Female cat hangs on edge of box to urinate outside... - Page 2

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@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.

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

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!

Caitlinh429 · ‎06-25-2014

@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!

KailaS · ‎03-09-2010

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.

Shawnie · ‎03-10-2010

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.

Jeremiah 2911 · ‎03-11-2014

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.

candys mine · ‎08-20-2012

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!

Katmary · ‎03-10-2010

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!

Katmary · ‎03-10-2010

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!

ladyroxanne · ‎03-09-2010

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