Profile Image
Pet Insurance
12 Nov 2019

What do you do if your cat is toileting outside the little tray?


Firstly, a hands-on examination from your local Vet would be a great place to start. Medical causes need to be ruled out first. Vets may even recommend a blood and urine test as a great way to assess your cat’s health. A urine sample can be collected by your Veterinarian and examined for the presence of blood, bacteria and crystals. Sometimes it’s necessary for the urine to be sent to an external laboratory for testing.


If all medical reasons and tray issues are ruled out, the inappropriate urination can be presumed to be behavioural. If your cat is otherwise healthy, next steps are:

  1. Regularly clean the litter tray

  2. Thoroughly clean the area that is dirtied (the scent must be eliminated or your kitty will continue to return to the same spot. Their sense of smell is far more sensitive than ours and regular cleaning products won’t do- try a product such as Urine-Off)

  3. Relocate your fur baby to an area they are yet to christen

  4. Identify any changes at home that may be a source of stress (home perfume, litter type, house guests etc.) and remove or address if possible

  5. Multicat households need a litter tray for every cat, plus an additional tray. This gives the cat/s plenty of choices and if one tray is dirty or not ‘ideal’ in the cat’s eyes, there is another option

In the case of anxiety, it's worth trying a stress reducing device such as Feliway (artificial feline pheromone which is calming to cats). This plugs into an outlet and is best used in the room they are spending most of their time. However, some extreme cases may require medications from your Vet.

Is this serious?

If your cat is unwell, or if the inappropriate toileting is paired with reduced appetite, vomiting, lethargy, blood in the urine, straining to urinate (producing no or small amounts of urine) they will need to see the local veterinarian for a hands on examination as soon as possible. Straining and producing reduced or no urine can be a medical emergency. 

Please note that due to their anatomy, male cats are more susceptible to urinary tract obstruction. This can be a life threatening condition so inappropriate urination should never be ignored in male cats (or any cat for that matter!)

Get to know Dr Claire Jenkins

Written by Dr Claire Jenkins. Claire is a QLD graduate with over 15 years experience as a neighbourhood Veterinarian in Australia and the UK. Animal lover and the founder of VetChat, born from a passion to help pet carers everywhere access trusted advice earlier, for healthier, happier pets. Grateful to be carer to her beautiful Red-dog.

vet assist icon

Get access to VetAssist, free with every new pet policy

With VetAssist you can have a video call or online chat consultation with a licensed Australian Vet. It's perfect for those times when you're unsure if a trip to the Vet is required and you need some advice.
 

Related articles

Please note: Not all conditions, vet visits and treatments are covered by Everyday Pet Insurance. Refer to the Product Disclosure Statement for details of coverage.

Offer available to new Everyday Pet Insurance policyholders, and is limited to 1 membership per eligible policy. The free membership offer (valued at $199p.a) is from the date of your policy commencement, provided your Everyday Pet Insurance policy remains active. You are not eligible to redeem the free membership subscription for cash or credit. VetAssist is a separate subscription based service to the Everyday Pet Insurance product, and is provided independently by Woolworth’s third party service provider, VetChat Services Pty Ltd (VetChat). Click here for full VetAssist Service terms and conditions. Woolworths reserves the right to withdraw or extend this offer at anytime, without notice.

Everyday Pet Insurance policies entered into for the first time prior to 17 July 2023 and subsequent renewals of those policies are issued by The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd ABN 78 090 584 473, AFSL 241436 (Hollard), arranged and administered by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 95 075 949 923, AFSL 420183 (PetSure) and promoted and distributed by Hollard’s Authorised Representative (AR) Woolworths Group Limited ABN 88 000 014 675, AR 245476 (Woolworths). Everyday Pet Insurance policies entered into for the first time on or after 17 July 2023 and subsequent renewals of those policies are issued by PetSure and promoted and distributed by PetSure’s AR, Woolworths. Any advice provided is general only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Please consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to ensure this product meets your needs before purchasing, or choosing to continue with the product. PDS and Target Market Determination available at insurance.everyday.com.au/pet-insurance.