Cats Peeing Outside the Litter Box?

It is safe to say we all love our cats, but we certainly don’t love it when they pee on our carpet, furniture, beds, etc, so we wanted to share tips on how to stop your cat from peeing a product that can help, and to help you understand why they might have started peeing outside the litterbox in the first place. Hopefully we will get you from scrubbing back to snuggling (or giving your affection from afar depending on what your cat is in the mood for) in no time!

1

Check with your vet to make sure your cat isn’t having any sort of medical issues

  • There are some serious medical conditions that can cause your cat to pee outside of the litter box, so your first step should be to make sure nothing is wrong health-wise
2

Make sure to fully clean the area where they’ve sprayed (peed)

  • The scent could attracting them for follow up sprays
  • You can use soap and water, or a recommended urine stain and odor remover, however do not use ammonia-based or bleach cleaners - this will attract your cat back to pee again!
3

Follow litter box "golden rules"

  • Make sure there is one more litterbox than cats in the home (ex: if you have two cats, there should be 3 litter boxes)
  • Keep the litter boxes as clean as possible, scooping at least once a day
  • Make sure litter boxes are easily accessible, and placed in different areas throughout the house
  • Change your litter every three weeks or so, and wash the box with mild dish soap and hot water. If the box smells so bad that you feel the need to use strong chemicals to clean it, then it needs to be replaced! Remember, if it smells bad to you, it smells really bad to the cat due to their superior sense of smell!
  • Make sure your litter box is in a different area than your food and water bowls!
  • If you live in a multi-level home, make sure you have a litter box on each level
4

Make sure your home is a happy place for your cat

  • Add vertical enrichment options (like a scratching post, or a cat condo to play on). If you have multiple cats, be sure you have plenty of these in different rooms in the home
  • Play with your cat, and provide toys and stimulation
  • Spraying can be a sign that your cat is feeling stressed, so anything you can do to reduce that, can help with your peeing and spraying issues
5

Use ThunderEase® for Cats - Powered by Feliway

  • ThunderEase® for Cats is a drug free, calming pheromone diffuser that mimics the natural feline facial pheromone. Cats use this to mark their environment as safe by rubbing their cheeks on objects. The diffuser helps the cats feel calm and confident in the environment and helps reduce signs of stress
  • Owners often see results within the first 7 days
  • We realize that no product works for 100% of animals, so we offer a 100% money back guarantee if ThunderEase® doesn’t work for your cat
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ThunderEase for Cats - Calming Spray

Success Stories

"I recently bought ThunderEase for Cats and everything has changed. In addition to being sweet and loving she is now a snuggle cat that has stopped throwing up, she is no longer bloated, her fur has stopped shedding and she is no longer peeing on the floor."

Sandra
CAT OWNER

"I can never run out of ThunderEase. If I do, what a difference it makes in my cats. I have 3 plugged in around the house and it makes my very ornery older cats quite calm most of the time."

Jan
CAT OWNER

"My 12+ year old male cat started peeing and pooping where he shouldn't. I purchased this product, and am very happy with it. I also bought the spray. Together they work fantastic! The peeing has stopped, mostly, unless I forget to refresh the spray several times a day."

Kristen
CAT OWNER

"After we moved, I guess our cat got nervous (or upset that he has to share space with the dog) and began peeing on everything he laid down on. We’re going to get blood work done to check for kidney issues (better safe that sorry) but once we plugged this in, and clean his litter box at least once a day, no more marking problems. We love this product. "

Kelly
CAT OWNER

"This "bleep" works!! had a cat going on a peeing rampage...put the collar and these thru the house...and...Huge difference...I used to have to keep him in one room when I left for work...but now...he's calmer and a pee free house"

Kimberly
CAT OWNER

Why do Cats Pee Outside the Litter Box?

Additional Helpful Hints

What Not to Do:

  1. Rub their nose in their urine, or in the sprayed area
  2. Scold your cat, and then carry him/her to the litter box
  3. Confine them to a small space with the litter box

Now you know how to prevent your cat from spraying, but if you are wondering why they’ve started in the first place, read on! 

Why is my cat peeing outside of the litter box?

By nature, cats are clean and careful creatures, so if your cat has started to pee outside of the litter box, they could be trying to communicate something to you!  Understanding the cause of why they’ve started spraying is an important step in eliminating it! Below is a list of common causes that could be causing the stress that is leading your cat to this unwanted behavior.  

Illness

  • If your cat seems to be making a mess accidentally, or if this is a sudden change in their behavior, it is important to check with your vet to make sure they haven’t developed some sort of health condition.  Especially if you’ve noticed any other changes in behavior, it is important to rule out any sort of medical issue!

Litter Box Preferences

  • If your kitty doesn’t like their litterbox, it could be leading them to pee in other places.  Ask yourself the following questions!
    • Is the litterbox clean enough?  Maybe their standards are a little higher than yours!
    • Is the litterbox easily accessible?
      • Is it in a room they can get to easily?
      • Are there any objects blocking the entrance? 
      • Is it too high where it is hard to get into?
    • Have you switched up the litter?

Number Of Litter Boxes

  • It is best to have one extra litterbox than you have cats, so if you have two cats, we would recommend having at least 3 litterboxes in the house!
    • Sometimes like humans, cats don’t like to share a bathroom with their siblings!

Recent Changes in the Home, or Increased Stress

  • It is hard to believe that our animals experience stress (being loved so much by their owners is so hard…), but they do, just like humans!  It could be caused by many things.
    • Did you move recently? 
    • Has there been a major change in schedule? 
    • Have you had a lot of unfamiliar visitors?
    • Unfathomable, because of course their love is enough, but did you bring another pet into the home?
      • Worst case scenario, was it a dog?! 
    • Have there been any new stimulation / situations arise?
      • Ex: is there a neighborhood cat they can now see through the blinds, and they feel threatened by?
If there is a change, or a stressor you could address (like closing the blinds so they can’t see the stray cat, do so.  If you can’t do anything to change the situation, make sure to give your cat lots of love, affection, and cuddles. They could also benefit from play at a regular time, or a very consistent feeding schedule.

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