Health Issues Can Cause Inappropriate Urination
The first thing you need to do is rule out a medical problem, says Dr. Bruce Kornreich, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, and associate director of the Cornell Feline Health Center.
Medical issues related to inappropriate urination can include urinary tract infections, kidney disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and feline lower urinary tract disease. These can cause a cat to urinate outside the litter box, particularly if they associate the litter box with pain.
If you believe your cat is suffering from any of these conditions, or is exhibiting additional symptoms, bring them to your veterinarian immediately. Untreated conditions such as urinary tract infections can become serious.
Behavioral Causes For Cat Peeing Outside Litter Box
Sometimes your cat may pee outside of the litter box due to stress. One simple change in your cats environment or routine could cause your cat to act out by peeing outside of the litter box. Cats can be finicky, so the underlying cause may be something you wouldnt consider a big deal. Some of the reasons your cat may pee outside of the litter box include:
- Changing to a new and unfamiliar litter
- Moving their litter box to a different spot
- Not cleaning out their litter box often enough
- Feeling their territory has been threatened
- Boredom
Behavioral issues are common and easily fixed by addressing environmental issues. There is a lot of information and products available today to help you work with your cat if theyre acting out for some reason, including educational material on cat behavior and calming pheromones. But its still important to identify a root cause to find the best solution, which you can do by discussing with a veterinarian.
You Need More Cat Litter Boxes
Even if you have a couple of litter boxes, it still may not be enough.
Some cats prefer to urinate and defecate in separate litter boxes, and some cats will not share a litter box with another cat,” Garber says. “A good general rule is to have a litter box for each cat in the home, plus one more, and to provide at least one litter box on every level of the home.”
Probably not what you want to hear. Yay, more cat litter to clean. But thats better than constantly cleaning your bed sheets, right?
Multiple litter boxes is especially a good idea for kittens, Garber adds. “Like children, kittens control over their elimination is not fully developed, so they need multiple, easily accessible litter boxes to help prevent accidents,” she says.
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Why Is My Cat Peeing Outside Her Litter Box
Contributions from Petfinder.coms FurKeeps Kickoff Ask the Experts Forum and Janice Fenichel, D.V.M
House soiling, or urinating outside the litter box, is very common. Non-medical causes, often inaccurately labeled behavioral problems, usually are perfectly normal feline responses to an environmental stimulus and can be subdivided into urine-marking and normal voiding outside the litter box. The latter, which is the most common cause of feline house soiling, includes cases where cats may stop using the litter box because they dont like the type of litter or the location of the box. These aversions may arise over pain from a medical problem, fear after being startled or attacked by another cat while in the box, or odor due to infrequent cleaning. A behavioral specialist can help sort out why a cat has stopped using his litter box and suggest ways to get him back to it.
In contrast, cats urine-mark objects to define territory, compete with one another and announce sexual availability. Marking is seen more in unneutered felines, in males more than in females, and in overcrowded households.
Clay Vs Natural Litters
Another easy way to whittle down your product choices is to choose between clay litter and natural litter. A natural litter refers to any product made from a natural source, such as wood, corn, nutshells, recycled paper. The difference between the two is pretty self-explanatory: natural litters are sustainable and compostable but clay litters are not.
For anyone that cares for the planet, natural litters are preferable for these environmental benefits. Thats not all though natural cat litters also tend to be a healthier option for your cat. Unlike clay litters, they dont contain silica dust which can cause respiratory issues and is a known carcinogen. However, natural litters are usually more expensive.
In terms of your cats preference, they dont really mind either way. They are much more concerned about the smell and texture than they are about where their litter came from. However, some cats are sensitive to natural scents. But again, this is all down to personal preference.
