Why Is My Cat Peeing Everywhere But Her Litter Box?

Here's why it’s happening 🙀

Cat peeing outside her litter box? Your feline friend may be feeling some stress in her life, and this is her way of showing you that some changes need to be made.

Not to worry — before all that pee ruins the house, we’re getting to the bottom of the issue with Dr. Zay Satchu, cofounder and chief veterinary officer at Bond Vet in New York City.

Keep reading to find out why this is happening and how you can help your cat pee in her litter box again.

Causes of a cat peeing outside the litter box

If your cat’s peeing in all the wrong places, there’s probably something going on that might be stressing her out.

Dr. Satchu suggests first asking yourself a few questions to figure out what the cause of the stress might be:

  • Did you recently change litter types/brands?
  • Did you move the litter box location?
  • Are you keeping it clean?

If it’s any of these reasons, the solution is easy: Go back to the way your cat prefers her litter box (or just clean it)!

While making sure you use the right litter (and box!) for your cat is crucial, keeping your cat’s litter box clean is just as important in terms of how much she’ll actually use it.

And that doesn’t just mean making sure her litter box is clean, but also ensuring that there are no stinky litter smells throughout the house.

To fight this, you can try out a litter disposal system like the Litter Genie (designed by the same people who made the Diaper Genie!). It stores up to eight days of soiled litter and is totally nose-friendly, so your cat never has to be bothered by gross smells she hates.

Try the Litter Genie Easy Roll Pail Cat Litter Disposal from Chewy for $35

If you aren’t sure how to create a favorable litter box space, you can follow these tips to make sure you’re creating an environment she feels comfortable in.

If the physical litter box hasn't changed at all — and it's clean (remember, cats are neat freaks!) — consider these reasons for behavioral outcries:

  • Did you just move?
  • Did someone new move into the house?
  • Is there construction happening?

“These things can be stressful and lead to behavioral changes,” Dr. Satchu told The Dodo.

In these cases, the behavior should go back to normal once she gets adjusted — but make sure you still have quiet environments and plenty of enrichment inside your house for your cat to relieve her stress.

“If it’s still none of these things, you may want to consider bringing kitty to see the vet as there may be a medical reason behind the inappropriate urination,” Dr. Satchu said. “Bladder stones and urinary tract infections are both common causes of inappropriate urination.”Here’s to getting your cat back on track and peeing in her litter box again — it’ll be better for everyone (and your floors, too!).

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