What this means
Cats do not go outside the box out of anger or to get back at anyone. When the habit changes it usually means something is wrong: it hurts to urinate, it hurts to climb into the box, the cat feels a sudden urgent need or can no longer get there in time. So the first step is always a vet's examination, not an attempt to retrain the cat.
Notice exactly what is happening: whether the cat urinates or passes stools, whether it happens beside the box or somewhere else entirely, and whether the cat strains first, cries out or keeps going back to the box. A cat with arthritis may find it hard to climb into a box with high sides, so it goes beside it. If the cat strains to urinate or passes little urine, it can be an emergency and a vet is needed the same day.
Cats hide that they feel unwell, so a change in the box is often the first, and sometimes the only, sign. Do not punish or scold: fear only makes things worse and can delay the day a vet could have helped. Note what the cat did and where, so you can tell the vet.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your cat.
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Bladder stones or irritation of the urinary tract
When urinating hurts, a cat may link the box with the pain and urinate elsewhere. Straining or blood in the urine is often seen with it.
About the condition: Bladder stones -
Joint pain such as arthritis
Painful joints can make it hard to climb into the box or crouch in it. The cat may go beside the box because it is easier.
About the condition: Arthritis -
Urinary tract infection or inflammation
Inflammation causes a sudden, urgent need to urinate, so the cat may not reach the box in time.
About the condition: Cystitis and FLUTD -
More urine from kidney disease or diabetes
When there is a lot of urine, the cat may not manage to get to the box in time or the box may not hold it. These changes usually come with more thirst.
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Digestive or bowel problems
Pain when passing stools, or diarrhoea, can make a cat want to go elsewhere. A vet has to find the cause.
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Changes of old age or other illness
With age a cat may forget or no longer understand where the box is, or no longer control the urge. This also has to be shown to a vet and not put down to natural ageing.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- Whether the cat urinates or passes stools outside the box, and exactly where
- Whether it strains first, cries out or keeps going back to the box
- Whether the urine is pink or bloody
- Whether it finds it hard to climb into the box or hesitates for long
- Whether thirst, appetite or weight are changing
- Whether it hides more or does not want to be touched
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if your cat has started going outside the box, even if it otherwise seems well. If it strains to urinate or passes little urine, go the same day or straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Arthritis Bones and joints Inflammation of the joints in which the cartilage wears away over time and the joints become stiff and sore. Cats are good at hiding pain, so it can go unnoticed for a long time while it makes every day's movement harder.
- Bladder stones Kidneys and urinary tract Hard, stone-like lumps of minerals that form in the bladder. They rub against its lining and make passing urine painful, and a stone or grit that slips into the urethra can block it completely, which is an emergency.
- Cystitis and FLUTD Kidneys and urinary tract Inflammation of the bladder, which makes passing urine painful and sends the cat back to the litter box again and again. In cats it does not only come from stones or infection: sometimes no clear cause is found, and the signs flare up after stress.
Body systems: Bones and joints Kidneys and urinary tract