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How To Make Sure Your Cat Uses The Litter Box
While most cats will have already mastered the art of peeing inside of the litter box by the time they make their way into your home, there are simple ways to keep them healthy, happy, and using their litter box correctly:
Why Do Some Cats Pee Outside Their Litter Box If A Medical Condition Is Ruled Out Cat Owners Are Usually Able To Make Changes To Modify This Unwanted Behavior Here Is Some Expert Advice
Each year, thousands upon thousands of cats are relinquished turned over to local humane societies or other feline-friendly organizations because their owners are no longer willing or able to keep them. Some of these abandoned cats will find new owners. But sadly, the less fortunate will eventually be euthanized.
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Among the frequently cited reasons for relinquishment: A cat may be habitually and inexplicably hostile to its feline housemates or to its owners guests the cat may be compulsively destructive to furniture and draperies or it may be incurably fearful of any other creature that comes anywhere near it.
However, the most common reason for relinquishment is the behavioral syndrome referred to as feline inappropriate elimination a cats habit of relieving his bladder outside the confines of the litter box.
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Okocat Natural Wood Super Soft Clumping Litter
Wood is becoming a popular substrate for cat litter thanks to its eco-friendly and sustainable qualities. However, many people find their cats dont like wood pellet cat litter. The pellets are often hard and feel uncomfortable to step on. But there is a solution wood fiber cat litter, such as the OKOCAT Natural Wood Super Soft Clumping Litter.
This cat litter is still made from wood, so has all the environmental perks of wood pellet cat litter. Yet rather than large pellets, this litter has a similar texture to clay litters. This is a huge perk as most cats love the feel of clay litter on their paws. Plus, this super-soft version is made specifically for cats with sensitive paws in mind.
When your cat pees on this litter, the wood fibers immediately stop the enzymes responsible for creating ammonia odors in their tracks. This effective odor control can make all the difference between your cat using its litter tray and not. The wood fibers form easy-to-scoop clumps in the process so that cleaning is quick and simple.
Moreover, this is a dust-free formula, made only from wood that has been screened and de-dusted. There are also no artificial fragrances. Yet some cats may not be a fan of the faint wood smell cats do have highly sensitive noses and some will like the scent more than others. This is something youll just have to discover for yourself.
Pros
- Superfine pieces track more than other litters
- Some cats wont like the natural wood scent
S For Handling A Cat Peeing Outside The Litter Box
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A Household With Other Cats
Peeing outside of the litter box can occur in households where there are many cats or at least one more. It can be that one cat becomes a bully and does not let the newest cat get to the litter box. In this case, the households latest member becomes anxious and pees outside of the litter box.
Often owners wonder what is happening, and only if they get a chance to see the bullying, they might think that the newest member is attacking out in some way.
To help keep the peace in your home, make sure there are enough litter boxes. Simply add another litter box in a different place than they can easily access.
The general rule is the number of cats = number of litter boxes, #1. If you have 2 cats, its likely best to have 3 litter boxes.
How Will I Know If The Problem Is Improving
“If frequency of elimination in the litter box is not increasing, changes to the treatment plan or an alternate diagnosis may need to be considered.”
Good record keeping is essential to gauge treatment success. In many cases there will initially be an increase in litter box use and a concurrent decrease of elimination in other locations, which will eventually be followed by a total and complete return to litter box usage. Therefore, keeping track of where elimination takes place on a daily basis should help track improvement or the lack of change. If frequency of elimination in the litter box is not increasing, changes to the treatment plan or an alternate diagnosis may need to be considered.
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Urinating Outside The Litter Box: What To Do When Its Behavioral
Nothing is more frustrating for owners than inappropriate urination, and its the leading cause of feline surrenders. Once youve diagnostically ruled out medical reasons for inappropriate urination with your veterinarian, the next step is to isolate what environmental elements are causing your cats unwanted behavior. With owner dedication, behavioral inappropriate elimination can be rehabilitated helping you and your cat to have a better quality of life.
What are the behavioral causes of inappropriate urination?Behavioral disorders that result in urinating outside the litterbox generally fall into one of two categories: dislike of or aversion to the litterbox and new sources of stress.
Why would your cat start disliking the litterbox?A number of different things might make your cat reluctant to use its litterbox. Inaccessibility is one obvious reason why a kitty might start going elsewhere. Other causes could include the following:
- The litterbox has not been cleaned frequently enough for the cats taste.
