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My cat bites my child and pees in the tub. Could he be sick?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | 2 years old | 9 lbs

Cat likes to bite my 4 y.o son and pees in the bathtub what should I do too discourage this behavior

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Christie Long, DVM

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on July 27th, 2017

I would first consider whether these two events might be related. Young male cats commonly get a condition known as Feline Interstitial Cystitis (FIC) which causes extreme pain on urination and subsequently urinating outside the box. To Mr. Whiskas, it may hurt to pee in the box, so he looks for somewhere else to pee and finds the bathtub - it still hurts, but it seems like a solution to him in his kitty brain. You'll need to get Mr. Whiskas to a vet to get a urinalysis done, so that this condition can be considered. If you can pick up an oral medication syringe at the drugstore, you can potentially collect some urine yourself the next time he goes in the bathtub, and take that with you on your appointment - it may prove helpful on diagnosis. Identifying this condition early is extremely important, because these cats can experience complete blockage of the urethra, which is a medical emergency. And it's worth mentioning that painful cats are often aggressive, so this might explain his biting as well.

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 3rd, 2017

    I am sorry to hear about Sol. The tub seems to be a common spot for urinating in cats! The easiest solution to this problem is prevention. Keep your bathroom door closed. If that isn't possible you can try putting something unpleasant to your cat in the tub for awhile. Cats seem to dislike aluminum foil so you can try crumpling foil and placing it in the bottom of the tub. Make sure you have at least 1 more litter box than the number of cats and keep them clean so your cat isn't discouraged from using them. If accidents persist he should see the vet to be sure infection is not present

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