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Inappropriate Urination

Physiological Causes

Cats are well known for their fastidious toilet habits. But many cats at some point in their lives, will have a problem with indescriminate urination. This and other behavior problems account for the second most common reason that cats are brought to shelters and euthanized. Most often, this is a transient condition which can be overcome with patience and help from your veterinarian.

Indescriminate urination is not the same as spraying. Cats, both male and female, spray to mark territory. In males, this is done on a VERTICAL rather than a horizontal surface. Female cats may 'mark' a horizontal surface. This behavior can also be corrected. Usually this involves putting the cats on a course of hormone treatments, or the use of a mild sedative. You should discuss spraying problems with your vet, for the best results.

When your cat urinates outside of the litter box, the first thing that you must rule out is physical disease. FUS, Cystitis, diabetes, cancer, hyperthyroidism, and other illnesses can result in painful urination. If a cat is in pain when it urinates, it will not use its litterbox. Should you see your cat straining when it uses the box, or see blood in its urine, you should take it to the vet immediately. Your vet can test your cat's urine for infection, or higher than normal levels of proteins, sugars and other components. When your vet rules out a physical cause for your cat's indescriminate urination, you can then concentrate of behavior modification.

Should your vet discover a physical illness as the source of your cat's indescriminate urination, treatment of the diseas should solve the problem. You will find several books in The Book Store on this site that can better help you understand, and cope with, your cats' physical condition. You vet will also give you information, diet restrictions and other suggestions to keep your cat feeling better.

Behavioral Causes

Some cats will urinate outside of their box as an expression of anxiety, or displeasure with a new person, or situation. One of the most frequent causes of this behavior is a change in the litter being used, or a litter box that is, in the cat's opinion, too dirty to use.

If your cat chooses a particular item of yours, or another family member, to urinate on or in, that may well indicate that the cat has an 'issue' with this individual. For example, only cats with single mom's or dad's frequently choose an article of clothing of the new person in their owner's life to urinate on. This is an obvious expression of jealousy, or sometimes an indication that the new individual isn't to be trusted.

Other cats will only urinate when left alone for periods of time, or when there has been a drastic change to their environment, such as moving, a new pet or the birth of a child.

The basic message here, is that you must try to understand why your cat is upset, and right that problem, rather than trying to punish the cat. The cat is not trying to be 'bad', but rather tell you that they have a problem. Your job is to determine why, and devise a solution that the entire family can live with. If you are having difficulty determining the source of your pet's anxiety, do not hesitate to consult your vet, or a trained animal behaviorist.

What To Do

See your vet and have the cat checked for illness
Change to an unscented litter, clean the box more frequently or add an additional litterbox
Clean the surfaces urinated on with one of the following:
Natures Miracle or Outright or another odor remover
White Vinegar (diluted)
Scope Mouthwash
Very dilute chlorine bleach
Club Soda (this is an excellent odor remover for diarrheal accidents too)
Find the source of the anxiety and help your cat adjust; Give your cat extra attention, introduce new people or situations slowly, if your cat urinates when left alone, use a cat sitter, or get another cat to keep your pet company
Place small dishes of food over the places where the cat has urinated

Note: If the cat has lost its litterbox training, or was never trained to a box, you will need to isolate it in a room where its mistakes can be easily cleaned. Remember that cats do not like to urinate where they eat, so placing small dishes of food around the room, leaving the only available toilet as the box should work. If this is an outdoor cat, start with dirt in the box, which it will know to use, and gradually add litter, decreasing the amount of dirt until the cat is using only litter. After the cat is fed, place it in the box, use it's paws to scratch the litter. Praise the cat for using the box successfully. It may take several weeks of persistent work, but you can re-train your cat to the box. Consult your vet for additional advice, or use some of the book sources listed in The Book Store on this site.

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