My cat keeps sleeping in the litter box. Should I be worried?

Great question! This can mean a couple of things. It could be that Lancelot is sick. He could have diarrhea, stomach upset, may be in pain, have feline idiopathic cystitis, or bladder stones. He could be feeling so badly that it's not worth him getting out of the box only to have to return again. There are other reasons, such as feeling territorial and wanting to keep other cats from using it, but it's very important to rule out a medical cause first. He should see a vet for a check up, and I do recommend getting blood work and a urinalysis done. If he does have a medical reason for this behavior, the vet can diagnose it and discuss treatment options If he's healthy, the vet can discuss behavioral causes and treatment for that. I'd take him into the vet in the morning. I hope this helps!

I would be concerned if your cat is straining that he may be obstructed. Urine will not be able to exit the body thusly and will result in your cat becoming very ill very quickly. This is a medical emergency and Dizzy should be seen immediately to be sure this isn't the case. If it is, they will need to intervene and relieve the obstruction. Best of luck.

Laying in the litter box is not uncommon for a cat that just moved to a new home, many cats tend to do that, they tend to feel "safer" in the box. if he does not seem to have any problem urinating, if he is eating and drinking normally, just give him some time to open up, he will grow out of it.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Eddie. Yes, you are correct this can be a sign of illness. As long as he is eating and drinking, and using the litter box, I would monitor him for now. If he stops eating, stays very lethargic over the next 24 hours, stops drinking water, stops using the litter box, or develops other symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, I would take him into a vet right away. Best of luck.

This can be a sign of illness in cats. If he is there vocalizing and trying to urinate with no production it is an emergency. If he is not and just laying there and not wanting to get up then he may have a fever or have pain and not feel like moving. Try to get pick him up and take him to another spot for food and water and see how he acts. If he is painful and not eating then I would take him to the vet to see what is going on.

Sounds like your cat has a bit of a sense of humor. :) If he's sleeping in the litter box you may want to try moving it to a different area to see if he'll use it. If he's had accidents, then placing the box where he has gone before may encourage him to use it. It may be that he just prefers to use the other litter box solely which is fine as long as the UTI is cleared up and he's otherwise healthy. Adding in a comfy bed where he now enjoys sleeping may also help!

This is a non-specific sign of illness that is often seen in cats - it sounds like Kali isn't feeling well, or may be in pain for some reason. There are many things that could cause this in an 11-year-old cat, including liver or kidney disease, diabetes, arthritis, or even some type of cancer. I would recommend taking Kali to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to - he/she can do blood work or other testing if needed to help determine what's wrong.