Cat has become a horizontal peer!

[Harriet130]

My 7 yo cat decided a couple of months ago that she preferred being a horizontal peer! She shoots her urine out of the opening in the litter box, so it now lands on the floor. Any suggestion for the best type of little box for this problem? Thank you!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, welcome!

This is a covered box? Can you try putting it into a larger storage bin and having is situated so that she's hitting the side of the storage bin? That would make cleanup a lot easier. Also, if you don't have any already, an enzymatic cleaner will help with the area she was hitting. If it isn't carpet there are cleaners specifically made for other floor surfaces.

 

[Harriet130]

Let me add that for 6.5 years, we used only one large litter box for 2 cats where we didn't have this problem. Both cats were fine using the single box. My husband had been reading that it's not a good idea for two cats to use the same box, so we got two. That said, the space is quite limited where the 2 boxes are and the smaller box (for the horizontal peer) has high sides and a front opening where she pees right through. The other cat uses a little larger box with a door that we have taped open. (Oddly, they figured out what box they preferred.) I'm thinking of going back to the one larger box for both, as we didn't have this problem, but my husband is adamant about having the two!! He gets rather ticked off when I bring it up. So presently, we have a plastic mat so it's easy to clean the pee, but it is a bit of a pain. Perhaps this a discussion for a marriage counselor!?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Have you had your 7 yo checked for a urinary tract infection? I only ask because this a more recent event, and sometimes that can be the cause. Not all cats display a lot of other signs when they have one. My cat peed over the top of a 7-8-inch-high litter box, and it was due to a UTI - otherwise I would have had no idea what was going on.

 

[arr]

If no other solution works, you could place a puppy pee pad where the urine lands. Then you can just throw it away with no mess. It’s what I have around our litter boxes for our occasional “elevator butt” cat.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Try something like this:

It has a side entry, so when the cat goes in, their nose is against the wall, and they automatically turn length-wise to the box. I chose this one because it seems to have been made from a Rubbermaid style container, and woud be far, far cheaper than a commercially produced one!

 

[Harriet130]

Thank you all! She just had a checkup a week or so ago and all good. The purple box has a perfect opening for her to pee right through!
I'm planning to experiment going back to the generic larger box like we had before for both cats - when we had no problems.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hang in there, on both fronts!

You know, somewhere I saw a bi-level arrangement of litter boxes due to similar constraints of space, so they went up instead of outwards.

 

[Kflowers]

found it -- litter box with stairs so cat has to be completely inside the box

Amazon.com: Petmate Booda Clean Step Cat Litter Box Dome (Made in the USA with 95% Recycled Materials)- Brushed Nickel : Pet Supplies

 

[Furballsmom]

Yah

 

[Harriet130]

found it -- litter box with stairs so cat has to be completely inside the box

View attachment 453773


Amazon.com: Petmate Booda Clean Step Cat Litter Box Dome (Made in the USA with 95% Recycled Materials)- Brushed Nickel : Pet Supplies

Wow! Looks very interesting. I just bought a huge litter box for both. I'm thinking the litter box was too small so she chose to pee out of it.
You guys have been amazingly responsive. Much appreciated!!

 

[rin68nyr]

How about a top entry litter box?