One of my two cats is peeing in the side pocket of the cat box and missing the cat litter. Not sure if it is just poor positioning or something else. The cat box is always clean and is extra extre large.
One of my two cats is peeing in the side pocket of the cat box and missing the cat litter. Not sure if it is just poor positioning or something else. The cat box is always clean and is extra extre large.
@Beth Bigelow mine is doing that & also certain things in the house. Not everything. Been doing it for quite some time. She does poop in the litter box
I have an 18 year old female who just recently seems to be eating litter. Now she isn't getting mouth fulls of it , just a little on her lipsand getting some into her mouth. I'm worried that we will have stomach or intestinal issues. I was told that maybe she feels nauseated. What can I do to get her to stop this?
Hi @Beth, this is Dr Linda.
I'm not entirely sure by what you mean by the 'side pocket'? If the tray isn't flat, consider getting one that simply has a lip around it and a flat bottom.
We need to cover the tray with a deep layer of litter; at least 2 inches.
Ideally, we'd make it so there is nowehere other than the inside of the tray that the cat can urinate!
If your cat does seem to have trouble with posturing, this can be a sign of joint disease.
If they are peeing often or in drips, this could be a sign of an underlying health issue such as bladder stones or cystitis.
So if anything seems amiss, a vet check and urine analysis would be sensible.
@Sherry Hi and thanks for this question.
It would be quite unusual for an older cat to start eating their litter, it tends to be a behaviour reserved for kittens who are exploring their environment.
When an older cat does this, it usually means 'pica'. Pica is when a cat starts to eat non-food items. As you say, this can mean a medical issue such as a gastrointestinal disorder, nutritional deficiency or nausea.
We may see accompanying signs such as diarrhoea, vomiting, a chang in appetite or weight loss.
It is important she sees a vet for this behaviour. They will examine her and may run some tests such as a blood test and abdominal scan.
Ensure she is on a complete senior diet.
When possible, stop her eating the litter, as it could cause an obstruction.
I would see if changing the litter type may help reduce the behaviour. We can use saw dust or newspaper if we can be sure she won't eat these.
Our 11 month old kitten pees outside the box she does poop in there, I changed the litter, got 2 litter boxes, got her spayed. I use pee pads she does use them she would go by the litter box and pees right there not going in.
@Sherry Eroh take her to the vet
Hi @Jean wait and thanks for you query.
You are doing all of the right things!
If your kitten has never been seen by a vet for this issue, this would be a good first step.
This is so we can rule out a medical issue such as cystitis or urinary stones. The vet will check your kitty over and analyse their urine too.
Pee pads tend to make issues worse as the cat sees them as an 'okay' place to pee.
We should remove them. This can be done by initially putting them in the tray and then phasing them out.
Make sure any soiled spots are cleaned well with enzymatic cleaners so no odour remains.
Consider if stress may be playing a role and ensuring your kitten has lots of physical and mental stimulation.
Wishing you the best of luck resolving this, I know it is an unpleasant issue.
