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Why is my 15-year-old cat peeing outside the litter box and hiding?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 15 years and 5 months old

My cat is 15 yrs old in human years. we had 2 cats but my daughter took hers a few months ago. We've noticed Nikki is sleeping in the bathroom or under the tables these last 2 weeks. I was thinking long hair must be hot. Well these last few days she's peeping outside of her litter box. nothing has changed in food or water. Can it be she misses him an us?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on September 28th, 2017

There could be a couple of reasons why Nikki is peeing outside the litter box. Cats like a very clean box, and the litter should be scooped every day with the litter itself being changed once a week. If the box isn't clean enough for her, she won't use it. Cats can also be very picky about the type of litter used. If you changed litter recently, she may not like it and won't want to use it. Don't use scented litters, cats typically don't like the scent and will not use the box if it smells funny to them. I would use an unscented litter only. The litter box itself may be a problem. It could be too small for her to turn around in, or if it has a cover, she may not like using the box under a cover. Conversely, if it doesn't have a cover, she may not like going to the bathroom in the open. Cats also won't use a litter box that is too close to their food and water sources, so if the litter box is close to those, she won't use it. Finally, there could be a medical issue behind her not using the litter box, such as a UTI, bladder stones, kidney disease, diabetes, arthritis, or hyperthyroidism. If none of the above scenarios apply to Nikki, I would take her into your vet for a health check to see if there is a medical cause behind her refusing to use the litter box. I hope this helps!

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