Why is my cat peeing outside the litter box and how can I stop it?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | 13.22 lbs
My cat doesnt want to pee at his cat sand. Before this he will pee there, but last month he stops peeing there and starts to pee at some point in our house. Now we have to keep him in cage every 2 or 3 hours and make sure he pee then we will let him go. This is so tiring. Pls help me.
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 12th, 2017
Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Inappropriate elimination (peeing or pooping outside the litter box) in cats can be frustrating and difficult to treat. The first step you should take is scheduling an appointment for Udang to see a veterinarian. A lot of times a cat will start going outside of the litter box due to health problems like urinating tract infections, pain, urinary tract inflammation and digestive problems. Once you have established that there aren't any medical reasons for inappropriate elimination the following may be helpful: 1. Cats will urinate or defecate outside of the litter box for stress related reasons. Therefore it is best to keep the litter boxes in several different, quiet areas of the household. 2. A pheromone diffuser like Feliway can be quite helpful. 3. Ensure you have at least one litter box in the household per cat plus one. For example, if you have 3 cats, then 4 litter boxes are recommended. 4. Feeding an all canned food diet can help if there is inflammation in the bladder. There are also prescription diets available to help with bladder inflammation or digestive issues. Your veterinarian can help you choose the best one for your cat. 5. The litter boxes should be cleaned once to twice daily and completely emptied and washed weekly. Most cats prefer litter to be the clumping type that is kept a few inches deep. Certain litter types like Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter may be helpful. 6. You can also place aluminum foil over the areas Udang normally likes to urinate to prevent him from going in that area. If you have done a lot of the above suggestions you may also want to talk to your veterinarian about behavioral medications that may help prevent inappropriate urination. Good luck!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on November 2nd, 2019
Cats will urinate outside the box for many reasons. Here is a good article to explain the different reasons: https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-top-5-reasons-your-cat-is-avoiding-her-litter-box-and-what-to/ If Bagheera is not neutered, this may help significantly. Intact males spray to mark territory. You also need to do is have Bagheera checked for a bladder infection or other urine abnormality. There may be a medical cause for the behavior. If the veterinarian thinks this is behavioral, there are a few factors to adjust. Cats are sensitive to the type of litter, size of the box and location of the box. If you have more cats, you need 1 litter box per cat + 1 additional box. You should also have a litter box on every floor of the house. This article discusses different types of litter and litter boxes: https://www.petcoach.co/article/cat-litter-finding-the-right-fit-for-your-cat/ In general though, cats prefer large, uncovered litter boxes, clay-based clumping litter that is scoped every day and a private, quiet location. If you have other cats or dogs, if they can access the litter box, it may cause Bagheera to be afraid that he could be trapped in the box. Cats are a prey species in the wild and they still retain those instincts. Clean the soiled areas with a good enzymatic cleanser. This will to get rid of any smells. There are things you can do at home to help to keep Bagheera relaxed and that may help to ensure good litter box habits. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with house soiling. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on April 26th, 2020
Cats will urinate outside the box for many reasons. Here is a good article to explain the different reasons: https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-top-5-reasons-your-cat-is-avoiding-her-litter-box-and-what-to/ The first thing you need to do is have your kitty checked for a bladder infection or other urine abnormality. There may be a medical cause for the behavior. Constipation or a painful bowel movement is a common cause. You should also bring in a fresh stool sample so the doctor can check for other parasites as well as moisture/consistency. Increasing the amount of fiber in the diet can often help as can feeding a canned food with additional water added. There is also a special prescription diet made by Royal Canin called Fiber Response that many cats respond well to. If the veterinarian thinks this is behavioral, there are a few factors to adjust. Cats are sensitive to the type of litter, size of the box and location of the box. If you have more cats, you need 1 litter box per cat + 1 additional box. You should also have a litter box on every floor of the house. This article discusses different types of litter and litter boxes: https://www.petcoach.co/article/cat-litter-finding-the-right-fit-for-your-cat/ In general though, cats prefer large, uncovered litter boxes, clay-based clumping litter that is scoped every day and a private, quiet location. If you have other cats or dogs, if they can access the litter box, it may cause your kitty to be afraid that she could be trapped in the box. Cats are a prey species in the wild and they still retain those instincts. Clean the soiled areas with a good enzymatic cleanser. This will to get rid of any smells. There are things you can do at home to help to keep her relaxed and that may help to ensure good litter box habits. