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Why Is My Cat Peeing in the Sink? (And What to Do About It)

Why Is My Cat Peeing in the Sink? (And What to Do About It)

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Just about everyone knows how finicky cats can be as pets. There are times where it will seem as if everything is okay in the cat’s world, and then there will be times where it seems as if everything has become a bother to your cat.

As a cat owner, it can be incredibly frustrating to care for a cat at times.

However, there is a difference between a cat that might be a little bit too moody and a cat who is exhibiting problematic behavior. Cats, much like people, have a wide range of emotions that they will display to you.

All cat owners know that their cats may eventually have a fit where they do not want to be touched. On the other hand, there are some behaviors that are less of a problem with your cat’s personality, and more with your cat’s behavior.

Cat Next to Litter Box

One of the biggest problems that cat owners both new and old face is a cat that doesn’t relieve themselves the way that you have taught them to. If you know for a fact that your cat is properly litter trained and you realize that it is peeing and pooping outside of the litter box, this is a huge problem.

Out of all the places a cat could pee inappropriately, one of the worst places is in the sink. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common places where cats inappropriately relieve themselves.

There are a few reasons why your cat may not be using the litter box. For one, in young and very old cats, the problem could be that the cat has forgotten its litter training and is simply looking for the most optimal spot.

This happens almost exclusively in young kittens and extremely old cats. Another common reason is that your cat is making a statement about his or her litter box. Finally, one reason that is crucial to rule out is that your cat may be sick.

Before you can begin to find solutions to your cat’s problem of peeing in the sink, you are first going to have to determine the cause of the problem.

There are several solutions that you can try out, but to find the one that works best, you are going to have to have a solid idea as to why your cat is behaving the way it is.

Figuring Out the Reason

Cat Examined by Vet

First things first, you need to go through all of the reasons your cat may be doing this and rule them out. One of the most important reasons to rule out is the fact that your cat may be sick.

If a cat is sick and realizes it cannot make it to its litter box in time, it may try to find a closer alternative, and in some cases, this may end up being your sink. You should look for other signs of discomfort, lowered appetite, or incontinence.

If you have an extremely young or extremely old cat, there’s a good chance that you may find inappropriate urination around the house. This can be caused by the cat forgetting (or not being taught) how to use a litter box.

You should make sure that your cat thoroughly knows how to use its litter box once you have gone through medical reasons. Sometimes adult cats can seemingly forget how to use the litter box, so keep an eye out for other inappropriate urination or defecation.

Lastly, you need to make sure that your cat actually wants to use its litter box, as inappropriate urination is a sign that your cat is not okay with your current litter box.

Consider whether or not there are enough litter boxes in the house for all cats (the recommendation is one litter box per cat, plus one extra), whether your cat likes the litter inside of the box (some sensitive cats have preferences.), and that the litter box is being regularly cleaned out.

Once you have found the reason behind your cat’s inappropriate urination, you will then want to plan out the proper solution to the problem, as nobody wants cat pee in their sink.

Putting a Plan Into Action

Cat Peeking Out of Sink

Each cause for your cat urinating in the sink has its own set of solutions that you can try, making it all the more important for you to know exactly why your cat feels that peeing in the sink is the best way to relieve itself.

Cats are relatively smart and clean creatures, and they are creatures of habit. If they suddenly switch from using the litter box to using the sink to relieve themselves, then that is a sign that something in their cat world isn’t right and it is up to you, as the owner, to fix it.

You should always make sure to rule out any medical reasoning. If a cat feels pained by urinating (whether from a UTI or from kidney stones or arthritis), then it will learn to associate its litter box with that same pain.

To avoid the perceived connection between using the litter box and pain, the cat will urinate in the next best place, which often happens to be the sink. Make sure to get your cat evaluated by the vet if you notice that it suddenly switches to peeing in the sink.

If you notice that your cat has seemingly forgotten how to use the litter box, then you will need to retrain it. For younger kittens, this shouldn’t be much of an issue.

For elderly cats, it may become more of an issue as this may be a sign of going senile or incontinence. While this may take some time for your cat to relearn, it will be worth it not to have pee in the sink.

Clean Litter Box With Scoop

Finally, if your cat is peeing in the sink because it feels that its litter box is not suitable, you will need to create an environment where your cat will want to use its litter box. This means getting an extra litter box if you have multiple cats, keeping the litter boxes in low-traffic areas of the house, and cleaning the litter boxes daily.

Doing these things should help your cat not to pee in the sink.

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