I have a 4 month old male kitten. He was using the litter box fine ever since I got him when he was 8 weeks old. Now he has been peeing everywhere. Especially in my vents and that's no fun place to have it.
I'd see about switching litter box areas, if that fails, change litter brands, if that fails go to the vet-- might have a minor urinary infection.
Male cats reach sexual maturity any time from 4 to 10 months. If you boy isnt neutered, that may be a factor. If he is neutered I would check for a urinary tract infection or crystals in his urine. There is a special diet for crystals in the urine. Pay close attention to this as it can cause a sudden fatal blockage in male cats. Without veterinary intervention they can die within 24 hours. Either one can make urination painful and cause him to begin avoiding the litter box. Dont wait, see your vet, you dont want that to become a habit.
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I have 2 cats. One is skinny with long hair. The other is the oldest, a short hair, and chubby. Both are healthy, up to date on shots, no issues, etc.
When cleaning out the boxes (we have 6) by either scooping them out or the bi-weekly clean, I notice pools of pee underneath the boxes. I have watched them from afar and neither seem to pee over the edge, on top, and so forth. They both seem to pee inside of the boxes with ample room. The litter is unscented, the boxes are in a private area for them, not around vents, etc. I have tried putting mats underneath, towels, placemats, everything I could think of. I've used enzyme cleaners, non citrus smell cleaners, etc. I have checked the boxes and there are not any cuts or tears on them, no leaks, nothing. I am at a lost.
Why is there pee underneath the boxes? What can I do to stop it? I have to replace a brand new wood floor because of this.
This is so odd. Does it happen with all 6 boxes?
If it was just one, I would say there was a leak in the box that you can't see, but is slow. You could tell if you put a few drops of blue or red food coloring and water in the empty pan and let it sit on a paper towel outside you would see the dye stain on the towel after it sits for a while.
OR, the other thing it could be (we had this issue) where a pipe sprung a very slow "spray" leak and it was spraying water up on the wood floor so much that it soaked through the subfloor and into the upstairs floor--that was how we figured out we had a leak. it was a big fat mess...it wasn't dripping so much as being sprayed up in a slow steady leak.
If it is all of the boxes perhaps it is something that one of your cats is doing in the middle of the night when they are tired or can't see as well.
If you can get pee samples from both, I would have that checked out just to be safe...cats can often have very limited symptoms of urinary tract infections and may pee outside the box when this happens.
The cats I sit for, each litter box has a piece of plastic shower curtain type material underneath the box and on top of that a layer of newspapers that I would change every day or two.
Post back with an update.
If you are putting towels underneath and there is still pee, they must be urinating outside the box. I would invest in a baby monitor to see what is going on.
I have had this happen. As cats get older they have more trouble with sides of litter boxes being harder to step over. It can also be harder for them to get in the right position.
I believe my male cat is peeing on the throw rugs right next to the catbox. I place the rugs there to catch the sand from the cats' paws to stop it from being tracked all over the house. Both of my cats have been fixed and do not go outside. I have a 14 year old "mother" cat and her 13 1/2 year old "baby." Is there something I can spray on the rugs to stop him from doing this?
By Elizabeth P.
Two things come to mind. Your cats are old enough to have arthritis and/or a bladder infection. The pain of a bladder infection can make cats avoid the litter box, and go nearby instead. Arthritis makes it hard for them to step over the side into the litter box, so they go nearby. I got a plastic storage container and cut one side quite low for my older cat.
I was watching Jackson Galaxy's show, "My Cat From Hell" last weekend, and one of his cases had that issue, going outside the litterbox. With that cat, it was because it was declawed and its litter was too rough and hurt its feet. Even if yours aren't declawed it could be a paw pain issue. Or, it could even be a kidney or bladder issue. Hope all turns out well!
I had the same issue and thought that the cat is just not trained, but After reading and learning myself, I have realized - Cat does not pee in the box because there is a reason and you need to find it: most likely the box is not clean, or she is stressed, or has UTI or other problem. Once the problem is solved the issue goes away.
I was cleaning my cat's litter box last night and he walked by me and peed right in front of me away from his litter box. This is the first time he has done this. Tonight I went to clean his box again and I smelled something and he peed in the same spot and on his rug under the litter box. Does this mean he's sick? He drinks enough water, because he drinks from the bathroom tub and the faucet. I changed his food amonth ago, but no problems. Help please.
By Christine
He may have a bladder infection. Check that out. I hate to tell you this, but my cat now ignores his litter box and instead uses newspaper that I put down in a non-carpeted corner. He just decided that he didn't need to use the litter box. I hope that is not the case for your cat.
Yes may be a medical problem.
