Cats are the perfect pets. They’re affectionate, playful, and independent. But there is one thing that can be a constant annoyance for cat owners: inappropriate urination outside of the litter box. Most cats will use their litter boxes as they should, but about 10% of all cats have an issue with this behavior at some point in their lives. If you find that your cat has suddenly started to urinate inappropriately, it can be very worrisome and hard to know what to do next.
The Medical causes why your cat is urinating outside their litter box
When your cat urinates outside the litter box it can be due to a medical condition. There are many medical reasons why this could happen, but the most common causes are due to lower urinary tract diseases, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, and kidney disease. Another medical cause of inappropriate urination would be pain or discomfort, especially affecting the hind end region. An example would be pain due to arthritis.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is a common medical condition seen in cats. It is due to inflammation of the lower urinary tract and can be infectious or non-infectious. Urinary crystals, stones, and cystitis all contribute to FLUTD. This will often result in a painful bladder and will cause your cat to associate painful urination with the litter box resulting in your cat urinating outside the litter box. If your cat is suffering from FLUTD and is still using the litter box, you will notice very small urinations in the litter box and the frequency of urination will be increased. As your cat continues to associate these changes with the litter box, he/she will seek other places to urinate. If your cat has hair loss on its abdomen and is urinating outside the litter box, this could be a sign of lower urinary tract disease.
Diabetes Mellitus, Hyperthyroidism and Kidney Disease
Diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, and kidney disease are all conditions that will result in a cat drinking more water and therefore urinating in larger amounts and more often. The cat's litter box will be less appealing as it will become full much more frequently than what the cat is used to. This will often result in your cat seeking other places to urinate.
Hind-end Pain and Discomfort
Arthritis can cause pain and discomfort in the hind end region. Specifically, the discomfort is noticed when he or she squats to urinate and/or the litter box has a high lip. It's not uncommon for cats with arthritis to have trouble using their litter boxes, as the well the high-lipped design of this particular type poses problems that make it even more difficult for them! In this case, you will notice that your cat is finding other places to go.
The Behavioral causes why your cat is urinating outside their litter box
When we have ruled out the medical causes, we can then tentatively diagnose the problem as a behavioral issue. Most but not all cats that urinate and defecate outside the box are a result of a behavioral problem. Below, we follow a step-by-step analysis of the cat's environment and potential stressors to better determine why your cat is urinating outside the litter box.
Anxiety and Stress
Cats that suffer from anxiety or have other components of feline stressors can start urinating inappropriately. Cats will start to associate the location with the stressful event and begin using this place as an area for urination. This can be due to a new cat in the home, moving or rearranging furniture, adding more pets to your family (particularly if they did not get along previously), or changes in their routine such as feeding times. Cats are sensitive to change so if anything in their routine changes, this can contribute to stress and anxiety.
We commonly see this behavior occur in the springtime when there is more activity outdoors. If there are wildlife or outdoor cats that are "taunting" your cat, this could be interpreted as stress for your cat and can cause your cat to urinate outside the box.
Location Preference
Some cats may prefer a specific location to urinate. You will notice that with these particular cats, the inappropriate urination continues to be in a specific, predictable location. For example, if your cat continues to urinate in a corner of the basement, placing a litter box in that location can help determine if there is a location preference. If your cat then uses that box, a location preference may be the issue. If your cat, however, urinates in that location but beside the box, then there is another issue present.
Location Aversion
If your cat is not using the litter box because they are put off by its location, then this may be an issue. Place another litter box in a different location to help determine if there is an aversion to that particular spot. If you notice that your cat prefers one of these boxes over the other, then placing additional boxes throughout the home can help them find a more preferable location. A typical situation might be a litter box near the furnace or water heater. If your cat is scared by these devices when they switch on, he or she may avoid this location in the future as a result of a fear response.
Substrate Preference
Some cats prefer to urinate on a particular substrate. Examples would be carpet, laundry, tile, etc. Using carpet as an example, try placing a piece of carpet in their litter box and if he or she uses the box with carpet in it, then you know there is a substrate preference. If the cat does not use that litter box with carpet, then placing more than one type of substrate in front of or beside their box can help determine. In the event, your cat is urinating on laundry, it is important to restrict access if possible as the longer your cat urinates on your laundry, the more difficult it becomes to correct the behavior.
Substrate Aversion
Some cats are very picky when it comes to their litter. Another common behavioral reason why your cat would urinate inappropriately is if your cat deems the litter to be unpleasant. If this is the case, you may want to try a different litter substrate. If your cat has always used one type of litter and suddenly starts urinating outside the box, it's possible that he or she doesn't like the new litter. Try switching back to the old litter or another type to see if that helps.
