advice on cats peeing outside the litter box

Starlage

Oh my god you guys, cat nightmare!!!! AUGH!!! Here I am using the forums for something COMPLETELY unrelated to weightloss. (maybe not- this causes me stress which raises cortisol levels right? haha j/k)
So here my story: my older cat (about 13, female, had her her whole life) has taken to peeing outside the litter box. NOOOO!!!!!!!!!! say it aint so. So frusterating... a couple of weeks ago I found a spot next to the litter box and thought it was odd but this morning I caught the little lady squating in the corner near the front door... needless to say I smacked her and rubbed her nose in it out of anger. I have some of that enzyme cleaner stuff so I doused it with that (i'm lucky enough that all of the chosen spots so far are tiled floors so they're easy to clean)... and promptly cleaned out the litter box. I admit I don't clean that thing as often as she'd like me to... but I don't think that's the reason. She's scared of the younger cat (had her alomst a year so she's only about a year old, also female) - she chases her and wants to play rough, which the older cat wants none of, so there's always random bouts of the old one screetching and me yelling at the young one to leave the old one alone. I read some stuff online... so here's my plan of action.
1) going to have to take her to the vet this saturday just in case it's a bladder infection or something
2) it recommended an additional litter box, uncovered. So i'll go to the pet store and get another box uncovered this time and figure out somewhere to put it in my little apartment.... not happy about that but it is what it is. I get that if she is feeling scared of the other cat she won't want to be in a covered litter box with one escape... the current one is in the bathroom so I'll find somewhere else to put the uncovered one.
3) clean the darn things really freakin often
4) if she keeps doing it.... i don't know what i'll do... living in a rental apartment I can't have a cat peeing everywhere. AUGH!!!

any other advice? sympathy? haha. I'm just so frusterated by this. The older one's ALWAYS been so loyal to the litter box, never any issues (same with the younger one). They don't get along, so I hope that having their own litter boxes will help- or at least having an uncovered one in an area where she feels safer and has more escape options if the young one's attacking...

Thanks for listening to my vent and thanks for any responses!

sillygoose1977

If she is 13 and peeing on the floor there is something physically wrong and you need to get her to the vet.

ninerbuff

Get a dog.

Starlage

well yeah, I plan taking her to the vet when I can on saturday. I work during the day so this is my only day to do it.

Starlage

Get a dog.

haha, right.... THAT'S the answer, thanks yoda

ilookthetype

Get a dog.

That was my thought, too.

My roommates cat started peeing all over her room but it was in part because she felt like she needed to mark her territory and that was the only room where my dog never went. My roommate spent more time with the cat and she stopped. But if your cat is old....then you should really go to the vet, I mean you should anyway, but...

Vegan_Chick

I had the same problem and I have 4 cats (5 litter boxes).

1) make sure you have at least 1 more litter box per kitty as they can get picky.

2) switch the cat litter as the dust can bother some kitties which makes them not want to pee in it. I just had this problem and fixed it about a month ago. She was peeing right in front of me all the time and wouldn't stop for about 1 month. We switched the litter and instantly the problem was solved.

MrsCon40

well yeah, I plan taking her to the vet when I can on saturday. I work during the day so this is my only day to do it.

Do you have Google at work? You might have better luck there...

Qarol

My cats started doing this when I changed litter (to save money). I believe it was their way of telling me they didn't like it. I switched back. Problem solved.

Starlage

thanks, I know- I'm taking her to the vet. I was just wondering if anyone's had any successful tips or tricks, good products etc etc

jamk1446

You've got some good ideas already.

1. Definitely a trip to the vet, especially at that age. If the cat does have an infection and it hurts to urinate, they start to associate the pain with the box and will seek out other areas.
2. Uncovered litter box- they don't like the smell either, especially with more than one cat. She may be avoiding the smell. Or, since she's older it may be harder for her to navigate around inside. An uncovered box may make it easier.
3. Orange scented air freshener- spray the floor in the areas the cat seems to be going. Those enzyme cleaners are only so effective and they will be attracted to going in the same areas. Cats do not like the smell of orange. You may have to spray the area a couple of times a day for several days to break the cat from going back there.

Contrarian

Don't rub her nose in it and don't smack her.

These work for some cats: http://www.feliway.com/gb

dayzeerock

You smacked an animal and rubbed their nose in it? You do realize that this teaches them nothing but to fear you, right? Not only that, but rubbing an animal's nose in their urine can cause infections. How would you feel if you were old and ill and you had an accident like that and your caretaker smacked you and rubbed your nose in it?! That is horrifying.

Starlage

I had the same problem and I have 4 cats (5 litter boxes).

1) make sure you have at least 1 more litter box per kitty as they can get picky.

