How do I stop my cat from urinating everywhere? This is a question that does not have a simple answer. Your cat should be examined by a veterinarian as soon as you notice any change in their urination habits. Early intervention will not only help reduce learned preferences for the new surface, but some of these problems can be life threatening if not addressed immediately. The most common causes of your can urinating everywhere will be:

• 20% have bladder stones
• 20% have blockage of the urethra
• 1-5% have a bacterial infection
• 1-5% will have cancer of the urinary tract
• 1-5% will be due to injury
• 1-5% will have a combination bladder stones and bacterial infection
• 50% will not have an identifiable cause despite extensive testing (this is known as idiopathic)

When your cat becomes 10 years of age and older the causes change with kidney disease and bacterial bladder infections rising to the top and only 5% being idiopathic. Your veterinarian will advise you what tests should be done to determine if any of these are the cause. Until you address the underlying disease your cat will continue to urinate everywhere.

There are some simple rules to follow that may help stop behavioural causes of your cat urinating everywhere.

• Make sure you have one more box than the number of cats in your home. If you have two cats, you should have three boxes.
• Clean the litter boxes daily if the litter is scoopable and wash the box completely once a week.
• Use mild cleaners without heavy odours when cleaning the box.
• Keep the box in an easily accessible area.
• Keep litter boxes away from high traffic or loud areas like near furnaces and under stairs. Noises from these could scare your cat and cause it to start urinating everywhere to avoid the scary litter box.
• Cleaning the area your cat has urinated is very important. Avoid using ammonia containing cleaners as these can mimic the smell of urine.
• Use enzymatic cleaners that will destroy the odour molecules.
• It is sometimes necessary to remove soiled carpet and even subflooring in severe cases.

When your cat is urinating everywhere it shouldn’t be dismissed as a behavioural problem. This is a common and serious problem that can have treatable causes. If you have any questions about why your cat is urinating everywhere, please contact us.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent Morley