Eliminating outside of the litter box is one of the most common “behavioral” problems that cats may have. Many cats have an underlying health problem that is causing this bad behavior. By taking your cat to a veterinarian for urinalysis, full blood work and possibly even x-rays, you may find your cat has a very treatable condition. Here are some stories of litter box problems that were able to be resolved with proper care and treatment:

Dallas urinated around the dining room for over a year. Her vet kept doing urinalyses and finding nothing. When she collapsed on the floor and ended up in the emergency room, they discovered that she had an enlarged heart and a valve deficiency. With treatment and a litter box on every floor, she lived for a long time without any more "accidents"

A friend of the shelter has a cat that urinated outside of the litter box for 6 years. His vet could never find anything wrong during routine examinations. We referred him to a high-end cat-only practice where they discovered that, during a surgery done several years ago to remove a kidney, a stump of tissue had been left behind and gotten infected. They operated to remove the infected tissue, provided antibiotics, and now the cat is doing fine.

Hobs urinated on the bed for several months. His owner thought it was because of the other cats and because Hobs was a breed known for this behavior. They went to the vet to check things out and discovered cancer of the spleen. With treatment, Hobs did well for a long time until the cancer became too much.

Effie eliminated on the stove. Her owner knew she was diabetic and assumed it was related to that. At least for a little while, but soon it became intolerable. The vet discovered severe stomatitis and gingivitis in Effie’s mouth--her gums were so badly inflamed they looked like raw hamburger. Treatment to alleviate her pain and reduce the inflammation helped considerably.

A caller said she was sick and tired of her three year old cat urinating on the kids' beds. During the conversation she said the cat was not spayed. She agreed to check with her vet and arrange to have the cat spayed, and we told her to call us back if the problem continued. We have not heard from her yet.

Andy urinated out of the litter box frequently. No medical issues. The owners finally discovered that their other cat was sitting on top of the litter box cover and would attack Andy on the way in or out. They got rid of the cover and added a litter box.  Things improved.

Wendy defecated outside the box.  The owner was convinced it was behavioral and the cat had to be surrendered.  We encouraged a vet check, where they discovered a very bad urinary tract infection.  Things resolved once the antibiotics started working.

View the following articles for more information on this topic:

Inappropriate Elimination in Cats
from BestFriends.org

Urine Marking in Cats
from BestFriends.org

Feline Behavior Problems:  House Soiling
from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine