5 Reasons Your Cat Pees on the Floor

Last Updated on April 13, 2020

Do you have a cat who pees on the floor? This may come to a surprise to you as most cats instinctively use their box as a means to cover their scent. When your cat is peeing outside the litter box, you have to look at all reasons why to determine the best approach to stop this from happening. Here are the 5 most common reasons why a cat pees outside his/her box and how to stop this behavior.

Feline Depression

Feline depression is something that most people don’t understand or even realize a cat can have. When a cat has depression, much like us humans, their actions change dramatically.

What you can do to stop this: Once you find out why your cat is depressed, you will be able to eliminate or at least lessen the stress, and thus end the peeing on the floor. While I do not recommend it unless it is a severe case, a vet visit can help you determine if medication can be useful or not.

Is My Cat Depressed?

Signs of depression are often overlooked in cats. For signs and what you can for feline depression, read: 6 Signs of Feline Depression

Urinary Tract Infection

Peeing on soft surfaces outside the box is very common in female cats who have a UTI. This does not mean a male cat will NOT do this nor does it mean peeing on soft surfaces is needed for it to be a UTI. Look for blood in the urine or very deep orange pee.

What you can do to stop this: Add shredded white paper to the litter box to check for blood. Examine every puddle you find carefully. If you suspect it is a UTI, you may need to take them in to see a Vet or opt for a holistic treatment approach.

Separation Anxiety

This is the most common cause and is the least suspected. Cats can and do develop separation anxiety just like dogs! Who knew? They will “mark” areas in an attempt to bring you back or keep others away from you.

What you can do to stop this: Pay close attention to your kitty to be sure they have this or not. It can take a few weeks of observation and even “spying” on your cat after you leave the house. Once you know, there are several things you can do to ease the stress.

Does My Cat Have Separation Anxiety?

For more information on determining if your cat has separation anxiety and what to do, read: Cats With Separation Anxiety

Unclean Box/Bad Litter

If the box is not getting cleaned often enough, it is a good enough reason for a cat to pee elsewhere. Can you blame them for this? Cat urine is strong and makes our eyes water, but it also does the same for your kitty! Also, buying a brand that is not enjoyed, foul-smelling, or has lots of dust is enough to make your cat snub the box.

What you can do to stop this: Clean the box more. If this is hard for you, opt for an automatic cleaning box. A cat box should be scooped out daily and changed once or twice a week. The more cats, the more often it needs to be done. If you believe the new litter to be the cause, try a more natural, low dust brand.

Declawed Paws

The bottom line here is it hurts. It can damage their nerves and they are stuck with this the rest of their lives. They can’t tell you how painful it is to dig in the litter. If your cat is declawed and peeing on the floor, it is most likely down to pain.

What you can do to stop this: If you already declawed your cat or adopted one who already was declawed, you need to approach this as if you were missing your nails. It would hurt so bad to type, write, not to mention DIG. Instead of using litter, opt for something like Purina Yesterday’s News Original Paper Pellet Litter or use sand mixed with some baking soda. Both options will ease their pain.

Declawed Information: For more information on cat nails, read: Amazing Facts About Cat Nails and Declawed: Peeing Outside The Litter Box for information on litter box issues.


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3 thoughts on “5 Reasons Your Cat Pees on the Floor”

    • Thanks for your comment, Ed. Have you taken him to a get to get a uranalysis yet to rule out a medical problem? If it is down to behavior, are there other cats and pets in your home? How are the interactions between them?

      Reply
  1. In exactly 4 days, you can stop your cat peeing outside litterbox! GUARANTEED !! There are essentially 3 MAIN THINGS you need to know about inappropriate urination in cats!!! Read here..

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