Cat peeing outside the box... what is she telling us?

[pred02]

Hi,
We are treating our cat for UTI and early stage CRF. She has been on antibiotics for a couple of months now, and clinically she is doing well. Last time we went for a urinalysis she was bacteria-free but she is still on Clovomax.

She is playful, has a strong appetite, runs around, and unfortunately urinates outside the kitty box. Not all the time, but sometimes she goes right next to the box on our carpets.

Before I go back to our vet with this, I wanted to know if there is anything related to this, why is she going outside the box.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[mews2much]

It could be because she is sick.
Coco has the same problem as your cat but she never goes outside of the pan.
I am not sure why your cat is doing that.

 

[proudmamiof4]

Being that she is being treated for a UTI it could very well be that she now associates the box with painful urination??just a though but I have heard that cats that have blockages sometimes go outside the box because of this.Good luck and I hope you find out what the problem is and a way to solve it

 

[maxiecat03]

I truly understand why a cat would associate a litter box with pain, while they experienced it...but....my cat will go pee in the box ONLY when I am standing right there giving her lots of positive encouragement. She had licked her tummy raw and I know that litter was probably painful....but that problem was cleared up about 3 years ago...and still no success with her automatically peeing in the box. She does the pooping in the box without being 'told'.

I changed litter, added Cat Attract, use The World's Best Litter because it is soft, but just can't convince her to get in on her own. I scoop the boxes every second day.

The worst part is...I think she's influencing my other one or two cats to also pee on the papers.....I'm not sure about that...just a suspicion for now. The problem is that their boxes sit on paper on a cement floor (I also put down puppy training pads)...and the odor can get pretty bad. I use the odor eliminator, baking soda, I wash the cement, use Lysol....but the smell is still there no matter what. She's 12 1/2, so her years are limited....but I hate to think about how nice it will be to have no pee smell in the basement, not a fond memory to have of one's cat.

If anyone has any 'magic bullet' for getting her to get in on her own...please share.....

 

[cmedeiros17]

She very well could be remembering that painful urination ......... have you tried getting a brand new litter box??? I know that helped mine! I have 2 cats with urinary problems (that are now under control). But even after being under control they wouldnt consistantly use the litter box- they would use the bathtub, counters, rug etc. So I finally tossed their litter boxes and got new ones and it worked!

 

[maxcat08]

Oh yes, all new litter boxes, even a low sided one so she could get in and out easily.
When she knows I'm watching...right in she gets. I praise her, tell her how good she is...pet her when she gets out...give her treats when we get up the stairs....all to no avail because if I'm not there....guess what??