Cat Peeing outside litter pan - at wits end

HI Everyone,

I have a 12 y.o. female cat with feline kidney disease. She was diagnosed at Christmas last year (2014) when suddenly she crashed. We had been away for a few days over the holidays with a friend checking in on our kitties (we also have a 11 y.o male).  She didn't notice anything but a day or so after our return I picked Mayday up to cuddle her and when I went to let her down she just fell, on her side and laid there. It was very obvious something was wrong - she always lands on her feet. I raced her to the vet who over the next 72 hours, diagnosed her with FKD, got her hydrated on IV fluids and returned her home to us. We spent the next 2-3 months nursing Mayday back to health - giving her subcutaneous fluids until about 4 months later, she wouldn't tolerate the needles any longer and we allowed her to try it on her own. By this time she was eating and drinking again - we had switched to a better food for her urinary track however she wouldn't eat anything wet - we tried a couple dozen cans of wet food and all sorts of soft treats to no avail. So at this time she eats the cheapest cat treats we can find - not good for her kidneys but its keeping her from starving to death as she is getting lots of calories.  About three months ago she started peeing outside the litter pan. We now have 4 boxes, have tried litter attract, have used a variety of enzyme based cleaners, have switched litters from clay to wheat - none of it has made any difference. She poos in the box, pees on the floor around the box. We have started putting puppy pads down however she only uses them about 50 % of the time.  Other than the peeing, Mayday's health has been restored, far exceeding our expectations. She plays with her toys again, gets full of p*SS and vinegar and runs around, instigates swatting matches with her buddy Wizzo - she is full of life and play and I am grateful to have my friend back. But the peeing is terrible and my husband and I are really struggling with it. We have even cancelled plans to host people at our house out of embarrassment.  If anyone has any ideas of what to do next or what we can try I would appreciate any help.

Oh yeah, we also put one of those hallway carpet mats, that are clear runners for boots etc. The ones with the little pointy bits to hold it to the carpet, upside down where we are trying to discourage her from peeing but this didn't help either.  She doesn't pee any where else in the house but around her litter pans.

Desperate and thankful for any help or suggestions...

Sadly, that is part of renal disease.  We just lost our 12-year-old boy, Bailey, to this same horrible disease this past June and it was awful.  He had the same problem with peeing outside of the box during his final weeks of life.  Three years ago, we also lost another cat to the same disease and he had accidents outside of the box towards the end as well.  A lot of cats with CKD associate pain and discomfort with the litter box since they often have difficulty passing urine. These accidents are caused by a medical issue, not by a behavioral issue.  However, it is possible that she could have a UTI, which can also cause accidents like this.  Has your vet checked her for this?  Try to be patient with her.  She is sick and likely can't help it.  Consult with your vet.  They may want to test her urine for infection and blood.

Thanks Jwathas.  I appreciate your feedback. I was pretty sure that its due to her disease as well. I will take her in for a check up and see what the vet has to say.  I feel badly for her because she isn't a dirty cat typically. and other than the peeing, she's such a happy cat. Its just embarrassing to have people over when this is happening.  Non-pet people really don't get why we would "put up" with this type of behaviour but I love her and since she's not in paid, I don't intend to rush her to the afterlife.

thanks again.

You mention the only place accidents are occurring are directly around the litter boxes. Have you actually seen Mayday urinate in the floor? How close to the boxes are you finding urine? What type of litter boxes do you have?

I ask because my oldest had a very similar issue of urinating just outside the box. But, I realized that he was doing so while in the box, he was just urinating over the edge of the box. (Lucky had really bad arthritis that prevented him from squatting.) Luckily for me, pee pads worked well, I just used the extra large ones to cover his range.

As a side note...
I too still recommend a vet visit just to make sure nothing is overlooked, like a UTI.

Honestly, I'd put down a tarp or a big sheet of plastic under the litter boxes and call it a day.