2) switch the cat litter as the dust can bother some kitties which makes them not want to pee in it. I just had this problem and fixed it about a month ago. She was peeing right in front of me all the time and wouldn't stop for about 1 month. We switched the litter and instantly the problem was solved.

good advice, didn't think about changing litter. I'll try a different brand. I've just been using petco's brand and I am going to get another box and figure out somewhere to put it

Starlage

You smacked an animal and rubbed their nose in it? You do realize that this teaches them nothing but to fear you, right? Not only that, but rubbing an animal's nose in their urine can cause infections. How would you feel if you were old and ill and you had an accident like that and your caretaker smacked you and rubbed your nose in it?! That is horrifying.

as I said, it was out of anger and I regretted it after I did it. I had just woken up and caught her squating, I was tired and angry

SCC88

If anyone has an answer for this I would be interested! My cat "goes" just outside the box too but she is 22 years old and completely lost her marbles! I try to chuck her out in the mornings but she just turns around around and comes straight through the catflap, into the kitchen and pees :grumble:
A new thing, she pees and then (having dementia) fortgets what she was just doing and then sits down in the same spot and gets covered in wee :indifferent: so now I have to wash her everyday - getting very sick of it !!

fbmandy55

Sorry I do not have any helpful advice.


This is why I will never have a pet....

micklespiffy

We do a lot of rescue and the general advise is: Clean the litter box every day. (You wouldn't flush your toilet every other day, would you?)
And have one more litter box than the number of cats. (Unless they get along for sure.) If they are fighting, one may mark or keep the other one at bay as a dominance issue.
Since you're taking it to the vet, you sound like you got things covered!

Starlage

3. Orange scented air freshener- spray the floor in the areas the cat seems to be going. Those enzyme cleaners are only so effective and they will be attracted to going in the same areas. Cats do not like the smell of orange. You may have to spray the area a couple of times a day for several days to break the cat from going back there.

good idea, thanks!

Rikki444

I am not a cat hater. Really. I used to be a cat person. In fact, I think they are beautiful animals.... but this is why I prefer dogs. It is more difficult to figure out a cat than a dog. My first instinct would be to visit the vet. Even if it is not 'medical'... chances are that he/she will help you address the behavior. Good luck with that. There's nothing more offensive than cat (p)! :noway:

Starlage

We do a lot of rescue and the general advise is: Clean the litter box every day. (You wouldn't flush your toilet every other day, would you?)
And have one more litter box than the number of cats. (Unless they get along for sure.) If they are fighting, one may mark or keep the other one at bay as a dominance issue.
Since you're taking it to the vet, you sound like you got things covered!

thanks, that was the google advice that sounded best to me- since they don't like eachother it makes sense to me that she would quit using it beacuse of that. I'll have to find somewhere in my little apartment for a second box. thanks!

cheshirequeen

bladder infection more than likely. probably crystals. it usually effects male cats, but it does effect female ones. i pet sat for years and a woman had two cats, poor things, no matter what they did, theyd get them. if you only have one cat, then thats what it might be, also if you dont clean her littler box enough. one of my cats was a diva and if you didnt clean them 3 times a day shed wait for me to see her, and then pee on the floor. little butt. but its probably a urinary problem.

Starlage

I am not a cat hater. Really. I used to be a cat person. In fact, I think they are beautiful animals.... but this is why I prefer dogs. It is more difficult to figure out a cat than a dog. My first instinct would be to visit the vet. Even if it is not 'medical'... chances are that he/she will help you address the behavior. Good luck with that. There's nothing more offensive than cat (p)! :noway:

I wish I could have a dog. rental apartment, indoor cats only. I can't toss her outside either. And yeah I worry about cat pee smell! This is probably what got me angry this morning in the first place, thinking of the smell. augh

MinnieInMaine

Sounds like a good plan to me!

I agree with not punishing her - if she does have a UTI, she can't help it. (ETA: I saw your response) Until you get her to the vet and follow the rest of your plan, be upset all you want but give her the benefit of the doubt. Don't mean to make you feel bad - just want to give you some perspective. I've been through the same thing with a cat who had both UTI issues and liked to show her displeasure about changes in our routine by peeing elsewhere. And I lived in an apartment at the time. It's a pain in the rear but that's what happens to us cat owners - you have to deal with the cattitude, right?!

If she does happen to have a UTI, look into feeding her one of the dry foods specifically for urine tract right away and continue using it going forward. I know IAMS makes one that can be purchased pretty much anywhere.

ETA 2: That was a weird coincidence! As I clicked save changes to post my 1st ETA, I noticed the ad on the right was for a littler robot!

cheshirequeen

poor baby going and sitting in it. 22 is very old and you are very lucky to have her. my one had a broken spine and she tried her hardest to not pee on herself and was so embarrassed, she was 21, but the love she gave was much more important than anything.

mckshowie

I actually had a similar problem... with a 20 year old cat.

The best advice i got was to use Cat Attract Litter, make sure there is a litter box solely for the old one that the young one won't use - so best solution is to have 3 litter boxes for 2 cats. Does your older cat spend more time in one room, etc? maybe keep it in there. mine, unfortunately, was my bedroom. but i loved my cat and it inspired me to keep the thing spotless.

good luck,. i know how frustrating that can be. i am in the process of replacing my carpet on my top floor now that my poor little lady has passed (RIP Stripe, age 21). but if you love them, you'll make it work, you know?

