Feline Inappropriate Urination

Dr. Stephanie Waters

Does your cat urinate outside of the litter box, even only occasionally? If the answer to this question is yes, then please continue reading this post!

Urinating outside of the litter box can be both frustrating to owners as well as our feline friends. The first question that we must ask is why? Why would your loving cat pee on your bed?! Well, the answer to that can be complicated, nonetheless the first step to solving this issue is to take your cat to your family veterinarian.

Here at Crawford Dog & Cat Hospital, we start off our appointments by getting a detailed history. How long has your cat been urinating outside of the litter box? Does he/she defecate outside the box also? Have there been any changes in the household recently (family party? Addition of a new human or animal to the family? Moving houses/Vacations? Etc)? Is your cat spayed/neutered? Some of our questions may sound silly, but there is always a reason! The next important step is to get a urine sample in order to test for inflammatory cells, blood cells, pH, bacteria, and crystals.

Basically, we are trying to find out if your beloved feline has a Urinary Tract Infection, sterile or bacterial cystitis (inflammation of the bladder), behavioral issues, urethral obstruction (bladder stones) or maybe even an endocrine disorder such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism! A blood sample may also be needed to help determine the underlying problem with your pet. If a Urinary Tract Infection is diagnosed, the course of treatment may only consist of a course of antibiotics and/or anti inflammatories. Depending on our results, we may move forward to check your cat for radiographic evidence of a stone(s) in the bladder, a urine culture or changes in the bladder wall with an ultrasound appointment.

What happens if all of our tests lead to a behavioral cause for the inappropriate urinating?!  Do not panic, we are here to help your animals mental as well as physical health. We offer several low stress at home ideas (additional litter boxes, changing style/location, cleaning boxes more often, changing the litter type, etc) as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety medications for your furry feline!

If your feline friend is currently experiencing inappropriate urination, please do not hesitate to contact us at Crawford Dog & Cat Hospital! We offer low stress appointments (feline only hours on Thursday evenings) and house calls throughout the week.