Start randomly goes outside litter box after 1.5 years.

We have had our 3 and a half year old boy Saxon for a year and a half and he has used his litter box excellently in the time we have had him. This evening was a little weird after a little play he got spooked, Saxon then started sniffing around some cables he shouldn't be around. After I discouraged him from being there, he ran away to my office, the room next to the bathroom where his litter box is. He appeared to be sitting on a bright yellow shopping bag, I picked him up and he was wet on his underside!, He had been peeing! He has never not used his litter box, so this is startling. Lucky he confined his business to the bag so the clean up was very easy. What could have caused this? How do we make sure he uses his litter box again in future?

a vet check should be made. have you notice any straining when he pees?

I'm wondering whether his 'getting spooked' and then his feelings about whatever you did to discourage him led him to wee randomly.

But weeing outside the box can indicate health issues, so if it happens again I really would get him checked out.  Cats with UTIs will wee on soft things and avoid the litterbox. 

Keep a close (but unstressed) eye on him and let us know how he's going.

When you 'discouraged' him, did you frighten him? Physical punishment does not work on cats, it only makes them afraid of you. I think he was too afraid to go to his litter box, for whatever reason, and used what he could. Maybe being 'spooked' earlier? There should be no problem with the litter box now, just give him lots of love and reassurance, and try to not get him spooked right away, he should be fine. If he continues to be spooked he may develop a litter box avoidance issue, I hope not! If it continues, then a vet visit should be done, or at least a urine sample brought in (that plastic sack would have been perfect to collect one!) to rule out any physical problems.   All the luck!

What led to him being spooked was he was sitting on the couch watching the tv, so I put the remote leaning up against him as a bit of a joke, he got up and the remote fell and he jumped a little. My discouragment was as I was in the kitchen organising dinner, saying "Saxon, No" a couple of times and when he failed to acknowledge that I clapped my hands a couple times. Probably not the best, I'll avoid in future.

The weird thing was he did use the litter box about 30 mins before for #2s.

Will keep a look out and if he does it again it will be do the vets.

What you did wasn't horrible.   But he could respond like that if he isn't well.

Do keep an eye on him and let us know how you're going.