Why is my old cat peeing a lot and having litter box accidents?

Poor kitty! In a 13 year old cat, I strongly suspect that she has a medical problem causing these issues. Some common possible causes would include hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to - he/she can do blood work and a urinalysis to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it.

I am sorry to hear about Sadie. There are several different possible causes for the accidents. You don't mention if this is urination, bowel movements, or both. With urinary accidents we can have changes in habit due to urinary tract infection, bladder diseases, kidney disease, diabetes, and thyroid disease. Fecal accidents can occur due to a variety of problems including constipation, intestinal parasites, anal sac infection/impaction, inflammatory bowel disease, or other bowel disease. If your kitty is having urine and bowel movement accidents then we would be concerned about things like arthritis causing discomfort resulting in her not wanting to travel all the way to the litterbox. We can also have cognitive decline in older pets that can lead to accidents, or anxiety issues. I would recommend an exam by your vet to try to pinpoint the underlying cause which will determine the treatment. In the meantime, I would consider moving a litterbox into the room she likes to spend her time in!

Unfortunately there is nothing you would have at home thst you could give her, and even meds from the vet could be dangerous if she has kidney issues. I would recommend taking her for an exam as it may just be bladder infection. The vets can check her kidneys too and get you sorted with safe medication.

Unfortunately, it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to prescribe any medication without seeing the animal in person first. That's because we don't know if the medication is safe for your cat's current medical status, or if it's the correct medication for their symptoms. If he is urinating frequently, I would suspect he has a UTI. I would take him into the vet to confirm he has a UTI, and the vet can prescribe antibiotics to treat it.

Hi there! I'm fine, thank you, hope you are doing well :-) Not using the litter box can be a sign of a medical illness, such as a UTI or bladder stone. I would recommend taking Rose into your vet today for an exam. Your vet can do routine blood tests and a urinalysis to see if she does have a UTI or bladder stones. If she has a UTI, she will need antibiotics to treat it. Bladder stones may need to be removed surgically, or can be managed with diet. As for the diarrhea, that could be caused by a GI illness, stress, eating something rotten, or a foreign body. If Rose has a medical illness, that will be stressful for her, and it could be the cause of her diarrhea. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, she starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away.

It is possible that Abby is exhibiting signs of stress in her home environment. You can do the following to help make sure Abby’s environmental needs are being met. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox, which it sounds like you already have. They should be at least 1.5 times the size of the largest cat. The boxes should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day)and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for climbing, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 and https://indoorpet.osu.edu// for tips on stress reduction. Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com, and Feliway Frineds, which can help cats get along with each other, in case there is conflict between the cats. https://www.feliway.com/ca_en/Products/FELIWAY-FRIENDS-Diffuser? Defecation outside the litterbox can be due to infection, constipation, difficulty getting into the litterbox due to pain, or other reasons, so if these changes don't help, I recommend you have Abby seen by your veterinarian again as soon as you can to help determine the cause of his behaviour and to start treatment.

These signs may be compatible with either kidney failure or diabetes as you correctly suspected, but urinary inflammation/infection is possible as well. Urinary incontinence is possible but rarer in cats. A physical examination and urine analysis at least are necessary to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.