How to Handle Peeing Outside of Box?
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 10:07 am
Hi!
We brought our cat inside-only, a few months ago, (I posted about it here in January). He was a bit angsty for a few months about it, but then did seem to eventually settle down. He was good as gold for a few months and then somehow managed to escape whilst I was away with my parents (my partner was home but isn't sure how he got out). He came back after a few days, thin and with fleas and played up for a week or so after that but then settled down and was fine again. He got out again (!) for about half an hour after I accidentally left a window open, I caught him and brought him back in and he played up again for a few days. He was settling down fine AGAIN, but then a few weeks ago started peeing outside his box. It was seemingly at random at first so we thought it might be just because he was readjusting again (he'd done it a couple of times after both his escapes but then stopped), so gave him some time, but it's now getting worse. Almost every day we have a "little accident" now and sometimes twice a day.
He doesn't do it all the time, it seems to be mostly first thing in the morning when we get up, and then again when I get back from work. He'll come running down from upstairs to greet me, and then if I don't pick him up and take him to his box in time he'll just squat and pee (or pee when you pick him up). Most of the time in between he's good as gold. I joked with my partner that it's like he's so excited to see me that he forgets he needs to go! When he starts going, we'll hiss at him and he'll usually stop, run up to his box and go in it.
Yesterday and the day before he was fine, no accidents, so we thought he was calming down but then today he did it in the lounge before I'd even got up. My partner got angry and shouted at him and chased him upstairs (he didn't mean to, he just got annoyed about it). I felt bad so went and gave him a fuss. We're a bit confused as to why he's doing it. He doesn't do it all the time, he poos in his box no trouble at all, and during the day or if we're out of the house he will pee in it just fine (apart from the odd accident where he's at the wrong angle in the box and pees out of the door by mistake!). This makes me think that he's doing it "for me" for some reason, because if I'm not about he's no trouble.
Some questions or things that might be relevant:
1. Other than his escape three weeks ago, and defleaing and deworming him recently, nothing else has changed in his own routine lately. This started about two weeks ago and has become a real problem over the last week or so.
2. It's a hooded tray. I've tried taking the lid off but partner really doesn't like the tray not having a lid. We tried taking the door flap off and leaving the entrance open but that's not worked, so hubby closed it again. Kitty has used it up until now with no trouble. The tray is in the bathroom, that's the only place we can really put it.
3. My hours have increased at work, I'm now working full time, and longer days than before, and partner has recently started a job a couple of days a week (he was unemployed before). Kitty has always been a bit of a mummy's boy so we wondered if he was suffering from a bit of anxiety/separation anxiety? He's gotten a lot more cuddly with me recently, when I'm pottering about in the kitchen he constantly wants picking up, and cuddling and every time I sit down he wants on my lap. I try to spend as much time with him as possible. He's not massively playful though, although I have had a bit of luck with catnip and feeding toys.
4. We scoop the tray every day, usually multiple times a day (when home we try and scoop after every time he uses it). However I have forgotten to do it a few times before going to bed, and it can sometimes be worse when this happens, although it does still happen when we do keep it more pristine.
5. We twice tried another litter. Both times it made it worse. We currently use Cat's Best, because I can't get on with litter that doesn't clump and the cat has always preferred this one over anything else we have tried.
6. We have recently replaced both the Feliway and Pet Remedy plugins recently after they ran out. He's also on YuCalm and seems worse on days after I've forgotten to give it to him but again, that might just be coincidence.
7. I wonder if he might maybe be unwell. We have been keeping an eye on him for signs of arthritis, I'm wondering if maybe he's having difficulty/soreness getting into the tray, or if he maybe had something else wrong. My partner thinks he's just doing it for attention as he doesn't seem ill otherwise, but we're keeping an eye and will take him to the vet if it doesn't improve.
8. Kitty is not neutered. We will get him done eventually but can't at the moment.
9. I do have a habit of going and fussing him after my partner has told him off for something, because I'm worried that if it is anxiety that this might make it worse, but at the same time my partner said that if it is just attention seeking, I'm probably making it worse by doing this, which I expect is true. I don't want to reward his bad behaviour by fussing him after he misbehaves but if it is anxiety I'm worried that he needs reassurance.
10. We have recently started spot-on flea treatment again after a couple of months of the old one not working, and it's a new one (Frontline wasn't working, so this is Advantage, which does seem to have got rid of all the fleas on the cat).
Any advice on where to start? If it doesn't improve in we'll take him to the vet and get them to check him over in case it's health related. What would you advise on how to break this habit without stressing him out if it's anxiety, or encouraging it if it IS just attention seeking or laziness?
