So many worried cat parents have told me their cat suddenly started peeing on the floor after years of perfect litter box habits. They want to know two things: why their cat is doing it and how they can help them.

There are many causes, but especially for senior cats, kidney disease must be considered as a cause. In this article, you’ll learn why these cats stop using their litter box and how to guide them back into cleaner habits.

Chronic kidney disease and why these cats pee on the floor

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) happens when a cat’s kidneys lose functional and/or structural capacity. It’s an irreversible, progressive disease that occurs in cats of all ages, although it’s more common in seniors. In fact, researchers estimate CKD affects up to 31% of older cats.(2) The cause is unknown in most cases.

Cats with CKD usually produce more urine than cats with healthy kidneys, so their bladders fill up faster and more often. That’s why they may need to release their bladder before they can make it to the litter box. Add problems such as bladder irritation and decreased mobility and the likelihood of house soiling increases.

How can I stop my cat from peeing on the floor?

If your cat with kidney disease is peeing on the floor, you can help by finding and treating any bladder infections and/or pain. Finally, make the litter box easy and pleasant for your cat to use.

Let’s talk through the steps you can take to help your cat pee where you want them to go and not on the floor or any other inconvenient place…

1. Check for infection and stones

Cats with CKD can’t produce concentrated urine so their pee is quite watery. Watery urine makes a better environment for lower urinary tract infections. Infections irritate the bladder and sometimes lead to the formation of bladder stones which cause further irritation.

When cats stop using their litter box, the first order of business is to check for a medical condition. Your veterinarian may recommend blood and urine testing as well as an x-ray to evaluate your cat’s bladder and kidneys.

2. Treat arthritis and spinal pain

Many senior cats also suffer from chronic pain and decreased mobility(1) which often stem from arthritis or chronic spinal changes. Here are some ways to help cats with these aging challenges…

Weight management

Weight management is a good place to start when your cat has chronic pain of this type. The majority of house cats carry excess weight. Talk to your vet about what your cat should weigh and what kind of cat food you should feed to achieve weight loss.

Fatty acid supplementation

Omega-3 fatty acids are clinically proven to improve the symptoms of arthritis pain in animals. You can add a fish oil supplement to your cat’s meals like Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet.

Or you can choose a food that contains a high level of omega-3. Hill’s makes a cat food called k/d Kidney Care + Mobility Cat Food that is meant to help cats with chronic renal failure/CKD as well as mobility.

Pain medication

Prescription medications are often very effective at controlling a cat’s pain. Your vet may recommend injectable glycosaminoglycans like Adequan or the oral form as found in Cosequin. Stronger meds used to treat cat pain include gabapentin, buprenorphine, and the cat-specific NSAID, robenacoxib (brand name, Onsior).

Cold laser & acupuncture

Finally, some cat owners feel that alternative therapies are helpful in controlling their pet’s pain. Cold laser therapy and acupuncture are available in most areas–ask your vet for more info.

3. Make the litter box more inviting

Cats with kidney failure produce a lot of urine. These same cats often suffer from arthritis pain, bladder pain, and spinal pain. It might be that your cat has significant pain only when they get into the “peeing position” and so they associate pain with the litter box.

Additionally, the litter may be smelly or feel bad to their feet. They may not feel secure if the box is in a noisy place or there are other cats competing for it.

All of these things can contribute to an unpleasant experience in the litter box.

You can help your kitty by offering some new choices for their litter and litter box.

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Experiment with new litter box styles

Your cat might prefer a new style of litter box. Make or buy a few different types and let your cat show you which one they prefer by using it the most.

Try boxes with very high sides as well as covered boxes. Try an oversized litter tray, some cats even like corner-style litter trays made for ferrets. A lot of senior cats like low entry litter boxes like this one you can buy online.

Try different types of litter

When it comes to litter, many cats prefer the plain old unscented, clumping or non-clumping gravel kind. But you can also try one make from paper (Yesterday’s News or Carefresh) or wheat (Swheat Scoop). And Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract litter works miracles for some cats.

You can tell which kind of litter your cat likes best by putting them in litter trays next to each other. Whichever one gets used the most is probably their favorite.

Improve number & location of litter boxes

Number: follow the rule of thumb to always keep one more litter box than the number of cats living in your home. If you have 3 cats, you need at least 4 litter boxes.
Location: place litter boxes for their convenience
- in the location where they’re peeing on the floor
- near their sleeping area
- at least one litter box on every level in your house

Better litter box cleaning

Like most humans, cats don’t like using a dirty, smelly toileting area! I guarantee if it smells a little bad to you, it smells downright awful to your cat.

You can try using litter tray liners that you throw away with the dirty litter to improve cleanliness. But some cats don’t like litter tray liners, so you’ll have to experiment.

Be sure to scoop out all wet spots and poop from every box daily. Empty every litter box completely at least once a month and wash it with soap and water before refilling it with litter.

In addition to keeping super clean litter boxes, I recommend using an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle to clean urine from the floor. This will remove or reduce the urine scent and decrease the likelihood of the cat returning to the same spot to pee on the floor again.

Summary

There are many things you can do to help when a cat with chronic renal disease is peeing on the floor. First, treat any urinary tract infections that are found. Next, treat pain resulting from arthritis or spinal changes. Finally, make urination in the litter box a pleasant, comfortable experience.

Be patient with your kitty. They’re dealing with things in the best way they know. They may just need a little help to return to being the good companion you fell in love with.

The content provided on NaturalPetsHQ.com is for general information only. It is not meant to replace individualized medical advice from your own veterinarian. Read more on the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use page.

Author: TB Thompson, DVM is a veterinarian with 20+ years of experience in clinics, emergency medicine, and community shelters. She started Natural Pets HQ to give pet owners accessible, trustworthy guidance written by a real vet.

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References

Marino, C. L., Lascelles, B. D. X., Vaden, S. L., Gruen, M. E., & Marks, S. L. (2014). Prevalence and classification of chronic kidney disease in cats randomly selected from four age groups and in cats recruited for degenerative joint disease studies. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 16(6), 465-472.
Chew, D. (2019, October 31–November 3). Artificial Intelligence Takes the Surprise Out of Chronic Kidney Disease [Presentation]. American Association of Feline Practitioners Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Cat with Kidney Disease Peeing on the Floor–3 Ways You Can Help