20 year old cat peeing everywhere

**greysrus** · 11-23-2004, 12:56 PM

My poor Billy is starting to pee outside of his litter box . He just started doing this a few months ago but now it is becoming much more frequent . He just turned 20 this past September . He still has a great appitite and still drinks his normal amount of water . Has anyone had experiances with really old cats ? Do they make diapers for cats ? Anyone have any suggestions ? Is he getting Alzheimers ?

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 11-23-2004, 01:09 PM

You might want to check him for a urinary tract infection. My Tubby was 17 years old before he ever got on. As cats get older their immune system becomes weaker and they are more prone to such infections. And urinating outside the box is one sure sign that it's a urinary tract infection. If it is, antibiotics should clear it up quickly.

Good luck, and congratulations on reaching 20!

**slick** · 11-23-2004, 02:08 PM

Welcome to Pet Talk!

My Speckles is 17 1/2 and she's had numerous UTI's. Usually the first sign is straining to pee along with peeing in unusual places. Maybe a vet visit is in order. Also it would be helpful to take in a urine sample. It's really hard to get but what I did was to confine Speckles in the bathroom for 24 hours with an empty and clean litterbox. The small sample she left for me was enough for the diagnosis.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

**greysrus** · 11-23-2004, 03:50 PM

Thanks for your help . I will get a sample off to the vet .

**jenluckenbach** · 11-24-2004, 05:16 AM

It is best to start with a vet visit. But after that you could try adding more litter boxes as the trip may be too far for an older kitty. You may attempt a box with lower sides as climbing in might be more difficult. Good luck.