Hello, /r/pets!
I need your collective wisdom.
Background: A little over a month ago, I adopted a small 3-ish-month-old male kitten from a shelter named Mouse. He got a clean bill of health, but he was too underweight at the time to be neutered (he weighed about a pound and a half) and he needed a couple more vaccines. When I brought him home, I kept him corralled in my room for the first few days with a litter box and food, separate from my roommate's 1-year-old female cat. He immediately started using the litter box and – for next six weeks – we never had an accident. In that time, he has been medicated for a cold and drippy eye, both of which have cleared up. He gets along well with my roommate's cat; they play and groom together.
The Problem: Late last week I decided it was time to move the litter box out of my bedroom (litter everywhere, smell, and he was sometimes using the second litter box in our house). I read a mix of "move it incrementally" and "just move it and show him where is it." I opted for the latter and shifted it, then showed him where it was. For the first couple of days, things seemed to be fine. No issues. Then on Sunday, I saw him go behind the TV cabinet. He peed all over the place. I cleaned it up. Then he did it a second time. He may have done it a third time in another spot (I found a soiled magazine on the floor in my room, but it seemed pretty dried out). And now I'm a bit unsure of what to do.
Possible Issue #1: My biggest fear is that he has a UTI or some other bladder problem. I already need to take him to the vet to get neutered (all other illnesses are cleared up and he's gained sufficient weight), so I might just get him checked out instead. However, he doesn't seem to be straining to pee (he does close his eyes though... and he does take very small pees, but he always has, he weighs 3 pounds) and he doesn't seem to be in pain. The two litter boxes are always clean (I clean them 1 - 2 times a day). He's used the box a few times since his last noticeable accident, but usually if I'm in the room with him.
Possible issue #2: It could be commotion? Both litter boxes are in the same room.; a small room that we don't use for anything but storage. They are placed on opposite sides. It is located next to the front hall and the laundry room, so maybe it's foot traffic? But people rarely go in the room itself (it's unoccupied 99% of the time).
Possible issue #3: other cats? We've had a large group of cats congregate outside the front door (1 very friendly stray brought his friends). We used to leave the door open (with the heavy metal screen door closed), so our cats could watch the other cats. My roommate's cat started getting very territorial towards them and my kitten sort of watched. In order to get to the litter boxes, you need to go by the front door. I'm wondering if all the commotion and other cats may have made him too stressed to go in there? He hasn't pooped outside the box though. We have kept the door closed since the first accident.
Possible issue #4: food? I switched food brands about two weeks ago. He eats wet food 99% of the time. But this has started well after the fact.
Possible issue #5: he is not fixed. But I've seen these accidents... He squats and just pees a lot, straight down on the floor. So I don't think he's marking?
Sorry for the wall of text. I'm just hoping someone else has experienced this and can share some wisdom.
TL;DR: kitten with no history of accidents has now peed outside the box 3 times in the last 2 days or so. The box was recently moved, there's a gang of cats on the front porch, and other possible things.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/ct1j7j/my_kitten_is_suddenly_peeing_outside_of_the/
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