- There are not enough litterboxes for all the cats in the household.
- The kittys litterbox is too small, making it more difficult to use.
- The box has a hood or a liner that bothers the cat in some way.
- The owners are trying a new brand of litter, and the feline simply does not like it.
- The cat prefers other surfaces, such as carpets, potting soil or bedding, over the litterbox.
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Why Cats Urinate Outside Of The Litter Box
There are a number of reasons why a cat may start peeing outside the litter box. While some owners may think that their cat does it as a way of getting even for something, cats lack the sophisticated cognitive abilities needed to concoct that type of revenge strategy.
Despite popular belief, cats do not urinate outside the box to ‘get back’ at the owner for something, said Dr. Laura George, DVM at Cats Exclusive Veterinary Center in Shoreline, Washington.
If your cats not using the litter box, its likely that he or she is trying to tell you something important.
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Let Your Cat Pick The Type Of Litter
Heavily perfumed cat litter may seem to be the better choice for you, but cats tend to disagree. Their noses are more sensitive than ours, so what smells pleasant to us can be overpowering to them.
They also like to stick with whats familiar, so a cat may urinate outside the litter box if you suddenly switch to a new type of litter.
Studies have shown that among cats, the all-around favorite litter type is an unscented, clumping clay litter containing activated charcoal.
If you want to try a new type of litter, make sure you have at least one box in the house that contains the old type of litter just in case. If your cat rejects the new litter, dont use it.
Behavioral Causes Of Inappropriate Urination
Your cat may start peeing outside of the litter box because she is stressed or upset about changes in her environment or routine. These problems can be very difficult to identify, but typically include things like:
- Routine changes in the home – new work or travel schedules
- New or rearranged furniture
- Guests or new family members in the home
- Loud noises outside such as construction or other animals
- New cats or other pets in the home
- Fighting or bullying from other cats in the home
- New litter in the litter box or change in location of the litter box
- Change in diet or feeding routine
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I Had Stopped Timmy Peeing Outside The Litter Box Permanently
After seeing how well it worked, I wanted to share the same techniques I used with others. So I wrote down everything Id learned in a step-by-step, easy-to-follow guide, complete with illustrations!
And then I started handing out my guide to clients, friends and anyone else I knew who were experiencing similar problems with their cats and all of them reported back to me with INCREDIBLE RESULTS!
In fact, the techniques revealed in my manual were 100% EFFECTIVE for every person who used them on their cats.
And after seeing just how successful my system was, I created this website so that I could start teaching these techniques to cat owners right across the world hundreds and thousands of people just like you, who have all achieved amazing results for their cats.
AND SO CAN YOU!
New Cat In The Family
If you have recently brought a new cat into the family, to live with existing cats, this could be the issue.
Introducing cats to each other is a process that takes time and should be done carefully.
And, if your cat is brand new to your family , give your cat a chance to explore his or her new territory and get used to its unique situation.
Give them time to understand who the various family members are and that they are very much loved. Show them where they can have their own space, toys to play with, and so on.
With a new and clean litter box available, they should adjust reasonably well. You can all settle down an everyday routine.
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Cat Urine Gets Worse With Time
Cat urine thats outside the litter box is usually unnoticed until it becomes a problem.
After a while, the bacterium in the urine decomposes and gives off an ammonia-like odor thats characteristic of stale, old urine.
In the second stage of the decomposition process, the urine emits mercaptans, which are compounds that give skunk spray its characteristic bad smell.
Clean Their Old Litter Box
Another option is to clean your old litter box. If you do this, you want to ensure that you are thoroughly cleaning the box and using products that could not potentially harm your kitten. Therefore, some owners might find it easier to simply purchase a new one.
Moving forward, once you complete a deep clean of the litter box, you will want to ensure that your new petâs poop is scooped on a daily basis and that you are giving their litter box a weekly wash using mild dish detergent.
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