Unsavory Litter Box Habits

[iheartlife]

My seven year old cat has recently developed some bad habits about the litter box. She has been peeing on the floor near the curtains in my kitchen semi-frequently. This is the only spot outside of the litter box that she pees and it’s only occasionally. She only pees outside of the box; there’s never been an intentional poop outside of the box. Although I didn’t think it was a urinary tract infection, I took her to the vet to rule it out just in case (she doesn’t have UTI). When she does use the litter box, she hasn’t been covering it very often. My male cat comes along behind her and buries all of her potties after she walks away. I’m not sure why she’s sometimes peeing outside of the box and sometimes not burying her waste. There’s three litter boxes for two cats that get scooped at least once per day and are changed/washed with soap and water once per week. My male cat is using the box totally normally and always buries his business when he’s done. He isn’t being territorial or controlling over the litter box (he hasn’t been scaring her away from the litter boxes so there’s no competition for a place to go). Any advice/tips to get her to stop peeing outside the box and to bury her business when she goes?

 

[nazzurai]

So you have 3 litter boxes for 2 Cats? Try adding one more as the general rule is 2 Litter boxes per Cat. The reason why is because they like to poo in one and pee in another

 

[war&wisdom]

So you have 3 litter boxes for 2 Cats? Try adding one more as the general rule is 2 Litter boxes per Cat. The reason why is because they like to poo in one and pee in another

The "rule" is actually one litter box per cat plus one extra litter box total, but it may help to have yet another.

 

[di and bob]

There is SOMETHING she doesn't like, the litter or the box, or something is upsetting her, like a new cat in the neighborhood she sees from the window, a dog coming around, or even company she may not care for. Have there been any changes in the household, neighbor hood, in the last few weeks? Get some clear carpet runner that has those little nubs on the back and place it nub side up for a while where she is going now, that will break the habit. Urinating outside the box is marking and that usually comes from being upset. Not covering her eliminations is actually quite common, it means she is confident enough not to cover, she doesn't need to hide her scent. OR, she is getting scared away before she can, watch and see.

 

[iheartlife]

There is SOMETHING she doesn't like, the litter or the box, or something is upsetting her, like a new cat in the neighborhood she sees from the window, a dog coming around, or even company she may not care for. Have there been any changes in the household, neighbor hood, in the last few weeks? Get some clear carpet runner that has those little nubs on the back and place it nub side up for a while where she is going now, that will break the habit. Urinating outside the box is marking and that usually comes from being upset. Not covering her eliminations is actually quite common, it means she is confident enough not to cover, she doesn't need to hide her scent. OR, she is getting scared away before she can, watch and see.

I’m using the same litter I’ve been using the entire time I’ve had both cats and she’s never had a problem with it before. Unless Tidy Cats suddenly changed their formula for their litter, I don’t know why she’s suddenly have a problem with the litter that she’s been using for over 7 years. The boxes are all the same. I buy the same box whenever one gets run down; I actually bought the last 7 in bulk because it was cheaper. We live in a rural area several miles outside of town so there haven’t been any new neighbors or neighborhood pets; it’s just us and the cows. We haven’t had any new visitors. The only company we have is my nephew and he normally stays with us every weekend so she’s used to him. Unless a stray has taken up residence in our barn (which sometimes happens), I don’t know of any new animals. I’ve been watching the cats together. She’s not being bullied away from the litter box. My other cat is very social and chill with her. He grooms her, he lets her eat out of his bowls, they share toys. I haven’t seen him bully her in any circumstance, but I’ve been especially watching the litter box. He just comes along after she leaves and buries her business if she doesn’t.

Thanks for the tip about the carpet runner. We have some in our RV so I can do that right away.

 

[iheartlife]

The "rule" is actually one litter box per cat plus one extra litter box total, but it may help to have yet another.

I can try adding another litter box this week to see if it helps. I have two in the larger main room and one in the other main room of the house. I can add a second one to the other main room. I don’t really want one in my kitchen unless you think it might help discourage her from going beside the curtains in the kitchen.

 

[di and bob]

Is the nephew a recent thing? How old is he? My cats completely disappear fro days at a time under the bed when my ten year old grandson comes to visit. Children move too quickly and are too loud for cats to handle. Most cats hate 'strangers' too, and weekend visits wouldn't be enough for a proper cat introduction. He may love cats to bits, but that doesn't mean she loves him (yet) She may be more bothered than you know about his visits because cats must appear normal in all things, even when scared/ill.

 

[Daisy6]

So you have 3 litter boxes for 2 Cats? Try adding one more as the general rule is 2 Litter boxes per Cat. The reason why is because they like to poo in one and pee in another

No, that has never been a general rule.

 

[iheartlife]

Is the nephew a recent thing? How old is he? My cats completely disappear fro days at a time under the bed when my ten year old grandson comes to visit. Children move too quickly and are too loud for cats to handle. Most cats hate 'strangers' too, and weekend visits wouldn't be enough for a proper cat introduction. He may love cats to bits, but that doesn't mean she loves him (yet) She may be more bothered than you know about his visits because cats must appear normal in all things, even when scared/ill.

My nephew is 8. He’s such a regular presence that I think the cats think he’s a resident member of the family. He come sout Friday afternoon and stays until Sunday evening every weekend for the last three years. He also comes over after school while his mom works. And I frequently watch him for full days during the summer while his mom works. I know my male cat is used to him because my nephew has been coming out for as long as the cat has been alive. He hasn’t been coming out for all of my female cat’s life, just the last three years so I guess it’s possible she could not be used to him. Do you really think that could be it?

 

[rubysmama]

Did you use an enzyme cleaner to wash where she's peed? If not, she may still be able to smell the urine scent, which could be why she keeps going only there.

Here's a few articles with more info:
Combat Cat Urine
How To Remove Cat Urine
How To Remove Cat Urine Odor From Your Home