# Cat won't squat when urinating



## MaxCat (Jul 12, 2004)

I have 9 year old male cat that has stopped squatting when he urinates in the litter box. He stands straight up and the pee shoots out the back. I used the Littermaid box for a few years but recently had to switch to a hooded box because he was shooting right over the back of the Littermaid. I took him to the Vet and had him checked for UTI. He even gave him a shot (cordizon?) because he said he may be developing arthitis in his hips, which would cause him pain when squatting. No UTI and the shot didn't help. He's still doing the same thing. If he was in pain the shot would have stopped it for a while. Why is he still doing this? Is it just bad behavior? Anyone else had this problem or know what's causing him to do this? The hooded box is doing a pretty good job of keeping the urin inside the box but it's still a mess everyday because he pees all over the back side.


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## adavis333 (Jun 9, 2004)

I have no idea why he would start doing this after nine years. It does sound like something related to aging would be a likely cause.
Surfboard has never truly squatted to urinate. He puts his hind legs in the box and squats a little, but he stands straight up bracing himself against a wall with his front paws. For this reason we always make sure the litter box is pushing up against a wall. It is the FUNNIEST thing in the whole world to watch.


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

Most likely it *is* arthritis that is to blame. I always thought it was probably in the knees more than the hips since the knee joints take the weight when they squat. I know *my* ol' knees don't like squatting! 

Cortisone is not all that effective for arthritis, and has many unwanted side effects, like weight gain, kidney problems, and diabetes. Unfortunately there are not a lot of pain meds for cats that are safe. However, there are some nutritional supplements that are pretty effective, such as glucosamine and MSM. (See http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... iatriccats for dose). I have seen some pretty remarkable recoveries with these, but it takes several weeks to see a difference.

A good solution is to use a large Rubbermade storage bins (without the lid!  ) as a litterbox. The 14-gallon & larger ones have pretty tall sides that keep the urine in the box even if the cat doesn't squat at all. I particularly like Rubbermaid brand since the plastic does not hold odors like some of the others, and they really are sturdy and much easier to clean than the hooded kind. 

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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## Ianthe (Jun 7, 2004)

> A good solution is to use a large Rubbermade storage bins (without the lid! ) as a litterbox. The 14-gallon & larger ones have pretty tall sides that keep the urine in the box even if the cat doesn't squat at all. I particularly like Rubbermaid brand since the plastic does not hold odors like some of the others, and they really are sturdy and much easier to clean than the hooded kind.


Rubbermaid storage boxes make the BEST litter boxes......here is mine (don't mind the little rabbit "presents" in there...Angel uses it, too


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## catobsessed4 (Mar 23, 2004)

Good idea!! My covered boxes are annoying to clean.


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## Gudewife (Jun 27, 2004)

A friend of mine also adopted a "non-squatting" cat...a habit that earned her three returns to the shelter. Finally, he got one of those deep plastic storage bins, cut down one of the short ends so the cat could get in and out easily, and covered the cut edges with foam pipe sheathing. Didn't solve the problem, per se, but it made it a lot easier to live with.


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