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Why do my kittens pee outside the litter box? How can I stop them?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 2 months and 9 days old | 3 lbs

Recently adopted 2 2 month old kittens from local shelter...both doing great minus the fact that they seem to use litter box and they go outside the litter box...have 2 litter boxes in my apartment...how can i get them to stop urinating everywhere?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on July 10th, 2019

There can be a couple of reasons why they will not use 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 them, they won't use it. Cats can also be very picky about the type of litter used. If you changed litter recently, they 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 them to turn around in, or if it has a cover, they may not like using the box under a cover. Conversely, if it doesn't have a cover, they 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, they won't use it. Finally, there could be a medical issue behind them not using the litter box, such as feline idiopathic cystitis or bladder stones. If none of the above scenarios apply to your cats, I would take them into your vet for a health check to see if there is a medical cause behind them refusing to use the litter box.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 7th, 2019

    There can be a couple of reasons why Joji will not use 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 him, he won't use it. Cats can also be very picky about the type of litter used. If you changed litter recently, he 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 him to turn around in, or if it has a cover, he may not like using the box under a cover. Conversely, if it doesn't have a cover, he 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, he won't use it. Finally, there could be a medical issue behind him not using the litter box, such as feline idiopathic cystitis or bladder stones. If none of the above scenarios apply to Joji, I would take him into your vet for a health check to see if there is a medical cause behind him refusing to use the litter box. I would also speak to the vet about neutering him, which can help. Intact cats like to mark their territory with urine.

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