Why do Cats Urinate Outside of the Litter Box?
I have a 3-year-old cat that is currently taking
antibiotics (liquid Clavamox) for a bladder infection. She has
been taking the medicine for the past 4-days.
Today I saw her pee again outside of her crate
(which is the the reason I took her to the vet in
the first place to discover she has a UTI).
She has only had one other UTI and was treated a
year ago with Clavamox and healed quickly and
without incident.
Do you think she is allergic to the medicine?
Might the UTI be a symptom of a more serious
condition?
Thank you for time.
Linda
Tucson, AZ
My big question is whether your cat’s urine was tested to confirm the presence of a bladder infection (also known as UTI, or urinary tract infection) before the antibiotics were started.
Many different syndromes can cause cats to urinate outside of the litter box. Bladder infections are definitely the most common. However, chemical imbalances in the urine can lead to irritation of the urinary tract and subsequent house soiling. Bladder stones may cause similar symptoms. And finally, some cats will urinate outside of the box due to stress or behavioral disorders.
It could be that today’s incident was an isolated one. However, if the problem persists, the next step will be to obtain a urine sample for testing. X-rays and ultrasound may be necessary as well.
Cats certainly can have adverse reactions to Clavamox. However, the most common reaction is upset stomach (appetite loss, diarrhea, or vomiting). I doubt that the medication played any role in the incident that occurred today.
You have questions. 
My 4 year old calico has had a history of UTI’s. 2 years ago we went to the vet for what we thought was another UTI, only to find out the poor girl had a rather large bladder stone. It was surgically removed and she was put on Urinary SO vet prescription food. The SO food helps maintain the ph levels in her body so she will hopefully not have a reoccurance of a bladder stone.
If your cat has only done this one time since starting the medication, I would not worry. If it happens again you might have her checked for stones.
Sometimes what starts off as a sign for a UTI can become a behavioral issue too. We had to remove the rug underneath her litter box because she would continue to pee on the rug and not her litter box well after her medication was done and she was free of bladder stones. Now, she will only pee outside when she feels her litter box is to dirty to go inside.
One of my cats kept peeing outside of the litter box, and there was blood in her urine. The vet prescribed antibiotics for a UTI, she would get better, then seem to relapse. By the third vet visit they decided to look a bit further and it turned out she had two kidney stones. After the operation to remove the stones, and proper anitbiotics, she has never had another incident.
I guess you just have to wait and see if it’s a one off incident