WEIRD pee behavior

Hi all,

I have a really bizarre issue with my kitten, and I have no idea what can be done about it. Hopefully someone has encountered this before, because I sure haven't!

My cat goes in the litterbox, no problems there...but he has this thing that he does...when he pees, he sits down. I mean, all the way down...butt on the litter. So he essentially pees on himself because he is literally sitting in his urine as he's peeing. Then, when he is done and exits the litterbox, his whole butt area and back legs are dripping wet and he drips urine all over the floor, which I then have to clean up. It's gross, and he smells like pee, so I have taken to wiping him down with a wet washcloth to get the pee off.

I've had cats my whole life, and I've never seen this before. All my previous cats have had the sense to lift their butts when they peed. I have to say, I'm stumped.

He's only 5 months old, so perhaps he will grow out of it? Don't know. Has anyone heard of this before, and what, if anything, can I do about it?

Thanks!

Is he a long or shorthair? Maybe get a different type of litter and see if that helps (you'll have to gradually change over). Something that would absorb faster (clumping litter) or the pellet kind like Feline Pine.

He's a short hair. I'm currently using "world's best cat litter", which is wheat or corn based (I forget which), flushable clumping and fine grain...

I think one of the pelleted types might be worth a try... something with bigger gaps between the litter (such as a pellet) might allow the urine to run down into the litter faster instead of sitting on the top (even for a short while) before it soaks in. You could also try toilet-training, but I only know one person (personally) who's managed that successfully.

It might also be worth it to see a vet just on the off-chance that it's health related, such as some sort of discomfort or joint problem when using the litterbox that makes it difficult to elevate.

Hmm...good suggestions. I'll look into a pelleted litter like Feline Pine.

I suppose it could be a joint issue or something, but I think it is unlikely, as he just had a thorough check by the vet (he's a recent adoption) and she didn't mention anything. Also, he seems to have no problem lifting his butt when he poops; his rear is up in the air for that...it's only when he pees that he sits down. It just seems to be a bizarre behavioral quirk. His brother (whom we adopted with him) doesn't do it. Yes, I have spent time watching them both defecate...just a dedicated cat mommy...

Maybe a super-quick absorbing litter is the answer...any suggestions?

I guess I'm really hoping that someone will tell me that he'll magically grow out of it...sigh. Or am I going to be washing cat butts for the next 20 years...

Ooh, also, while you're still washing the cat butts... there are a few different brands that make a sort of baby wipe but it's for grooming cats. I use them sometimes on one of my cats that has joint problems that hinder his grooming. Might be more convenient to keep a couple containers of those handy so you can just grab one, wipe, and toss it out...

Ooh! I love that idea! Thanks! I will look into that...

You could try a crystal cat litter. Dr Elseys long haired cat litter and their senior litter are both crystal formulas. The senior litter uses crystals so small that the texture is like sand. There are also many other crystal litters as well.

It does seem to me, that he is actually squatting not sitting. I imagine if he were actually sitting all the way down, that the litter would clump to his fur. If he is just squatting very low, reducing the level of the litter might help.