Urinating outside the litter box, but right near it

by Rosemary
(Henderson, NV)

My sister's cat is 18 years old. She is using the litter box for No. 2, but is not urinating in the box.

She is urinating right near the box outside of it. Might you be able to tell me what the problem could be?

My thoughts: I'm sorry to hear that your sister's cat is having troubles. If I had a cat of that age, I would schedule a vet visit anytime any behavioral changes occur.

In my experience, urinating near the litter box can often indicate one of several things:

1. A medical condition, such as kidney disease, urinary tract infection, bladder problems, etc.

2. Something about the litter box the cat doesn't like, such as litter type, box cleanliness, and so on.

3. Something stressing out the cat, such as a life change, fighting with another pet, etc.

Given this cat's age, I would highly suspect the problem has a medical cause.

I hope that helps and I hope she recovers quickly.
-Kurt