Elderly cat urinating outside box

[mkerrigan]

My 20-year-old Butch kitty is suddenly urinating outside the litter box. First he was going behind the couch so we cleaned that up with vinegar, then he started in one of the bedrooms, again when we cleaned that up he started going under a chair in the basement. He was always very good about using the litter box until this started. We do have three other cats and three litter boxes. He has been in declining health for the past year or two, with kidney and heart problems. Is he going senile?

Also - what is the best product for really getting rid of the urine smell? We are renting and at the rate Butch is going, we will probably have to pay to re-carpet the place if and when we ever move again.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[darlili]

Re cleaning, I'd suggest an enzyme cleaner - follow directions carefully and fully. Re odor, I've had a good luck using a product called Zero Odor (from Bed Bath & Beyond, as well as other retailers). Used together, I've been pretty happy.

Re your cat - I think it's time to call the vet and request a thorough senior exam, including a senior panel and urine work. Could be a UTI, could be issues related to his general health and his age. Has anything changed in his environment lately - new cat, change in hours at your work, anything like that? Depending what the vet says, you might want to add some more boxes to make it easier for your boy to find one quickly and easily. Rule of thumb is one more box than you have cats - I actually have four boxes for two cats, scattered in different locations.

Good luck with your boy.

 

[mkerrigan]

The ironic thing is that he was just at the vet for a checkup a couple of months ago, and this wasn't happening this. If this is being caused by a UTI, it sounds like I need to get him back to the vet to check that out. Thanks!

Also, I forgot to mention that he's deaf - could this have anything to do with it? His deafness has only occurred in the last year or so.

 

[howtoholdacat]

UTI's crop up all the time so it is best to get him checked as you say. I doubt deafness has anything to do with it. I suppose it could but I would think that possible UTI or the kidney malfunction would be more likely suspects. Does he have difficulty getting around? It may be that the sides of the box are too high for him now that he's getting older.

 

[darlili]

My understanding is that for a senior cat, six months is a good long time between check ups - more like a few years for us. My own boy is around 8 (adopted as an adult), and he's starting the six month check up routine, as things could change more quickly, and severely, than for a younger cat.

That's a good point about the boxes maybe being a little harder to use if he's experiencing joint pain. Also, the other cats don't keep him from getting to the boxes, do they? And, you might want to try Cat Attract, or even Dr. Elsey's Senior Cat litter, just to see if that makes a difference. But, I really do think a vet consultation would be a very good thing, just to make rule out things, if nothing else.

I hope my babies reach such a good age - you really have loved and taken good care of your boy, haven't you?

 

[dusty's mom]

I keep hearing "enzyme" cleaner, but what is an enzyme cleaner? Is Oxiclean an enzyme cleaner? Please name a few I can find at a local store.

Thanks!

 

[darlili]

I've used Nature's Miracle, which is a pet-oriented cleaner that you can get at Petco or Petsmart. They'll have other cleaners as well. Or, if there's an Ace Hardware by you, they may be able to make a suggestion - I love the guys at Ace.

A lot of people have had luck with vinegar as well, though.

My shelter also suggested renting one of those Rug Doctor machines and just using cool water on the carpet. That did seem to do a lot for my rugs.

 

[howtoholdacat]

I like the vinegar because it's so much more affordable and it destroys the odor so the cat's can't smell it anymore. I actually put it in my carpet cleaner and run it that way. You have to not mind the smell of it too much but it goes away after a day. To me, the enzyme cleaners smell much nicer but Hemmy had chronic UTI's before his surgery so that was too expensive to maintain along with his vet bills. Oh the things we do for our cats.

 

[dusty's mom]

Originally Posted by darlili

I've used Nature's Miracle, which is a pet-oriented cleaner that you can get at Petco or Petsmart. They'll have other cleaners as well. Or, if there's an Ace Hardware by you, they may be able to make a suggestion - I love the guys at Ace.

A lot of people have had luck with vinegar as well, though.

My shelter also suggested renting one of those Rug Doctor machines and just using cool water on the carpet. That did seem to do a lot for my rugs.

I have a Bissell, and I used it with Nature's Miracle, and also with Oxiclean, but the cat is still peeing in the same places on the carpet. I think she does this mostly at night when we aren't up to watch her. What can I use to repel her from that area?

She still uses her litterbox too, but it is in the back bathroom, and when she is in the front part of the house I think she gets lazy.

I also have a black light, but I see glowing even after thoroughly cleaning the area with Oxi and Nature's Miracle. Are those products supposed to eliminate all traces of urine?

 

[darlili]

If it soaked all the way to the pad, or into the flooring, yeah, you might still see it in the black light. It can take a while, and several applications, for the enzyme cleaners to work - it has to really soak in and can take a while to dry.

A Petsmart manager told me to get either one of those plastic runners that you put on carpeting - I got the clear with the spikes on the bottom from Ace - to put over 'favorite' areas. Or, even a chair mat like you use for an office chair. And, I actually have used Zero Odor after cleaning with an enzyme cleaner - the cleaner seems to work well on the stain, and the Zero Odor somehow seems to really eradicate any lingering odors in the rug.

Another often mentioned suggestion is to put boxes closer to the habitual areas - it may not be so much lazy, as difficult to get to the usual box. Let's say kitty is sleeping, and probably has some arthritis if he's no longer a kitten or young cat - and he's got to go when he has to go. Zipping to the back of the house may not be so easy for him - hey, I'm in my 50's and notice I'm not as spry as I was, and am very happy I have two bathrooms now for just me.

Or a lot of cats simply develop a liking for having a nice clean box and won't pee where there's poo, or vice versa. I've become a firm believer in lots of boxes in lots of locations - two boxes right next to each other can seem like just one box to a cat.