Some quick solutions:
- If there is a change in toilet behavior with no obvious cause, it may be caused by illnesses such as urinary tract infections, blocked anal glands, worms and parasites, diabetes and tumors. These illnesses may have no other obvious signs, apart from this urination problem. So you must consider a visit to the vet. In other cases you may see symptoms such as lethargy, blood in the urine, diarrhea, or constant licking in the anal area. If you see this, then your first stop is the vet!
- Look at the litter box itself. Ensure youre cleaning out the waste once or twice a day, and changing the litter every 3-4 days for non-clumping litter (2-3 weeks for clumping litter). Clean the tray with hot water and mild detergent, without any strong odors such as citrus or ammonia, which will repel the cat from the box. If you have multiple cats, remember the number of trays should equal number of cats, plus one or two. If youve changed brands of litter, this may have caused the problem as many cats dislike this change, especially to scented litter. Return to the older litter. If you want to change, introduce unscented litter gradually by mixing the old with the new over 2 weeks. And ensure that the location of the box is acceptable: no loud noises, has some privacy, and is not in view of other cats.
- Consider adding in 1 more litter box to another suitable private location of the house. This is because sometimes its not the litter box thats the problem, but a negative experience there. For example, if your kids played with the cat while she was on the litter box, or if the cat had pain when urinating, such as during a urine infection, after having kittens, or had a procedure done on the bladder or urethra at the vet, then the cat would associate pain with that litter box. Even if the pain is gone, the association and is still there.
For more visit: catpeeingoutsidelitterbox.blogspot.../
We let our cat go out into the garage (I think she thinks she's going outside). We live where there are a lot of coyotes so I never allow her to go into the "real" outside. Unfortunately, she started using the cement floor of the garage instead of her litter-box (I made one available for her there). Now when she is inside (which is most of the time), she is using our tile floors instead of her litter box. What can I do? Can she be re-trained to use her litter box again? And is there a good way to get rid of the urine smell out of my tile?
By Patty
Often this is an indication of a common medical problem in cats such as crystals in the urine. It is easily diagnosed and remedied but you need to have the cat examined by your vet. The office visit and medication will be far less expensive in the long run than all the cleaning products for your carpets!
Cats will seek a cool place to urinate when they have crystals or a bladder infection. they will often use a sink or bathtub. But tile and cement would clearly fill the bill. Be sure and have your cat checked out right away. both conditions are very painful. I think solving the physical problem will stop the inappropriate urination. Try Natures Miracle enzyme soak from the pet store for odor on your tile. It is a life saver. They sell it by the quart and gallon. I havent needed the gallon yet :) Good luck with your baby.
I have a female cat, almost 2 years old, named Lady Kitty. She is fixed, however my boyfriend and I got two brother kittens who are now 6 months old and are not fixed.
Lady Kitty poops in the litter box shared with the two male cats, but refuses to pee in it. She will pee in a very small cramped space between the toilet and the cabinet thingy, she also pees right outside in front of the litter box, and on the side of the litter box. The litter box has a top on it if that's a big deal in the problem.
I know she's not acting out to be mean because she's a very nice loving cat. She's a little skiddish, but that's only after she pees outside the litter box. She loves the kittens, she cuddles with them all day and cleans them. I don't know if the enclosed litter box is the problem, the kittens not being fixed, or that I need more litter boxes. I don't know what else it could be. I do know my boyfriend won't let me keep her if she doesn't stop peeing outside the litter box. She's a good girl and I love her. Please anyone that studies cat behaviors or someone that can just help me solve this problem please either get ahold of me or comment a solution. I'm in desperate need of help for this issue. Thank you.
By Alli Marie B. from Oneonta, NY
With 3 using the litter box you might need to get a second box, or possibly a larger box. I needed to get a larger box when I took in two little ones.
Why does my cat pee just outside the litterbox, but poops in the box?
By clark from Creve Coeur, IL
Sometimes they're inside the box but positioned in a way that the pee goes outside. You can also try the trays used under washing machines in case the machine leaks. They're large enough for the litter box with room around them for any accidents.
My 2 year old fixed female cat has started to urinate in my room at night. She doesn't urinate anywhere else and she doesn't urinate in my room during the day. I leave my door open so she has plenty of opertunity to go downstairs and use the letterbox, but she doesn't. Nothing in her routine has changed lately. Please help, I don't understand why she's doing this.
By Mikayla W. from Portland, OR
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We have a 14 year old female cat. Very active, just a little slow. She now has decided to poop in her box, but cannot seem to pee in it. Any help? Thanks.
I need help with my cat. She will climb into our litterbox about half way and then pee on the scratch pad right in front of it. She will do this if the box isn't cleaned or even when the fresh litter is put down. I don't know what else to do.
