8 Reasons Why Your Cat Is Peeing Everywhere
Cats peeing everywhere is a common issue that most cat owners face at some point. Let’s examine why cats pee outside the box, and how to fix it.
by Linda Hall, Cat Behavior Expert
Your cat pees outside the litter box; on your carpet, sofa, bed, just everywhere! We’ve all been there. But why do cats pee everywhere but the box sometimes? If you have never experienced inappropriate elimination issues with your cat, you are a lucky human! The truth is, most people who have a cat (or cats) do experience peeing outside the litter box issues at one time of another.
You are not alone.
We assume kitty is being naughty, but there are many reasons a cat may stop using the box; none of them is because he is a “bad” cat.
Read on to learn 8 Reasons your cat won’t use the litter box, and the mistaken assumptions we humans often make when dealing with kitty poop and pee issues.
8 Reasons Your Cat Pees Everywhere but the Litter Box
- Is Your Cat Ill? The first thing we tell clients is to go to the vet. If kitty has an infection in his urinary tract, bladder, or kidneys, it will hurt when he pees. He may begin to associate the pain with the box and as a result, he may stop using it. First stop is to get to the vet and rule out a physical issue.
- How many litter boxes? The general rule is one box per kitty. If you have two boxes next to each other, the cat will see that as one box. Rule of thumb is you need one separate box, per kitty, plus one extra. Even with one cat, 2 cat litter boxes are necessary.
- Size matters! How big is your litter box? It should be at least as long as your cat’s length and as wide as your cat’s width. If it’s too small, that tiny tabby tushie may hang over and cause urine or feces to go outside, or they may just not be comfortable enough to use it.
- Got Lids? Personally, I love a lidded litter box. No one wants to walk past a box and see poop. When my daughter moved back home, her cat, Shadow, was not using the litter box. Shadow is smaller than the other cats, and she is always on guard, looking for bullies. If she goes into a lidded box, with only one way out, she is easily trapped and bullied by another cat. I had to take some of the box lids off, in order to solve this problem.
- Location, Location, Location! As they say in real estate, location is everything. Keep your litter boxes away from high traffic areas. No one wants to do their business with people walking by! You should also avoid tight corners, closets, etc. This creates a trapped space that a cat can’t easily escape. It’s also a bad idea to put it near their food or water. I understand. I don’t want to eat in a bathroom either! (Also refer to our article: My Cat Pooped on My Bed)
- Type of litter! The idea of a scented litter to help cover up that poop smell may appeal to us humans. However, Kitty is not in agreement with me. A cat’s sense of smell is 14x stronger than a human’s, so what smells good to us can be obnoxious to a cat! For instance, have you ever stood near someone who used waaaay too much cologne? Yeah. Not good! No one wants to go into a box with an obnoxious scent. No wonder the cat is peeing everywhere else. Also consider the texture of the litter. Some tender paws just can’t handle some litters. A friend recently switched to a walnut shell litter. It’s a more environmentally friendly way to go. Sadly, those little shell pieces bothered her cat and if it hurts, he’s not going to use it. Try switching litter types to see if that helps!
- Grab that scoop! Scooping is on my list of things I least like to do. It’s a pain. If I’ve had a long day, I just want to go to bed. I don’t want scoop. Can’t I do it tomorrow? Think of it from your cat’s perspective. If he has to step on his own feces to use his box, he won’t like it. Some cats are more tolerant of this than others. I’ve seen cats who will use a box that hasn’t been scooped, although that’s rare. I’ve also seen cats who won’t use it if there is even a little something in there. Tired, or not… I gotta scoop.
- Cleaning! As I mentioned before, your cat has an amazing sense of smell. That nose can sniff out things we can’t smell. If your cat pees on the floor and you clean it with traditional cleaners, you may not be doing enough. Cat urine has pheromones in it. That’s what makes it so stinky. Most cleaners will not eliminate those pheromones. If we see a toilet, we assume it’s the place to do our business. And if a cat smells that pee scent, he may decide that’s the place to go. To make matters worse, if you have other cats in the household, they may want to cover those pheromones with their own, and then you have two cats peeing there. Look for a cleaner with that eliminates enzymes. They make some great ones! My favorite is Anti Icky-Poo. It will eliminate those pheromones. It’s odorless and colorless so it is a great choice for cleaning on fabrics. I’ve also used it in the washing machine if my clothes have gotten peed on.
Read more about Litter Box Placement and Type
So, Why is Your Cat Peeing Everywhere?
