Why Is My Cat Peeing Outside The Litter Box?🐱

House soiling in cats is a common concern for pet owners, and addressing this behavior requires a deep understanding of its various causes. Cats may eliminate outside the litter box due to medical issues, fears and anxieties, litter box aversions, or other preferences. To provide cat owners with valuable insights into this issue, we've compiled information from recent studies and veterinary guidelines. 

Before getting frustrated with your cat’s behavior, try to determine which one of the root causes is behind the behavior. At the bottom is a link to a printable worksheet to record your cat’s behaviors. Preparing information for a possible visit to the veterinarian can give insights into potential causes and help develop an effective plan. A little observation before resorting to a veterinary appointment may provide solutions.

Let’s review the vocabulary.

There are several terms associated with pooping and peeing outside of the litter box. It’s important that you and your vet are talking about the same thing. 

• House soiling (aka Periuria): The term house soiling includes both urine and feces being deposited in the home outside of any litter box (NIH, National Library of Medicine). In other words, your cats are peeing or pooping in your house, but not where you want them to.
• Elimination: Pooping and peeing. Veterinarians may discuss normal elimination habits, elimination behavior, frequency, volume, location, and patterns.
• Spraying: Spraying commonly involves urine deposited on vertical surfaces (or on significant horizontal spots) with the cat typically in a standing posture [5]. Urine spraying is categorized as either to attract mates or react in response to social or environmental triggers. Characteristically, the cat will lift its tail, back up to an object, tread with the rear feet, and expel urine backward onto the object [4].

 

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• Latrining: Latrining is mostly characterized by large amounts of urine, usually on horizontal surfaces with the cat in a squatting posture [5].
• Marking: Cats use pee (drops or spray) or poop to communicate something, such as, “I’m stressed”, “I have a problem with that other cat so I’m showing my safe space”, “I haven’t been spayed or neutered and I’m looking for a date”.
• Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC): When veterinarians rule out urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder stones, or bladder crystals as the cause for abnormal urination, they label it Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) which is inflammation of the bladder. A diagnosis of FIC generally means that the condition has no identifiable medical cause.
• Social Grouping: Cats choose to form social bonds with some unrelated cats, but not all. If multiple cats cohabitate in a home, identifying the social groups can reduce conflict and anxiety by separating food, litter boxes, and sleeping areas. 

 

Is it a medical problem?

Cats have reasons for eliminating outside of the litter box but making you angry isn’t one of them. One of the primary reasons for house soiling in cats is underlying medical problems. Conditions such as urinary tract inflammation, kidney and thyroid diseases, and diabetes can make cats overly thirsty, causing them to pee more often and with greater urgency. You can reduce accidents by providing additional litter boxes in easy-to-reach places. These can also cause discomfort during elimination, leading to aversion to the litter box. Age-related diseases affecting mobility or cognitive functions may also impact a cat's ability to reach the litter box in time.

 

Clinicians should ask enough questions to clearly understand the situation. Your pre-assessment may provide enough information to indicate if your cat’s actions are medical-related or a form of communication. If the problem is anxiety, your vet may prescribe or recommend treatments and supplements to help your cat feel calm.

If it’s not medical, what could be the problem?

Let’s start with simple changes that can make a difference. 

• Try changing your cat’s litter. Even if you are using the same brand, the consistency and smell may have changed and are now offensive [3].
• Clean the litter box more often. Cats like clean litter and often use the box quickly after you’ve added fresh litter.
• Is the box too small? The box should be one and a half to twice the length of your cat.
• If your cat is struggling with mobility, even in the early stages, the location of the box and the height of the sides may cause barriers [3].
• Move the box to a more private location. In the wild, animals recognize that they are vulnerable while eliminating. Cats still carry that instinct and can feel safer in a secure area. Have you ever seen a cat stick its head out of a covered box while pooping? It's most likely keeping a lookout. Some cats potty in pairs to guard each other.
• Spay and neuter your cats. Intact cats deposit their scent to try to attract a mate. It’s instinctive to ensure the continuation of their species. Fixing your cat can fix the problem.

Do you have multiple cats or multiple pets? 

• Cats form social groups just like we do. They show affection to other cats in their group by rubbing heads, engaging in mutual grooming, playing, eating, and sleeping together [3]. Once you identify the different social groups, provide a litter box for each social group plus one more [1]. 
• Do cats have direct access to their litter box without having to pass through opposing territory? Tension between cats can cause one to avoid the box and poop in inappropriate places.
• Are bad relations causing your cat stress? Remember that non-medical house soiling is a form of communication. “That cat worries me.” 
• Cats establish boundaries and mark that territory with their scent to lay their claim. Generally, this is accomplished by rubbing their head on furniture, people, and their owner’s personal items. In a competitive house, cats may spray their urine to show boundaries and minimize contact with oppositional cats. They may spray your personal items, especially ones with your scent, to lay that claim.
• Multiple cat households can have harmony with strategic placement of bowls, beds, and litter boxes in accordance with social group dynamics.
• Social groups can include and exclude dogs too.

If the problem is medical, your veterinarian can treat the problem, prescribe medications, and advise supplements. Social or age-related conditions will require experimentation to see what works. Your vet can help with these issues too by recommending litter box placement, anti-anxiety supplements, and calming sprays.

Handling the Issue Appropriately

It's essential to approach house soiling with patience and understanding. Punishments are ineffective and may worsen the problem. Keep in mind that cats do not associate their waste with punishment, thus making harsh actions counterproductive. House soiling in cats is a complex issue with various potential causes. Please consider early intervention, understanding your cat's perspective, and collaborating with veterinarians to identify and address the root causes before taking Kitty to the shelter. With patience and the right strategies, both cats and their owners can enjoy a healthy and harmonious coexistence.

References

1. Barcelos, A. M., McPeake, K., Affenzeller, N., & Mills, D. S. (2018). Common risk factors for urinary house soiling (periuria) in cats and its differentiation: The sensitivity and specificity of common diagnostic signs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 5, 108.
2. Cornell Feline Health Center (2015). Feline behavior problems: House soiling. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-behavior-problems-house-soiling 
3. Heath, S. (2019). Common feline problem behaviours: unacceptable indoor elimination. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 21(3), 199-208.
4. Horwitz, D. F. (2019). Common feline problem behaviors: Urine spraying. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 21(3), 209-219.
5. Ramos, D., Reche-Junior, A., Mills, D. S., Fragoso, P. L., Daniel, A. G., Freitas, M. F., ... & Patricio, G. (2019). A closer look at the health of cats showing urinary house-soiling (periuria): A case-control study. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 21(8), 772-779.