Okay, so my cat, Mittens, started peeing near the litter box, but not always in it. It was driving me crazy! First, I freaked out a little, naturally. Then, I started trying to figure out what was going on.
My Troubleshooting Process
- Checked the litter box itself. Was it clean enough? I’m usually pretty good about scooping, but maybe I’d slacked off a bit. I gave it a good, thorough cleaning, completely dumping the old litter and scrubbing the box with soap and water.
- Considered the litter type. Had I changed brands recently? Cats can be picky about the texture of their litter. I had switched to a new “low dust” formula a few weeks back. Hmm…
- Thought about stress. Was there anything new in the house? New pet? New furniture? Even rearranging furniture can upset a cat. Nothing major had changed, so I ruled that out (for now).
- Watched Mittens closely. I started paying extra attention to her behavior around the litter box. Did she seem uncomfortable? Was she straining? This could indicate a medical problem.
After the deep clean and observation, I noticed Mittens was using the box, but sometimes she’d stand with her front paws in the box and her back end… well, outside the box. It was like she was trying, but just couldn’t quite get it right.
The “Aha!” Moment
I realized the litter box might be too small! Mittens had grown quite a bit since I first got her, and the box I had was probably better suited for a kitten. She simply didn’t have enough room to comfortably turn around and do her business.
The Solution
I went out and bought the biggest litter box I could find. It’s almost comically large, but guess what? Problem solved! Mittens immediately started using the new box with no accidents. She had plenty of space to maneuver, and I haven’t had to clean up any messes outside the box since.
It turned out to be such a simple fix. I felt a little silly for not realizing it sooner, but I’m just glad my kitty is comfortable and my floors are clean again!
