cat peeing over the door of cat littler box

I thought Teddy was peeing on the rug outside the litter box on purpose or maybe even because of illness. I was prepared to take him to the vet Monday morning but then saw what he was doing. He gets in the box, pees and it goes over the side. I only saw him do it once but then after looking online and seeing that other people have the same issue it all made sense. He doesn't pee outside the box anywhere else and I haven't seen him acting in pain or anything like that. So , I got a sterilite container and cut a door like on catinfo.org. The door is 8 inches off the floor and 9x9 inches. It's on the long side of the box but not in the middle. It worked great for 1 day then this morning there was a puddle on the litter mat outside his box again. I wouldtn' have believed he could still do it but the pee marks on the wall inside the box are high enough that he is definitely able to pee that high and over the door if he is positioned right. I am so frustrated by this.

The only other issue we are having right now is that he is having diarrhea . I don't know if he's not squatting because of pain or something else but he didnt' do this for the first almost 2 weeks he was home (we've had him since August 8th). But now it's happening off and on since Saturday. (the peeing over the side) .

The only other solution I can think of is a box like thishttp://www.petsmart.com/cat/litter-...-catid-200094?var_id=36-23038&_t=pfm=category

But I don't know if he'd go in from the top and how in the world do they not hop down into their poop? Until we get the diarrhea thing straightened out that's not a good idea. At least it's just on the mat now and not on the carpet. The mat can be easily rinsed off in the tub and sprayed and dried. But I don't understand why he was squatting for the first 2 weeks but not anymore.

Ritz pees standing up about 80% of the time (17 inches high; yeah, I measured). Almost always has since I first adopted her almost five years ago. And she usually doesn't bury her pee though does bury her poop. I'm not sure why she does this--her background? She and her litter mates and mother cat were dumped with in November, and rescued in late December when they were around four months old.
Ritz hates confinement of any type, which is why the box you linked wouldn't work. Nor did the other style of covered boxes--and in any case her urine leaked in between the top half and the bottom half.
This style worked reasonably well with the extension that the very nice owner sent along, but the velcro and Gorilla tape didn't work well and the top half kept on falling down.
So I bought the tallest plastic rubbermaid type box I could find, it works reasonably well.
Do you know why Teddy is having diarrhea?

I have not figured out the diarrhea but I suspect it's the food . I think the grain free version of food I put him on is doing a number on him or something. He likes it fine. And seemed to not have any issues at first. But then his poop got softer and softer and is now a puddle of poo with red streaks. I started him on some diatomaceous earth for possible parasites. I am going to find something else to feed him though and transition him off the food he's on. He is also eating canned wet food, several different varietys. I had bought several different canned kinds because when he stopped eating when we brought him home I wasn't sure what he'd eat. So unfortunately I am not sure what is bothering him. The vet said that diarrhea is probably from the food change. Well the vet tech that answered the phone. They didnt' seem concerned.

I did the sterilite storage tote too for Teddy but cut a door in the side. NO lid though, so no confinement. He still shot pee out the door. I might have to try using a tub with no door, but I'm not sure how he'd do jumping into the box (even with no lid). How do they keep from jumping into their poo? yeck.

And his previous owners declawed him so I think that makes his feet more tender too. I'd never do that to a cat. But I fell in love with him at the shelter and since he was already declawed it was sorta a selling point for my husband that never let me have a cat previously. The next cat I get won't be declawed (unless it's a similar scenario with a shelter cat).

In shelter/rescue terms we call this a "high-pee-er".

He doesn't squat down enough.

The solution is simple, a very large oversized box with high sides.

If he doesn't do it every time, maybe just put down a puppy pad and be willing to clean it up occasionally?I hate to mess with the litterbox too much if he's using it well.

Hi,

Would a litter box like this help. I got two of them due to Dora being a litter kicker outer.

@muddygrl -- my snick is a senior and has some arthritis, so she can't comfortably squat very low while using the litter box. sometimes my little girl's bottom will be just outside the entry to her litter box (it's a covered box), so her urine would land on the litter mat and run off onto the floor and under the litter box. i fixed it so when this occasionally happens, the urine won't run onto the floor and it's a pretty easy clean up for me. i placed the lid to a long under-the-bed plastic storage bin turned top side downward under her litter box and litter mat -- like a tray under the litter box and mat.

you might try the lid from a plastic storage bin under your teddy's litter box and mat, but also place a covered piece of cardboard/wood/plastic storage bin lid/etc and set that in front of the wall area that teddy tends to "hit" with some urine. cover the cardboard or other thing you place in front of the wall area in plastic, so it can be changed quickly and easily -- something like a plastic trash bag. i'm not sure if this will help you, but it might be worth a try...

i'm not sure, but could it possibly be that teddy might have some crystals in his urine? could stress (since he's pretty newly adopted) cause something like crystals, and would that cause the urine to spray more? what does anyone think about this?

If his diarrhea has red streaks, it is caused by inflammation/irritation to his bowels/intestines due to repeated irritant of some type.

I would not guess it to be the grain free dry, but more the variety of canned he is fed.

If the vet does not suspect parasites, then you will want to stop all food completely now. For the next 3 days feed him only cooked chicken or turkey meat, boiled and cut up for him.

Chicken or turkey baby food, with a bit of white rice added in.

Go with one or the other, chicken only or turkey only.

What this will do is enable his angry insides to calm down and stop reacting.

After 3 days, this will be accomplished, then slowly transition him into what you want him to eat. 

This is how you will know if there is some food item that doesn't agree with him, as it will start up again.

@kittendaddy  that's the kind of litter box we started him out with. He did fine the fit 2weeks and always peed in the front right corner but in the box. Squatted like a normal cat. But then suddenly was missing or lifting his butt and going over the front edge onto the litter mat. So I now have the storage container and he's doing ok but still occasionally pees over the door for that. It's 8 inches off the ground (the door)The whole box is more like 17 inches.

I think it is the food. I talked to another person who had terrible experiences on grain free too . I know it's not common.  I have been feeding him just one kind of wet food in small mounts the last 2 days a tiny bit of Authority cat food from Petsmart. He seems to be doing better and his poop last night solid.

muddygrl said:

 
@kittendaddy  that's the kind of litter box we started him out with. He did fine the fit 2weeks and always peed in the front right corner but in the box. Squatted like a normal cat. But then suddenly was missing or lifting his butt and going over the front edge onto the litter mat. So I now have the storage container and he's doing ok but still occasionally pees over the door for that. It's 8 inches off the ground (the door)The whole box is more like 17 inches.

I think it is the food. I talked to another person who had terrible experiences on grain free too . I know it's not common.  I have been feeding him just one kind of wet food in small mounts the last 2 days a tiny bit of Authority cat food from Petsmart. He seems to be doing better and his poop last night solid.

Click to expand...

From what I have read some cat food's can do that to cats.