Cat Suddenly Peeing Outside Litter Box

[darkness975]

Okay everyone,

I need some help.

My cat has been making tremendous progress since I got him. He already knew what the letterbox was even on day one.

I have had no bathroom related issues until recently. The last couple of days he suddenly started peeing in random other places. Not evey time he goes but it has happened 3 times now. His health is good, he had a vet visit right before I got him. I know certain factors can cause this issue so I want to ask the cat people here if this is a possibility for the cause.

Loud coughing.

My other half has been sick for the last few days and she has a very loud and obnoxious cough that even drives ME insane. She refuses to try and quiet it down because she's stubborn.

Additional factors to rule out
Dirty litter box - I clean it once or twice a day and change it completely evey week.

Type of litter - hasn't changed.

Intact - I am planning to get him neutered but wanted him to settle in first.

Diet- hasn't changed except a couple bad days of not the healthist chicken.

Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[FatBadBay]

Could be marking. After he gets fixed I would try to use Cat Attract in the litter to retrain him. I would also make sure that any of the spots he peed on are scrubbed with Nature's Miracle to make sure he doesn't attempt to pee in those spots again.

 

[darkness975]

Could be marking. After he gets fixed I would try to use Cat Attract in the litter to retrain him. I would also make sure that any of the spots he peed on are scrubbed with Nature's Miracle to make sure he doesn't attempt to pee in those spots again.

Also as an update he just peed in the box a few minutes ago.

He's not just spraying, he's outright squatting and peeing.

In doing some more digging I discovered that some cats react badly to catnip. I had forgotten that I added way too much to the scratching pad and forgot to clean it out.

The first time he had an accident outside the box (last week) was by the food bowl and it was after a bout with catnip.

The second timed he also peed by the food bowl. Maybe he smelled some remnant. I do have Nature's Miracle so I will use more over there.

This recent incident occurred right by the scratching pad that still had catnip in it.

I have since cleaned it out outside.

He is not acting unusual in any other way so perhaps overstimulation from the leftover catnip was to blame.

Anyone else ever see that with their cats?

 

[viper69]

Could be anything

 

[darkness975]

Could be anything

Oh yeah , I remembered too the second incident by the food bowl was after he got super excited when the neighbors cat stopped by the porch.

 

[FatBadBay]

I've never had an issue like that with catnip. A couple of the cats I've had were rescues and would randomly start peeing due to some sort of stress and it's hard to pinpoint what triggers it sometimes. Even if you figure out what triggered it, something else can trigger it.

 

[darkness975]

Thats why I am wondering if the coughing is a possibility. It's the only real change and like I said she refuses to even attempt to not be so loud and obnoxious with her coughing. It's been constant all day and night for the last 3 days.

 

[kingshockey]

Oh yeah , I remembered too the second incident by the food bowl was after he got super excited when the neighbors cat stopped by the porch.

not spayed yet and seeing a strange cat around his turf will do it he wasnt excited. he was hyped for a fight over territory or in defense of his turf once he is spayed it will take a bit of time for his hormones to burn out of his system but he might spray/pee around the house still every time he sees another cat especially if they are scent marking around your house outside. the stray we took in at my dads was like that. check out the cat site forum lots of good info to read mostly full of old cat ladies but they are nice tame versus this forum and very open minded and curious about ts

 

[darkness975]

not spayed yet and seeing a strange cat around his turf will do it he wasnt excited. he was hyped for a fight over territory or in defense of his turf once he is spayed it will take a bit of time for his hormones to burn out of his system but he might spray/pee around the house still every time he sees another cat especially if they are scent marking around your house outside. the stray we took in at my dads was like that. check out the cat site forum lots of good info to read mostly full of old cat ladies but they are nice tame versus this forum and very open minded and curious about ts

It was a female.

Luckily she is supposed to be moving now so we shouldn't see her anymore.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

My vote is still being intact and seeing/smelling other cats around. Just because he isn’t pumping it in the air doesn’t mean he’s still not marking. My other concern in a male would be urethra issues. Did they do a urine sample?

 

[darkness975]

My vote is still being intact and seeing/smelling other cats around. Just because he isn’t pumping it in the air doesn’t mean he’s still not marking. My other concern in a male would be urethra issues. Did they do a urine sample?

From what I was told, yes. I'd have to confirm the paperwork from the vet that the person who found him took him to.

Well he is indoor only. Not that it isn't possible still.

There is only one other cat that my cameras have been seeing for years hanging around outside. He comes and goes, wandering almost couple miles or more every night from what I have seen.

We will see. I want to schedule the neutering ASAP but I can't right now as we are sick.

Hopefully he hasn't developed a pattern that won't break once that's done.

 

[fcat]

On the coughing.

I once threw away my bathroom mat because my cat suddenly became terrified of it. She followed me around everywhere I went but would jump in the air and flee if the rug moved (because I walked over it). It started out of nowhere and was uncharacteristic obviously.

