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My cat won't pee or poop after moving. Is it stress or vet emergency?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Manx | Male | neutered | 6 years and 11 months old | 15 lbs

I just moved to a new house and moved my cat about 36 hours ago. He has not peed or pooped once. He has been an indoor/outdoor cat for years and while he has had a litter box for his whole life, he hardly ever uses it and prefers to go outside. We have shown him his litter box and let him outside on a leash and harness but he still won't go. We are worried he has a blockage or something else. Could this be stress and him being finicky, and/or should we take him to a vet ASAP? Thank you!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on December 29th, 2017

Poor Monty. If Monty seems lethargic, vomits, or gets into the position to urinate and does not produce any urine, then I would take him to the veterinarian immediately. However, since we know he prefers not to use a litterbox and had the stress of the move, that might be your explanation. If you have any idea where he used to like to urinate/defecate (grass, dirt, mulch, plants, etc), I would try to replicate that in the new yard since that is his preferred area to go. The other problem is that most cats want to have privacy, so he may not go in front of you (while on a leash). Since we are coming into a holiday weekend, I would recommend having your vet evaluate him tomorrow (presuming that they are open) if he does not urinate overnight tonight just to make sure that everything is OK. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 11th, 2016

    It is stressful moving to a new home, and that could be contributing to him not peeing. It's good that he's eating and drinking well, as well as acting normal, but if he still hasn't peed by tomorrow morning, then I would take him into a vet. Should you notice him straining to pee, howling when he pees, little to no urine production when he attempts to pee, or frequent attempts to pee, that means his urethra is likely blocked, which is a medical emergency. Should you see any of those signs, get him into an ER vet immediately

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