Why Is My Cat Urinating Outside the Litter Box?

The litter box may pose problems for a cat owner, but when your cat starts urinating outside the box you might find yourself thinking the litter box is not so bad. There are various reasons a cat might urinate outside its litter box, all of which are treatable with medication or re-training.

  1. Causes

    • A cat's inappropriate elimination suggests either a medical problem or a behavioral problem. A urinary tract infection (UTI) makes urinating painful for the cat and often makes the cat incapable of holding the normal amount of urine, resulting in elimination outside the litter box. Other medical conditions that cause a cat to urinate outside the litter box because of an inability to hold its urine include diabetes, hyperthyroidism and kidney disease, according to veterinarian Holly Nash. An older cat might urinate outside the litter box because of a medical condition, such as arthritis, that makes it painful to climb in and out of the box. Other reasons a cat urinates outside the litter box include a dirty box, a change in type of litter, a box that's too small and stress.

    Considerations

    • Particularly finicky cats might not want to use a litter box that has no privacy. Others might have an aversion to a covered litter box. Some cats prefer having two litter boxes--one for urination and one for defecation. Others like large litter boxes better than small ones. A cat might stop using its litter box because of something trivial, but veterinarian Lisa A. Pierson recommends taking the cat for a check-up to be safe.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Cleaning the litter box at least once, if not twice per day keeps it clean and prevents inappropriate elimination. Using clumping, unscented litter makes the litter box more desirable to the cat. Each cat should have its own litter box available in the house, according to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center in Los Angeles.

    Treatment

    • A veterinarian can prescribe medication to control medical problems such as a UTI or kidney disease. Cats that have gotten out of the habit of urinating in the box require re-training. Starting from scratch, as if the cat were a kitten, a cat can effectively be re-trained to urinate inside the litter box.

    Warnings

    • Punishing a cat for eliminating outside the litter box by yelling or striking it may actually make the problem worse, Pierson says. The cat might not understand why its owner is behaving this way, and the punishment could cause the cat stress, often exacerbating the problem.