Animals Advice: Advice for Cats with Litter Box Problems

Question: Help, I am a four year old cat, it hurts every time I urinate and as a result I tend to have lost faith in my litter box and am peeing in other places, on my owners bed, in the laundry, and so on, but this is making them mad. They say that if I don't start using the litter box they will be getting rid of me, but sometimes I feel like I need to pee without normal warning. What do I do, it hurts too much to pee!

Signed, Sore

Dear Sore

Poor cat, your owner should not punish you, your fear of using the litter box is not your fault, you may have a urinary tract infection or crystals, and your owner needs to take you to a veterinarian for a proper diagnosis and treatment. These kinds of litter box problems are very common in cats, in the meantime you should try to drink more water.

Question: Hello, I am a young, super cute, kitten, only seven weeks old, I just got adopted a week ago, and have a huge home! My problem is that I sometimes go to the bathroom behind the sofa, and other places, because I can not seem to find the litter box. I know we have one, I just do not know where it is, help!

Signed, Lost Kitten

Dear Lost Kitten

Your owner needs to provide you with a litter box in a convenient place, and may even want to keep you shut in a room, with your food, water, and litter box, for a few weeks until you get a bit older and more able to find your way around the house and can control your bowels better. Exercise and play stimulates your bowels, and as you are just a young kitten, you will not get enough warning to run to the litter box, so your owner would be smarter to keep you in a room for a little while longer. You can be taken out to play, but should spend nights, and when you cannot be watched, in the room, perhaps for a week or two more.

Question: Hello, I am a 2 year old male cat, my cat friend Sam keeps making fun of me because I tend to spray urine all over the place and he never does. I should point out that Sam claims to be a male cat, but I really am not sure. My spraying behavior seems so normal, is Sam just messing with me?

Signed, Tom

Dear Tom

Chances are that both you and Sam are male cats, it is just that Sam is a neutered male cat, and you are not. This means Sam had his testicles removed, and now lacks the male hormones that encourage male cats to spray their urine. Spraying urine is natural for a mature male cat that has not been neutered, but neutering will have many positive effects, including removing all risk of you getting testicular cancer, and should reduce your desire to spray. Hopefully your owner will see this as a positive solution to prevent you from spraying.