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Why is my 9-month-old cat peeing on carpets instead of the litter box?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 3 months old | 9 lbs

My cat (about 9 months) has started peeing on carpets all over the house. My cat is male, and I have an older male cat as well (about 7 years). I caught him today and yelled at him, then locked him and my other one in the area their litter box and food bowl are in (I put my older cat in there so he’d have access to the potty and water). I have two litter boxes, but I don’t always have the ability to get the same litter all the time. I am unable to pinpoint when it started, and my word count is d

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 18th, 2020

There can be a couple of reasons why Tiger will not use the litter box. There may not be enough litter boxes in the home. You should have one litter box for each cat, plus one extra. 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 Tiger, 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 hope this helps!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 15th, 2018

    There can be a couple of reasons why Ozzy 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 Ozzy, 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. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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