How to Prevent a Cat from Urinating and Defecating Outside Their Litter Box

Recently my nearly 13-year-old cat began urinating on the floor. While she has suffered from constipation and has been defecating on the floor on and off for close to a year, it never became a serious issue until I found the first puddle of urine in the carpet. Anyone that has ever smelt cat urine can attest to the fact of how potent and how badly it stains. Thus, her improper elimination became an enormous problem.

The first bit of advice I can give anyone with a cat that is urinating outside the box is bringing him or her to the vet and rule out any medical issues. Cats are known to suffer from kidney problems and this may be the first sign of such a problem. It may also indicate other medical problems such as a UTI or diabetes. Once you have the blood work processed and have obtained a urine sample for the vet you can rule out all medical issues and move on to the next issue, which is a behavioral problem.

Cats are very particular animals and no two cats are the same. While many websites and advice columns I have read online indicate that most cats dislike litter boxes with hoods, my cat has used a litter box with a hood for the first 12 years of her life without any issue. So in these types of situations it is best to try everything you can until you see what works. If your cat is urinating in one specific area on the carpet or in a plant you might want to try covering that area in an undesirable fabric or material such as tinfoil or something else that will not feel appealing on their paws (but not something sharp or hot that will hurt them!). You may even try moving their food and water to that area since most cats will not go in the same area that they eat in. With my cat she was not urinating in one area so this did not solve much, if we placed tin foil on an area of the carpet, she would move to the chair to urinate. It is of the utmost importance though that you properly clean the area in which they are eliminating with a NON-ammonia based cleaner. There are many items on the market specifically made for animal urine. If the smell stains the carpet the animal with be guided by the scent to return to this area to go in the future.

The next suggestion I have is to place 1 extra litter box for each cat you have. Since I have only one cat in my house I took the liberty of placing three litter boxes in three separate rooms on two different floors. Most vets will tell you to never place a litter box near a pet's food and to try not to place your litter box where there is a lot of human or other traffic. Cats, like humans, like to use the potty in private. Again, even with three liter boxes spaced all over my cat still has continued to go outside the litter box.

If you recently switched the type of litter you use and your cat has stopped using the box, go back to the original litter! Most cats and kittens prefer unscented litter. I purchased a litter called Cat Attract that was specifically made for cats that stopped using the box. They also make one designed for Kittens. Another suggestion is to clean the litter box more often. If you do once a week, start to twice a week, or once a day until the cat begins to use to box again. Change the entire litter in the box once a month and clean the litter box with a mild soap and water. Do not use strong scented soaps or Lysol type products as this may deter the cat from using the litter box also.

Most importantly if your cat does go outside the box regardless of her/his age do NOT stick there nose in the urine, do not hit or scold them as cats do not understand this. This is a basic guide to how to help a cat that is eliminating outside the litter box. Despite a vet visit and extensive research my own cat remains urinating outside the box on occasion and while she is presently on antibiotics for a possible UTI or Kidney infection we can only hope that this will resolve it.