11 year old cat peeing on floor

Hello,  [color= rgb(128, 0, 128)]  it has been a while since I have been on here but I really need some help with my 11 year old cat, Cali. To start with she is a spoiled, old, grouchy kitty that I adore that has been globe trotting kitty with me. What has started concerning me is that I don't know if her peeing is health related as in old age or if she is just being a grouch. As for her health and I am planning on taking her to the vet soon, we just moved and money is tight at the time being because of it but I plan on it by next month, please don't harass about money since I just went through a divorce and very pleased that I got a house for my kids and I, it was a huge accomplishment and sad that my baby is portraying these behavior issues now, but she is already showing signs of her age as in she isn't able to jump on the counter as easily and growls when we pet her, just recently started doing this. [/color][color= rgb(128, 0, 128)]  Why I said that she is grouchy. lol! Now she has designated an area to pee in our entryway. I don't know what to do at the moment and I could use some insight. I have had Cali since she was 4 weeks old and babied her as I would my kids, maybe worst as she is spoiled. lol! She gets in the sink and mews at you till you turn the water on to drink. I personally like to argue with her before I turn on the water. She screams around the house if she feels alone, drives me a little crazy but I love her. <3[/color]

[color= rgb(128, 0, 128)]Thank you for any insight you can give me, it is greatly appreciated!! I am just feeling a little lost in what to do.  [/color]

If you know someone with a glucometer, you could check her at home for diabetes. What is she eating?

Cats don't pee outside the litter box because they are grouchy. If she has always been good about using the litter box, then the chances are it's a medical issue. It's probably not related to old age. 11 is not really really old for a cat, so unless there are other health issues, it's probably a case of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) which is a catch-all for all urinary tract issues. They can be caused by an infection (rare), struvite crystals, calcium oxalate stones, or just inflammation from an unknown cause (most common).

The best thing to do is a vet visit for a urinalysis because it's difficult to treat without knowing the cause. If she just started doing this, is she still using the box sometimes? What generally happens is that because FLUTD is painful, the cat starts associating the pain from peeing with the box, so she starts peeing elsewhere to try to avoid that pain. It's important to note how much she is peeing at a time. If she is peeing or trying to pee more frequently but with less urine, if she dribbles, if she licks her genitals more often than usual, all of these are classic signs of FLUTD.

Oh, and it sounds like she has started developing some arthritis. Krill oil is a great anti-inflammatory that has been known to help cats with arthritis. Also glucosamine/chondroitin supplements have been known to help as well.

Yeah, I do think it is arthritis since she can't jump very well at all onto the counters. She looks like she's going to jump, backs up lunges and again several times then decides to leaps onto the toilet to get onto the counter. Oh, I didn't really think that she was doing it to be grouchy, I find her grouchiness funny. lol! She still goes to her litter box regularly and often, that is why i am confused at her peeing on a mat by the front door. She has never, even as a kitten, peed on anything. :/   

CaliGirl said:

Yeah, I do think it is arthritis since she can't jump very well at all onto the counters. She looks like she's going to jump, backs up lunges and again several times then decides to leaps onto the toilet to get onto the counter. Oh, I didn't really think that she was doing it to be grouchy, I find her grouchiness funny. lol! She still goes to her litter box regularly and often, that is why i am confused at her peeing on a mat by the front door. She has never, even as a kitten, peed on anything. :/   

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Is it a new mat? Is it rubber backed? I don't know why, but some cats really like to pee on rubber backed mats. If that's the only thing she's peeing on, I would remove it and see if that solves the problem. Also, if you haven't cleaned it really well with an enzyme cleaner, she can still smell her pee and think it's a good place to go.

vball91 said:

Is it a new mat? Is it rubber backed? I don't know why, but some cats really like to pee on rubber backed mats. If that's the only thing she's peeing on, I would remove it and see if that solves the problem. Also, if you haven't cleaned it really well with an enzyme cleaner, she can still smell her pee and think it's a good place to go.

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This.  Just remove it as a preliminary step, or if you really like it try cleaning.  At this point removing is probably the safer course of action. Was it new when you moved?

If she continues after that, or if she starts peeing in other places, I think a vet visit is in order.  I do hear you about the $ and am not meaning to harass but at that point it will become more likely that it's medical, not behavioral.

Thank you both!! I will try just removing it. It is a rubber bottom mat, we live in Georgia, it rains often and I have a rubber mat on the outside and inside. I do like it but I would rather not be scubbing and disinfecting it every other day. :/ Hopefully this will end the pee issue we are having. I hate the idea the idea that there could be something medically wrong with her. I don't take that as financial harassment at all I have had someone tell me before that I shouldn't have a cat if I couldn't pay medical bills and it was the reason I haven't been on here for a while and it was right after my ex had sinus surgery and felt it was ill warranted. I love my two pets and provide for them as if they were my children. 

I appreciate all the help and Thank you!! 

Well, I removed the mat and she is still peeing and I disinfected the area with everything that I read that I had that said would cover cat urine smells. I guess it will be the vet here soon. I don't know what else there can be for her to be doing this. She has never peed on anything, not even as a kitten and nothing has changed in her environment in the last six months. She has been very vocal about wanting the water in the facets ran for her more than usual, even though the spoiled kitty has a huge water bowl always filled.   lol. Well, it will get figured out. I am just worried about her. Thank you again for the help and support. It is very much appreciated!! 

My cat would scream for water from faucets and lick the shower curtains when she was diagnosed with diabetes.

Oh, Wow! I am so sorry to hear that! I have always turned on the facet for Cali but she just started to become obnoxious about wanting it turned on for her. Totally out of her character, also the reason I said she is a spoiled, grouchy kitty.   Did your cat also start peeing in places other than the litter box? 

CaliGirl said:

Oh, Wow! I am so sorry to hear that! I have always turned on the facet for Cali but she just started to become obnoxious about wanting it turned on for her. Totally out of her character, also the reason I said she is a spoiled, grouchy kitty. 

 Did your cat also start peeing in places other than the litter box? 

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Yes; she urinated a lot and sometimes in the box, sometimes not.