I've had the same problem with my 8 year old cat..she will go in her box and then for no apparent reason she will pee on the floor next to her box..I have 2 cats and the litter box is the kind that has a top cover..I went out and bought a 2nd box with no cover and put fresh litter in it and showed it to her. She was fine,went in her new box for several months and then started doing it again. I can't explain why some cats do this but I do know that I have to keep the box very clean with fresh litter in it for her. I also went out and bought "puppy training pads" and taped them all around her box so she would pee on those rather than the carpet if she decided to get in one of her moods.That way you can just pull the soiled pad up and replace it with a fresh one..but be sure to tape them down since a cat will scratch the area and the pads will end up in a big heap if you don't. A good way to clean cat urine from carpet is to first buy a hand held steam cleaner and steam clean the area as well as you can sucking up as much of the urine as you can possibly get..then make a mixture of Hydrogen peroxide,baking soda and one squirt of dish soap..any dishsoap works and I usually fill a plastic cup with the hydrogen peroxide,dump several tablespoons of the baking soda in,squirt the dish soap and then mix it very well...pour the mixture over the affected area being sure to get it all and pat it into the padding under the carpet..you pretty much want to soak the area..let it dry for a few days and then vacuum it up well..if you can still smell the urine when you put your nose to the carpet then repeat the entire process including steam cleaning it again..then pouring the mixture on and letting it dry...it does take some work but it's worth it(I'd rather spend some time cleaning the area well than having my house smell like cat pee yuck)!!!..once you've used this mixture you literally cannot smell the urine in the carpet even if you put your nose to it. A small steam cleaner is a must if you have a cat that's doing this., You can even use the mixture on tile grout and since I moved and my litter box is now on wood floor,I've had to pour it on a small area of the wood once or twice..it discolored the area slightly but I just used some wood stain after I treated it...hope this helps! I feel your frustration! A good tip to cut down on the "litter box smell" in your house is to use the crystals instead of scoop litter..I started using it a few years ago and would NEVER go back to scoop litter again! It costs a little more but lasts much longer than scoop litter and has absolutely no cat urine smell even after a few weeks..I still use a scoop to clean the droppings out every day but as far as the urine goes..all you have to do is give the litter a good stir every few days with your scooper..It should last about 1 month if you have 1 or 2 cats..depends on how much they go outside.

My two year old baby has started peeing occasionally in my bathroom sink and on the rug in the kitchen (it has a rubber backing). I took her to the vet and she had a slightly elevated ph in her urine. I was told to try CD. Which I switched over to, but that hasn't helped. She refuses the canned CD. Previously she was eating Evo, which I thought was one of the best cat foods. I've had her since 3 weeks and bottle fed her. We also have her littermate and two older cats. None have ever had a problem before, and we have three very large boxes, which I religiously scoop out daily. I really feel that it isn't physical. At first I thought she was peeing in the sink because she watches me on the toilet and put two and two together. She also twice peed on a pillow on our screened porch. It was a rubber backed non-scooting pillow. I think the rubber smell attracts her for some reason. I've been researching and am going to try 'Cat Attract' brand litter. There are a lot of positive reviews for it where it has cured litter box problems. I'll let you know how it works. Another thing, she does this right in front of me. When I tell her 'no', she speeds off, but seems to have no remorse. She will use the litter box when I'm cleaning it, too. No problems with me watching her. No problems with the other cats being in the box, either. She is very close to me and it sitting on the back of my chair right now. She sleeps on me and is the most affectionate of the four cats. All are spayed. This is a once in awhile issue.

Elly-there has been nothing out of the ordinary going on in my home.No kids here,no other pets that haven't always been here,same litter after trying different ones that didn't make any difference.I tried confining her,no luck there either.Tried Nature's miracle,washed everything I could that she has peed on but she goes right back and pees again.If I put litter boxes in every spot she has peed on they would be lining the walls and on the furniture in every room!LOL We keep the doors to the bedrooms closed and DH normally closes his at night but left it open the night she peed on his bed because it was hot in there. Livvysmom-,I really don't think the Cat Attract litter would help.She uses the litter box ALL the time for pooping,just not all the time for peeing.I do confine her to my bedroom,bathroom and computer room at night and part of the day(they are all connected).Her litter box is in the computer room which is the only feasable place for it.She pees under my bed and in the bathtub at night or if she is confined to those rooms during the day.If I close her up in the computer room she howls and scratches on and under the door all night.She has even pulled up the carpet under the bathroom door because I locked her in there one night!I have even tried taking her water up at night thinking if she doesn't drink water she won't pee.WRONG!!!!LOL I am in the same position as your sister.I can't afford to replace furniture and carpet and as bad as I hate to I may have no other recourse but to put her down.I thought about trying to find her another home but who else would want the problem? I will call the vet Monday and ask about the antibiotics. Anyway,thanks everyone for all the advice and keep the suggestions coming if you have more.......Lillie

Dear Lily, I feel for you. I had 2 cats over the age of 13 that I had to put to sleep October 26, 2007. I miss them so much. They were brother and sister. Jagger was dying of diabetes. He used to be a big fat cat(which is what caused his diabetes) He was diagnosed last December. He needed insulin shots twice a day and was on a prescription cat food diet($17 a bag) Needless to say, this treatment did not work and was very expensive due to having to go to the vet every few weeks just to be told the treatment was not working. He was dying right before my eyes...he even quit going upstairs and would just lay on the kitchen floor breathing very fast. I miss him so much, but am at peace with my decision. Anna on the other hand had a peeing problem. She always did. Every apartment I lived in, she would find a "pee corner" Yet, she also used the litterbox. About 2 years ago, she was peeing in the corner of the dining room of the apartment we live in. It was so bad, they ripped up the carpet and put vinyl flooring in. She stopped for the most part after that, but occasionally, she would pee behind the TV or pee in the dining room. A couple months ago she started peeing in the living room at the bottom of the steps. I would scrub the carpet after each time, but the smell got so bad, it hurt my throat. I had the carpets professionally cleaned and she did it again! My 6 year old son stepped in it. The next morning she peed all over a throw pillow in the living room. My house smelled and her pee areas were expanding. It definitely was not Jagger, it was Anna...we would catch her sometimes right when she was getting ready to pee. The vet told me we could try so medicine, but it may not work. I'm sorry, but we have already spent too much money on one cat and treatment did not work...we cannot afford to try treatments on a 13 year old cat that may or may not work. We live in an apartment pay check to pay check and have 2 kids to support, and are deep in debt. I had made the HARDEST decision I have ever made, and had her put to sleep as well. The guilt was unbearable...I am just starting the healing process. Whenever I find their hair on something I start to cry. I have had cats all my life that have lived to be 18-20 yrs old that have died of old age. I have never had to put an animal to sleep, let alone 2 the same day. I truly believe that Anna would not have stopped her peeing. I loved her for over 13 years. I felt like I tried everything...I literally agonized over this decision. I do not wish it on anyone. But, I hit my breaking point. I came across this website and saw what "labmomma" had posted in another discussion and I felt like someone knew what I was going through. I thank her for that! I was devastated. I hope you find a solution to your problem and wish you strength. I know whatever you decide will not be easy. Good Luck