New behavior in older cat

[joanne1947]

I have a 13 year old neutered male.  Never had a problem with him using the liter box.  The box is in the basement.  Last year we had the basement redone to make a playroom for our girls so there walls put up that divided the basement.  The liter box is in the "back: part of the basement with washing machine, etc.  He has suddenly started urinating at the base of the walls and edge of rug all around the playroom, even on the outside walls which were always there were always there except for the new drywall.  And now the girls don't like playing down there because of the odor and having friends over is more than embarrassing.  He still defecates in the box.  Any suggestions? I will try anything.

 

[vball91]

The most common cause of sudden peeing outside the box is a medical one, either an urinary tract issue of some kind or diabetes or kidney issues. Therefore, the first thing I would recommend is a vet check with urinalysis to rule out any medical causes.

In the meanwhile, you will need to clean the peed on areas really well with an enzyme cleaner. Otherwise, he will continue to pee on those areas.

 

[di and bob]

I would clean the area very good with an enzyme cleaner and then keep him out, can you shut him out? I'm sure he probably started when you remodeled, it was 'different'' and maybe had some odors he had to cover up. Is there any way you can move the litter box to another area? I would try to keep him out of the basement to break the cycle. Don't give up. my 13 year old suddenly started spraying when we moved and after a year he finally quit, so there is hope!

 

[hbanan]

Yes, I would take him to the vet to rule out medical issues. However, there could be other reasons why he's started going outside the box, like him getting spooked for some reason (washing machine maybe?).

Other things you can do is change the type of litter or type of litter box. Have you also tried adding a second litter box? I was having the same problem with my little one. I added a second box and I realized she likes to pee in one box and then walk to the second box and poop. I don't know why but she does.

Lastly, 13 years is a senior cat. Since you mentioned the box is in the basement, I'm assuming he has to go down stairs to use it?perhaps he's just getting older and it's harder to use the stairs. They also make litter boxes that don't have high sides so it's easier for the cats to get in and out.

Just some suggestions. It's been my experience that there usually is a reason why they are acting out, either behaviorally or medically. It's the figuring out the why that is the hard part