Cats can do some things that seem mysterious to us. You might be asking yourself “why is my cat peeing outside the litter box”? Don’t give up on your kitty. Believe it or not, there are a lot of important things your cat could be trying to tell you through their behavior. Here are 5 big reasons why your cat might not be using the litter box.
Title Image Credit: Bairyna via Pixabay
Reason #1: You may have a sick kitty.
If your kitty is not using the litter box, the first thing you need to do is rule out a medical cause. Take a trip to the veterinarian ASAP because there are several illnesses (some of which can quickly become life-threatening) which may cause a cat not to use the litter box. Some of these medical problems include:
- Inflammation of the urinary tract
- Cystitis
- Urinary tract infections
- Thyroid problems
- Intestinal parasites
- Inflammation of the colon or rectum
- Kidney problems
- Liver problems
Take note of your cat’s behavior when they are urinating or defecating. Does it seem painful? Is it frequent? Urgent? Is there any blood in it? You can save yourself a lot of time by bringing a sample with you if the veterinarian needs it, so ask about it when you make your appointment.
Reason #2: Something isn’t right with the litter box itself.
If your cat is a young kitten, has a disability, or is elderly, the opening may be too high for them to get through easily. Conditions like arthritis may make it difficult for your cat to step over a high opening.
The height of the sides of the litter box can be an issue for your kitty too. A covered litter box is great for humans since it traps the odors inside, but may be intolerable to your cat for the same reason (think port-a-potty). A litter box with high sides is great for a kitty who feels a sense of privacy from the walls. However, some kitties like to be able to see all of their surroundings and will feel uncomfortable inside a litter box with high walls.
Your cat’s litter box may be too small for your cat. A cat needs to be able to stand up inside and turn all the way around. They need plenty of space to get in, squat, turn, and dig.
You will need multiple litter boxes to handle multiple cats. Veterinarians tend to recommend having 1 litter box per cat plus 1 extra. Cats are very territorial and may claim a box as their own, not letting any other cat use it.
Where is your litter box located? Is it easy for your cat to get to? If you have more than one floor to your home, it is wise to have a litter box on each floor. This will help older cats and cats with mobility problems to be able to make it into the litter box on time. Is the location of the litter box noisy? Is it too close to the cat’s food and water? Consider whether or not the placement of the box would cause anxiety to your cat.
Reason #3: Your kitty doesn’t like the litter you’re using.
Cats are high order creatures capable of having true preferences. Each cat has their own set of likes and dislikes. Consider these aspects of litter:
- Material (clay, pine, corn, etc)
- Smell (most cats prefer unscented litters)
- Texture
- Depth
- Frequency of cleaning
If you are changing brands of litter, do it slowly and mix the new litter with the old litter. Take hints about texture from the places where the cat is choosing to eliminate. Does he/she always choose a soft place like a carpet or bed? Does he/she always choose a smooth place like a tiled floor or bathtub? Incorporate these ideas into the litter box. Be mindful of the scents of the chemicals you use when cleaning the litter box.
Reason #4: Pain when using the litter box or previous traumas.
A declawed cat may have pain in their feet for the rest of their lives. The surgery amputates the cat’s toe at the last knuckle. They may also develop problems with their ankles, legs, and hips due to the unusual way the surgery has forced them to walk. Walking on litter may be very painful, so they will avoid the litter box. Using sheets of newspaper rather than litter may work out better. Of course, not getting the cat declawed in the first place would completely avoid this issue.
Sometimes a cat is startled or receives some other sort of trauma while in the litter box. Cats respond to this trauma by avoiding the litter box. Do you have other cats that could have ambushed the problem cat while in the litter box? Have you used the litter box as some sort of punishment for the cat? Is there a noisy machine somewhere near the litter box that could have startled the cat? If this is the case, you will need to use positive reinforcement as well as potentially moving the location of the litter box or getting this cat their own litter box.
Reason #5: Your kitty is spraying.
Spraying is different than any of the other problems your cat might have with the litter box. Cats that spray may use the litter box as well. One indication that this is spraying and not one of the problems listed above is that spraying tends to be done on vertical surfaces like walls and the backs of chairs.
There are 3 main reasons that a cat sprays: 1) to mark territory, 2) to display sexual availability, 3) because they did it before. Spaying or neutering your cat will be the most helpful way to get rid of this. According to Cornell University, only 10% of neutered males and 5% of spayed females will spray. Using products with synthetic cat pheromones to clean up urine will help the cat not to go back to the same spot.
Cats urinating outside the litter box is a sign to have them checked out by their vet! It is not, nor should it ever be looked at as “my cat is being bad, or is suddenly a dirty cat”. There is always a reason and the first step should always be a health check up with the vet.
Peep #1 says we’re pretty lucky these days, with no one peein’ outside of the boxes. ‘Cept for those two long-haired marmie freaky brothers of mine who, on occasion poop outside the box. Peep #1 is pretty sure it’s ’cause they’re SO BIG with their Main Coon genes, findin’ big enough boxes is a hard thing to do. purrs
So many people panic when a cat starts peeing outside their box. There are many problems that could be the cause and you’ve outlined them so well along with simple solutions as a good place to start. My clients’ pets often have this problem so I’ll be sharing your post with them when they do. Thanks so much!
Tremendous post and one every cat owner NEEDS TO READ. The number of heartbreaking stories about ‘cats peeing outside litter trays’ is a sign of ignorance of those dumping cats at shelters. Evil nasty ignorant people. THEY NEED TO READ THIS!!!!!
This is such an important post and I will share widely. Having worked and volunteered in shelters I have seen many cats surrendered for litter box issues and often times their owners hadn’t even bothered to try to figure out why. There’s one case that haunts me because it was just so sad – can’t even bring myself to write about it in this comment because it was just so heartbreaking.
I remember my one cat (I had 3 in Israel) peeing outside the box, my vet looked at her and said what you are saying I had changed the litter and she did not like it, but slowly as she got used to it she stopped. It was an eye opener for me but learnt from it. Great post
It is always important to consider medical reasons before deciding it’s a bad behavior. I don’t have experience with cats but after medical reasons are ruled out, considering the litter box or the litter is to blame is a great point.
You can tell so much about what’s possibly going on with your cat by examining their litter box activity. Much like a dog who suddenly starts peeing in the house or marking. These are great things to consider if your cat’s litter box behavior changes. Thankfully, our cat has always been really good about using her box.. or my vegetable garden. The second one is less than awesome. lol
Yes yes and yes. I have encountered this problem in the past. The couple times I remember peeing outside the box was due to stinky litter and health problems. After one time outside the box I never had stinky litter again. Unfortunately the other time was due to my cat’s declining health. Despite her physical ability she tried her hardest to “aim” in the box and was only 1/2 successful. Poor thing.
Indeed! Excellent information! I think the most common and easiest to fix would be the cat not liking the litter! I have known people to change litter frequently and buy whatever is on sale. This is not fair to the cats. You are so right about mixing in a new litter slowly. Cats deserve to be able to get used to ONE litter they like.
Until I started reading cat blogs, I had no idea that cats were so sensitive to so many different factors or that illness could play such a big role in litter box habits. Fortunately, our cat has been very good at using his litter box since the day we brought him inside. He’s 17, and after reading this, I think I need to get him a second litter box with shorter sides. I know he has some arthritis, and he’d probably appreciated the easier entrance.
When I met Jackson Galaxy he said this is the number one issue that cat owners have and why cats are given up. I think you have to rule out all of these reasons before doing something that drastic, which we didn’t with our cat that did this because of declawing. It’s a guilt I’ll live with the rest of my life and try to make up for. Sandra and Dolly