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with house soiling. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on December 20th, 2017
Hello and thanks for using PetCoach! I'm sorry to hear you're having this issue with Poppy! Inappropriate elimination (peeing or pooping outside the litter box) in cats can be frustrating and difficult to treat. The first step you should take is scheduling an appointment for Poppy to see a veterinarian. A lot of times a cat will start going outside of the litter box due to health problems like urinating tract infections, pain, urinary tract inflammation and digestive problems. Once you have established that there aren't any medical reasons for inappropriate elimination the following may be helpful: 1. Cats will urinate or defecate outside of the litter box for stress related reasons. Therefore it is best to keep the litter boxes in several different, quiet areas of the household. 2. A pheromone diffuser like Feliway can be quite helpful. 3. Ensure you have at least one litter box in the household per cat plus one. For example, if you have 3 cats, then 4 litter boxes are recommended. 4. Feeding an all canned food diet can help if there is inflammation in the bladder. There are also prescription diets available to help with bladder inflammation or digestive issues. Your veterinarian can help you choose the best one for your cat. 5. The litter boxes should be cleaned once to twice daily and completely emptied and washed weekly. Most cats prefer litter to be the clumping type that is kept a few inches deep. Certain litter types like Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter may be helpful. Litter boxes should be very large with a low cut out to make it easier for older cats with arthritis to climb inside. 6. If you are still having problems after taking the above steps you may want to talk to your veterinarian about behavioral medication. This article may be helpful to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-litter-box-mistakes/ Good luck with Poppy!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
My 8 month old cat has been pooping and peeing outside of the litter box. We switched kitty litter and she started finally going in the box again. then suddenly she stopped and is now not using the box. Is there a reason for this? Could there be a me
How can I stop inappropriate urination AND pooping? I’ve recently taken in a stray cat, she did have tapeworm so I thought that was the reason. She’s been cleared of it for weeks now and still will not stop pooping in our hallway and peeing on the la
I have a cat that poops in front of the door to the outside. She has been doing this for about a year and a half. She used to go in the litter box and she does pee in the litter box. We have three cats. She is the only one that does this. Do you
My female cat will poop in the litter box but not pee, she pees whenever she feels like it. Could there be something physically wrong
My husband and I live I a very small house . One bedroom ,one bath. We have one adult indoor cat, and a large Husky/ wolf dog. It's crowded! Now we have "Scruff" and i am going through a very very hard time trying to litter box train her. She hides
We found out our 6 month old ragdoll was peeing in the bathtub which is less than 1 metre from the litter box. We then covered the bathtub with a glass table top and he seems to still jump up and pee on top when we're not around. He drinks plenty of
Have 2 male 4-month old brothers (orange tabby's. The area by their cat tree is always damp (believe they are peeing or spraying) yet they do use litter boxes. 1 litter box near the tree and 1 in our hall bath. Both cleaned regularly throughout the d
I have 2 cats, A large male who can sometimes be a bully and a smaller, female cat. The female cat is very skiddish. When we first got the female cat she had difficulties using the litter box. I got an additional litter box and both cats were sharing
My cat has been pooping by my front door and still pooping in the litter box. I always keep it clean. He also peed on my bed today .
long story short, moved 6 months ago and my cat has had fits ever since moving. before we moved, she good. now she won’t use the litter box, has peed on me, peed and pooped in dining room, on couch and bed. it’s been off and on since the move and i d
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
