How often does your cat use the litter box?

15 years ago

I am trying to find out what is a "normal" number of times for a cat to urinate in one day. I have heard everything from 1 to 8. I am a first-time cat owner and I don't know what frequency is normal or excessive. The vet said 6 is way too much, but cat owners I have talked to say that is reasonable.

Thanks very much for your help.

Featured Answer

lilliepad

15 years ago

Who counts? LOL If I tried to count how many times my cat peed I'd just have to sit by the litter box all day.I think she probably pees every time she drinks water because I see her go to the box right after.And she probably poops every time she eats,(which is a lot) because she also goes to the box right after she eats.She has food and water available 24/7.I think cats and all other creatures have their own body rhythms.What would be "normal" for one might not be for another.I wouldn't worry about it unless he/she starts exhibiting strange behaviors that might indicate an illness.I would think a lot would also depend on how much water the cat drinks or is getting from it's food.

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Comments (15)

carmen_grower_2007
15 years ago
Our cats are indoor/outdoor and use the litter box ONLY in an emergency when they are stuck inside overnight. If they have a choice, they will never use it indoors. I love that about them!!!!
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Our cat Jack had this problem, too, but his poop had a lot of mucus in it. Our vet said that he had colitis (irritated colon) and switched him to prescription low-residue food. He thought that our cat had probably associated his litterbox with the discomfort he felt when pooping, thus the reason for avoiding it. The new food was better for him, and we didn't have trouble with him going outside the box anymore, as long as we kept him on the prescription food. Once Jack was healthy, the vet said that we could try gradually switching him back to his regular food (we had two cats, so feeding them different foods was inconvenient), but the same issues would reoccur. So (gross as it may be!) before you take him to the vet, take a good look at his poop for mucus, blood or anything else unusual so you will be ready if your vet asks you about it.
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stir_fryi SE Mich
15 years ago
My indoor kitty only goes once or twice a day.
Elly_NJ
15 years ago
2-3 times a day. The pees should be big. Lots of little squirts suggest a urinary tract infection.
verycarrie
15 years ago
I scoop the litter box every day (yes I am a neat freak ha) so I have a good idea of what my cat's habits are....

My female calico who is about 9 urinates about 2 times a day and has a b/m once a day....

My male who has since passed on from renal failure was going quite a bit....(He was so noisy in the litter box I could tell it was him)...I would say he he was urinating about 5 times at least and in very large amounts..One b/m a day...

Maybe scoop every day for a couple of days so you can tell what your cat is doing and if he/she deviates from that then you know you have a problem...

And now that I just realized I know all this about my cats...I think I need a hobby! LOL
lbr333
15 years ago
I thought that was a hobby!! :D

I would agree with elly_nj. As far as I understand it, many little pees might indicate an infection. But generally each animal is different. I tend to monitor for change once I know what's normal for each kitty in my life. I have one boy that likes to hold on til he leaves a cluster the size of my head (almost) in the litter box because he prefers to pee outside. My other guy will visit to box 3 or 4 times with moderate piles left behind every time.

But it's worth a trip to the vet if you see any straining to pee, or if it's just going to keep you up at night.

There's also that litter that's designed to change colour if there is infection present in the urine. Has anyone tried it? Does it work??

G'luck
Lisa
hakimaj12
7 years ago
my 5 months Norwegian forest cat urinate 3/4 time in 24/h and one poop. I scoop ones or twice a day so I exactly know.
Danielle Heiderich
7 years ago
My two boys each pee about 3-4 times a day and poop once. I have to monitor closely because one is diabetic and any deviation off regular is a first red flag that his blood sugar isn't where it should be.
Marigold Flower
7 years ago
Poop once a day. they pee a loud river a few times a day.. AND of course celebrate a tray I have just cleaned and refilled....
aviolet6
7 years ago
This was a fine read. Thanks everyone. Lol.
Marigold Flower
7 years ago
aviolet; ever heard new mothers on the subject!! This is nothing compared to that!
aviolet6
7 years ago
Ha, good point!
keithgaron273
6 years ago
It depends on the pee frequency of your cat. https://herekitt.com/how-often-do-cats-pee/
s593tp
5 years ago
I have a Litter Robot litter box that also has a wifi feature that counts this data. My cats average 2.7 times a day. 6 times sounds like kidney or urinary problems. My question is, if your vet said it was too high, why didn't her or she run some tests while you were there in the office?
Brooke Burton
6 months ago
I’ve loved this thread! My litter robot shows my 10 year old female ragdolls each make a visit about every 12 hrs. Sometimes there’s an extra visit per day so 2-3 times a day would be the average for them. Kittens might visit more often due to being more active and eating/drinking more potentially. If you are home and you hear a lot of unusual noise coming from the litter box or someone spending too much time in there, that’s a good clue that something might be off and someone is having difficulty with potty time. Might need to check for diarrhea, lots of little pee puddles, or other odd changes.

How often does your cat use the litter box?

lilliepad

Comments (15)

carmen_grower_2007

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