Treatment Options for Feline Inappropriate Urination
To be successful in treating inappropriate urination, the correct diagnosis must be made. We usually start by ruling out the medical causes and can achieve this with a physical exam, blood work, and urine testing. If a medical condition is diagnosed, the prognosis can be good provided the condition is treated effectively.
If there is no medical cause, we must look to behavioral issues. We can start by making sure that our cats have enough litter boxes available in the home. The general rule of thumb when it comes to the number of litter boxes is, then the number of cats, plus one. For example, if you have 2 cats, ideally you would have 3 boxes in separate locations. Placement of the boxes is also important, and they should be placed in quiet and accessible areas for your cats. Having the boxes separated as much as possible is important as two boxes side by side would be interpreted as one single box for your cat.
If the number of litter boxes does not solve the problem, then we should start exploring the possibilities of location preference and aversion, substrate preference, and aversion as we discussed above. Working through these, you should be able to deduce what might have prompted your cat to start eliminating where she shouldn't. Work through them one by one, starting with the most likely scenario based on where your cat is excreting inappropriately. It's vital to point out that cats prefer fine-grained, clumping, unscented cat litter as a substrate. Some litters have a strong fragrance that can be offensive to cats.
If it is due to anxiety, then behavior modification techniques can be used along with medications. Usually, cats who are skittish around people and animals will try to distance themselves from confrontation and they may act differently in general within their environment. A product called Feliway can help out in the event of high-stress situations. Most cats respond well to this type of odorless pheromone product that you usually need to change every month (coverage is approximately 800 sq ft per product). Alternatively, your veterinarian can prescribe anti-anxiety medications for your cat to help with his or her behavior and prevent urinating inappropriately.
If you suspect that your cat is urinating outside the box because of outdoor wildlife or outdoor cats, preventing visual access would be helpful. Also, placing a Feliway diffuser in that particular location can be helpful as well.
Prognosis
It is important to remember that the duration of symptoms is frequently a determining factor in prognosis. As a result, if we try to correct an issue quickly enough, our chances are better than if we wait too long. Cats who have been urinating outside of their litter box for an extended period of time may not have as good a prognosis because it's more difficult to reverse this behavior easily.
Frequently Asked Questions about why your cat urinates outside the litter box
Do cats urinate outside the box because of spite or because they're mad at you?
No, they do not. Cats will urinate outside the litter box because of medical problems, stress, anxiety, or improper litter box management, not because they are spiteful.
What is the best litter for cats urinating outside the litter box?
Studies have shown that fine-grained, clumping, unscented clay litter is what most cats prefer.
Why is my cat peeing outside the litter box but pooping inside it?
When this occurs, we strongly recommend investigating medical causes such as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (crystals, stones, cystitis) or anxiety. Most, but not all cats that urinate and defecate outside the box would have some form of hind-end discomfort or a behavioral issue so those could be ruled out if your cat is peeing outside the box but pooping inside it.
Why is my cat peeing everywhere but the litter box all of a sudden?
Assuming your cat is not suffering from a medical urinary disorder, you should start brainstorming as to what has changed. Have you moved a litter box? Changed the type of litter? Did family members move in or out of the house? Did you rearrange any furniture? Are any new outdoor animals that have been coming by? These are the types of questions you should be thinking about.
Conclusion
If you are dealing with a cat that urinates outside the litter box, it is important to make sure they have enough boxes in different locations. It is also vital to determine if there are medical or behavioral causes for this behavior and address these accordingly. If your cats seem stressed out around people or animals, Feliway can be used as an odorless pheromone product to help calm them down. Anti-anxiety medications may also be prescribed by your veterinarian depending on what has been determined through diagnosis and elimination of other possible factors. Some cats don't like scented and fragrant litters; try switching back to their old brand or trying another type of substrate altogether while considering location preference and aversion (indoor vs. outdoor) and substrate preference. If you have more than one cat, add an additional litter box to help eliminate the problem. Through diagnosis and eliminating other possible factors, a cause for your cat's inappropriate urination can be determined and hopefully corrected with some simple changes. Cornell Feline Health Center also has a good write-up about feline inappropriate urination and house soiling.
In summary, it's critical to get advice from your veterinarian if you detect that your cat is urinating inappropriately since they are a great and helpful resource. You can help solve this aggravating problem by eliminating any medical causes and addressing any behavioral concerns.