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They don’t always use the box right…
I’ve been noticing a disturbing pattern with the litter box lately. One of the cats, I’m not sure which, has taken to peeing on the edges of the inside of the box, splattering its sides. When I did my monthly cleaning of the area yesterday I noticed additional pee on the litter mat in between the two boxes.
Unfortunately there are several reasons why either of my cats might be doing this. The first reason might be because one of them has a urinary tract infection. It’s more common for cats with UTI’s to pee an excessive amount outside of the litter box, both to notify you of the problem and because if they first started feeling pain in the litter box, they associate it with that pain. However, it’s still good to rule out serious medical conditions first.
All of the other possibilities refer to just how finicky cats can be. If there has been a major change in the home lately, the cat might be expressing its displeasure via litter box shenanigans. Is there a new baby or new cat? Maybe the cat doesn’t approve (or the new cat doesn’t fit in).
If it’s a new baby in the house and you’ve ruled out other possibilities, try to give the cat time to adjust. If it’s a new cat, perhaps the litter boxes are too close to each other. Cats like their privacy to do their business, so if the litter boxes are near one another try placing one in a different area. Even if your cats get along maybe they don’t like having their litter boxes next to one another’s, so try this even if you have kitties that like to snuggle with one another.
If the brand or even just the general type of litter has been changed lately the cat might not like that either. Switch back to your old litter and see if that helps. Perhaps your litter box isn’t big enough; the cat might feel like it doesn’t have enough room, and is in fact trying to pee in the litter box but keeps hitting the sites and surrounding area instead. See if you can find a larger litter box with which to replace it.
Cats are also very sensitive to smell. That means even if you clean the box every day if it smells to them, they might not want to use it. Maybe you need to scoop it multiple times a day or entirely replace the litter more often.
If your cats are having litter box issues try giving them an extra one; I’ve heard it said that there should be one litter box per cat in the house plus one, so add another litter box. Also if you’re using special cleaners on the box they might be responding to that – they might not like the smell of the cleaners you’re using, so try using just water and scentless soap.
Finally, if your cat has peed in the surrounding area, make sure to clean that area with an enzyme remover. Just like with dogs that have peed on the carpet, cats can smell their urine even after we cannot and they might continue to return to their scent post area.
I sure have a long list of possibilities for what might be up with one of my cats. Cole has a vet visit coming up soon, so when I call I can ask about this and see if I need to bring them both in for a urine test. Otherwise, it’s time to roll up my sleeves and start trying different solutions.
Related Articles:
Cats: To Potty Train or Not To Potty Train
What to Consider When Getting a Cat
Feeding Time in A Multiple Cat Household
*(This image by wolfsavard is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