AdAstra47

Yes, I would definitely take her to the vet to rule out any health problems.

But if it's not a health issue, it's probably just a cat thing. If you have multiple cats you need multiple litter boxes, that's all there is to it. Dogs evolved as the top predator in their environment, that's why they're easygoing about doing it anywhere. But cats, although they're hunters, they were also hunted by larger animals. So they have this strong instinct telling them to bury their waste, to hide their presence from potential predators. Which is good, 'cause that makes them easy to litter train. But that also means they're kind of paranoid about it. They need a place that they feel is "theirs," where no one else is going to disturb it or dig it up. Including another cat.
And that also means that cleaning the box regularly is key. Every other day at a minimum. Once that box starts smelling like her feces, she'll want to avoid it (in case it attracts predators). That's something ingrained in them, you can't train it out of them, you just have to work with it.
I'd second what Vegan_Chick said as well, about switching the litter type. Some kinds of litter have too much dust, others can have sharp pieces that hurt their feet. If she has her own box, but you've changed to a different kind of litter recently, she may just be telling you she doesn't like the change.

Good luck!

Starlage

If anyone has an answer for this I would be interested! My cat "goes" just outside the box too but she is 22 years old and completely lost her marbles! I try to chuck her out in the mornings but she just turns around around and comes straight through the catflap, into the kitchen and pees :grumble:
A new thing, she pees and then (having dementia) fortgets what she was just doing and then sits down in the same spot and gets covered in wee :indifferent: so now I have to wash her everyday - getting very sick of it !!

poor thing! I feel bad for you and her. She probably can't crawl in the box very well right? What if you put litter on something flat like plastic. Messy and space consuming but maybe she'd use it? augh. good luck!

LycosNyctereutes

Do you have Google at work? You might have better luck there...

Please don't Google about animal medicine, it does not make you a veterinarian. Instead, it causes people to do stupid things that sometimes endanger their animals. For example, I had one lady with a Sphinx cat think it ate some thread or something, so she tried to induce vomiting with hyrdogen peroxide (even vets can't make a cat vomit unless they don't want it to) and the cat aspirated the H2O2 and died in my oxygen chamber. Oh, and she found the supposedly eaten object later. On a lighter note, I had some guy bring in a dachshund this weekend he thought was constipated. He had given it Miralax and a vaseline enema (WTF?). Turns out the dog had bladder stones blocking the urethra and couldn't urinate. Poor dog, what a bad day she had made worse because her owner googled about constipated dogs.
As for any actual advice, make sure she continues to produce urine. Cats get blocked easily, more so males than females tho. If you see her straining and not producing urine, take her to the emergency vet (or your reg vet if it's normal business hrs). Also pay attention if you can, to whether she's drinking a lot/little and peeing a lot/little, and if her urine is dilute or concentrated if you actually see her go. This will be helpful info for the vet on Saturday. Since it is just Thursday now, keep a close eye on whether she's eating/drinking, because the most common cause of illness in older cats in kidney disease. If she's too sick to eat, take her in ASAP.
BTW, you haven't added any new cats lately have you? Or other major household changes? It could always be behavioral.

NoAdditives

First of all, punishing her the way you did will not work and it shouldn't be done to any animal. It's really not cool. Yes, it's a frustrating situation but you can't do things like that out of anger.

Second, since this just started it's most likely a health issue, not a reaction to your other cat. You've had the other cat for a year, your older cat is used to her already. Their relationship has no bearing on this sudden peeing. I've had two cats (out of many, many cats my family and I have had over the years) pee in places other than the littler box. One had kidney problems that went undiagnosed for a few years because we thought he just had behavioral problems. The other had a bladder infection as a result of a sudden food switch.

As far as a separate litter box goes, it's probably not going to work. If your newer cat has a more aggressive personality she will use both boxes. Make sure you're cleaning your litter box at least twice a day, once in the morning and once at night without fail, and any time you're home and smell that someone has pooped. Not cleaning it frequently enough is not only gross for your cats and for you, it's unhealthy for your cats. They will breathe in feces and urine particles and can get urinary tract infections from using dirty litter. And, they will track urine and feces around your apartment, which is unsanitary for you. You should also make sure you're using a natural litter made from corn, wheat or paper materials. (I recommend World's Best or Nature's Miracle.) They clump and are flushable just like traditional clay litters but they don't have silica dust which is harmful to cat's lungs.

Starlage

thanks for the advice; I haven't changed anything for about a year (when I got the younger cat) but the peeing didn't start until a few weeks ago and there haven't been any drastic changes in their relationship either, still the same fights as always. I'll keep an eye on eating and drinking. She's peeing just as often as she always has and in the same amounts..... but I'll keep a close eye until I get her to my vet saturday, thanks! I'm always careful with google, I knew to take her to the vet but I was hoping for other advice. I get that people do crazy things with google ) I work in medical so we get plenty of crazy google things too )