diabetic cat urinates outside box

I would like to know if anyone is having issues with their diabetic cat urinating in the house (not in the cat box)? Is this a common issue with diabetes? Can this be corrected and if so, how? Any other information is appreciated.

 

Frequent, voluminous urination is a hallmark of diabetes. As you get the condition under control, it generally subsides. Do be sure to rule out bladder infection, as that creates great urgency to pee! Also, we have speculated that diabetic neuropathy may make it difficult for the cat to control the voiding reflexes.

 

I am currently researching on the internet....I see people have tried cat attract litter, anyone tried it with a diabetic cat? Yes, I know if it continues I will make a Vet. visit just to rule out UTI but his nose is wet and nose & paws do not feel hot (signs of fever). Has anyone had a diabetic cat whose Vet ruled out a UTI but the cat kept urinating outside the box? I have to keep him in a separate spare bedroom for now because I cannot have cat urine all over the house, I have 4 small children...not to mention I do not want my house to smell of urine. The smell is not horrific (because of the diabetes) but you can still smell it.

 

Litterbox Avoidance

After you rule out any medical issues (infection, stones, etc) here is a list I compiled previously. Some of the items may not apply. Gender may be incorrect.

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You might try an integrated approach using multiple options from the list below on a consistent basis:

* start with crating, using a medium large crate (30" long is big enough for cat and a litter box) until progress. She probably won't go where she'd have to lie in it ... but if she does, something is wrong and it may be medical.

* tarps and newspapers may be easier on clean up if you don't crate her

* feeding on a schedule and then placing her in the litter box (maybe in a crate) within 15-20 minutes after eating, until she goes, then praising and letting her out.

* Feliway/Comfort Zone - friendly facial pheromones which reduce stress and may reduce marking behavior. Cheapest prices are usually on the net (ex http://www.LambertVetSupply.com ) I've used it and it helps.

* Cat Attract litter - supposed to help attract cat to litter box

* rule out arthritis or constipation - pain causes box avoidance

* watch if the other cats ever attack her in the box and if so, you may need to keep her separated from them. I've got one the others attack, completely unprovoked.

* litter box should be 1.5 times length of cat, litter cleaned frequently, but avoid really strong smelling cleaners as cats may avoid them due to the scent.

* you've got to get residual odors out from areas which were 'nailed' - Nature's Miracle is one option and has good reviews. Simple Solution is another good product. It _can_ require repeated applications.

* regular play sessions of about 15 minutes to reduce stress and promote bond with you

* reward desirable behaviors - if you see her use the box, praise and treat her

* put unpleasant textures in places she has peed to encourage avoidance - ex foil, upside down carpet runner (nub side up)

* read some of this author's books: http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/ she's pretty good - ex "Starting from Scratch"

Good luck.

 

My sugar cat pees so much that he frequently "overshoots" his box. I solved the issue by putting puppy pads down. Works like a charm. As he's gotten his bg under control he's missing less and less.

 

I just created a thread on this in the ISG. I am having huge issues here too. He doesnt have a UTI, he is OTJ so only peeing about twice a day. His neuropathy is vastly improved so he can climb in the box no problem. He uses the box for a few days no issues. Then he reverts to the floor again. I am at a loss as to why or what to do about it. The litter isnt an issue as he DOES use the box. I get the feeling he thinks the floor is just another place he can go. I use puppy pads so my floor is mostly protected although in an effort to bury his business he tends to rip up the pad and make a bigger mess. I am soooo frustrated and no idea what to do next. My vet is not helpful in this regard at all.

BJM - none of your suggestions work for my boy as he's not avoiding the litter box. He just uses floor AND box.

 

Going outside the box is one of the most common reasons diabetics are given up. For many cats, when they becomes regulated it stops. It is always good to rule out UTIs though because diabetic cats are prone to urinary tract infections because of the sugars being dumped into the urine.

We had peeing outside the box before we figured out Smokey was diabetic (we don't know if it was her or one of the other girls protesting the "sick" pee in the box). As soon as Smokey was being treated and her numbers were getting down under 200, no more peeing around the house.

LitterAttract is certainly worth a shot, very good stuff.

 

Lots of people have posted in my own thread re litter issue and mentioned this stuff. Gonna try it tomorrow.

 

Have you tried Simple Solution to make sure all odor is removed in areas you want untouched? I find it works better than Nature's Miracle, plus it is concentrated, so may work out as less expensive.

Have you tried putting him in the box within about 15 minutes after feeding? That seems to be when the Garage Cats use the box.

The chucks/human bed pads/puppy pads/tarp options may be the easiest to clean up around.

 

BJ - thanks....I have a thread going in ISG where I'm getting loads of tips....

I have actually found bicarbonate of soda works well for cleaning and odor removal. Silver uses the box first thing in the morning and and during the day when I am at work. I am never home or in bed as he will not use the box if I am in the room. Weird, but thats him.

I am using puppy pads.

 

You might be interested in this thread from a few months ago. I'm still not sure what set off Michelangelo's peeing problem; I've always assumed it was residual stress from moving, but I tried literally everything and some things would work temporarily, but the Breeze System is the only thing that has worked for us long-term, so far.

