topic Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box in Pet Lovers

Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Soushi24 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 13:57:57 GMT

This has gone on for almost a year. Sometimes she will go for several days and be fine. Then it starts up again.

I have tried many types of litter, doesn't seem to matter.

I've started using pads under the box to catch the spill.

Help!

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

NC Bandwagon — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:08:42 GMT

Hello, Soushi24.

I'm clueless when to comes to cats, but how old is your cat? Did anything change in your house, like the cat's food, toys, a new pet(s), new objects in the house, stray cats roaming around the property?

I saw on an episode with Jackson Galaxy that cats will sometimes mark their scent all over the house to claim their territory if other cats are nearby.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

nycgrl — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:10:43 GMT

Have you taken her to a vet to make sure she doesn't have any issues? Otherwise, I would purchase a new litter box - maybe she thinks the one you have is dirty even if the litter is clean. Also, too many changes in the litter is not good. Some cats are more peculiar than others when it comes to their litter boxes. I switched my cat to pine and it's been great. It was a transition having to combine the old litter and the pine and gradually reduce to all pine, but we made it through - I was tired of all the litter and the dust, etc. I wanted natural and healthy for him. Good luck!

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Soushi24 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:14:49 GMT

Let me give some more information. Cat is around 12 years old.

I have tried a new litter box that is not as tall, thinking that might help. Took the lid off so it was top less. Scrubbed out the box. Went on line with my question.

I really want to help. Okay, next step is the vet. But don't think that will be the issue.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

nycgrl — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:36:00 GMT

@Soushi24 wrote:
Let me give some more information. Cat is around 12 years old.

I have tried a new litter box that is not as tall, thinking that might help. Took the lid off so it was top less. Scrubbed out the box. Went on line with my question.

I really want to help. Okay, next step is the vet. But don't think that will be the issue.

I understand she is an older cat which is why I would still suggest a vet check just to rule out whether there is anything going on. It could be a UTI, a kidney issue or nothing at all. Also make sure the litter box is big enough so she has room. No amount of cleaning will remove an odor in the box that the cat may not like. Good luck and let me know what you hear back.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

NYwoman — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:46:27 GMT

I would start with a vet visit. It could be kidney stones. How about diet change? Any acid/alkaline balance could be a reason. Is she cleaning herself their more (itchies or soreness)?

If her "environment" has changed, she could be saying something to you. Any new pets? Any change in the house? Are YOU stressed, had a routine change?

How about brand of litter? The cat is not declawed, I hope. Placement of litter changed? More than 1 litterbox? I'm glad you tried changing the box itself.

I hope the vet helps you narrow down some possibilities.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Chrystaltree2 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:48:55 GMT

Take her to her vet to rule a UTI and to ask the vet for his take on this. However, I had a similar experience with my cat. It started suddenly when she was about 12 years old. She had no health issues and she was spry and active.....she lived to be 19 years old. But for some odd reason, she would only pee once in her litter box and after that, she wouldn't pee in it anymore. She did it outside the box, right beside the box. It was behavioral. The vet just said we would have to find a work around because we weren't going to break the habit. She had her reasons for it. She just coulnd't explain them to us. We used disposable litter trays and put pads outside the box and newspaper on top of the pads and that worked until she went to kitty heaven several months ago.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

jaxs mom — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:49:42 GMT

So her body is actually inside the box but she peeing over the edge to the outside or the other way around? Here are my possible ideas

If the first then it could be the box is too small

Box is dirty and she doesn't want to get near the dirty part. Some cats won't use a dirty box and even one poop in it is enough to dissuade them. Solution, more boxes

How many boxes do you have? Does she do this with all the boxes? You need one more box than the number of cats you have at minimum so with one cat two boxes.

If she's actually outside the box but peeing right next to it, this leads me to think that she wants to use the box but it's associated with pain for her. arthritis or UTI are the most common causes but it can also be she doesn't like the litter being used.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

blackhole99 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:50:40 GMT

Sounds like a female cat we had, we tried every thing, the vet gave her a clean bill of health and she continued to frequently do her duty out side the litter box. We put up with this until the day she died and she started this behavior when she was about 7 years old. Good luck.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

2dotty — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 15:05:15 GMT

The cat could have a urinary tract infection. Take her to the Vet.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Tinkrbl44 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 15:21:08 GMT

@Soushi24 wrote:
Let me give some more information. Cat is around 12 years old.

I have tried a new litter box that is not as tall, thinking that might help. Took the lid off so it was top less. Scrubbed out the box. Went on line with my question.

I really want to help. Okay, next step is the vet. But don't think that will be the issue.

Sorry, but I think a trip to the Vet should have been the first thing you did.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Zhills — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 18:47:50 GMT

I have a doxie and HE gets on the pee-pad; not all of him, but HE is on it!

I had a Siamese that would sit on the edge of the box and use the litter, but would not touch the litter. One day the box tipped. I'll let you imagine the cat-chaos scene!

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Caitlinh429 — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 19:05:41 GMT

@Zhills wrote:
I have a doxie and HE gets on the pee-pad; not all of him, but HE is on it!

I had a Siamese that would sit on the edge of the box and use the litter, but would not touch the litter. One day the box tipped. I'll let you imagine the cat-chaos scene!

LMAO. omg, that is too funny. I bet you wished you got that on video tape. lol.

