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I have a cat that is 8 years old and have had since a kitten. The thing is for some reason he won't always pee and poop in the litter box. I always clean the litter box several times a day and change it out every two weeks. I haven't changed his litter or food either. What is strange is he like alternates, sometimes he'll do it a few times in the litter box then do it outside then do it in the litter box a few more times, rinse, repeat.
But I have noticed whenever he does it outside he does it on two specific places, either the bath mat by the shower, or one of the towels in the bathroom. Any ideas?
Could be the environment. Is the box near a heating/cooling vent? A/C or head suddenly coming on can startle a cat.
Could be the litter. Try a different brand? Keep two litter boxes in different locations is a good idea. (One in the bathroom?)
Kitty could be a candidate for toilet training as well. He may be going where you do as a solidarity thing.
Finally, keep the floor in the bathroom clear. Pick up the bathmat when you're not using it, same with the towels. (If you use a toiletry that had mint in it the cat might consider it catnip.)
And don't forget that peeing can be an editorial comment by a cat, protesting something or other.
Finally, try to catch him in the act. I keep a can of compressed air handy in certain places, it makes a mega-hiss that must sound like an angry sabertooth to my cats.
This is why I will never have another cat.
We have had many cats over the years, all have had access to the outside, but also had well maintained litter boxes. Without fail, usually towards the end of their lives, they always started peeing on rugs and in laundry baskets, on beds, etc. Sometimes it was caused by a urinary infection, so you should always check with the vet, but most of the time, when a cat wants to do something, the cat will do it.
I'm not ever contending with that again.
I agree with OpanaPointer and gentlearts: there can be so many reasons why a cat will avoid the litter box.
Aside from the reasons that Opana gave, you should rule out a medical condition, as gentlearts noted. I have a cat who did this and it turned out that she had Giardia. And she did the same thing--the bathmat was her target of choice. And my male cat will do this (pee on the bathmat) when he is having a FLUTID episode.
If you haven't already done so, take your cat to the vet to rule out a medical condition. The first thing that they should do is to ask for a stool sample (to check for parasites) and a urine sample (to check for crystals and blood in the urine).
If everything comes back negative, then I would follow the suggestions that Opana has given you.
And a general note to pet owners: The vet needs a few stools, not one year's production. I've seen people bring in stinky grocery bags full of feces. It goes almost not stop to the hazmat rollie bin out back.
I think at that age, it's a good time to start checking his kidneys. Renal failure may contribute to him drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot, especially if he can't make it to the box. Also, UTI can be possibility. A blood panel workup and urinalysis once a year should start around this age to rule out any medical issues.
I think at that age, it's a good time to start checking his kidneys. Renal failure may contribute to him drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot, especially if he can't make it to the box. Also, UTI can be possibility. A blood panel workup and urinalysis once a year should start around this age to rule out any medical issues.
^^This^^
When a cat is having litter box issues, he's trying to tell you something 99% of the time. More times than not it will be a medical problem, especially in seniors. Get him checked out by your vet, and rule out anything medical, then go from there. Could be the litter type or location, or something in the home causing him stress if his blood work is normal.
Good luck.
^^This^^
When a cat is having litter box issues, he's trying to tell you something 99% of the time. More times than not it will be a medical problem, especially in seniors. Get him checked out by your vet, and rule out anything medical, then go from there. Could be the litter type or location, or something in the home causing him stress if his blood work is normal.
Good luck.
I agree with the above.
I bet the cat feels irritation when eliminating and associates the litter box with a bad experience.
Do you notice the cat licking his genitals or anus? Is he constipated?
One thing I would do is make sure he is getting enough water in his food. Needless to say, you are feeding him wet food. Right? If not, I would immediately switch to a high quality wet, ideally raw food diet. I would even add a teaspoon or more of water to the food before giving it to him. Lack of proper hydration can cause both constipation and urinary issues.
It always seems to be people who pick at their poor cat's littler box several times a day who seem to have this problem. No wonder your cats have issues with using the litter box : you're messing with their space too often!!!!!!!
Jeez, just leave it alone a few days, then scoop.
My current inside cats are 17 and 4, and I've had cats all my life. I clean their litter boxes ONCE A WEEK. The only times I have ever had issues with cats p/p ing places other than the litter boxes have been when there has been a medical problem.
Of course, I also follow the rule of having one more litter box than cats. So, with 2 cats I have 3 litter boxes.
If you have just 1 cat, you should have 2 litter boxes. Put them in very low traffic places, and stop messing with them all the time!!!!!
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