At my wit’s end with cat peeing outside of litter box

[Anonymous]

We have two cats. They are related, and seemingly get along very well. We adopted them as a one year old mom and the other was her kitten. The kitten, now adult is just an awesome, lovely cat. The mom is alright, always seems scared, jumpy and also extremely clingy.

Last year the mom started peeing out of the box and had blood in pee. I think her to the vet and found out she had crystals. We changed her diet to the urinary tract health dry food. A couple of months ago, she started peeing again outside of the litter box. I brought her back to the vet. She had a UTI. Got it treated. She is still peeing outside of the box. Planning on taking her again this week.
We purchased enzyme cleaner, scrubbed the floor for hours, followed all sorts of tips on how to keep cats from peeing on floor (she liked corners and walls). We also got one of those lights to detect stains and it turns out every wall, door and corners in our basement had old pee spots. We have multiple litter boxes and keep them clean. The very first vet I took her to the emergency vet in gtown, one of the vets told me some cats just do that, it can be behavioral. I’m now worried she just will never stop.

The next step is to find out if she still has a UTI and take it from there.

Has anyone dealt with this? Were you able to get the cat to stop peeing outside of the litter box? Do you have any advice? Suggestions on things I haven’t thought of?

I can’t deal with a cat turning my basement into a giant litter box. I’ve become nuts looking at the floor, touching to see if it’s wet or sniffing the air hard to smell for pee. This to me is even more stressful than thinking of the thousands of dollars we have already spent on this cat.

Any thoughts or advice?

[Anonymous]

Cat owner here. Just put her down. Cats aren’t meant to live forever.

[Anonymous]

We had a similar issue and started using Dr Elsey’s cat attract litter. Haven’t had a problem since. So it might be worth a try.

[Anonymous]

I completely understand your frazzled state of mind. When my dog started dripping random pee drops on the floor I went crazy. It wasn't marking, it wasn't a UTI. Finally I realized I could put him in a diaper for males (just a wrap that goes round his lower belly).

There are diapers for cats, but first I'd remind you that every time she's done that, she had an infection, so there's reason to hope that she'll stop. If she doesn't, I would try different types of litter and keep them all super clean. Some cats are fastidious. I would try and reduce her level of stress, because that sort of non-UTI peeing is often due to anxiety. Are there reasons why she's more stressed right now? Is there a new household member, or the absence of one? New furniture arrangement, conflict, etc? Can you create a calmer environment, give her more mental enrichment, add supplements? Or do you want to try kitty anxiety meds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cat owner here. Just put her down. Cats aren’t meant to live forever.

insane response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely understand your frazzled state of mind. When my dog started dripping random pee drops on the floor I went crazy. It wasn't marking, it wasn't a UTI. Finally I realized I could put him in a diaper for males (just a wrap that goes round his lower belly).

There are diapers for cats, but first I'd remind you that every time she's done that, she had an infection, so there's reason to hope that she'll stop. If she doesn't, I would try different types of litter and keep them all super clean. Some cats are fastidious. I would try and reduce her level of stress, because that sort of non-UTI peeing is often due to anxiety. Are there reasons why she's more stressed right now? Is there a new household member, or the absence of one? New furniture arrangement, conflict, etc? Can you create a calmer environment, give her more mental enrichment, add supplements? Or do you want to try kitty anxiety meds?

Thank you! I’m continuing to clean up. Got doggy pee pads and put them where she goes. I figured those would help et least prevent lingering smells as I can just replace the pee pad. We are going to check on recurring uti, vet said this time she would need an abdomen xray. If it’s still a uti we’ll get it treated but are going to ask for anxiety meds as well.

[Anonymous]

Could the sides of the box be too high for her? Difficultly stepping in is a common reason not to use the box.

[Anonymous]

1) associates box with pain. Get new boxes.
2) try at least 1 of the new boxes with different litter
3) box may be too high.
3) box may be too small. One cat diligently went to box and had butt hanging out when she pooped.

[Anonymous]

Does cat have kidney issues? Did vet check? Why is she getting repeat UTIs or not clearing from one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cat owner here. Just put her down. Cats aren’t meant to live forever.

Former cat owner here. The advice above is sick. I had a cat that peed all over the place. Couches, shoes, mattresses. I hated that cat but I was stuck with him. It finally stopped and he became THE BEST pet ever. So glad I stuck it out.

OP, he could be reacting to scented litter, and other scents as well. Our cat would pee when we had fresh basil on the kitchen, or flowers. But mostly it was the scented litter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cat owner here. Just put her down. Cats aren’t meant to live forever.

This may sound extreme, but there's a quality of life consideration here, both for the animal and for the owner.

Pets are supposed to bring joy, and humans are supposed to bring comfort and security. There are dozens of things that throw that balance off temporarily and are simply part of pet ownership; it's not always 100% happy times. But when there's an ongoing issue, the well-being of all involved needs to be evaluated. Having a pet that is a constant drain of resources (financial, mental, emotional...) isn't the way to a happy, secure dynamic for the animal, and obviously isn't great for the human.

When you've reached the end of your resources, it's okay to give your pet a good death. It's kinder than trying to rehome a problematic animal, who will face stress and disorientation at even the kindest of new homes. If you've done what you can with your vet, discuss your next steps.

Ignore the wackadoodle haters on this forum who will call you all sorts of names for considering putting down an animal you can no longer kindly and/or safely house. It's a pet, not a person, and you may have done all you can for this one. You don't need to make yourself crazy for your cat.

[Anonymous]

What's love got to do with it, right?

[Anonymous]

Anxiety meds helped my cat. If OPs cat is cleared of any medical cause, it is worth trying the anxiety meds.

[Anonymous]

I had a cat who was awesome in all ways except for the litter box. And it was awful. So I totally understand you, OP.

1st, go back to the vet and rule out a lingering UTI. Because if the UTI is there, nothing else is going to help.

2nd, get anti-anxiety meds if possible. Sounds like this was always an anxious cat and it's possible she's been traumatized from the UTI and still associates the litter box with pain even after the UTI resolved. Some people report success with Feliway but that never did much for my cat.

3rd, once she's all clear medically and hopefully on some anti-anxiety meds, start litter box training with a fresh start. New box, new clean litter, keep the cat in a small space, like a powder room. Food and water on one side and litter box on the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a cat who was awesome in all ways except for the litter box. And it was awful. So I totally understand you, OP.

1st, go back to the vet and rule out a lingering UTI. Because if the UTI is there, nothing else is going to help.

2nd, get anti-anxiety meds if possible. Sounds like this was always an anxious cat and it's possible she's been traumatized from the UTI and still associates the litter box with pain even after the UTI resolved. Some people report success with Feliway but that never did much for my cat.

3rd, once she's all clear medically and hopefully on some anti-anxiety meds, start litter box training with a fresh start. New box, new clean litter, keep the cat in a small space, like a powder room. Food and water on one side and litter box on the other.

Did it work for your cat, PP?