Why is my senior cat peeing dark, crystallized urine outside the box?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dark urine is often an indication of dehydration or not drinking enough water. I recommend that you check and make sure that she is drinking enough water. Sometimes using several water bowls throughout the house is helpful. Another way to stimulate her to eat canned food which is high in water content. Good luck!

I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian. He could have something mild like a urinary tract infection but he can also have stones or crystals in his urine that is causing discomfort. They can check a urine to see if it is an infection or if there are crystals and he may need an X-ray if they are suspecting stones. I hope Simba feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs might be compatible with a urinary tract infection/inflammation. Stress related (idiopathic type of inflammation) infection and presence of crystals are the most common causes of it. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Have her seen by your veterinarian. A urine sample can be collected and submitted for urinalysis. Crystals in the urine can cause inflammation or infection. Enough crystals may form kidney or bladder stones. Depending on the type of crystals, a diet change or medication may be needed. https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/urine-crystals-and-bladder-stones/

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.

Hello and thank you for your question. I hate to hear Knight is not feeling well. It's clear that something is wrong. From the photo, the urine appears to have blood in it and you are seeing an increased urination. I recommend to have Knight examined right away. Sometimes this behavior is another bladder infection or crystals in the urine. Sometimes though this behavior is observed prior to a urethral blockage (which is fatal unless treated promptly). Knight needs an exam and to have his urine checked quickly. This will not only ensure he will be out of pain but it may be able to prevent a urethral blockage and treat the underlying cause. Here is some additional information about urinary conditions: https://www.petcoach.co/article/urine-crystals-and-bladder-stones-in-cats-formation-diet-an/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/urinary-tract-infections/ https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/urinary-obstruction/ I hope this helps and that they figure out the cause quickly!

Hello, thank you for your question. Inappropriate elimination can be a sign of few possible underlying conditions. One possibility is that your car has a UTI, this is more common in female cats but does occur in males. Another possibility is that your cat could have bladder stones. Stones are very irritating and cause discomfort especially when trying to urinate. A third possibility is that your cat has a stress condition called FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease). This condition is common in young male cats who live indoors. A stressful event in their environment leads to inflammation and the symptoms you are seeing. I would recommend having your cat seen by your veterinarian so that they can check for a UTI. They will likely collect a urine sample and look for signs of infection. If there are no signs of a UTI they can discuss FLUTD more with you and go through management options. Hope this helps, good luck!