We brought our cat inside-only, a few months ago, (I posted about it here in January). He was a bit angsty for a few months about it, but then did seem to eventually settle down. He was good as gold for a few months and then somehow managed to escape whilst I was away with my parents (my partner was home but isn't sure how he got out). He came back after a few days, thin and with fleas and played up for a week or so after that but then settled down and was fine again. He got out again (!) for about half an hour after I accidentally left a window open, I caught him and brought him back in and he played up again for a few days. He was settling down fine AGAIN, but then a few weeks ago started peeing outside his box. It was seemingly at random at first so we thought it might be just because he was readjusting again (he'd done it a couple of times after both his escapes but then stopped), so gave him some time, but it's now getting worse. Almost every day we have a "little accident" now and sometimes twice a day.
He doesn't do it all the time, it seems to be mostly first thing in the morning when we get up, and then again when I get back from work. He'll come running down from upstairs to greet me, and then if I don't pick him up and take him to his box in time he'll just squat and pee (or pee when you pick him up). Most of the time in between he's good as gold. I joked with my partner that it's like he's so excited to see me that he forgets he needs to go! When he starts going, we'll hiss at him and he'll usually stop, run up to his box and go in it.
Yesterday and the day before he was fine, no accidents, so we thought he was calming down but then today he did it in the lounge before I'd even got up. My partner got angry and shouted at him and chased him upstairs (he didn't mean to, he just got annoyed about it). I felt bad so went and gave him a fuss. We're a bit confused as to why he's doing it. He doesn't do it all the time, he poos in his box no trouble at all, and during the day or if we're out of the house he will pee in it just fine (apart from the odd accident where he's at the wrong angle in the box and pees out of the door by mistake!). This makes me think that he's doing it "for me" for some reason, because if I'm not about he's no trouble.
Some questions or things that might be relevant:
1. Other than his escape three weeks ago, and defleaing and deworming him recently, nothing else has changed in his own routine lately. This started about two weeks ago and has become a real problem over the last week or so.
2. It's a hooded tray. I've tried taking the lid off but partner really doesn't like the tray not having a lid. We tried taking the door flap off and leaving the entrance open but that's not worked, so hubby closed it again. Kitty has used it up until now with no trouble. The tray is in the bathroom, that's the only place we can really put it.
3. My hours have increased at work, I'm now working full time, and longer days than before, and partner has recently started a job a couple of days a week (he was unemployed before). Kitty has always been a bit of a mummy's boy so we wondered if he was suffering from a bit of anxiety/separation anxiety? He's gotten a lot more cuddly with me recently, when I'm pottering about in the kitchen he constantly wants picking up, and cuddling and every time I sit down he wants on my lap. I try to spend as much time with him as possible. He's not massively playful though, although I have had a bit of luck with catnip and feeding toys.
4. We scoop the tray every day, usually multiple times a day (when home we try and scoop after every time he uses it). However I have forgotten to do it a few times before going to bed, and it can sometimes be worse when this happens, although it does still happen when we do keep it more pristine.
5. We twice tried another litter. Both times it made it worse. We currently use Cat's Best, because I can't get on with litter that doesn't clump and the cat has always preferred this one over anything else we have tried.
6. We have recently replaced both the Feliway and Pet Remedy plugins recently after they ran out. He's also on YuCalm and seems worse on days after I've forgotten to give it to him but again, that might just be coincidence.
7. I wonder if he might maybe be unwell. We have been keeping an eye on him for signs of arthritis, I'm wondering if maybe he's having difficulty/soreness getting into the tray, or if he maybe had something else wrong. My partner thinks he's just doing it for attention as he doesn't seem ill otherwise, but we're keeping an eye and will take him to the vet if it doesn't improve.
8. Kitty is not neutered. We will get him done eventually but can't at the moment.
9. I do have a habit of going and fussing him after my partner has told him off for something, because I'm worried that if it is anxiety that this might make it worse, but at the same time my partner said that if it is just attention seeking, I'm probably making it worse by doing this, which I expect is true. I don't want to reward his bad behaviour by fussing him after he misbehaves but if it is anxiety I'm worried that he needs reassurance.
10. We have recently started spot-on flea treatment again after a couple of months of the old one not working, and it's a new one (Frontline wasn't working, so this is Advantage, which does seem to have got rid of all the fleas on the cat).
Any advice on where to start? If it doesn't improve in we'll take him to the vet and get them to check him over in case it's health related. What would you advise on how to break this habit without stressing him out if it's anxiety, or encouraging it if it IS just attention seeking or laziness?