2007-03-04 03:01:09 · 8 answers · asked by matt17 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
health issues--get the cat to the vet.
Or--longshot...have you changed brands of kitty litter recently? A lot of cats do not like the scents they put in cat litter. Just get the plain clay cheap store brand stuff without any scent added.
2007-03-04 04:17:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
More than likely given the age of the cat and if nothing else has changed in the house it is a urinary tract infection. They stop using the box because the dust from the litter kicks up and burns the already irriatated area. I would take him to the vet to check for that. Some cats are prone to them more than others and it is more common in older cats. He is no spring chicken at 10. The medicine commonly prescribed is Clomox and it is less than 20.00 for a treatment of pills.
Other things to consider.
You said the box is clean - did you wash out the box with anything? If so he might be put off by the smell of the cleaner. Cats hate the smell of lemon. When washing out the litter box just use a drop of dish liquid and hot water.
Have you changed litter? Or moved the cat box to a new location? Have you gotten another pet? Cats do not like change.
Do you have more than one cat? If so, then the rule is one box per cat. Even if he has shared for years he might have just decided that he no longer wishes to share.
I still think that the urinary tract infection is the best bet - you want to be careful because they can cause a blockage and be fatal.
Now your problem is that once you figure out why he is peeing outside the box you have to stop him from doing it. Because cats are creatures of habit, once he finds a place to pee he will keep going back to it.
Clean the area he is urinating with lemon fresh Lysol - Cats do not like the smell of lemon. If it is a corner or a certain area of the rug you can cover it with tin foil after you clean it. It sounds weird but when he steps on the tin foil it will scare him and he will run away from it. I would suggest waiting to do this until after you have cured the underlying issue because he will just find another place to pee other than the box.
Also there is a cat litter called Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Cat Litter - sold at Petsmart. The smell of the litter makes the cat want to pee on it. I am not sure how it works but it really does. I used it when my cat had a UTI and started peeing on the carpet that we had just had installed 2 months prior. The entire situation was exhausting for us.
After everything was all said and done I used a variety of pet odor removers - none of which I felt worked well. I then steam cleaned the area numerous times with Resolve Carpet Cleaner. I got the best result with that.
Good luck.
2007-03-04 12:42:01 · answer #2 · answered by chanajane3 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First consider these things, have you changed the litter, has something changed in the house (like a new pet or a new friend). If not the above you may want to take her/him to the vet. When one of my cats suddenly turned dirty, it turned out to be a very nasty infection and kidney problem. When she got better and went on the right food she suddenly turned into the cat I used to own and was clean again. She is 9 years old.
2007-03-04 11:11:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bladder infection, urinary stones, illness of any kind. Arthritis or old injuries can be a problem.Stress, changes in furniture or any change. Start by calling your vet today. They can direct you in getting a urine sample at home or you can have them do it for you. Fix this problem now before it becomes a learned behavior or just a really nasty habit. If it is caused by stress try Feliway. This product reduces stress and helps with marking. Start with a urine sample though, please don't skip this step.
2007-03-04 11:11:26 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
bladder infection, kidney infection, or a U.T.I.... Get her to the vet to find out for sure... Cats are highly prone to bladder infections anytime in their lives. Try keeping her in the bathroom or in a small room with her litter box for 2-3 days and make sure you take her to the vet soon!
2007-03-04 11:12:41 · answer #5 · answered by csmutz2001 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bladder or urine infection that his way of letting you know something is wrong.
2007-03-04 11:04:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
stress,illness,new cat in town,have you moved recently?
2007-03-04 11:05:34 · answer #7 · answered by MJ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
urinary tract infection
2007-03-04 13:42:47 · answer #8 · answered by katie d 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