Peeing In The Dog's Water

[lemondrop]

We are baffled at how to handle this litter box issue.
She always poops in the litter box. She pees there maybe 50% of the time. We use World's Best litter with the Dr Elsey's Cat Attract additive.
Sometimes she pees on random spots on the carpet. Lately, though, she's begun peeing in the dog's water. She also drinks out of his bowl, as well as her own. It's a raised bowl, but she stands on the very edges.
Obviously we don't want to punish her for peeing, but we don't know how to handle this! It feels like we're rewarding her because, of course, we always change the water after she pees in it. And then she comes right back and drinks the new water. It's not like we don't change the water regularly, either.

Open to any suggestions for how to correct this behavior and/or make the dog's water inaccessible to the cat!

 

[Jem]

Have you brought her to the vet to check for possible UTI, crystals, cystitis? If there is an underlying illness causing the inappropriate peeing, any behavior modification will not work.
Also how old is she? Sometimes pain, say from arthritis, can cause out of the box peeing, although if she's teetering on a water bowl to pee I would probably put that last on my list of possibilities LOL! But stranger things have happen when it comes to cats!
How do the cat and dog get along? Is your dog healthy? She could be trying to mask your dogs scent if she feels threatened by him in any way, either because he picks on her or he has an illness and she can sense it.
Any new changes in the house that have NOTHING to do with the dog or cat? Cats will sometimes pee inappropriately when there has been a change, it is a way to keep their surroundings smelling like them when they feel their territory is being challenged in some way. And it can be anything, even just moving furniture around. Is the water bowl she pees in, in a different location than before she started doing it?
How many litter boxes do you have? Sometimes cats like to have a box for pooping and a different one for peeing. I know you say she pees in it half the time, but this is a simple and relatively cheap thing to try. The times she uses the box to pee in, might just coincide to when there is no poop in it. Have you noticed that at all when cleaning it?
Also how often to you clean the box? Some cats are just very picky and like a clean box, having a second box can also help with that if she ends up using both as there will be less "stuff" in each box at any given time for her to turn her nose up at.
She stressed or upset about something, and peeing is her way of telling you she's unhappy about it.
I'll stop there until you have a chance to answer questions, otherwise I'll just end up writing a novel!

 

[lemondrop]

Thanks for replying, Jem!

She's about two, we think, so hopefully she's not arthritic quite yet!

We haven't been to the vet about this yet. She doesn't seem distressed when she pees (in the box or otherwise). No crying, no running away when she's done.

There is a litter box upstairs and one downstairs. She pees and poops in both, they're cleaned every 2-3 days, and she's the only cat in this house.

She and the dog get along okay. They're not pals, but they're on decent terms. Sometimes he gets a little too rambunctious, but when he's calm she'll rub on him and lay with him. The dog was here first. We've had the cat for about six months and she only started peeing in his water in the last month or so. I can't think of any changes in the house recently, no schedule changes or rearranged furniture.

 

[rubysmama]

Sorry you're dealing with a litter box avoidance issue. In cases such as these, it is always best to make a vet appointment to first rule out a UTI or other medical issue.

Here's the TCS articles on litter box issues, in case you haven't seen them.

How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet
Inappropriate Peeing, Spraying, Toy Obsession And Leg And Hand Nipping
Spraying: When Your Cat Uses Urine To Mark Territory

Plus, ensure you're using an enzyme cleaner to clean up where she pees, otherwise she may still smell her urine scent and continue to pee there. Here's some more articles:

Combat Cat Urine
How To Remove Cat Urine
How To Remove Cat Urine Odor From Your Home
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions

Lastly...

She pees and poops in both, they're cleaned every 2-3 days

The waste is scooped daily though, right?

 

[Jem]

I think the first thing I would do is to scoop out the boxes everyday if your using clumping litter. If you use non clumping, make sure to remove the poop everyday. Are her litter boxes covered? Some cats don't like covered boxes, they get too smelly and/or dusty for them, or simply don't like the confinement.

I know you mention no crying or running away after peeing/pooping, but keep in mind that cats hide their discomfort/pain VERY well, and usually when they show signs of distress that WE notice it's because it's REALLY bad, the fact that she does not use the box all the time is your sign that something is wrong, and it could be pain. I would recommend bringing her to the vet for a check up and urine analysis to rule out any infection/illness.

Have you ever noticed that she'll pee in the water bowl soon after your dog has been too rough with her or when he is being rambunctious?
Have you ever noticed your dog following her to the litter box or scaring her away from it when she is in there? Your dog does not have to aggressive about it or anything, she could just want privacy or feel threatened when in a vulnerable state.

 

[FeebysOwner]

My Feeby (14+ yo) has only on a few occasions ever peed outside her litterbox, never has had an eating/drinking issue, doesn't cry about peeing, and yet she has had UTIs. So, don't assume that if she is acting pretty much OK that a urinary infection is not possible. Some cats are more prone to them than others.

So, along with all of the good information you've been given, especially if none of it applies, I echo Jem 's advice about having an urinalysis/urine culture done. If nothing is found, you've ruled out one issue.