Is your cat suddenly toileting outside the litter box — on your bed, rug, or laundry pile? You're not alone, and your cat isn’t misbehaving on purpose! Cats are fastidious creatures, and even small changes can trigger a change in toileting habits. The good news is, with a bit of detective work, we can usually get them back on track.

As a mobile vet visiting homes across the Sunshine Coast, I see this issue often — and I’m here to help you solve it.

Step 1: Rule Out a Medical Cause

Before diving into litter tray changes, we must first rule out any medical problems. Sudden changes in urination habits can signal:

• A urinary tract infection

• Bladder inflammation (cystitis)

• Kidney disease

• Diabetes

• Pain from arthritis or injury

If your cat is urinating more frequently, straining, vocalising, or showing signs of pain, it’s important to investigate further.
I can perform a gentle home examination and test a urine sample to check for medical concerns.

Step 2: Understand Litter Tray Preferences

Cats are naturally clean, sensitive creatures. Even small things — like a dirty tray, scented litter, or a new location — can cause them to avoid it.

Some common causes of urinating outside of the litter tray include:

• Unclean litter trays

• A dislike of the litter type

• Problems with the location of the tray

• Discomfort using the tray itself

We can’t exactly ask them — but we can run a Litter Tray Trial (more on that below).

Step 3: Watch for Multi-Cat or Household Stress

In homes with multiple cats or dogs, toileting problems can also be caused by stress or territory issues.

• One cat may guard the tray or intimidate another

• Cats may feel unsafe using a tray in a visible or shared space

• Dogs can cause anxiety by hovering or chasing after toileting

📹 Not sure what’s happening? Try setting up a pet camera to observe your cat’s behaviour when you're not around.

Step 4: Try a Litter Tray Trial

If the cause isn't obvious, let your cat “tell you” what they prefer using a litter tray trial.

To find out what your cat prefers, you’ll need to test different trays, locations, and litter types — all at once. 

One set of three should be put where the litter tray currently is, one where the cat regularly soils and one set somewhere else throughout the house if possible – often on a different level of the house.  Next, you need to put a different litter type in each tray.

Now wait for the cat to leave you ‘little messages’ to let you know what they like.  Make sure that you scoop out solids daily or twice daily, and replace the litter and rinse the trays weekly. 

Possible Outcomes;

1. Your cat uses one litter type.
2. Your cat uses trays in one position only (often avoiding the old location because it is not happy to toilet in that position for some reason).
3. If your cat uses any tray in any position, then it is likely that cleanliness is the problem.  See below.
4. Your cat is still toileting outside of litter trays (on mats, beds, etc.) → re-toilet training is required.

A Word on Cleanliness (From Your Cat’s Perspective)

Let’s be clear — we’re not judging your cleaning skills! But your cat might be.

Think of it like this: You walk into a public toilet. The first stall has a gross stain. The second is blocked. The third is worse. So you go find a bush outside. Your cat feels the same way — and unfortunately, your soft bed or mat is often the closest “bush.”

Keeping trays clean, fresh, and appealing is key to avoiding accidents.

Clean-Up Matters

Cats often return to spots they’ve previously urinated on — especially if any scent remains.

Standard cleaning sprays won’t fully remove the smell (even if you can’t smell it, your cat can).
👉 Learn how to properly clean cat urine here

Still Having Trouble?

If your cat continues to avoid the litter tray, I’m here to help. As a mobile vet, I can assess the situation in your home - which often reveals more than a clinic visit ever could.

Servicing homes from Gympie to Caloundra and surrounding suburbs across the Sunshine Coast.

Let’s work together to get your feline friend back on track.