might have some idea about how to manage or there may be some medication your cat can have.

I have a 16 year old cat who's become rather senile and, at times, dirty She used to be very nervous of anyone she didn't know but as her senility has increased the nerves have decreased.

If your cat isn't of a nervous disposition I'd have thought he'd be fine in the cattery so long as you ask the staff to be vigilant regarding poss urinary tract/kidney problems (make sure they check if he's passed urine, either in the tray or elsewhere).

Also take advise from your vet.

If it were my old girl I'd put her in the cattery, she'd just sleep most of the time anyway and the rest of the time probably stare vacantly into space happy in her own little world!

Pippy

Don't forget his vaccinations will need to be up to date for any cattery to allow him to board.

We used to have two cats and one of them was very destructive, tearing wallpaper, etc. During the night and when we were out they only had access to the kitchen and the hall.

As for putting him in a cattery, I would advise checking out a couple of the ones your are thinking of using first to make sure you are happy with them, but I think he'd be fine there.

My cat and dog used to go to my parents when we went on holiday as I didn't want them to be lonely and felt they would be in a cattery. However my Mum's cat developed FIV, the feline equivalent of HIV, and they could no longer go there so I was force to put them in a cattery/kennels. It was the best thing I ever did as the dog just loved it and the cats didn't seem to mind.

After finding a cattery you're happy with, what about putting him in for one or two nights before you go on holiday to see how he gets on?

luci

The first thing to do is to take him to the vet and get him checked out - there might be a medical reason for him doing this. Both male and female cats can develop cystitis and this might simply be a case of, especially at night, that he wakes up, feels the urge to go and simply can't get to his tray in time. If it is cystitis then a course of antibiotics will clear it up quickly.

The second thing to do is to ensure that you thoroughly clean every spot where he's been so that no scent lingers any longer. But don't use ordinary detergent or bleach - you need a specialist enzyme-based cleaner. I find that 'Wash and Get-off' seems to be the best currently on the market for this. I always found one made by Hartz was really good but it just doesn't seem to be available now. This will stop him returning to and developing a habit of going where he's been before.

Thirdly, get some Felaway from your vet too - it is a pheromone based product available as either a spray or a plug-in. Not cheap but worth it for an older stressed cat that gets upset at changes in its routine. I always leave one plugged in in my hall and living room while I'm away. It helps the cat feel re-assured that it really is safe in home, marked territory and it won't feel the need to mark it's territory with urine.

I can appreciate why you don't want him in at night but if he's been used to staying in at night then keeping him out at night could possibly be making the situation worse. It will make him feel insecure and that 'home' is now no longer his territory which could make him want to mark it out as his all the more. Is it possible to confine him at night to somewhere that you can provide him with a comfy warm bed in and a litter tray wthin easy reach but is easy to clean in the event of accidents? A downstairs loo or perhaps the kitchen if you have a vinyl floor? Though I can appreciate that having a litter tray and/or puddles isn't ideal where you are preparing food. A friend found that her conservatory, which had a tiled floor, proved to be the ideal 'bedroom' for her cat when faced with a similar situation.

Linked with this, are you absolutely sure that his home territory isn't being invaded by an intruder? I had a catflap controlled by magnetic keys on my cats' collars which unbeknwonst to me brokedwond and was allowing a neighbour'ss cat to get in while I was out at work! The first I knew about it was when my own cats started to show signs of stress including inappropriate weeing. I took to locking the flap until it could be replaced and they all stopped immediately.

Finally, and I know from experience that this can be so hard but do take him to the vet and check him out for anything more serious. This sort of behaviour can be a result kidney faliure or of tumours in the bladder and/or the bowel which create pressure similar to the urge to 'go' and if this is the cause then they can go dowhill quickly. Faced wth this situation with one of my cats, I reluctantly decided that the kindest thing to do was to let him go quietly and I arranged for the vet to do a home visit and Harry quietly and peacefully went to sleep into my arms. I cried my eyes out but it saved him from any further pain and distress and meant he died at home and in peace.

A similar situation arose later with one of my other cats and I've always regretted that I agreed to one more final operation that showed that the tumour was too far gone to save her and so the vet advised that it was best not to bring her around from the anaesthetic. So in the end she died after a traumatic trip to the vets and being put through what turned out to be unnecessary surgery because nothing could be done. I realised that I'd been clutching at straws and had subjected her to this for my sake rather than her's and I just wish that I had arranged for Cleo to die peacefully at home like Harry. I just hope that when Mollie's time comes - she's getting on a bit too now - that I have the courage to let her go peacefully at home too and don't try and keep her going long after her quality of life has disappeared.

SM

Thanks so much for the comments.

He's had his yearly check-up and boosters a few weeks ago and was given a clean bill of health. Other than his daily medication for his arthritis (which keeps him agile) he's fine. He's had kidney problems in the past but isn't displaying any of his usual signs.

Pippy/Luci - He has been to a local cattery years ago, the one we used is still in operation and my SIL has been taking her cat there for the last few years so at least I know it's OK. He was OK when he was in there but I'm just being soft I think as he's an old boy now and you're probably right Pippy, if I took his fluffy bed he probably would jsut sleep all day!

SM - that's a great suggestion about Felaway - I've never heard of it but I'll certainly pop in the vets tomorrow and ask for it. I'll also ask to speak to one of the vets and see what he says as in a way I'd hate to have to take him unnecessarily as he gets so distressed when he's there. And you're right - they can go downhill quickly; we almost lost him 18mths ago but because of his past problems with his urinary tract I'm vigilant about his toilet habits and we got him to the vets in time but we were told the op could be too much and he may not pull through. Like you with Harry I wouldn't put him through that again.

He's been OK for 3 nights now. As an experiment we put him in in the kitchen last as that's where his food and tray are so we just moved his bed in there. He was a bit indignant when we let him out in the morning but other than that everything was as it should be.

Thanks again x

One more thing while I think on - Felaway is brilliant for spraying in and around their 'box' when you do have to take them to the vets. It does seem to calm them down and feel less anxious on the journey. I'm not at all sure how or why it works - just that it does - though it apparently it is very similar to the secretions from their face glands that they rub up against things to mark them. It must convince them that they've been there before and so things must feel less strange to them if they can smell it! They're not just being friendly when they rub their faces against your legs etc - their marking you as theirs and nobody elses :-)

SM

I have two 18 month old "indoor" cats. Both fully toilet trained but a few months ago one began acting strangely, soending 20 minutes at a time in the litter tray then another 10 minutes behind the TV where she would wee, then back in the litter tray!
Two visits to the vets, first treatment for constipation, then we tried cystitis and she is back to normal.

It may be that there is a medical problem that is just making it stress full to go to the loo.

I know how attached we become to cats and would never advocate getting rid of an animal for your own convenience but at the same time if he has other problems, is getting stressed in certain situations, and incontinence is becoming a hygene issue at home maybe it would be kinder to the cat to put him to sleep. But only you know all the facts.