Solved Senior Kitty problem!!!

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Dresseur
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Solved Senior Kitty problem!!!

Postby Dresseur » Thu Dec 14, 2017 2:27 pm

Putting this here in case anyone else has any senior kitty cats that have started peeing outside the litter box.

My 17 year old cat, Annie, had started to pee outside the litter box every single night. During the day, there was never an issue - but each morning, I would come down to find a puddle of pee right in front of the box. The set up that we have is a large tupperware tub set underneath a shelf - it has a large opening cut into it that she has to step into. We did this because with the flat boxes, she was half stepping in and would miss the box.

So, at first we enlarged the hole thinking that maybe she was having trouble stepping in, but the problem persisted. We made sure that the box was cleaned religiously every morning, afternoon after work and before bedtime thinking that maybe she was getting more fastidious.. same issue. We put pee pads in front of the box hoping that she would go there instead of on the tile, she missed the pee pads... So my husband jokingly said, maybe she can't see.

Ding ding ding!!!!! Her night vision is failing. We put a nightlight out that illuminates the box and the problem is solved. No more peeing outside the box at night!!! Hoping this can help someone else :D

texsuze
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Re: Solved Senior Kitty problem!!!

Postby texsuze » Fri Dec 15, 2017 6:24 pm

Wow, would never have guessed their vision deteriorates in that manner. Usually the pee/poop problems are associated with some psychological/behavioral/urinary tract issue. Glad you found the answer!

Dapple Field
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Re: Solved Senior Kitty problem!!!

Postby Dapple Field » Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:18 am

In case the vision is not an issue with a cat missing the box,I had a 17 year old Himalayan who started peeing outside of the box. I was siting near the box one day and "Zeus" went INTO his box and peed on the floor. Turns out he would go in the box just enough to get all 4 feet in, lift his tail, and do his business. The box just wasn't tall enough - he was going right over the top of it. Taller box solved that problem. :) I had to put him down in October and miss him terribly.

Dresseur
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Re: Solved Senior Kitty problem!!!

Postby Dresseur » Mon Dec 18, 2017 7:52 pm

Dapple, that's what Annie WAS doing at first - so we have pads and a tray of sorts in front so that if she does hang her bootie over the side of the box, it's not on the floor.

highoctane
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Location: Arlington, WA

Re: Solved Senior Kitty problem!!!

Postby highoctane » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:27 am

Love the problem solving, and glad it was something "easy"! :-)


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