Cat Won't Pee In Litter Box

[monroeandroscoe]

I have a 4 year old male cat that has always been a lovely, well behaved cat until about a week ago. I have kept their (I also have another male cat that's 9) litter box in a spare room in our house. Them sharing a box has never ever been a problem for all these years. All of a sudden now he's decided that using the rug in my bathroom is a good place to do his #1. Strangely, rather thankfully, he'll still use the litter box for #2.

I've read around on the internet that step one would be to take him to a vet to rule out any medical issues; UTI, kidney stones... I feel that I can say with almost 100% certainty he is perfectly fine. My other cat has suffered numerous times over the course of his life from urinary blockages, so I am well aware of the signs. Plus his appetite has not decreased at all, neither has his activity level (he's a super playful cat), not to mention he pees a good amount about 3-4 times a day -- on my rug.

I use a storage tub with tall walls as a litter box because my other cat has issues getting his pee actually into the box (I'm guessing from so many blockages and catheters), and the tub has solved that particular problem completely. If I put out a different box he will use it and I cannot have urine on the hardwood floors.

I cleaned the tub out with the hose and rinsed some Comet around in it and put in new fresh litter (haven't changed litter brands or types) and left it in the bathroom for a moment while I took the old litter out to the trash. In just that short time of a couple minutes, he went and used the box! I was pleasantly surprised. I thought maybe he must have been telling me to give it a good clean, so I put it back in the room and I think he used it once after that then went back to using my rug. I moved the box out into an entirely different spot in the house and he still used my rug.

So I finally caved and put the box in the bathroom (I hate having it in the bathroom) and he used it today while I was at work. There were two puddles of pee, I assume one from each cat and nothing on my rug.

What can I do to get him to use it when it's not in the bathroom? This can't be a permanent solution. I thought about closing the bathroom door but I'm afraid of him still avoiding the litter box and going on the floor or on something else. I'd rather wash a rug.

The cat in question in the photo is the black one

 

[susanm9006]

Peeing three or four times a day seems more than usual to me. UTI is a possibility, as is Diabetes. It would be a very good idea to have him vet checked.

 

[BeAtCause]

I know you are not seeing signs of it, but without a vet running a test for a uti it can not be ruled out. The fact that he is not using the box is a sign, and a good one. If something causes pain they avoid it. Also the vet could suggest other ideas, such as something to calm the kitty down. Feliway might help. They have it at the pet store. I did have a ragdoll once and she was so picky that if another cat peed in it even once, my ragdoll would be on the stairs of the box. If no other cat had peed in it she would go in and use it. It was like this for years. I had 3 cats so I had to keep 4 boxes. Keeping a new, clean box (their sense of smell is much better than ours) also helped. I cleaned mine once a week as soon as most the litter was used, I dumped the litter left as it smelled and then cleaned the box in the bathtub and put clean litter. This helped my sensitive ragdoll. I also kept a plastic mat like people use for offices (got at office dept) under the box and when the box was not satisfactory my ragdoll would poop on the plastic. Much easier to clean than a rug. All the best and here's A few more ideas...

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/petconfirm-cat-uti-test-kit

Found at walmart, petco, petsmart and all the other online pet sites. Google it for best price.
Dr Elsey's has Health Monitor and Cat Attract litter for this issue.