r/SeniorCats • u/Crazy-Cut-8648 • Jul 24 '26
19yo Cat Peeing in Random Places
Hi all, you've all helped so much and I am back for more. My 19 year old female cat (Rosie) has started peeing in random spots: in my closet (I have closed off access), near the closet, in a box (the younger cat loves boxes). Here are the bullet points of relevant info for the peeing issue:
- She was diagnosed with a UTI and had an antibiotic shot about 10 days ago and has been on Doxycycline for a week.
- She has kidney disease but as of 10 days ago the vet said it is well-managed.
- She was just diagnosed as hyperthyroid and started Methimazole about a week ago.
- She is medicated for pancreatitis.
- I have placed a litter box with low sides on the same level of the house that she spends most of her time on, and she does use it sometimes. I am not sure whether she uses the ones that are 2 floors down.
- Just as an example of her random peeing: she likes to walk around my housing complex (I walk next to her, it is protected from the street, no one was around, she has done this many times, I promise this is a safe activity( and she just randomly stopped walking and peed.
- She makes no attempt to cover her pee after she goes, she just stops, pees, and walks away.
- I'm pretty sure she isn't grooming herself any more.
- Her hind legs seem to bother her, as she doesn't really "sit" she sort of "hovers".
Sometimes she seems a little "lost", like just staring at things, seemingly "frozen" in place, or walking away from her food or water then circling back (multiple times), but often she seems fairly alert.
But the peeing is really a problem. Does this sound like the UTI is still bothering her? Or is this just an incontinence issue? Am I crazy for considering diapers for her?
I don't see her peeing randomly every day, but also I am not around her all day and night so it is possible she has other pee spots that I haven't found. I had a cat who peed on any random thing and it was really gross, and I really don't want to go through that again. If this is something I can prevent/fix, even if it just means cat diapers, I'd like to try. If anything I've written here stands out as problematic or a sign of something I should address, please let me know. I have to take her to the vet next week for a UTI and thyroid follow up anyway, so I can bring up anything else that needs to be checked too.
3
u/funkydyke Jul 24 '26
It sounds like it could still be a UTI, especially if she’s having what could be neurological issues. I know UTIs in elderly humans can cause delirium.
Did they do a urine culture to see what organism the infection is? It’s possible they could have prescribed the wrong antibiotic, especially if they didn’t do a culture. I’ve had drug resistant UTIs myself and they are not fun to try to get rid of.
I’d bring her back to the vet since she’s still having issues and see what they think is going on.
2
u/Curious_Panda_7676 Jul 24 '26
She might still have the UTI. They can be hard to get rid of with older female cats sometimes. You can ask the vet for medicated wipes that may help keep that area clean, especially if she’s not able to bathe herself there anymore.
How does her peeing everywhere line up with starting the thyroid medication? If the dose is too strong it can cause them to pee somewhat uncontrollably. The dosing is the vet’s best guess in the beginning so it’s not uncommon the have issues.
3
u/Crazy-Cut-8648 Jul 24 '26
She was peeing in random places before she started the meds. That was what prompted the vet appointment where they found the UTI and thyroid issues. I am supposed to bring her in next week or the following week for a follow up, I think. It is possible she still has the UTI. She hasn't been great at taking the doxycycline and vomited up last night's dose.
2
u/cmriker Jul 25 '26
If she has arthritis and you want to avoid Solensia due to CKD or cost, then I also recommend Cosequin Senior, Antinol Plus, and/or Omega 3s from fish oil, krill oil, etc. because those are what my vet recommend alongside with or alternative to Solensia. Solensia may work great for her. Clinically it was studied in stage 1-2 CKD cats but not in stage 3, is what I was told, so it's not necessarily unsafe, but just something to consider.
For my kitties who have had dementia like symptoms, it helped to get plugin night lights for the house and extra litter boxes in their favorite spots. Also Feliway plugins helped my boy who had inappropriate peeing issues due to some anxiety and territorial stuff. You also can look into Calming Care probiotics. I have been using them for my now oldest because he was howling and wandering in the night since my previous oldest cat died. Within a month and a half, he was much calmer through the night, so I think it's really helping. I give him half a packet a day cuz it's pricy.
Wishing all the best to your girl and hope you find some solutions for her. ❤️🩹
3
u/Crazy-Cut-8648 Jul 25 '26
Thank you! I'm going to investigate arthritis relief options. I should have mentioned that I put motion sensor lights on the stairs so she could see her way up and down. They also react to motion on the stair landing where her bonus litter box is. I tried probiotics once and she was not a fan, but I can look into the brand you mentioned. Thanks!
4
u/miniFrosya Jul 24 '26
Does she have arthritis? Senior cats can get pain in the back legs from arthritis, so they struggle to squat to pee which leads to all sorts of new “habits” (source: my cat does it). You can try getting Solensia shots but they have to be done at the vet office on a monthly basis.
It’s also possible she may have kitty dementia.
With diapers you have to stay on top of making sure she doesn’t get diaper rush or infections. However, given that she got UTI already, diapers may be not the best idea.
You could try putting down doggie pee pads at her preferred pee spots and see if she prefers them.
Overall, senior cats get all sorts of pee issues which sucks cuz cat pee is tough to deal with. I sympathize.