My 13 yr old cat is now urinating just outside of her litterbox, any ideas why? She has a huge litterbox?

Answer 1

getting to old to squat take off the top and give her more room

Answer 2

She's getting up there in years and is probably having a hard time because her hind legs aren't what they used to be. My cat is also 13 and has the same problem, only with poop. I don't scold her as she has always been very good about going in her box. My kitty is having problems with her hind legs, she can't jump on anything like she used too. Only thing I can recommend to you is putting an old towel or something under the box. The towel will absorb the urine if kitty misses the box. Please don't scold her, she really can't help it. I hope this helps!

Answer 3

I shall copy and paste my answer to an earlier question. Only difference being you can disregard the male-specific information :)

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Ill cats will often confuse you - what they display as behavioral problems are actually symptoms of illness. He is not 'marking', he is extremely uncomfortable due to urinary tract disease (infection, stones, kidney imbalance, or all of the above). He needs an examination, blood work and urinalysis (which should be an annual routine for him at his age anyway, to catch geriatric disease early).

I suppose I should add - urinary tract disease is especially common in neutered males. They develop pH imbalance in their urine which can form stones, sand, or mucous that interfere with urination. Kidney disease can cause excess urination, which keeps the urethra damp at all times, making a superhighway for bacteria to follow into the bladder, and the kidneys. And then there's just plain bladder infection, which can occur independently or in conjunction with either kidney disease or pH imbalance, but can also CAUSE kidney disease and pH imbalance.

In short, all three of these conditions are treatable, some more easily than others (infection is easy, kidney disease is sometimes hard). There is not necessarily a cause or need to put him to sleep just yet, give him the benefit of a complete diagnosis first, at the very least. If you are unable or unwilling to follow through with the treatment recommended by your vet for his particular problem, THEN you decide if you want to put him to sleep. I would recommend doing so, if you can't treat him, because he will be in extreme pain and discomfort until he dies of natural causes (bladder rupture or kidney failure) if left untreated.

Answer 4

Do you use clumping litter, because sometimes it tends to leave the box dirty. My cat started peeing on beds and the vet said that we needed to clean the litter box at least once a week with bleach. And try putting out more than one litter box, this usually helps. Lastly, make sure you scoop every day. Peeing is a sign that your cat is mad. If you have other cats, this could be part of the problem too.

Answer 5

It sounds like your cat has a bladder infection. I would take her to a good vet or use nature pathic on her. I have a cat that will not use the litter box unless I keep it very clean. I am thinking about getting rid of the cat. My other cat uses it but prefers going outside.

Answer 6

Could be a UTI, or could be arthritis, making it painful to climb in and out of the box. If she is still defecating in her box, I suspect a UTI. Best bet, take her to the vet for a check-up and descibe her symptoms.
Have you changed to a new box, the brand of litter, or location of the box? Any of these can confuse the poor kitty and make her avoid using it. I assume you are keeping the litterbox scrupulously clean.
These are my best guesses, good luck!

Answer 7

Lower the level of the litter, if it's too high the cat's butt is high enough to shoot it all over the side.

You can try one of the covered litter boxes, but keep them REALLY clean, any urine smell inside will be twice as strong in that small an area.

Answer 8

She could have a urinary tract infection, one of the first major signs of a UTI is the cat urinating outside of the litter box. It's best to get her to the vet as soon as possible, as these can be easily treated when caught early.

Answer 9

probably a urinary tract infection. it hurts them to pee and they start associating the litter box with pain so they will find another place to pee and/or poop.

get your cat to the vets as soon as you can so you can get some antibiotics started on her so she can get better odds are she will go back to using her litter box after this is cleared up. but clean the area(s) up with nature's miracle, you can find it at pet stores, it has enzymes that will eat the urine so your cat won't smell the urine there and think it's ok to pee there.

Answer 10

maybe it is getting hard for her to be able to step up in it she may have arthritis and it may hurt to pick up her legs so highmaybe try using a shorter sided box for her and see if it helps if not i am sorry