Why does my cat keep peeing outside the litterbox

First thing we need to figure out is if this is a medical issue or behavioral, most of the time there is an underlying condition going on.

  1. Medical issues
    1. Your cat could be suffering from a primary bladder issue such as bladder stones, crystals or even an infection. In addition, medical conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes or pain can cause cats to avoid the litterbox as well.
    2. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out these conditions.
  1. Behavioral issues – if medical conditions have been ruled out by a veterinarian we can start to look at alternative reasons such as behavioral changes.
    1. Stressors in the household such as a new baby, new pet, remodeling, moving homes, rearranging the household or houseguests can set up increased stress in felines that can lead to behavioral changes and urinating outside the litterbox.
    2. If noted, attempt to reduce stress in the household as much as possible. You can even consider giving the cat space away from the stressors in a separate room, introducing playful activity, using feliway or adding additional vertical space to the environment.
    3. We also need to ensure our litterbox positioning is appropriate
      1. Please ensure the litterbox isn’t need food or water sources or high traffic areas such as doorways, hallways or dogs area
      2. Ideally you should have 1 more litterbox than cats in the household and ideally one on every floor if you live in a multistory household. iii. If all your litterboxes are covered, consider having at least one that is open, some cats feel trapped inside covered litterboxes and will stop using them.  In addition, ensure the litterbox is large enough to move around and scratch.
      3. Lastly we could experiment with different types of litter as some cats prefer different types or scents.

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5 star rating
Really had a great experience here with my dog Sparky. Her ears were bothering her so we took her in and she was treated for an ear infection. The employees were awesome and the waiting room was equipped with candy, snacks, coffee and waters and a very nice bathroom. That was really nice because we had to wait for a while. It was just a very comfortable place for me to have to wait with my pup and I appreciate that. Sparky got great care and I'd definitely go back there again.
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Matt L.
10/27/2024
Dr. Tomme and Tech Kiara were amazing as has been all the staff here. From the first day with my first pup, to the hospital visits, to the third day bringing one pup home and turning around to take the other pup in bcz he ended up having parvo as well being in the same house. To my visit today. These people are so kind, supportive, knowledgeable, compassionate… I could go on and on about this place! Thank you, thank you, thank you Kiara for helping me with Dunn today supporting me and helping with his meds and how to get it to stay down. You are a rock star! Like I said everyone here is great even the front staff are amazing but this goes to Kiara for the contest 😊! Thank you for dealing with all my crying and the emotional reck I have been every time in there. Love, Kristy, Brooks and Dunn I just saw in my folder a thank you card for Dr. Greenwood and tech Jenna as well and Dr. Hunt from the very first day. So I have to give a review for these others to! Sorry Kiara you are amazing but they all were too and I didn’t see there cards previously. How about this everyone I mentioned gets credit but The Rock Star Kiara gets double bcz she talked to me about the review 😉! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💙💙💙
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Kristy S.
4/24/2024
The staff here is wonderful! They did the best possible job with the situation we presented them with and although we ended up having to put our 7 year old Great Dane down, they were so kind and caring during the whole process. We cannot thank them enough for the care they showed our girl and it was such a relief that they cared so much for here during her time here with them. Words cannot express how much it meant to us.
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Colossal C.
4/20/2024
Would recommend this place over and over! We had to bring our poor baby in for an infected incision and we wouldn't have wanted to trust our baby with anyone else. The team answered ALL of our questions (and my husband had many, lol) and really took the time to put us at ease with the situation. They also texted us a picture of our pup while he was waiting for his surgery. They followed up with us a couple days after to check in. Just above and beyond! So happy we found this place - will be our go-to in the future but hopefully we won't have too many more emergencies ;)
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Kelli B.
3/14/2024
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GQ Vet Clinic Support Center

Expert care for happy, healthy pets.

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Open 24 Hours Everyday!

18610 E Rittenhouse Rd Building B
Queen Creek, AZ 85142

Payment Options

  • Cash
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Pet Rescues

This is a list of rescues that we support and help.

Dog Parks

Several dog-friendly parks and restaurants in the area.

  • Pocket Park for Pups
  • 22526 S Ellsworth Rd
  • Queen Creek, AZ, US 85142
  • Mansel Carter Oasis Park
  • 19535 E Appleby Rd
  • Queen Creek, AZ, US 85142
  • Cosmo Dog Park
  • 2502 E Ray Rd
  • Gilbert, AZ 85296
  • Uncle Bear’s Grill & Tap
  • 21151 S Rittenhouse Rd
  • Queen Creek, AZ 85142
  • Creek Side Taco Shack
  • 20401 S Sossaman Rd
  • Queen Creek, AZ 85142
  • The Bistro
  • 22721 S Ellsworth Rd #107
  • Queen Creek, AZ 85142
  • Lucky Lou’s
  • 23706 S Power Rd
  • Queen Creek, AZ 85142

Payment Help

If you are in need of a payment plan or financial assistance with your pet’s medical care you may contact some of the following resources for assistance. We offer payments plans with no interest financing for 6 months through Care Credit.