Your cat is toileting outside the litter tray: how do you find the cause?

1How long has your cat been toileting outside the tray?

When did it first happen?

Did it happen only once, or has it continued for several days? Has your cat stopped using the tray entirely, or does it still use it sometimes? Note the circumstances of the first incident, as they may help identify the cause.

Did anything happen around that time?

Were there renovations, a house move or visitors? Did a new person or cat join the household, did the owner’s working hours change, or did the cat return from the veterinary clinic? Something minor to us can matter greatly to a cat. Do not assume, however, that every change must be the cause.

2Could your cat be in pain or discomfort?

Is it urinating more often, in small amounts or with effort?

Frequent tray visits, straining, meowing while urinating or blood in the urine may indicate a urinary tract problem. A basic urinalysis is a key initial test. It is also worth doing when a cat has simply started urinating outside the tray and there is no obvious change at home. Discuss the result with your veterinarian. Remember that cats can hide pain.

Could it be FIC?

A cat may repeatedly try to urinate, pass only a few drops or have blood in its urine. One possible cause is FIC, feline idiopathic cystitis. FIC is not the same as a bacterial infection. Its cause is not clearly established, and factors including stress and sensitivity to environmental changes may play an important role. Other diseases can cause similar signs, so diagnostic investigation is needed. Read more in ‘FLUTD and FIC: when your cat has bladder problems’ in the article ‘Sphynx health’.

If your cat is trying unsuccessfully to urinate, do not wait for tests or improvement. Go to a veterinary clinic immediately.

What if stools are being passed outside the tray?

Note whether stools are hard or loose, whether the cat strains and whether its appetite has changed. Constipation, diarrhoea or pain are among the possible causes. The veterinarian will choose tests according to the symptoms. Urinalysis will not explain problems with passing stools.

Does your cat struggle to get into the tray?

An older cat, an injured cat or one with painful joints may avoid a high rim or cramped interior. Provide a tray with a lower entrance, but also investigate why moving is difficult.

3Where exactly is your cat toileting?

First, distinguish what is actually happening: is the cat urinating outside the tray, leaving stools there or marking with small amounts of urine? These behaviours may have different causes and need somewhat different approaches.

Does it urinate on the sofa, bedding or a rug?

A soft surface may feel more comfortable than litter. The tray may also have become associated with pain experienced during urination. Note the places your cat chooses and try adding a second tray with fine, unscented litter. At the same time, check for a medical cause.

Does it always return to the same place?

Your cat may feel safer there. First remove the urine smell with an enzymatic cleaner. You can then place an extra tray in that spot, especially if the cat chooses the floor. If it starts using the tray, gradually move it to a convenient location later. Another approach is to put a food bowl there, provided it is a clean, quiet, suitable feeding place. Cats usually avoid toileting where they eat, although this is not foolproof. Do not substitute a water bowl: some cats may urinate in it.

Does your cat urinate on one person’s clothes or belongings?

Clothes left on the floor, a sports bag or bedding may be particularly attractive. It is easy to think the cat is being spiteful towards that person or dislikes them. This is a mistaken simplification. A cat can be strongly attached to someone and still urinate on their clothes. A strong scent, smells brought in from outside or simply soft, absorbent fabric may be the reason. Stress or scent marking sometimes matters, but the soiled location alone cannot establish this.

Consider whether the cat chooses only one person’s belongings or also towels and rugs. Does it happen only when clothes are on the floor? Has anything changed at home? Put belongings away and remove odours with an enzymatic product. At the same time, try to establish why your cat chooses these particular objects.

Does it leave small amounts of urine on a wall or door frame?

This may be urine marking. The cat often stands with its tail raised and sometimes quivering. Do not diagnose marking solely from a vertical surface, however: urination linked to health problems can look similar. Consider tension between cats, unfamiliar animals outside the window and changes at home.

4Has anything changed about the tray?

Have you replaced or moved the litter tray?

A new tray may be too small, have too high an entrance or a flap that bothers the cat. Washing-machine noise or a busy passageway can also be a problem. Place a large, stable, preferably open tray in a quiet spot. A commonly used guideline is a length of about one and a half times the cat’s length from nose to tail base.

Have you bought a different litter?

A new smell or texture may bother your cat. Put an additional tray with the previously used litter nearby and see which it chooses. Many cats like fine, unscented litter, but no single option suits them all.

Is the tray clean, accessible and appropriately located?

Remove waste at least once a day and more often when needed. Avoid strongly scented cleaning products. Your cat must have access to a tray around the clock. Check that it is not in a cold, draughty spot. Sphynx cats often seek warmth, but the individual cat’s preferences ultimately matter. Notice whether it chooses another tray in a more comfortable location.

5Does your cat feel safe on the way to the tray?

Is another cat making access difficult?

There need not be a fight. One cat may watch the other persistently, sit in a passageway or wait beside the tray’s exit. This can be enough to make the other cat stop going there. Check that every cat has an unobstructed route to the tray and can retreat without passing another cat.

Are there enough trays, and are they in different places?

One tray per cat plus one extra is a useful starting point. Do not put them all together. A cat blocking one room’s entrance may effectively cut off access to several trays at once. In a multi-cat home, also distribute food, water and resting places separately so that each cat can use them calmly.

6What should you do once possible causes have been identified?

You can now plan the first steps. Do not change everything about the litter-tray setup at once, as it will be hard to tell what helped. However, do not postpone a veterinary visit or urinalysis if the problem involves urination.

1. Check your cat’s health. For a urinary problem, arrange urinalysis and discuss the result with your veterinarian. If infection is suspected, ask about culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing. If the problem concerns stools, describe their appearance and any other symptoms.
2. Agree how to collect the urine. For urinalysis, urine can be caught during urination in a clean, preferably sterile container. For culture, the most reliable sample is collected by the veterinarian directly from the bladder using cystocentesis, because a home-collected sample may be contaminated. If you want both tests at once, agree the best sampling method with the clinic.
3. Keep brief notes. Record when and where your cat toileted, whether it was urine or faeces, and what happened beforehand. You can mark soiled locations and litter-tray positions on a floor plan.
4. Make the tray easier to use. Depending on your observations, add a tray in a quiet place, return to the previous litter or choose a lower-entry model. In a multi-cat home, also provide separate, easily accessible trays and other resources.
5. Remove the smell and do not punish your cat. Clean every soiled area thoroughly with an enzymatic product according to its instructions. Do not shout at your cat or force it into the tray. If it favours one location, use the approaches described in section 3.

If your cat continues toileting outside the tray despite treatment and environmental changes, seek help from a feline behaviourist. Ideally, they should work with a veterinarian, as medical and environmental causes can overlap.