What really worked for us was making sure to get rid of the uric acid by using an enzyme cleaner and adding another litter box (4 now, plus outside access for 2 cats), two of which are the Breeze System. It's like puppy pads for cats. In fact, that's why I have the two other litter boxes still because when they poop in Breeze litter boxes, they won't use them again till they're cleaned. But, if I give them somewhere else to poop, they won't poop in the Breeze boxes and will use them exclusively for pee (at least this is how my cats use it, YMMV).

 

Our elderly (20 years) arthritic/diabetic cat is great about going to the box but his aim is way off.
Our solution was a shower curtain liner from the dollar store, then the litter box with plenty of puppy pads all around it.
This weekend we switched his box for to a small wadding pool (9.99 at Kmart) with a side opening cut for him to enter. This works WONDERFUL ! He can enter without struggling to step over the side like the litter box and he has plenty of room to turn around.
No more expensive puppy pads needed and no more stumbling cat. We also love the corn type litter. It clumps well but does not adhere to the cats paws like cement like some other brands.

 

@stacysclass - the answer to your question is yes, yes, yes! Urinating outside the box, not just missing, was the first clue I got that something was wrong with my kitty. I took her to the vet and found out she had diabetes (OTJ now!). She did not have a UTI and she was not avoiding the litter box completely, she was using the box and peeing outside the box. I could not find any info on exactly what to do in order to correct it so i did a little bit of everything.

It took some hard work but we have resolved the peeing issue completely at my house. Here are the steps I took that worked for me:

1. You MUST find all areas where (s)he has been peeing outside the box. I bought a black light and creeped around my house like an insane person and marked all the areas with painter's tape
2. Once you find the areas, clean them thoroughly with an enzyme cleaner
3. While the areas are wet, cover them in tin foil. I didn't notice at first but if you read the fine print on the enzyme cleaner, it does not neutralize the smell until it dries. So if you put tin foil in the area, it usually deters the kitty from walking on it (learned this from Jackson Galaxy) while it dries and becomes effective
4. More litter boxes. I have 3 litter boxes for one kitty. She is very snooty about using a dirty litter box
5. Scoop every day, scrub every other week. I scoop her litter boxes several times a day (usually before and after work) and then scrub them clean every other week
6. Feliway - I put a plug in Feliway diffuser in the room where two of her litter boxes are (this room is carpeted so was my main concern, the other litterbox is on tile)

Also, my kitty has elevator butt and tends to begin standing while still peeing. This causes her to pee outside the box on accident. I have managed to correct this behavior by taping a trashbag over 1/3 of the litterbox in the back. She gets in the box to pee and while she lifts up, her bum stays under the trash bag so she doesn't spray outside the box.

I know it sounds like a lot of work and i'm not sure if she would have stopped if I had only done one of those steps instead of all of them but this has worked for me (knock on wood) and we have not had an incident since January. She is also in remission so i'm sure that helps as well.

 

I have used the cat attract litter in the past. When Tennie was younger and had litter box issues and again since his diabetes diagnosis. I can't say it solved the problem but it did help.
What seemed to help the most was putting him in the box numerous times a day. If he had to go, he went, if not he climbed out. Each time he went he got a piece of freeze dried chicken as a reward. Eventually he started to go back to the box on his own. But I still gave the treat.
We seem to have more issues when I am not home to reward.
I have also figured out that he will not go in the box again after he has used it onece and it has not yet been cleaned. So because of that we have 5 boxes downstairs and 2 up, for 2 cats!
He has me well trained!

 

This is EXACTLY what I had to do. First we had a covered little box that was pretty tall to get into. He is having a hard time jumping and squating, so we switched to an open litter pan that is much shorter (lower to the ground). He is doing better with that, but will squat in the box and his aim is just over the side! So frusterating! We got a pack of the puppy pads and it is at least much easier to clean up after now. It still happens 2-3 times a week, but I view it as caring for a sick old man. I have four children also, so I understand how tough it is. Thankfully my kids tell me when he has an accident and do not try to touch it.

So I guess I would evaluate where you currently have the box set up and how, in addition to all the awesome advice you got above to help you out with the rest of the house Hopefully Sweetie will figure it out soon for you.

 

Edwin was trained to use the toilet and did so very reliably for many years (except for one period of time when a new medication I was taking flipped him out). Out of nowhere he started peeing on the floor everytime he went, though he would poop in the toilet. I did a lot of cleaning, confining to to the bathroom, and switching bathrooms (helped for a couple of days, then pee on the floor), but nothing helped.

After about a week and a half, I brought him into the vet to make sure it was not a UTI (though he's never had UTI problems before). Suprise, suprise, no UTI, but sugar in his urine. The inappropriate peeing was definitely him trying to tell me that something was wrong.

He was diagnosed with diabetes after some more tests, put on Lantus, and, after food changes, seems about to go OTJ. I also switched to a litterbox, ick litter, which he happily uses. While I dislike litter, it does help in monitoring his urine output so I can keep a better eye on his diabetes and CKD.