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Why is my cat peeing outside the litter box with a clean vet check?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 8 months old

Female cat lifting her butt/twitching while in litter box, pee goes out onto the floor. Urine sample clean vet can't tell me why she does it.Thoughts?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 11th, 2016

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

11Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian
Published on May 7th, 2018
First I would make sure she doesn't have an infection. Stress can lead to inflammation in the bladder which can lead to an infection or inappropriate urination. I would also add feliway diffusers throughout your house. Feliway is a cat pheromone used to help calm cats. It doesn't work on everyone. I would also add extra litter boxes around the house especially in the area when she is urinating the most. Finally, if this doesn't help and she doesn't have a UTI, I would talk to your vet about starting her on an anti-anxiety medicine like amitryptilline. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on January 5th, 2019
I hate to hear that Nimo is struggling. There are two main categories for this behavior. Medical reasons and behavioral reasons. Since she can't talk and tell you why she is doing this, you need to take her into the veterinarian, The doctor will check her urine for infection or other abnormalities that can make it painful to urinate. Painful urination will often cause cats to urinate outside the litter box. Urinary tract infection, bladders tones, idiopathic cystitis, crystals in the urine or masses in the bladder can all cause pain. If a medical condition is not found, you veterinarian may be able to prescribe medication to help with behavioral causes and discuss proper litter box habits. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Mara Howard, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 18th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear your new cat has been having litterbox issues. To start, I would recommend offering at least one other box of a different kind (covered vs not, for example). I would also add cat attract litter to the boxes, and consider putting a pheromone collar on her. If these suggestions are insufficient to help with her issue, I would recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian to assure that there is no underlying medical issue contributing to her urination problems and then moving on with a plan from there. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Health & Wellness

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

Some cats may climb into the box but still "miss" it by sticking their bottoms over the side when they go. Using sides or a lid on the box may help solve this if that is the case. Some cats also do not like stepping in certain types of litter, so changing to a softer litter or scooping it more often may also help. Enzymatic cleaners can also be used to remove any urine stains/odor and discourage going in that spot again.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My cat pees outside litter box. How to stop this behavior & clean?

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:

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

How to stop my cat from spraying when vet says she's healthy?

So sorry that she is having this problem. If your vet has ruled out medical reasons and you have already tried pheromones, litter attractants, etc. then you could talk to your vet about trying an anti-anxiety medication, like Prozac, and see if that helps stop her from urinating inappropriately.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why is my cat peeing in inappropriate places and not the litter box?

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

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Cat peeing outside litter box for years. How can I finally stop it?

An underlying medical condition should be ruled out first. A UTI can cause these symptoms and can be sub-clinical for a while if not treated. Kidney disease and diabetes can also be underlying factors. You can get a home urine testing kit from Petco. ( ) My other two suggestions would be to use some Feliway diffusers in your house, do some environmental enrichment for her and get more litter boxes to put around the house with different types of litter. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Why-Use-Feliway/Cat-peeing-outside-the-litter-box ) ( https://www.thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) ( https://moderncat.com/articles/how-enrich-your-cats-home-environment/ ) ( https://www.petmd.com/cat/centers/litter/evr_why_multi_cat_households_need_multiple_litter_boxes ) Also, if you are not happy with your current vet it may be a good idea to get a second opinion elsewhere. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Why is my cat peeing outside the litter box and spraying everywhere?

Causes of urination outside the box can be urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, stones in the urinary tract, trauma to the area, or difficulty getting into the litterbox due to pain, or other reasons. It is important that you make an appointment to have Moon seen by your veterinarian as soon as you can to help determine the cause of his behaviour and to start treatment. If you notice his straining to urinate/unable to produce urine, this is a medical emergency and she should be seen by a vet immediately. I highly recommend speaking to your vet about having Moon neutered, as this kind of behaviour can happen in male cats as a form of marking behaviour, and sometimes having them neutered can help reduce or eliminate the marking. It is also possible that Moon is exhibiting signs of stress in his home environment. You can do the following to help make sure Moon’s environmental needs are being met. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox. They should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day)and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for climbing, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 , healthcareforpets.com and https://indoorpet.osu.edu// for tips on stress reduction. Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My cat is peeing outside the litter box. Behavioral solutions?

Try using a litter box attractant. You can purchase one online or in most pet stores. A pheromone product such as Feliway spray or plug in diffuser may decrease any anxiety or stress. Consider a wider litterbox with a low edge. Since Whistles is older, he may have difficulty stepping into the box.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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