Cat going in litter box somedays but not others

[Tonysweetie]

My boy kitty just turned a year old last week. Ever since we adopted him he's been great about his litter box. He's never messed up really. Well all of sudden since last Saturday he has his days where he pees on his rug right outside his litter box or poops on it. Other days he won't do it. I've gone through 2 litter rugs in a week. I wash them and clean up his mess and he'll do it again so I finally just threw the rugs away. Now he has no rug. I called the vet and left a message of what he's doing to see if I need to bring him in but I didn't get a call back. Do you think he's sick or just trying to spite me?

[{b}]

He may have a UTI - male cats are more prone to them, I guess. Any time a cat is eliminating outside the box, it's a sign something is wrong and he may be sick.

[Tonysweetie]

Thanks, well I guess I'll have to take him to the vet on Monday. I'm worried that the problem could get worse by then though? He's been doing this since last Saturday about every other day but only on his rug. Not only peeing but pooping too. I don't understand why? He doesn't seem to be sick or anything. He's eating, playing, and snuggling just like normal. Our vet isn't open until Monday again will he be okay if I wait that long? I'm really worried about him. :(

[Rico'sAlice]

I'm assuming you haven't changed anything....brand of litter, arrangement, location, cleaning supplies, etc. Cause something like that can always set them off. Or a change (new pet, baby, etc.)

Otherwise sounds like the vet's visit is a good idea. But as long as he's eating/drinking and not acting in pain or anything, I would think you could wait until Monday.

[Tonysweetie]

nope haven't changed a thing. He's doing everything fine so I'm assuming he's alright for now. I just looked at the vets hours they are open from 8-3 tomorrow so I'm going to call. Thanks girls!

[ejs]

How often are you cleaning the litterbox? A friend had a cat who would not use the litterbox if it was dirty at all. So the cat would use the litterbox once and refuse to go in it again until it was emptied. Her solution was to use multiple litterboxes.

[eli1126]

Tonysweetie Let us know how you & Max make out! When my sister's cat had a UTI he also acted like his normal self, except when he would go on the floor :( Good Luck!

Beth

[Tonysweetie]

ejs: I empty out and change the litter every week usually on Fridays or Saturdays. I scoop it every other day or sometimes everyday depends really.

eli1126: I'll update when I know. The vet hasn't called me back yet. So who knows. Right now he's playing and running around the house. He hasn't had a accident so far. He's been in his litter box twice since last night and didn't have anyprobablems. So who knows?!

[jesvet]

If I had to hazard a guess I would say it's a litterbox issue. Scoop it daily, clean all the litter out once a week. Clean the box with dishsoap and water to get rid of the ammonia smell. Cats don't really do things out of spite.

[Tonysweetie]

If I had to hazard a guess I would say it's a litterbox issue. Scoop it daily, clean all the litter out once a week. Clean the box with dishsoap and water to get rid of the ammonia smell. Cats don't really do things out of spite.

I hope your right. Now that he doesn't have a rug infront of his litterbox he's stoped doing it. I wonder if it had something to do with the rug?

[jesvet]

It sure could, sometimes they decide they like the feel of the rug better. Then once it smells like a litterbox they decide to just go with it.

I have one cat who, if the litter isn't PROMPTLY changed will poop on the rug instead.

[greenbunny]

Unfortunately, this is my specialty. :rolleyes: Check out my thread "My Experience With Inappropriate Elimination".

I'd start by making sure nothing changed around the litter box. Since you say you're using the same litter and everything, that's not an issue. Has anything near the box changed? Have yoy started using a plug-in air freshener, or did you change the room in any way? Is there anything in the room that could make a loud noise that would frighten him? Like a washer that buzzes, or something that could fall off a shelf?

I'd say scooping every other day is not enough. I scoop twice a day, and I really should be doing it more often. Both Cats International and the books I've read say 2-3 times per day is bare minimum. If it's a pain to bag and dispose of the waste, get a Litter Locker, I highly recommend them. I keep it right next to the boxes and empty the roll every week. It's so much easier to just scoop as you walk by and put it in the Litter Locker than to have to get a bag, walk outside to the trash can, etc.

I wash the box with plain white vinegar. It has antiseptic properties, but still rinses clean and leaves no scent. It's cheap, too.

Does the litter rug have an antiskid backing to it, the way a bathmat does? The chemical process used to make that material contains urea, which means that it smells like urine to a cat. They will urinate to cover up "foreign" urine smells because it is a territory issue. If you want something to catch the stray litter coming off his paws as he exits the box, get some fabric-backed rug, like remnants from a local carpet store.

Is there a window near the box? If Max could have seen an outdoor stray cat while he was near his box, it might have triggered him to react in a territorial fashion. Urinating directly outside the box is classic territorial behavior, it says to any cat trying to enter the box "this is mine".

[Tonysweetie]

Wow Greenbunny thank you for all that wonderful advice! I read over your thread and I found a lot of great information. I really appriciate it, you helped me so much, lol. :D

[eli1126]

Does the litter rug have an antiskid backing to it, the way a bathmat does? The chemical process used to make that material contains urea, which means that it smells like urine to a cat. They will urinate to cover up "foreign" urine smells because it is a territory issue. If you want something to catch the stray litter coming off his paws as he exits the box, get some fabric-backed rug, like remnants from a local carpet store.

O/T: Is this why my cats love the bathroom rug and the rug in front of the sink? They claw them to pieces.

Beth

[greenbunny]

O/T: Is this why my cats love the bathroom rug and the rug in front of the sink? They claw them to pieces.

Beth

It's definitely possible.