cat pees with butt hanging out of box

Hi! Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve done some searching and haven't found any posts with exactly the same problem as me (so the replies, if any, wouldn't really apply to me).

Anyway, I really have 2 problems, which are both starting to get very annoying.

First, the title says it all. My cat recently has been going pee, in her litter box like normal, but lately when she does it her rear end will be hanging out of the box, or partly out. This results in either all the urine going on my floor or urine on the floor, on the litter box, and in the box. Does anyone ideas on how to fix this?

Second, this has happened ever since I switched to clumping litter (I switched because sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s getting older, and far pickier with her box, and it has to be cleaned at least once a day or she will go somewhere else). I love the clumping litter, but it seems to have an apparent down fall, which is when she pees around the edges, the litter wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t fully harden and stays soft and sticky, and sticks to the side of the litter box. Also, it will stick to anything it comes in contact with that wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t absorb moisture, meaning my hands and the scooper alike. This is very annoying as you can see. I have seen some people recommending that people spray their box with Pam but I *think* that's if the litter is sticking to the bottom of the pan, which isn't the case. I wouldn't want to spray Pam on the side and let it dry because believe it or not oil tends to get sticky as it dries (for example, ever handle an older half used bottle of cooking oil? it gets sticky on the outside and collects dirt and hair and all that good stuff).

As far as that problem I am thinking of lining the pan with newspaper or maybe tin foil, does anyone else have any suggestions?

Thanks!

They have these litter boxes that have covers on them ... some are complete little houses, but that doesn't keep them from peeing down the side of it.

However, I've been litterboxes that have partial covers that are supposed to help keep them from kicking out too much litter, and it's still open in the middle. Maybe that would help?

Or getting a larger litterbox, then puttling cardboard sides up 3 sides of it for a while to get him used it it?

Well, I really prefer not changing litter boxes. If I would I would get this one from petsmart which is basically a tub with a hole in the lid where the cat enters...though I would make my own as they charge $35 for something i could make using a tub that costs less than $10.

Another idea I was thinking about was making a flexable plastic flap that was the same width as or a LITTLE smaller than the opening to the box, and making it longer than the opening. The idea is that when the cat enters the box the flap closes, covering the bottom of the opening, and when she pees it hits the flap and runs down instead of out of the box. However, I just realized a downfall with that.. she would have to enter the box totally and maybe even turn around so the flap closes all the time.. because if not then the flap will just be held up by her body, tail, or whatever, which would just basically void the point of the flap in the first place.

So.. back to the drawing board.. more ideas welcomed.

How deep is the cat litter? Perhaps it's too shallow?
In my experience, clumping litter does not instantly harden. If I scoop too soon after use, it is sticky too.

No, the litter is deep enough.. it has to be.. otherwise she won't use the box. Uhm.. I usually wait long enough.. I have too scooped too soon and its a similar problem. However, I only have the sticking problem when she pees on the side (when it's in the box), if she pees towards the center its perfect.. nice and hard and not sticky at all.. though she hasn't done that in a while.

I have a large rubbermaid container with a hole cut in the lid, that I use for a giant litterbox. You're right, it is easy to make. However, I wish I had chosen one with a flat bottom, to make it easier to scoop! Also, with all the variety out there...be sure to get one that is tall enough, but also sturdy enough. Your kitty won't want something that wobbles or jiggles when she jumps up on it!

Hmm I will keep your advice in mind.. if I do switch litter boxes, which I hope not too. Also, I dont think the bottom will matter as I always keep enough litter in the box where the urine would never hit the bottom.

Earlier tonight I cleaned the box.. emptied the litter out and washed both the top and bottom with hot soapy water, and lined the tray with newspaper. It was harder than I expected, as i needed 2 pieces and it still didnt fit quite right. I was imagining smooth corners and sides and it didn't quite work out that way. Oh well..I did get it done, and am hoping for the best...

Well, I have one kitty, Festus, who digs to the bottom no matter how deep the litter is! LOL! And the other, Garfield, who often leaves a stinker right on top! Luckily the girls will follow behind him and cover up! PEW!

Another suggestion is spray the bottom of the litterbox with Pam to help everything not stick to the bottom so bad. That might work better than adding paper. Also, sometimes placing some kind of mat under the box may help. Then if there is an accident, you can throw the mat in the washer with some oxyclean!

My only advice is a covered litter box. They sell them at wal-mart for about 15 bucks. It keeps the odor down and most of the mess inside the box. They have a flap like a doggy door that you can keep on or take off that might help too.

We have this problem with our older girls too. They were fine until they hit 10. Best suggestion is a larger box and an enclosed one. Our girls didn't like the enclosed box though.

I had that same problem with one of my cats. I solved it by changing to a plastic storage bin that has sides that are about 2 feet tall (It is about 3 feet long). The cat can easily leap in and out but the sides are simply too high to pee over. These storage bins are amazingly cheap -- much less expensive than a traditional litter box AND I find that litter doesn't stick to them like it does to the plastic used to make traditional litter boxes.

Wow.. so many replies.. where to start..

