Cat peeing outside the box

[Pep_n_Ann]

Hi all, looking for some ideas and advice.

History, female cat, spayed at 18ish months, grew up outside, but has been mostly indoor since we moved cross country in December of 2020. She is currently 5 yrs old, and has 1 litter of kittens. No litterbox issues until about a month ago.

Changes over the summer. I put the older cat down due to medical issues (non contagious), the young dog (18 months) came back into the home and the baby human started walking and being rather loud.

Cat has two, large litter boxes, no change in litter for over a year. Boxes are scooped every day (or should be, teenager takes care of one, so…) Free access to dry food and water, 1 can of wet offered daily. Food is currently in my bathroom, behind a baby gate. She has a cat tree and an old TV hutch that she can get on top of to get away.

She is currently peeing on the floor between a table and a window, and she peed in the dryer this morning. Pee looked normal to me, light yellow, no blood, normal cat pee smell. Not all pee is outside the box, only one or two a day, litterbox is still being used.

Any ideas? I was thinking a vet visit is probably in order, but was wonder if there’s something I’m missing. No other behavior changes, except that she seems to be more outgoing and friendly without the older cat around.

[JB]

If at all possible, reduce or eliminate her dry food, and feed all/mostly canned food. Almost any canned food is better than dry food for cats

Where are her litter boxes relative to everything else?

cats will often pee in unsuitable places out of stress. You might try some pheromone products to see if she’ll settle.

I do think a vet visit just to make sure she’s not brewing crystals, or something is a great place to start. You might ask your vet for a catch tray and a sterile little bottle and see if you can catch her peeing. Once they start to pee, it’s pretty easy to slide the tray under them, then pour that into the container and whisk it off to the vet. If you can’t get it there that day, put it right in the fridge and try to get it there first thing the next morning.

[Simkie]

Vet visit for bloodwork & UA is definitely the first step, but that’s a lot of change and a newly walking kiddo can be especially upsetting.

Feliway, cosequin, switching to an all wet diet, adding a litter attractant are definitely things you can try that could help, but if the lab work is normal, and conservative measures don’t do it, you really may need an anti anxiety, like Prozac.

[Pep_n_Ann]

@JB

If at all possible, reduce or eliminate her dry food, and feed all/mostly canned food. Almost any canned food is better than dry food for cats

Where are her litter boxes relative to everything else?

cats will often pee in unsuitable places out of stress. You might try some pheromone products to see if she’ll settle.

I do think a vet visit just to make sure she’s not brewing crystals, or something is a great place to start. You might ask your vet for a catch tray and a sterile little bottle and see if you can catch her peeing. Once they start to pee, it’s pretty easy to slide the tray under them, then pour that into the container and whisk it off to the vet. If you can’t get it there that day, put it right in the fridge and try to get it there first thing the next morning.

One litter box in master bath with her food and water, the other is in the cat cabinet, which is just outside the master bedroom door. Both on the other side of the downstairs from the table, although its really not that far.

I was thinking about a feliway diffusor. Does anyone know if the generic ones are just as good?

[CanadianTrotter]

Possibly cystitis?

[Seagram]

I had a male cat that started peeing outside the litter boxes, but there was blood in the urine. Of course, on a holiday, so extra $$$ rushing him to the vet. Nothing definitive came of the blood or urine tests, no bladder infection, etc…I tried the diffuser, and he was on some calming meds (sorry, can’t remember what) But the vet did also say that some cats will get so stressed out, especially if there are strange cats coming around (we live in the country, but my cats up until then had always been indoors, with a catio), they will start peeing in the strangest places, especially if they can smell the other cats. I don’t know if this is an option for you, but we started letting him outside, and for whatever reason that solved the problem. I also have a dog that will chase animals that don’t belong on our property, so maybe that helped as well? The dog won’t harm the others, but will chase.
So no more stray kitties visiting, leaving their smells around.
It doesn’t explain the blood in the urine, to me, but I did what I could and threw my credit card at this cat. My little lions don’t go far, but they are far happier being in/out cats nowadays.
But it does sound like stress peeing for your baby. Cats are super reactive to change, and sounds like that is a lot for one to handle in a short period of time.

[OzarksRider]

@Seagram

we started letting him outside, and for whatever reason that solved the problem.

I had the same experience with one of my cats. He would become so stressed from being inside that he was literally peeing blood, even though he was out during the day and in only at night. He couldn’t tolerate the confinement, even though he was neutered and had lived like this since kittenhood. I started letting him out whenever he wanted and, lo and behold, problem solved. Some cats need to be out like they need air to breathe.