All of a sudden one of my cats is peeing in front of the litter box?

Question

i've had my 2 cats for 3 years, me and my husband recently moved into a different place in january, we put the kitty litter in the bathroom (its a covered kitty litter box) and one of the cats, i don't know which one i can't seem to catch him, is peeing right in front of the litter box or on the bath mat in back of it? why is he doing this? should i moved the box to the spare bedroom? he started doing this about 3 weeks ago???

no the cat is not declawed, i didn't change the litter, i know its not to high for them to get too, its on the ground

Answer 1

Lots of reasons this could be happening.

First, try to catch which is doing it. I had this problem a few years ago and I didn't know either, so I set up a video camera on the floor of the bathroom. It was my female! I had not expected to see that.

Litter box smelly, even if it's clean. It may be time for a new box, the smell can get stuck in the plastic and not come out.

UTI, see a vet to eliminate that possibility.

Buy a new bath mat and hang it on the side of the tub, instead of keeping it where it's tempting. The smell won't completely come out of rubber.

I'd be weary of moving the box to a bedroom. What if kitty doesn't stop and you end up with another room that's got that smell?

Answer 2

Is the litter box smelly? Cats are quite fastidious, and even if it looks clean, it probably smells pretty bad to a cat, whose nose is 14 times more sensitive than yours. Or perhaps the bath mat feels soft like grass or dirt, and the cat thinks it is an appropriate place to go. My cat did this on a blanket one night when the door to our woodroom where her litter box was had accidentally been closed. She jumped up on my bed in the dark and pawed the blanket for a while, and in the morning there was a little present sitting there. Another possibility is that one of the cats has decided to prevent the other from using the litter box. Cats can be very territorial, and even cats that normally get along can suddenly start exerting dominance over each other. One of your cats may also have had a bad experience with the litter box. Did it ever tip over while a cat was in there, or was the cat ever caught in there somehow? And finally, the cat could be sick. When cats get sick they will often go to the bathroom in strange places. Good luck!

Answer 3

Last year my beautiful Manx cat Theodore went out for the evening and never came back. I love cats and the house didn't feel the same without one, so I picked up Lola from a rescue centre. She was very frightened and would pee all over the house. I found Cat Spraying No More� on the internet and the techniques worked almost immediately. I haven't had a problem with Lola since. Amazing!

Can't stop your cat peeing in the house? Then worry no more...

Answer 4

Cats will sometimes not use their litter box because it has been moved to a place unfamiliar to them. Give them a chance to get used to it's new location. You could try changing locations to a more quiet one later but be sure to take the cats to that location so they know where it is.
Also, cats will not utilize their litter box if it is dirty or if they have a UTI (urinary track infection). If this behavior lasts, have the cat checked for UTI.

Answer 5

Get rid of the bathmat because if it smells the slightest like pee, he'll keep doing this. Did you change litter brands? Is the litter clean? Cats can be very fussy. Was the litter box in the bathroom in your other place or another room?

Answer 6

basic things:

Throw out the mat. They will continue to smell it and go there.

Did you clean your box with anything that smells of ammonia? Cat's dislike the smell a great deal and this might cause them to not go there.

If you changed the litter that can also be the issue.

Or the cat could have a medical issue.

Answer 7

It may be a urinary tract infection. This infection is particularly common in un-neutered male cats, although female cats can also develop this problem. If your cat has suddenly stopped using his litter box, a urinary tract infection could be the culprit. If your cat's urine smells strong, it could also be a strong indicator of a urinary tract infection. These infections need to be treated by your veterinarian. Be sure to ask about cat foods that help alleviate the chance of an infection re-occurring.

Answer 8

maybe your kitty is having trouble climbing into the litter box or could be going blind or confused even though she's young. talk to your vet about possible solutions or have a trainer come and re teach your cat this important thing. the cat could even be just mad about the change in surroundings (cats often are) and to find out wich one lock the door and put one cat at a time in and check after so long to see after which cat is this happening.

Answer 9

It is a urinary tract infection for sure! Cats get them when they have to much hard food. Switch to a healthy soft food and you wiil see results in a couple days. A good soft food can be foundwww.natura.com or www.canidae.com this switch will ensure results. Don't waste money on a vet I know this will work, and they will put your poor little guy on some weird meds. If problem does pursist find a nutritionist on those sites I mentioned they will lead you to the correct store for that!

Answer 10

first off get rid of the mat
it smells and he will keep doing it

second is the box fresh with a lid on it it may smell icky to him and that is why he won't use it

also did you always have a lid on it he may be scared to get in it try taking the cap off see if that works and DO NOT MOVE the box into a bedroom
if he is peeing it will get into the carpet and then you really have a big problem