A cat straining to pee is an emergency

A cat that starts peeing outside the box gets a lot of explanations. The litter is new, the box is dirty, the cat is cross about something, it is spite. Those guesses cost little to try. For one cause, the cost is a day your cat may not have.

If your cat is straining in the litter box and passing little or no urine, or is crying while it tries, treat it as an emergency and get it to a vet today; do not wait to see whether it passes.

What the emergency looks like

Cornell University’s Feline Health Center describes a cat with a blocked urethra as one that will pass little or no urine and become increasingly distressed. It calls this a true medical emergency, and says the time from complete blockage to death may be less than 24 to 48 hours. PDSA, a UK pet charity, asks the same questions: is your cat unable to pee, trying but passing nothing, in pain and distress? It adds a swollen, tender belly and a lot of licking around the private parts to the list, and says this could be a blocked bladder and you should never wait to see whether the symptoms improve.

One person lists the same signs: straining, tiny amounts of urine, blood in the urine and a lot of licking. One person says hiding and not eating come late, and that straining and frequent small attempts come earlier, so do not wait for the cat to hide or stop eating.

If your own vet is closed, look for an emergency or out-of-hours clinic. Say what you are seeing in plain words when you ring: straining, little or no urine, and for how long.

Waiting a day is already a long time

Some people say a cat that has not urinated for a day already has a problem. One person described a cat that went three days before it saw a vet, and another pointed out that three days is far too long. Both authorities above point the same way: with a true blockage, waiting to see is not safe. One person adds that a blockage can turn fatal quickly but is relatively easy for a vet to treat if caught early.

When it is the box, and when it is not

People differ on what to do first when a cat pees outside the box. One person says take it to the vet straight away for any sudden change. Another says check the box first, because the cat may just be unhappy with the setup. What decides it is the cat. If it is straining, crying or passing nothing, it is an emergency and the box does not matter. If it is otherwise well, eating and moving about, cleaning comes first.

Cleaning is free, so do it. One person says a box cleaned only once a week is a main cause of cats avoiding it, as a dirty toilet would put a person off. One person says some cats prefer a litter that already holds some waste, and some people say covered boxes suit some cats and not others. Individual cats differ here.

But a cleaned box is not the end of the check. Cornell lists peeing outside the box among the signs of urinary disease, and PDSA lists peeing in strange places such as the bath or the sink. If it keeps happening after you have cleaned the box, book a vet visit rather than deciding it is behaviour. One person says owners often suspect spite after the medical causes are ruled out, or after the usual fixes fail. Ruling them out comes first.

After a bad episode

One person says that after treatment for urinary trouble, follow-up visits matter, because symptoms often come back before the problem has fully settled. Cornell says the condition can recur, and that stress seems to be an important factor in one kind of it; it suggests fresh water at all times, a safe, clean place to urinate, and things to climb and play with. One person says stress from new people or furniture can be behind it; another says a neighbour’s cat can set off stress-related spraying or peeing indoors.

Diet depends on the cat. One person’s vet advised against wet food for a cat with a history of crystals and infections, and specialised dry food worked for two years, while another person suggests wet food for the water it gives. A cat’s own history is the vet’s call, and a change of food is not one to make alone after a scare.

Who this page is not for

If your cat is passing normal amounts, eating, playing and acting like itself, and has simply begun to avoid a dirty or covered box, this page is not telling you to rush out. Clean the box, watch, and keep the vet in reach if it repeats.

This page is about cats. It does not cover other animals.

It does not cover what treatment costs, and it does not give a way to tell a stress cause from a medical one at home. Ring the clinic and say what you see, and let them tell you what the next hour looks like.