OP- You've gotten a lot of great advice. We all seem to agree that your kitty should be checked out by the vet just in case.

Cats do the darnest things and sometimes they just do things to do it. My cat will go right next to the litter box if they litter box is "too dirty" for her liking (even if it was thoroughly cleaned earlier in the day). I also had to figure out that she likes short litter boxes for #1 and tall litter boxes for #2. The litter boxes also must have a LOT of litter in them or else she won't go in them.

Also my 1 cat has 3 different litter boxes in different parts of the house. It's a general rule of thumb to have 1 litter box per cat plus an extra, and to put them in different parts/floors of the home.

Good luck!

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

KailaS — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 00:39:22 GMT

Your kitty is trying to follow the rules and is trying to use her litter. Something just is not sitting right with the pan or litter or the cat. Otherwise your kitty would not go to the pan.

My current kitty hated one litter to which I switched. He went next to the pan until I got the message. One kitty hated any hint that her pan already had a deposit. So, i set up a second pan so that when I was at work she always had an unsoiled pan. Many years ago I had a cat who lost her vision and seemed not to know she was facing the wrong way. and my last kitty had arthritis and could not stand on the uneven litter in her pan without pain. For her, I purchased a dog litter pan (really shallow) and used the thinnest layer of litter. Of course, each of the kitties mentioned above visited the vet at the start of the problem. That is how the near blindness and arthritis in two of the sweethearts was diagnosed.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Shawnie — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 01:08:34 GMT

How big is your cat? The box could be too small. Also urine is absorbed into the plastic. Even though you scrub it the odor remains to a cat. I change my boxes about every 6 weeks. Also use a high sided box like this, definitely no covers. It is made by Van Ness. I get mine from Pet Mountain and buy by the 6 pack. Comes in Large and a Giant size. Good Luck.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Jeremiah 2911 — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 22:11:13 GMT

First thing to do is to take your cat to the vet for a check-up. Cats that are having litter box issues can have Urinary Tract Infections or other medical conditions that are affecting their ability to use their litter box faithfully.

If your kitty doesn't have a UTI or any other medical condition consider these tips:

Kitty may need a wider box. HOME DEPOT carries cement mixing plastic boxes for about $6. This is a black plastic box that is wider than most conventional litter boxes (and much less expensive!) These are usually located in the lumber section of the store. There are two sizes -- get the smaller one -- it is still much bigger than conventional litter boxes.

Kitty may have a litter aversion. Buy CAT ATTRACT litter and fill the new box with this litter. This litter is excellent for re-training cats to faithfully use their litter boxes.

Kitty may not like where you have placed her litter box. Make sure the litter box isn't in a high traffic area of your home. Pull the box away from walls -- sometimes cats accidentally miss the box if they are looking at a wall -- they see the wall and don't see the sides of their litter box.

Also, make sure the litter box is close to where your kitty hangs out. For example, don't put the litter box in the basement if your kitty hangs out on the first floor. Older cats sometimes have urgency issues. If an older kitty has to hold his/her water too long they will sometimes miss when they finally get to their litter box.

You may need to add one more litter box to your household. Many cats like to piddle in one box and poo in another. Add a litter box and see if she prefers to do her business in separate boxes.

Hope this helps.

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

candys mine — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 00:56:07 GMT

Hi,Soushi, I ditto the vet visit since she is twelve and it's good to have a thorough baseline check up at her age. Other than urinary issues , you've gotten a lot of good tips on replacing boxes and such. I used to have a girly cat who would diligently go into her box and as she did her business her little behind would rise up til she was standing on her tippy toes and shooting over the edge. The answer for her was an extra high sided box with a cover. The entrance had a lower side so she had no trouble getting in and out but it contained her tippy toe tinkles with the occasional lucky shot out the door. Hope you find a solution!

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Katmary — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 04:07:18 GMT

The only other thing I can think of that others haven't posted is about your cat's feet, and usually this would be earlier than now, but I figured I'd mention it: is she de-clawed? This is another thing learned from Jackson Galaxy, that cats who have been de-clawed tend to have more problems with litter boxes than clawed cats, mainly from coming back from the surgery and having the litter hurt her feet where the front digits were removed starting a disfunctional relationship with the litter and the box. Switching the litter tended to help on the show, along with behavior modification.

By any chance is she resting more or walking slower? Perhaps it can be arthritis? I hope you find out soon, I'd imagine it's been frustrating not being able to figure out what's going on with her. I wish cats could talk sometimes!

Hm, have you tried putting things on each side of the box and close to it? I wonder if she'd stop then or go to the front then? Best of luck to you and your kitty!

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

Katmary — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 04:17:29 GMT

Hi, me again! I was still thinking of this when about to log off and I did a search. This is actually quite common from the amount of times it's been posted with answers on the web. I think it'd be worth checking out for ideas to try. The main physical responses was that it sometimes happens at the start of a UTI, and that a cat may do it for more support if squatting's tough due to arthritis. HTHs!

Re: Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside the box

ladyroxanne — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 04:31:31 GMT

hi, sorry, but it's very possible that this is what the cat is going to do. we had 5 and one o f them insisted on doing this regardless of what we did. just their particuoar habit I think. the best thing to fix i think is the higher litter box. that may help. also your kitty may change dfirection, as it were, if you are lucky. wishing all the !best here