Why is my cat peeing right in front of her clean litter box?

This twitching and peeing behavior sounds like your cat is spraying. This can be a behavioral thing. I would recommend a different type of litterbox with a front door so that she doesn't miss and potentially get urine on the floor. As long as she is trying to go in the litterbox you can try to see if a change in litterbox will suffice. However, there are medications to help with spraying behavior, I like Clomicalm and Fluoxetine for medical therapy. For more natural products you can try Feliway plug-ins placed near the litterbox. Try this litterbox, this works great for my female cat who sometimes goes a little too high- http://www.amazon.com/Catit-Jumbo-Hooded-Cat-Litter/dp/B003RQVGKC

There can be a couple of reasons why Zuzy will not use the litter box. Cats like a very clean box, and the litter should be scooped every day with the litter itself being changed once a week. If the box isn't clean enough for her, she won't use it. Cats can also be very picky about the type of litter used. If you changed litter recently, she may not like it and won't want to use it. Don't use scented litters, cats typically don't like the scent and will not use the box if it smells funny to them. I would use an unscented litter only. The litter box itself may be a problem. It could be too small for her to turn around in, or if it has a cover, she may not like using the box under a cover. Conversely, if it doesn't have a cover, she may not like going to the bathroom in the open. Cats also won't use a litter box that is too close to their food and water sources, so if the litter box is close to those, she won't use it. Finally, there could be a medical issue behind her not using the litter box, such as a UTI or bladder stones. If none of the above scenarios apply to Zuzy, I would take her into your vet for a health check to see if there is a medical cause behind her refusing to use the litter box. Good luck, I hope this helps!

She may be urinating outside the litter box if she has an infection or bladder stones. I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to do a urinalysis to ensure everything is ok. They will be able to start her on antibiotics if needed. If everything is normal, then I would be more concerned with behavioral. I would definitely get of the drapes. As far as cleaning, I would try to use a deodorizer to help hide her scent. See link below. Clean the wall area the best you can. Unfortunately, you may not be able to get deep into those cracks. You can try q-tips although this may be a little tedious. Some things to try for her behavior is adding additional litter boxes throughout the house especially near where the drapes are that she likes to use. I would also add some feliway diffusers. This is a cat pheromone that will sometimes help calm cats.. It doesn't work on every cat though. Finally, if these don't work, I would talk to you vet about adding in an anti-anxiety medicine like amitryptilline. I have had good success with this to help with inappropriate urination. I hope this helps! One example of a deodorizing enzymatic cleaner:

Cats will urinate outside of the box for two main reasons, medical or behavioral. I recommend to have a Lucky examined by her veterinarian for any signs of a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine or other causes of pain. If it is deemed to be behavioral, it could be related to stress or something about the litter box that she does not like. Make sure to keep the box in a quiet, private location and to clean it daily. Cats prefer large uncovered litter boxes with a clay-based clumping litter. A Feliway diffuser can also help. There are other things that can be done but start with a visit to the veterinarian. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

There are a few things to consider; some cats will go in the corner of the litter box, so they end up hanging their tush over the edge and it goes out of the box. You could try a litter box with a cover or with high sides to see if that helps. The size of the box and ease of entry is something else to consider. If she is still small enough that she has to leap into something that she can't see into, getting in the box may be a bit daunting. Make sure the has an approachable entry for her. Also consider if you changed the type or brand of cat litter. Some cats can be very picky. Go back to the old brand if you have switched. If you have not made a change it cat litter, you can also try a cat litter called Cat Attract-- its a brand of cat litter that most cats accept very well. Another thing to keep in mind is other cats and the location of the boxes. If you have multiple cats, make sure that you have enough litter boxes. If you have 2 cats, have 3 boxes. If you have 4 cats, have 5 boxes. I know that seems like a lot, but its the best way to prevent negative cat interactions near a litter box, and avoid them feeling territorial. If you have an older cat, the box may have been "occupied" when she needed to go, or she may have been intimidated by the other cat being nearby and didn't want to get in a confrontation. To be thorough, I would also recommend that you take her to your vet to see if there's any medical issue going on that could be contributing. Take a stool sample with you. If she has intestinal parasites or other causes of inflammation in her intestine, she could be having some urgency that doesn't allow her to quite get into the box. Also, if she is painful somewhere, she may be trying to avoid getting up into the box. I hope that helps you. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I am sorry to hear about Retchi. This is certainly a frustrating problem to deal with. If your cat has not been to the vet to test the urine and ensure we don't have an issue such as bacteria, crystals or inflammation of the bladder, or any concern with kidney disease, then that is your first step. You also want to be sure your litter box situation is ideal. You should have one more litterbox than the number of cats in the house. Ideally we would have litterboxes with covers and without in case your cat prefers one over another, and some cats prefer one substrate over another, so trying a different litter can sometimes help. Keeping the litterbox very clean with daily scooping and then thorough weekly cleaning is also needed. If you are still having issues then an underlying anxiety issue may be the cause. You can try a Feliway Multicat diffuser (plugs into the wall and you may need more than one depending on the size of your house) and a calming supplement such as Zylkene or Composure. If you still have accidents then a prescription medication may be needed from your vet. You can read more about this issue at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951508

It's possible that Chicken may be going outside of the box because she's experiencing a bit of discomfort. This is symptomatic of urinary tract infection, urinary crystals, and sometime even kidney disfunction. You'll want to visit your local Veterinarian and request a Urinalysis. This will allow your doctor to identify or rule out many of these concerns. Be sure to offer your pet plenty of fresh water and you may consider switching your pet to a diet formulated for Urinary function.