Cat still urinating outside litter box after having UTI

[Freddieandchip]

My cat is a year and a half old and had a UTI in October. When he got the UTI, he urinated outside of the litter box for the first time ever. While he was being treated for his UTI, he urinated on the carpet and in one of his old beds. After that, he pretty much went back to using the litter box like normal but would occasionally urinate in his old bed or that spot on the carpet. I recently got rid of the bed but he still urinates on the carpet occasionally - I would say once a week After he does this, sits in front of the litter boxes and just cries. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain and he is urinating a normal amount, he also doesn’t seem to be having any trouble urinating. I have been giving him supplements since he had his UTI. I originally thought that he just wanted the litter cleaned so I started them it more often (I was already cleaning it once a day, now I try to do it twice a day). I also thought that it may be because the litter boxes are covered but I took the cover off and he still occasionally urinates on the carpet. He never had any issues before having the UTI and it’s always in the same spot on the carpet. I’m not sure if I should change the location of a litter box, change the litter, the type of litter box, etc. I would appreciate any advice

 

[maggie101]

My cats pee where ever I am so bedroom and living room. Also some cats like to dig and cover their urine and poo. My cats boxes are storage bins so they have lots of room. Twice the length of cat and 3 inches of litter. Also an enzyme cleaner and a black light to make sure no spots missed

 

[FeebysOwner]

You definitely need to clean that carpet spot with enzymatic cleaners since he seems to use that same location when he goes outside the box. He can smell his scent there, even if you cannot. See the link below for a TCS article about cleaning urine from carpet. Your problem now might likely be that he has peed enough in that spot to have soaked the carpet padding - and maybe even the flooring underneath, which will require a more extensive cleaning effort.

If this peeing outside the box and the crying were more constant, I would suggest that he be rechecked for a recurring UTI - and, maybe you should do so anyway to be on the safe side. This would be especially true if there was sediment found in the urinalysis I presume was done before when the vet determined he had a UTI. He could be developing crystals/stones in his bladder that when passed they can cause pain - and that could be behind why this is happening sporadically.
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions - TheCatSite Articles

 

[Freddieandchip]

Thank you so much for the help! I will definitely take him to get another urine sample. I will also check out the cleaning supplies and see if that helps

 

[Freddieandchip]

You definitely need to clean that carpet spot with enzymatic cleaners since he seems to use that same location when he goes outside the box. He can smell his scent there, even if you cannot. See the link below for a TCS article about cleaning urine from carpet. Your problem now might likely be that he has peed enough in that spot to have soaked the carpet padding - and maybe even the flooring underneath, which will require a more extensive cleaning effort.

If this peeing outside the box and the crying were more constant, I would suggest that he be rechecked for a recurring UTI - and, maybe you should do so anyway to be on the safe side. This would be especially true if there was sediment found in the urinalysis I presume was done before when the vet determined he had a UTI. He could be developing crystals/stones in his bladder that when passed they can cause pain - and that could be behind why this is happening sporadically.
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions - TheCatSite Articles

Thank you so much for your comment, it really helped! I decided to take him to a different vet for a second opinion and I’m still waiting for the results but his urine sample was abnormal and he does have sediment in his urine. I’m still waiting for an official diagnosis from the radiologist but the vet said to him it looks like sediment and not crystals. I forgot to u
Include this in the original post but the first vet that I took him to said that he may just be anxious and have a small bladder, or it may be a UTI but they never actually tested him for it, they just gave me antibiotics and said they would treat it as if it is a UTI.

 

[sunny578]

If he keeps urinating outside of the box after this latest appointment, let us know! Sometimes after a UTI, inappropriate urination becomes a bit of a habit that can usually be broken with a few easy tweaks. Good luck!

 

[Freddieandchip]

If he keeps urinating outside of the box after this latest appointment, let us know! Sometimes after a UTI, inappropriate urination becomes a bit of a habit that can usually be broken with a few easy tweaks. Good luck!

Thank you! He is currently still urinating outside of the litter box but I was expecting that since he isn’t being treated yet, we are waiting for the diagnosis tomorrow. So far I moved his litter box to one of the spots where he was urinating and it seems to be helping a little. I will definitely post an update once we have a diagnosis and he starts some kind of treatment

 

[Freddieandchip]

I just wanted to post an update for this! After some tests he was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. The vet thinks it’s due to anxiety but we still need to do a few more test to rule out other causes. We decided to keep him on the prescription urinary diet and he got some anti inflammatories and seems to be doing much better. The vet said after we get his blood tests and see how he does on the prescription food we will see if other meds such as anxiety meds are necessary thank you to everyone that gave advice!! He hasn’t urinated outside the litter box at all since he got his first dose of the anti inflammatory

 

[louisstools]

Yay! Sometimes you have to push the vet for diagnostics. I don't know why...maybe they're worried about the bill for us? My girl has uti problems from time to time and I always request the urinalysis when I'm taking her in for uti.

 

[Freddieandchip]

Yay! Sometimes you have to push the vet for diagnostics. I don't know why...maybe they're worried about the bill for us? My girl has uti problems from time to time and I always request the urinalysis when I'm taking her in for uti.

Yeah, I’m not sure why the last vet didn’t do more tests, I took him to a different one this time and had a much better experience, they were so helpful!

 

[maggie101]

I had the same problem with my first vet. My cat needed a urinalysis but he didn't want to get her stressed so I took her somewhere else that helped. Glad you found a good one. The prescription food dissolved her crystals. The non prescription food brought them back