4 Reasons Why Your Cat Doesn´t Cover Its Pee!

It’s a common myth that cats instinctively know how to use the litter box, making you feel like you have a terrible cat because that has never been your experience.

4 reasons why your cat doesn´t cover its pee! The reason’s why a cat is not covering its urine are numerous. Ranging from illness, territorial instincts, and plain just didn’t know how.

Another thing to look at is your habits in cleaning their litter area. It might not end up being their fault.

Read further to understand the various motives why your cat is not covering their urine and steps that you can take to get them back (or for the first time) in the habit again.

1. Dirty Litter box

Sometimes the most obvious reason for something is the correct one.

If your cat notices that you have been slacking in the scooping department, then they will let you know in the most subtle way that they can.

By not covering their urine in the litter box. It is basically them saying if you are going to make me wade through this then I’m going to make sure you smell it.

Things to think about:

• How many cats you have in your household
• The type of litter that you use
• How often you clean their little box

The number of cats that you have in your household ups the frequency that you need to change and or clean the litter box.

Changing the litter is to dump all of the contents of the litter box then cleaning the container. Cleaning the litter means getting ye ol trusty scoop.

The general rule is to change the litter 1-2 times a week while scooping every day.

If you use clumping litter and clean it daily, you can push off changing the litter to every couple of weeks.

Try to clean their litter box to the above standard and see if it works out for them. If your feline is still not covering their urine, then consider cleaning the litter every day.

2. Another cat in the house

Have you recently brought another cat to your home? Now the kitty who used to be the one and only has to contend with an intruder in their household.

The only way that they consider avenging this slap in the face is for you to smell their business: you and this offending outsider.

A lot of cats are just territorial. They want their attention, their human, their food, and their litter box.

If it is two dudes the easiest way is to make sure to give them both neutered. So that no extra testosterone is flying about.

Without that they no longer see the new cat as a threat to their area. Now they are just another cat. There might be issues getting them connected.

If they are still causing a war zone in your home, then work to have them better acquainted with each other.

You can separate them and then slowly let them connect.

Keep one in another room (the newer one) and then slowly bring them into the other areas of your house so that your other cat can get to know them at a smaller pace.

Remember that cats are incredibly sensitive to changes to their environment.

So both your older and newer cat are experiencing stress, and they will act accordingly if anything is forced.

With multiple cats in your household, you need to make sure that the litter box is extra clean at the very least daily.

It will be easier if you have a cat genie or something of that nature so that it won’t be such a hassle.

If tension escalates and they do their business outside of the litter box to plot territories, then it might be a good idea to get a litter box each so that they have their little private times and leave your rug out of it.

3. Older Cat or Sick Cat

Your cat not covering its urine might be an indication of age and health issues. First, your kitty might not be able to cover up their urine due to arthritis.

If this is the case look at the litter box that you use and see if you can trade it out for another one that makes movement easier for them.

The litter box needs to have easy access for them so that they don’t have to make a painful step inside. A box with either low sides or an entryway will work fine.

Consideration needs to pay to the litter that you are using and the box itself. The litter needs to be smoother and not so jagged.

Then look to clean the litter more frequently throughout the day, if this is not an option then covering up their uncovered urine when you notice it will do the trick.

Other issues besides arthritis that would cause your kitty not to cover their urine are Urinary tract infections and tender paws.

Unfortunately for you, to understand what the problem is you will have to observe them during their private time.

Do they seem to winch when they put their feet in the litter box? Or when they are doing their business do they seem to take a long time to just pee?

Either way, it is time to take them to the vet. If you have any suspicion that your kitty is having urinary tract infections take them to the vet right away.

4. Not Taught?

The idea is that a cat mechanically knows how to go to the litter box.

Then you come across a cat that respectfully declines such a thing to just pee on your carpet or just leave everything uncovered in the litter box.

You have checked all the other reasons. There are no other cats in the house. The vet gave them a clean bill of health, and they are in the prime of their life.

Yet they still leave their pee uncovered. They might not understand how to cover their urine in the litter box. That’s ok because you can teach them.

Observe their habits. The solution might be as simple as your cat not liking the brand of litter that you provide. Test out a few different types if you are able.

The box itself also needs to be looked at. Cats tend to prefer bigger boxes that are easy to get into.

If you have a bigger cat and a covered litter box make sure that they can fit into it comfortably.

To train your kitty to use the litter box:

• Clean their litter box every day
• Keep the litter away from a busy section of the house
• Cover their waste when you see or smell that they haven’t covered it

If your cat is more of a feral variety, they might be used to going outside to pee. At first try to let them use the great outdoors during the day, while at night they have their litter box.

If that process works for you, there is no need to change; however, if you want to keep your kitty indoors slowly decrease the times, they can go pee outside.

Related questions

Why is my cat peeing everywhere all of a sudden? If the change is all of a sudden then first check their litterbox to make sure it is adequately cleaned. If they have a clean litter and there is not another cat in the house take them to the vet to make sure they don’t have a urinary tract infection.

Why does my cat scratch the floor around the litter box? Your cat instinctively is trying to cover their waste. If they are scraping the floor or side of the wall, then their litter box is too small for them to do their business. Purchase a larger littler box, one with enough room for them to move around.

Why is my cat not using the litter box anymore? If the litter box is clean and there are no medical issues as to why then your cat might have developed problems with the litter box. Something might have stressed them out while they were in there. Try moving the litter box to see if they will use the other location.