Old kitty litter box issues

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  • #852057
    Leigh Evanson
    Participant

    Hi all,

    I’ve looked through the forum but haven’t seen anyone dealing with this specific issue, so I’m hoping the cat-hivemind can help me.

    I have a sweet old kitty. She is 19 1/2 and creaky but still getting around. (that’s her in my profile photo)

    About 2 years ago she started peeing out of her litterbox. Her habit is to just climb in, and once she’s touching the litter with all four feet, she pees. She doesn’t – can’t – squat, so the pee just shoots out the box onto the floor.

    I got her one of those igloo-shaped boxes with the stairs and that worked well up until about 3 months ago. Now she’s angling herself so she pees down the stairs, which makes a disgusting puddle at the bottom of the stairs that she sometimes walked through. I’ve tried cleaning multiple times a day, creatively piling the litter to encourage her to move in, put up some cardboard (that was a disaster) nothing works.

    I bought a high-walled box to try but because she doesn’t turn around in the box or squat (once her four feet touch litter, she just goes), she’s still peeing out of the box. After 3 months of soaking up the pee with toilet paper and using puppy pads as protection, I feel like there has to be a better way.

    Thanks for your help

    #852063
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Aww, so sorry Leigh that your older cat is having these issues. Sounds to me as if she is trying, but her bones probably ache and she is having a hard time getting in and out of the box and doing things like she did when she was younger. There are many options out there now, one of which is the type of storage container with a lid that only costs about $5. You can use the lid or not, depending on whether she likes it covered, but it’s deep and she wouldn’t really be able to pee out of it I think. You can cut an entrance hole with a knife or cutter–make it low to the ground so she can get in and out of it easily. Put some litter in there, and I would use a puppy pad right outside the door incase she doesn’t get all the way in. There are many sites to give you options too, with many different styles of litter boxes. One is Chewy.com, give it a look, and others and hopefully you come up with something that works for your girl!

    #852081
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Leigh,

    You didn’t say if you took her to the vet. If not, take her to the vet. In addition, your girl may be struggling with a urinary infection and/or crystals. Some cats don’t like to use their litter box if they associate it with pain.

    #852087
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Leigh? Just an aide? Do you give her ACV? Not relevant to your issue but?there’s a feeling that they experience when given it. just throwing something out there. Vet check would be good but if not? Did anything change in your routine? New person? Anything else new or different that’s upsetting her? Kids? Dog? Again, just throwing things out there.

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