Beckiboo: I think it was in my original post that I talked about the pam idea. Basically I'm not having a problem of the litter sticking to the bottom of the pan, only the sides. Also, I am not sure how the pam is working in any condition as oil tends to get sticky as it dries.

Phenomsmom: I do have a covered litter box, but not with a flap, though I talked about adding a flap to my current top, which I still may do, but in the long run I dont think it will work properly.

lotsocats: Yeah, If I switch litter boxes I will make my own tub kind, as I talked about earlier. However, it sounds to me like you left the lid off, I might try that as first but in the long run i think she will want a top. Also, I'm curious as to what kind of plastic the tub you're using is made out of? I guess I'm just basically looking for the recycling number off the bottom of the tub or where ever it may be.

Thanks for all your suggestions, and keep them coming!

PS - I almost forgot! As far as cleaning the box.. it didn't help.. she's still peeing with her butt hanging out. Maybe there's a scent on that side of the box or something that didnt come off with washing so I will try fliping the box around. Not sure how the newspaper held up.. I'm starting to think that was a bad idea as it will stay wet, we'll see. Also someone mentioned putting a mat under the box for accidents.. I would do that but then I'd have to worry about the mat, but the box I have already is raised off the ground just a little, it does seem to be enough though that when this happens the entire box isn't saturated with pee.

I buy rubbermaid containers from Wal-Mart as litterboxes, some of them have very high sides. I like these as they keep in most of the litter and it is impossible to pee over. I leave them uncovered too, to prevent them from breathing in all the dust. Works great, saves me money, and don't see a difference in quality.

Hmm... you said this problem began when you switched the type of litter. I'm not sure why it would make her go pee like that, but could you try switching back, and if that is the problem, she might stop the behavior, and then you would know for sure and could look for a different kind of litter. Maybe there's a clumping one very close to the non-clumping kind you'd been using?

No.. the thing with her peeing with her butt hanging out has just started. The part about the litter sticking to the side of the box has been going on since i started using clumping litter, which is understandable. Before when I was using non clumping litter i would use a trash bag as a liner and just lift the entire bag out, contents and all. Well, there's a lot of waste there, and the cat was getting very picky, so i changed to a litter where I could get both the pee and poop out on a nightly basis. Also the clumping litter has a very fine texture, almost like sand, which cats are suppose to like.

Also, just as an FYI, the reason I stopped using a trash bag/liner is because the pee would stick and clump up on the bag, making it VERY hard to clean, especially in the corners where the bag would "ruffle up" so to say.

My cat who would do this had hip problems. She could jump and climb, but had difficulty squatting. Could this be a problem for your cat?

How long have you been using the clumping litter?
I was trying to switch my cats to a pine pellet based litter and didn't realize for a while that my girl cat hated it! I never saw her use the box until one day I plopped her in after I cleaned it out and she immediately tried to get all her paws up on the edge of the litter box and refused to get back in. She must have been balancing on the edges to use the box!
Maybe your girl has put up with the litter for a bit and is now telling you she's not happy with it.
I figure you can switch back to the first litter temporarily. If she stops doing it, that's your problem. If she doesn't, then I would just go out and buy a large bin that won't let her pee outside of it. I don't know of a way to train a cat to use the litterbox in a different way.
As for the clumping litter sticking to the sides, I have that same problem. Perhaps you could try pam spray, but only spray up to the litter line, not over the whole inside of the box. Or at least make sure you use enough litter so no pam is exposed to the air, and wipe off the extra that is.

~Julia

My kitty is old and has arthritis and has started doing this as well.
Very frustrating! I put the cover back on her pan but she's still hanging her butt out the opening.
I have had to resort to a black garbage bag on the floor and a washable puppy pad on top.
There doesn't seem to be any solution for me because I can't switch to the litter box with the opening on top because of her mobility issues.
Some days I feel very overwhelmed and exhausted taking care of her. I love her so much though so I'll never give up.
I hope you find a solution
I also have the litter issue, same as you!

I have a 14 year old cat that would probably not go into a box if the sides were really high--such as a Rubbermaid container. That is a good idea for younger cats though. I have a deep, covered litter box, but my cat will dig the clumping litter into a little mound in front of the opening, so her butt goes outside and pees on the floor--not always but frequently. I have been buying "Puppy Pads" in boxes of 100. I put those down under and in front of the litter box so if she does pee outside of it, the pads soak it up like a diaper and it is pretty good about not smelling also. It is a pain, but I don't know what else to do. The biggest problem is that this cat is diabetic and drinks excessively and pees excessively. I just bought a 35 lb. container of litter at Costco less than 4 days ago and it is almost empty.

Much of the time, my cat goes in the litter box with her butt pointed at the entrance and whizzes out the door.  She's older and I'm not sure that she would deal very well with a top opening litter box due to her lack of agility.  Her litter box was made from a large storage tub.  The opening starts 7" off the ground (but that's only 4-5" above the litter inside) by 10" wide and then goes up to close to the top of the box.  To keep pee from shooting out door, the opening would need to be 9" higher than the litter inside.   I tell her not to do it but she doesn't listen to me.  I may have to make the opening higher up and a step out for her to climb up.