It happened to be my day off, which I should be ashamed to admit that I spent a great portion of the day playing Xbox, with my noise canceling headphones so I could hear other players footsteps lol. I didn't realize until that night that my smoke detector battery had been chirping. For some reason, she associated the noise with the rug. I'm guessing because she was in the bathroom sleeping on it when the chirping started. Yes, before that day she slept on the rug! I even considered the stripes were freaking her out, but never bothered to take my really comfortable headset off. The next time it chirped she jumped in the air.

It's believed that cats with UTIs or crystals avoid the cat box because they associate it with pain and they want to avoid pain.

Since he is intact, he is at a higher risk for obstruction. Life threatening. It can be a physical blockage...for my cat it was muscular....his urethra was spasming shut. Nothing that would show on a urinalysis...they couldn't even insert a catheter. Happened twice in a week so they lobbed everything off. There's a fancy word I'm too lazy to Google but he looks like a female from behind now. Urethsectomy? Now his chances of a blockage are better than just being neutered. My guy was already neutered. There were no changes to anything on my end except one thing: I gave him some Nutro Max Cat Adult, literally a few pieces of kibble, as a treat (sample I got at the store). Signs and symptoms - prolonged squatting, vocal attempts, insufficient volume, rigid lower abdomen, plus s/s of pain if progressive. I caught it early...I knew something was wrong when he didn't get up to greet me at the door, but I used to work as a vet tech and as a human tech lol I don't not start from worst case scenario. I picked him up and put him in the box and he did the prolonged, vocal squatting. His bladder wasn't full yet but I ran him to the vet (literally, I had no car and lived in San Francisco) and managed to get in there at 4:58 (they knew I was coming and I told them if I was wrong they could charge me double). I was lucky the basic vet was open....you don't want this happening at the witching hour when it's $500 just to walk in the door at an emergency vet. They are predatory. Even if you bring for euthanasia they charge you the $500 emergency exam fee.

And just how they run from pain, they run to comfort. The second time happened at zero dark thirty, I woke up to him squatting literally on my chest trying to pee. My first reaction was to throw him off, but I knew even getting a few drops out would buy him time. Nothing. His bladder was FULL. He was asking for help. If your cat is peeing right in front of your face they might not be the jerk you think they are.

After he became my "Ten Thousand Dollar Cat," at two years of age, he tore his ACL jumping off the bed. He's lucky I love him. I think he got beat with the bad gene stick...evidence of arthritis at 3 when he tore his acl...really rare injury in cats...so maybe it's just my guy.

One happy story, the male stray that I cat napped from my old neighborhood was a pisser, I was terrified that getting him neutered wouldn't cure him (most the times it doesn't) but it did. Not sure if this had anything to do with it but I did ask him nicely not to

Other cats in the area could absolutely be to blame!!!

Paging @The Snark???

And for you guys, crank up that humidifier and drink lots of clear fluids

 

[darkness975]

Well he hasn't done it today since this morning and he went several times in the box. At this point I am chalking it up to the territorial thing.

Once I am feeling better I am making that neutering appointment ASAP.

I just hope he doesn't hate me afterwards for stuffing him in a crate and hauling off to the vet. I do worry he'll get mad at me and not like me anymore.

 

[The Snark]

Sorry. This is way out of my league. And my brain locked up imagining walking the entire length of Geary in search of a competent cat vet.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Well he hasn't done it today since this morning and he went several times in the box. At this point I am chalking it up to the territorial thing.

Once I am feeling better I am making that neutering appointment ASAP.

I just hope he doesn't hate me afterwards for stuffing him in a crate and hauling off to the vet. I do worry he'll get mad at me and not like me anymore.

He’ll get over it. I’d just suggest getting the pain meds (some don’t). My cat used to get mad at me when I went on vacation. That stink look lasted about a day.

 

[fcat]

Sorry. This is way out of my league. And my brain locked up imagining walking the entire length of Geary in search of a competent cat vet.

It was Valencia, so I had to hoof it. The Geary bus drivers wouldn't have even noticed though

 

[The Snark]

The Geary bus drivers wouldn't have even noticed though

You could drag a dead horse on the bus as long as you stay within the drivers 10 second patience window.

 

[WolfieKate]

Could be anxiety or marking I have an anxious cat. We gave him catnip one xmas and he had a nervous breakdown and started peeing blood. (anxiety cystitis as we found out. ). So we use pheromone plug in, zyclene sometimes, no cat nip! And yes they’re all neutered and seemed to think nothing of it. He is a huge ginger cat but he’s so timid, we keep strangers out of the way. He has a preference of litter tray and it has to be sparkling clean or he goes outside. Also cleaning up the aroma from the spills is vital. UnNeutered cats always spray especially males.

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

Can confirm from personal experience that un-neutered male cats will pee to mark their property if anxious, and to attract mates if they lack one. It's not always a quick spray ether.

 

[darkness975]

Thanks everyone.

As soon as I am feeling better I am booking that appointment.