Cat peeing outside his box

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Giniranroc
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Cat peeing outside his box

Post by Giniranroc »

My cat is nearly 15 years old. Recently, he started peeing on the kitchen floor, right in front of his box! So i took him to the vet, who after some tests diagnosed him with hyperthyroid. So i got him on meds, and after a couple weeks he was back to normal. Fast forward several months, and he's at it again! I give him his meds faithfully twice a day, I've gotten a second litter box, and i scoop it at least twice daily to hopefully avoid this behavior. I've even taken to getting up with him at 4am to give him his wet food because this stopped the behavior for about 2weeks. But now none of this helps and he will make no effort at all to get to the box, he just goes wherever he is...even on the carpet! Help! Is there anything else i should be doing that could stop this? Other than this, he's just like he always was, my little snuggler. I wouldn't dream of getting rid of him, I promised him a forever home and i intend to keep him until he crosses that rainbow bridge. But i live in a rental, and if my landlord finds out...
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Ruth B
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Re: Cat peeing outside his box

Post by Ruth B »

A few things come to mind, first 15 is a good age for a cat and it might be he is stiffening up and finding getting into the tray a problem, it could also be that he has started to find the litter harder to walk on and dig in. I don't know the style of tray you use but a shallow one might help him or even some puppy training pads could give him somewhere to go with out having to climb into a tray. A change of litter might also help.

Unfortunately there is also the possibility of dementia which means he is forgetting where his tray is and where he should toilet. Keeping him confined to a smaller area, such a single room overnight where he has everything he needs might help him feel more seccure, he could then be given some room to roam when you are there to keep an eye on him and make sure that if it looks like he wants to use a tray you can take him to the tray or a pad and then praise him highly when he uses it.

Of course a follow up trip to the vets and possibly a urine sample will also help rule out any possibility of an infection there that might be proving problematic for him.

I hope you can sort out a solution to the problem and have a few more happy years with him.
booktigger
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Re: Cat peeing outside his box

Post by booktigger »

I'd get him checked for kidney and urinary issues. If feeding him middle of the night helps, you could get an automatic feeder.
Giniranroc
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Re: Cat peeing outside his box

Post by Giniranroc »

It might be useful to note that he did sustain some brain damage as a kitten, to the point where he frequently walks in circles. He has also gotten quite a bit more wobbly over the years. Dementia is definitely something I've considered as well. I've tried the puppy pads but he went beside them and made an even bigger mess :x I will be taking him in for blood tests in a couple weeks, maybe his thyroid levels aren't quite where they should be and that's why his kidneys are working so hard. I've never had a geriatric cat before, and now with two closing in on fifteen, it's definitely a roller coaster ride! It's like, they hit fourteen and suddenly anything goes.

I thought about putting a third shallow box in the bedroom and move it into his path at night so when he gets up at 3am to run his laps, he can find it. Anything to keep him from ruining the rental carpet!!
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