What this means
The litter box is one of the best health indicators you have: the size and number of the clumps, and how often the litter has to be changed, show how much a cat urinates. When a cat starts passing more urine the clumps are usually bigger, the litter clogs sooner and the box needs cleaning more often. Thirst usually rises with it.
It matters to separate two different things. More urine, meaning bigger clumps, shows the body is losing more fluid, and a vet needs to find out why. Going to the box many times and leaving only a drop, or nothing, each time is quite another situation: it can mean a painful or blocked urinary tract, and then a vet is needed the same day.
Cats hide that they feel unwell, so a change in the box is often the first and only sign. It helps to note whether the clumps are bigger, how many times a day the cat visits the box, and whether appetite, weight or energy have changed. Do not put it down to old age, and do not wait for other signs to appear.
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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Reduced kidney function
When the kidneys can no longer concentrate the urine, the cat passes more of it and has to drink more. Sometimes it is an inherited disease that develops from a young age.
About the condition: Chronic kidney disease -
Diabetes mellitus
When the body cannot keep blood sugar under control, sugar leaves in the urine and takes water with it. The clumps grow bigger, and the cat may lose weight even though it eats well.
About the condition: Diabetes mellitus -
Organ disease from a build-up of abnormal protein
When an abnormal protein collects in the kidneys or other organs, they work less well. The cat drinks and urinates more, eats less and seems tired.
About the condition: Amyloidosis -
Inflammation or irritation of the urinary tract
An inflamed bladder makes a cat visit the box often, yet the amount passed is small. That is not the same as bigger clumps, and it can be painful.
About the condition: Cystitis and FLUTD -
Other internal or hormonal disease
Other illnesses can also raise the amount of urine, and only tests can tell them apart. So do not guess; show the cat to a vet.
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Something toxic or a reaction to a substance
A sudden change in urinating is sometimes linked to something toxic the cat may have swallowed. In that case a vet is needed urgently.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- Whether the clumps are bigger, or only more frequent and small
- How many times a day the cat visits the box, and since when
- Whether the cat also drinks more
- Whether appetite, weight or energy are changing
- Whether the urine contains blood or smells unusual
- Whether the cat urinates outside the box
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if you see bigger or more numerous clumps for several days, even if your cat seems well. If it goes to the box often but passes little urine, contact a vet the same day.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Amyloidosis General health A condition in which an abnormal protein, called amyloid, builds up in the organs and slowly disturbs how they work. In cats it can settle in the kidneys, the liver or other organs, so over time these organs can start to work less well.
- Chronic kidney disease Kidneys and urinary tract A disease in which the kidneys slowly, over months or years, lose their ability to clean the blood and concentrate urine. It develops quietly, so its first signs are easy to put down to old age.
- Diabetes mellitus Hormones and metabolism A condition in which the body can no longer keep the level of sugar in the blood under control, because it makes too little insulin or stops responding to it. Without insulin the cells go hungry while sugar piles up in the blood and spills into the urine.
- Polycystic kidney disease Kidneys and urinary tract An inherited kidney disease in which fluid-filled sacs, called cysts, form in the kidneys. They slowly grow, press on healthy tissue and make it harder for the kidneys to work.
Body systems: General health Kidneys and urinary tract Hormones and metabolism