8 year old cat urinating as he walks out of litter box

by Kim
(NJ)

I have two cats and one kitten (2 months old). My cats are 8 and 6 years old. Since we got my 8 year old four years ago, he has been having litter box problems.

He will walk into the litter box, start peeing, then walk out as he is still peeing and continues to pee on the outside of the litter box. I have tried different things to get him to stop, but to no avail.

We recently got tote boxes and made them into litter boxes to give them more room, but I just witnessed him doing it last night again.

When we got him from the shelter, he was fresh out of surgery and has continued to be a very anxious cat. I have taken him to the vet but they have no suggestions. Why does he do this and how can I get him to stop?

My thoughts: I'm sorry to hear your cat is having problems. This is definitely an unusual issue.

I don't know what you've tried, but if his problem is anxiety related, I'd suggest all the usual anxiety remedies.

Some of our readers' cats have had success overcoming litter box problems with medication, including Xanax and Prozac. I'd prefer to go with the non-drug products first myself, if possible, but if those don't work, you can discuss meds with your vet.

If your cat has no medical problems, and you've run through all the anxiety remedies, then the next step would be to consult with a cat behaviorist, or a veterinary behaviorist.

Please let us know how things go.
-Kurt