If you have gone through all of these and are still having an issue with your cat still peeing everywhere but the litter box, then it could be behavioral. Cat’s hate change and get stressed fairly easily. A stressed or anxious cat will often exhibit signs of unwanted behaviors.
When we work with our behavior clients, we try to unpack the situation and we ask many questions: When did this behavior start? Did anything change around that time? Did someone move in or out, did someone pass away, did you move? Once we discover some potential causes for the litter box avoidance, we can move forward and make a plan to help kitty, as well as his human.
If you need help figuring out why your cat pees everywhere but the litter box, and how to stop it from happening, please reach out to us or another behavior expert. We can help you get back to a peaceful home, and get kitty back to leaving his pee and poo in the right place!
Also review HELP! My Cat Pees On Everything!
Solving Litter Box Avoidance: 7 Steps You Can Do Today
Rita and Linda discuss “Why Does My Cat Pee Everywhere”
Zenon says
We are trying to litter train a kitten. We are told she used the box at her previous home, but will not use it here. We are trying to make her comfortable and have a variety of litters and boxes. Can you offer any other tips?
Maria says
I have a 17 year old cat who has, just recently, stopped using his litter box to pee. He still poops in it (and we keep it very clean), but he has been peeing downstairs in front of a fireplace. Because he is older, and the original box is upstairs, we put a second litter box near where he has been peeing downstairs, using the same litter he uses in the other box. He’s avoiding that box too, and continuing to pee on the space right next to it. The vet has cleared him from any medical issues — in fact, he’s quite healthy for an old boy. Now what?
Amber Jones says
Need help badly. I have 6 cats in our bedroom. I have gone through all of the steps listed above. We have a very large open litter box. There could be 3 culprits one of whom I think is doing it is our cat “little boy”. He has ch ( cerebella’s hypoplasia) and is diabetic. Little boy is part of our original 4 kitties. We moved my father-in-law in with us 5 years ago. We also rescued 3 new cats who were strays into our home. then our big boy Henry recently died. Our dog Cody also died 2 months after Henry. The cats all reside in our bedroom because my father-in-law leaves doors open. All the cats are fixed and are indoors. I cannot let them roam the house. If I do it is short term while my father-in-law is not here. There have been many changes but I have caught little boy peeing on our bed on my husband. Henry used to sleep with my husband. We have also caught little boy spraying on us in the middle of the night. How do I stop him from peeing on our bed? He pees on the comforter which is on top of my husband in the middle of the night. Also for context we have had the new cats for over a year. The peeing started after Henry and Cody died.
Rita Reimers says
Hi Amber,
Cats pee to 1) claim territory, 2) self soothe when scared, or 3) if there is a medical issue. I am thinking since the 6 cats are in one room, they are peeing from both anxiety/fear and the desire to claim territory from one another. While cats don’t need much space, a bedroom with 6 cats is a set up for problems. I understand why they are all in there, but it might be wise to find a better solution to the problem of doors being left open and fear the cats may then run outside.
There is also grieving going on with the loss of Henry and Cody, and cat do feel pain when they lose a cat friend.
Try giving them some SIlvervine (not toys, the edible kind) to help soothe them. Give them places to go upward, since floor space is limited. Tall cat trees, cat shelving, and cozy hideaways are all great ways to give them each places they can claim as their own. Also a calming tincture, such as Convivial House Cat or Rescue Remedy, may help keep the cats calmer as well.
Let us know how things are going. We’re here if you decide you’d like to do a behavior session for a personalized action plan.
Purrs,
Rita
Jacklinz says
We have 2 cats. One an opinionated male the other a female. One has peed on my bedspread
We brought another kitten in and problem was worse
Been cleaning litter boxes better
Problem still exists but periodically not consistently
Both original cats smell around and act like they are covering something they dont like. On the wood floor in various places. Various rooms
I dont see or smell it but they seem to think they do.
Rita Reimers says
HI Jacklinz,
Depending on their history and ages, there are any number of reasons that bringing in a kitten may not be immediately welcomed by the current resident adult felines in the house. It sounds like the peeing was already happening before bringing in the kitten, so I would assume your cats, or one of them, has issues with anxiety.
Also – as you’ve learned – just because you can no longer smell the pee doesn’t mean your cats won’t smell it.
THE best and safest Enzyme cleaner we’ve found is called Anti Icky Poo. The UNscented one is best. Soak the areas where they have peed. If it’s carpet, just let it set, don’t blot it up. Depending on how long it had been going on, it may need two applications but that is rare. You can find Anti Icky poo on Chewy, Amazon, in pet stores, and even at Home Depot!
Let us know how things progress,
Rita