Cat urinating outside of her litter box

Question
I have a 9 year old female calico cat.  She pees on the carpet just outside of her litter box.  I've had her checked for at UTI many, many times.  The vet says that it's behavioral.  She's been doing this for a few years.  I've just dealt w/it by laying dog training potty pads down on the carpet.  She pees on those most of the time but sometimes it runs off the pad or she still pees on the carpet.  My vet said since she's been doing it for so long she'll probably never stop and is the number one reason owners put their cats to sleep.  I don't want to put her to sleep but I'm tired of this.  Do you have any suggestions to get her to stop?

Thanks,

Beth

Answer
Beth,

The vet is correct about it being the #1 reason cats are put to sleep, and it is an unnecessary cause because there is always a reason for the behavior. You just need to figure out what that reason is, and why.

I would suggest using elderly person's pads that are used in their beds for incontinence (they are very similar to the puppy pee pads) but they are thicker and more absorbent.

There could be MANY reasons for your cat peeing inappropriately.

Have you ever had the cat checked by a different vet? It is still a slight possibility that it is a medical issue that wasn't noticed. At 9 your calico is approximately 52 years old and at that age she should have an "older cat checkup" by a vet that specializes in geriatric cats and their conditions (not all vets do which can be detrimental to an elderly cat). She should have the function of her liver, thyroid, and kidneys checked, and also be checked for arthritis. Arthritis is a common cause for cats peeing next to the litter box because it is painful for them to get in and out of it. She may also, instead of a suspected UTI, may have urinary crystals. They are painful when a cat pees and the cat associates that pain with the litter box and goes elsewhere. If it is a latent medical abnormality or problem that she has had for awhile, many improper elimination problems can be helped with medication, which would make things easier on you...and on her.

Being prepared and knowledgeable about elderly cats will make things easier for the cat and for you. I am including some very good links about elderly cats:
(Copy and paste, or type, the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.sniksnak.com/resources/geriatric.html

http://www.messybeast.com/towards-end.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/oldcat.htm

It may be an emotional problem that she has about the litter box that makes her avoid it. Some cats DO NOT like the feel of litter under their feet and refuse to use it. To find out if that is it, you should try some children's play sand that you can get at Home Depot, or other building supply store, and with a bigger litter box. Sometimes that helps. She may have had a bad experience with being scared by a person or an animal at one time that makes her associate the litter box with that experience and which causes her to avoid going in it.

Since I cannot put all the information in this reply, I am including some links to good articles about improper elimination. Please read them. They will have good information that you should find helpful in dealing with the kitten's behavior.
(copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar)

http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

http://www.apbc.org.uk/article10.htm

Also,

here is a 'recipe' for cat urine odor removal:

1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon of liquid soap

(3% hydrogen peroxide can be bought at most grocery and drug stores in pint and quart bottles).

Gently mix all ingredients in a non-metal container. Do not mix or shake vigorously!

The mixture is best used when fresh but can be stored. Do not keep mixture in an airtight container.  Have a VERY loose lid as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide when mixed together will release oxygen and an airtight container will explode. You can mix and keep it in large spray bottle (Home Depot, etc.) but a plastic liter or 2-liter soda bottle works just a well.

Always test for color-fastness. Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent in stronger concentrations and can lighten materials that are not color-fast.

HOW TO REMOVE CAT URINE ODOR FROM CARPETS

FOR INDIVIDUAL URINE SPOTS ON CARPET:
If fresh, sop up as much cat urine as you can with a paper towel first. Use a spray bottle to saturate the spot completely with the recipe - do not blot. The recipe must penetrate the padding and possibly the floor boards underneath, where the urine has penetrated for it to work.

Wait 24-48 hours until dry then vacuum. If the urine odor is still present - repeat the procedure. It usually takes 2-3 applications to completely neutralize the cat urine odor.

FOR LARGE AREAS OF CARPET:

You can use a carpet cleaning machine - one of your own or a rental and use the recipe instead of the shampoo. You will have to make several gallons of the recipe depending on the size of the carpet. Don't use the vacuum part of the machine - you will want to let the solution soak and dry for 24-48 hours before vacuuming.

Most carpet cleaning machines are not made for this use, and baking soda can clog the nozzles of the machine so use caution. Instead, you can use a 1 gallon garden bug sprayer (Home Depot, etc.). Rinse the nozzle out frequently by filling the tank with hot water and spraying it in the bathtub until the nozzle is clear.

If using the sprayer saturate the entire carpet with the recipe, let dry for about 24-48 hours and vacuum. You will have to probably repeat the procedure again. Where heavily saturated with old urine it may take 3 applications over a week.

Also, if the cat urine is old and dried, the smell will probably be worse a day or two later. This is because you are rehydrating the uric acid crystals in the urine to neutralize them. The smell will get better with each application.

I hope this helps. And don't get angry and frustrated with the cat, she probably can't help it. It could be physical, emotional, or something not wired right in her mind. She is NOT doing it to intentionally annoy you or to cause you extra work, cats do not have that kind of reasoning ability. Be patient with her and give her a lot of loving, the same as you would an elderly member of your family that had a similar problem, because she IS a member of your family, just with fur and 4 feet. Someday you may wish she were still here making a mess.