Weeing on towels next to litter tray - advice please

[tiga]

Update:

The vet thinks it is just stress. She had a feel about and doesn't think she has an infection but obviously needs to test her wee to completely rule it out. I will get some special litter from them to collect a sample if the problem continues. She gave me some of the same ideas as you guys have and a few others to try.

When I got in from work yesterday she had weed in the big litter tray with no problem and had used the big tray overnight for a wee and poo with no accidents. She completely ignored the other tray. She doesn't actually cover up anything with the litter but scratches at the towels as if using them to cover it up. Anyway, hopefully she will continue to hit the target and if not I will just keep experimenting until we find a solution.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[tiga]

I have had two litter trays in there, one  is the fine Catsan clumping and one was the Oko Best clumping litter. But that is quite coarse and she didn't even go in that one so I took it out. The Oko Best was a covered tray as I thought if she was missing the tray the lid would stop that, but maybe she didn't like the lid. I will put back another tray with a new litter and without a cover to see if that helps.

She has weed and pooed in the litter tray a number of times, just not particularly regularly.

My boys are not nearly as fussy - they will go in together and do their business, or go while I am still cleaning the tray! But she is a girl and I'm pretty fussy about toilets too!

[Leanne]

I agree with Gillian try a different litter.

We'd always used Catsan (normal) and our behaviourist said the cats (esp indoor) aren't keen as it can be tough on their paws. Since we've used Catsan clumping they have been happier. And when we thought about is neither of our cats like walking down our garden path as it is gravely.

[Gillian Harvey]

I would also try a different litter in one of the trays. I know you said she was used to using Catsan, but if its the white unclumping catsan, its very large granules and she may just have decided its too uncomfortable to stand in now. Perhaps try one of the trays with a fine grained sandy type clumping litter.

[Tan]

I agree   try two trays for her. Some cats like one for poo and one for wee. My Marl uses two jumbo trays and uses them separately one for wee and one for poos.

Good to get her checked out for any thing medical. Let us know how ya get on hun.

[kris]

She might just be a really picky cat and might want two boxes, actually since our stray moved in and we have two boxes now (one for each) I find that one tends to be used for poo and one for pee. Also the stray is a bit funny about the stray being very clean, if it's left a day then he will be desperate to go outside instead and on the odd occasion I haven't shut the other one in and got the door open quick enough he will leap into the bath and do it there instead (gave me quite the fright I have to say!!).

So they can be funny demanding wee things. if you are worried she might have an infection then take a pee sample to the vet and they'll dip stick it for you, the easiest way I have found (I had a cat with bladder stones a while back) is to use a plastic carrier bag inside the tray (or in your case that would be outside the tray) and that catches the wee which you can then put in a clean container.

When a cat eats mainly dry it's good that they drink a lot there is far less liquid in dry food obviously.

Chances are it's probably just a picky cat but best to have it checked, good luck.

[tiga]

My new cat Poppy has been with me for almost 2 weeks. She is kept in separate room but is seeming quite confident in there and is often at the door waiting. But she has had quite a few accidents, weeing on the towels which the litter tray is on. She uses the tray to poo but has only used the litter tray for wees about 4 times, the rest of the time she is weeing on the towels.

The litter is Catsan, the same as she is used to, and I have changed her tray to a jumbo size in case she didn't have enough room to scrat about. I have her booked in at the vets this afternoon to see if it is anything medical. She seems to be drinking quite a bit and she will only eat dry food.

Does anyone have any other suggestions of what might help? Ideas of what to do? Her fosterer did say she had a few accidents around the litter tray when she was there.

How do the vets test for urinary tract infections?

Thanks