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My cat peed suddenly outside the litter box. Is he sick or stressed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Male | unneutered | 3 lbs

My cat just came & sat next to me on a piece my plaster art work and peed. He never did anything like this. Is it normal? Is it a sign he is sick?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ann Dion, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 18th, 2017

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Cats will often pee in front of you if they are sick. They like to 'show' you that something is wrong. This could be behavioural however it is a very good idea to rule out any medical problem first, as urinary issues with male cats can become fatal if not treated early. (Stones can get stuck in the urethra and prevent them from peeing, which can lead to fatal potassium levels). I recommend having your cat seen by your vet. They will most likely take a sample of pee and test it for stones, crystals, and bacteria. If this is all normal then they will talk to you about behavioural causes. Some include stress (if a new animal or family member is present), having appropriate numbers and clean litter boxes always present (number of cats + 1 = number of litter boxes recommended, all cleaned daily), and other possible solutions. Best of luck with Morty!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on November 29th, 2018

    Maybe. Pain or anxiety could cause this behavior. If Jhonny is peeing outside of the litter box, it may be something called FLUTD, which can have a variety of causes. The best thing would be to have him examined by a vet to see if there is a medical cause. Here is a good article explaining what could be going on: https://www.petcoach.co/article/inappropriate-elimination-urination-defecation-spraying-in/

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 20th, 2018

    Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Peeing outside the litter box can be a sign of a lower urinary tract problem such as a infection, crystals in the urine, or urinary stones. I would definitely recommend Koda sees his veterinarian very soon for an exam and a urinalysis. Your veterinarian may also recommend taking an x-ray to check for bladder stones. Koda may need to be placed on antibiotics or other medications as necessary. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Tomasz Wnuk

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 3rd, 2020

    Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It could be due to behavioural problems (stress from being bullied, dirty litter in the box) or these symptoms can be related to bladder infection or crystals in the urine. Please, take Carmela to your local vets for an appointment. Examination of urine under the microscope will give the answer if Carmela has UTI and if there are crystals in the urine. Based on the findings, your vet will advise antibiotic treatment, special diet to dissolve crystals or painkillers / calming down medications.

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