My 18 year old cat wees just outside the litter tray. She doesn't wee anywhere else in the house. Help!?
She sometimes puts her front paws in the tray & then just stands there & wees. We got a litter tray when she was trying to wee in corners of the house! Thank goodness this has stopped. I clean up every time using disinfectant, flash (lemon which cats aren't supposed to like) & spray with a product that's supposed to stop cats weeing in places you don't want! She does have tablets for thyroid problems (is this relevant?). As she's so old & really is lovely I would like to solve this as it's driving me nuts!
User Comments
- How nice to have a cat for 18 years. My cat was 15 when she started to do the same thing. Took her to the Vet, it turned out she was blind. Because cats adjust so well, we never suspected. She thought she was in the pan.SInce there was no infection or kidney disease to treat we just put a small pan inside a bigger one. At least when her paws hit the litter she was surrounded. Sounds like there might be a degree of arthritis in your cat's back legs, so make both pans shallow.
- Rub her nose in it while its fresh and tell her off, dont fuss her for a couple of hours, she'll soon get the message.
- Since she is so old her depth perseption might be slightly off, explaining why she has her front paws are in the litter tray.
Maybe investing in a litter tray that is twice the size, or maybe she cant get her back legs past the wall of the litter tray.
With these problems you could have a larger litter tray made (e.g metal welded to size and shape)
or if she cant get her back legs in have some wood cut and sanded so she don't get splinters and make little ramps for the sides to the litter tray.
This may seem extreme but seriously do you want your cats pee all over the floor a few times a day!
- Try a larger tray.
- You may want to take her back to the vet or at least call with your question because urinary tract infections are very common in cats of all ages. She may suggest something as simple as a new brand of food or an antibiotic........
- I have exactly the same problem with my burmese cat. He's about 14 and a bit senile. and sometimes he manages to get his bum in the tray, and sometimes he pees over the floor. I think when they get old they don' t really realise that they are 'not quite in' the box. As far as my cat is concerned. As long as all 4 legs are in the tray then 'he's in'. We bought our cat a box with a 'roof' and a catflap on the front, but this just confused him. Your cat might be ok with this though. We are now working on a plan to build up the sides of the old tray a bit, so that even if he just walks into his box and aims badly, the sides will be high enough to catch it. In the mean time, we've just put newspaper all round the litter tray.
- Maybe you could put plastic sheeting on the floor round the litter tray.
- Have her checked at the vet first, it's a well-known thing that older cats get a urinary tract infection sometimes. People like to think it's purely behavioural, but as any behaviouralist would tell you, eliminate physical causes first.
- If nothing else ,use wee wee pads outside the litter box .She is so old ,she may not even realize she is doing anything wrong .
- You could try a low lipped litter box there's a possibility she may have some arthritis and has trouble getting in to the box. Another option is incontinence she getting older and it is neither one of these problems are uncommon in older cats. Also you need to talk to your vet about these changes, sometimes there is simple supplements or medications that can be given.Hope this helps good luck.
Andrea
- I think you should get her checked out by your vet just to be on the safe side. She's a good age with an existing medical problem, so it's always best to get your vet's opinion.
If the vet rules out a medical cause, he may be able to explain if her age is in someway affecting her ability to positon herself in her litter tray and help you find a solution. Maybe you could try one of those all enclosed litter boxes which would hopefully remove the opportunity for error on her part.
Make sure you use cleaning products that contain enzymes on the soiled areas as these are the most effective at getting rid of the odour of cat urine. Don't use any products that contain bleach or ammonia as cat urine contains ammonia, and whilst these products smell clean to us, to your cat it will simply smell like another cat has been there.
Hope she'll be okay.
- as a kid I grew up with cats and it just may be that the side of the tray is to high or that the tray itself is not big enough so she feels closed in.
- If you go to a big DIY shop or builders merchants you can get a big shallow plastic tray thats meant for mixing cement, they're very cheap. Put the litter tray in that and hopefully the mess will be easier to clean up. It sounds like she's going a bit senile, so she doesn't realise anythings wrong. 18 is a great age for a cat, she must be well looked after.
- my 1 year old cat poos just outside the litter tray. I have tried a larger tray but still does it, I thin kshe aims for the corners but it goes outside I just put newspaper down around the litter tray.
- You will find lots of cat training tips and tricks as well as facts on cat behavior here:
http://catstraining.blogspot.com...
- AS she is quite an eldery cat maybe she is not able to fully step into the tray, try a shallow one.
- Hi - it might be that she doesnt like the litter youre using, or the fact youve used lemon around her tray, she could be wee-ing to avoid this? Try: CatSan (Never met a cat who objects to this!), a bigger tray, and clean up using a non-citrus disinfectant. If none of these work, maybe your vet would have an idea? Theyre a mine of knowledge about all thngs animal! Good luck, and gentle hugs to your old kitty :O) xx
- Thanks!
- God there's been some stupid answers to this question (including the dog owner.... what's that about?)
It may be that your cat does not like the litter you are using! Have you made sure her back paws are not sore or injured, or otherwise sensitive to the litter?
If she used to try and wee around the house, it suggests other problems.
Is the litter tray placed in a secluded area? (I.e. not in the middle of the hall or by the back door, where she may feel threatened?)
Also, you may want to try a 'hooded' litter tray if hers is currently an open one. She may require more privacy.
Another thing I'm wondering about is a urinary tract infection - this can cause cats to miss their litter tray because they can't make it in time.
It could also be that as she is getting older, her back legs are having difficulty getting into the tray - you could try a litter box with lower sides and see if that helps. Alternatively, I think you should place newspaper all around the litterbox - she genuinely may not be able to help what she's doing and may not realise that she's missing the litter tray.
I think that you may wish to mention this to the vet and ask for advice - unfortunately cat littering problems can have many reasons, either medical or emotional.
In the meantime, try a different cat litter and see if that helps.
Good luck!
xx Emmie
- GET A BIGGER TRAY! SHE MAY BE GETTING BLIND!