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Why is my cat peeing in inappropriate places and not the litter box?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 2 years and 5 months old

Hello, i have a question my cat retchi, recently she started a weird behavior peeing all over the place on cushion, sofa and any plastic bag or on the floor and not using her letter box it started 7 months, at first i thought it was due to stress or fear or something but she keeps doing it even thought she is healthy and have no urin problem and i have another cat male but he rarely do it out side box, so plz help me with this, is there a training or advice?? cause its starting to be annoying

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 18th, 2018

I am sorry to hear about Retchi. This is certainly a frustrating problem to deal with. If your cat has not been to the vet to test the urine and ensure we don't have an issue such as bacteria, crystals or inflammation of the bladder, or any concern with kidney disease, then that is your first step. You also want to be sure your litter box situation is ideal. You should have one more litterbox than the number of cats in the house. Ideally we would have litterboxes with covers and without in case your cat prefers one over another, and some cats prefer one substrate over another, so trying a different litter can sometimes help. Keeping the litterbox very clean with daily scooping and then thorough weekly cleaning is also needed. If you are still having issues then an underlying anxiety issue may be the cause. You can try a Feliway Multicat diffuser (plugs into the wall and you may need more than one depending on the size of your house) and a calming supplement such as Zylkene or Composure. If you still have accidents then a prescription medication may be needed from your vet. You can read more about this issue at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951508

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on March 28th, 2017

    Have your cats seen by your vet to rule out medical causes. Blood work may be able to diagnose kidney disease or diabetes. A urinalysis and culture may diagnose UTI. A fecal exam can diagnose intestinal parasites. Once medical causes have been ruled out, you can focus on behavioral issues. Since you have multiple cats, the general rule of thumb is to have a litterbox for each cat in the house plus an additional litterbox. Try different types and brands of litter. Your cats may prefer one to another. Try litterbox attractants. Search www.pet360.com for options. If your cats seem stressed or anxious, try to determine and reduce or eliminate the offending stimulus. If that isn't possible, calming pheromone collars or sprays may be effective. Feliway spray or diffusers may decrease any anxiety in the home.

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on May 15th, 2024

    A good first step, if you haven't already, is to rule out any health issues with your vet such as arthritis that may be causing the accidents. Secondly, making sure none of the other cats are bullying her away from the litter box may also alert you to any issues. Thirdly, a good enzymatic cleaner may help reduce the smell/discourage use of these areas in the future. That said, if you've done the above and the issue is still happening, it's probably time to call in a veterinary or animal behaviorist that can visit in person to see what may be going on. They may be able to check for stressors that could be causing the accidents where they are, look for issues with refusal to defecate in the box, or see if there is a cycle that is happening that is triggering this reaction. From there they may be able to set up a more tailored plan to help reduce the accidents and encourage use of the litter box at all times. If you're in the US, you can use this website to help find someone available in your area: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on February 18th, 2017

    Begin by having Bella examined by your veterinarian. A sterile urine sample can be collected to submit for urinalysis and culture. This may diagnose a urinary tract infection. Blood work should also be submitted to assess major organ function, especially kidney function. Abdominal xrays or ultrasound can assess bladder and kidney architecture. It can also diagnose bladder or kidney stones. Once medical causes are ruled out, you can work on behavioral causes. If you have multiple cats, the general rule of thumb is to have a litterbox for each cat in the house plus an additional litterbox. Try different types and brands of litter. Bella may prefer one to another. Try litterbox attractants. Search www.pet360.com for options. If she seems stressed or anxious, try to determine and reduce or eliminate the offending stimulus. If that isn't possible, pheromone products such as Feliway spray or a diffuser may be effective in decreasing stress/anxiety. Use an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle to thoroughly clean soiled areas.

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