How Often Do Kittens Pee

So, how often do kittens urinate?

In general, your kitten should urinate roughly 2 to 5 times a day. They may urinate more on days when they drink a lot of water and will urinate less on days when they have a little bit less to drink. The key to kitty urination is consistency.

If you notice a dramatic change in your kitten’s toilet habits, you should bring them to the vet to rule out a health problem. If your kitten has urinary tract issues when they are young, it may be a good idea to get them started on a food that’s specially formulated for urinary tract health once they reach adulthood.

Foods such as Royal Canin Urinary Tract food can be very helpful in curbing the formation of bladder crystals in adult cats, so check with your veterinarian to see if it may be a good idea.

When Do Kittens Urinate in the Litter Box?

Kittens learn to use the litter box pretty much when they begin urinating and defecating on their own, at about 3 or 4 weeks of age. This process is actually pretty extraordinary, as it relies both on instinct and observation.

Kittens have a natural instinct to eliminate on soil or sand. This instinct is very primal and harks back to our kitten’s wild ancestors, who only peed in places where they could actively cover their scent afterward.

Our domesticated kittens still retain this instinct, and by providing them with a litter box we are giving them the perfect place to pee!

Kittens watch their mothers carefully, as well, and learn to use the litter box simply by observing. Most cat owners won’t ever need to formally “train” their kitten to use the litter box, because by the time they arrive in their new home they’ve likely been doing it for weeks.

One of the few times where kittens won’t use the litter box is if they’re disabled or have arthritis. This isn’t common, especially for kittens, but if you are faced with this situation you may want to find the best litter box for arthritic cats.

That’s one of the great aspects of cat ownership: no house training and no morning walks in the rain!

Why Do Kittens Urinate On Beds?

Once and a while, our cute cuddly kittens will leave us with a not-so-cute surprise on our beds. Obviously, the first way to ensure that your kitten never pees on your bed is to prevent them from accessing the bed (though this is easier said than done).

Sometimes inappropriate urination can be a sign that something is wrong with your kitten’s health. If your kitten is peeing on your bed, there are a few things you should check out before bringing them to the vet:

• Make sure the litter box is clean. Some kittens are very fastidious and won’t pee if the litter box hasn’t been scooped for a while.

• Try a different cat box. Some kittens prefer an open box, such as the Tidy Cat litter box, while others prefer a closed one, like the Petphabet Hooded Jumbo cat box. You may need to experiment a bit when you bring your kitten home to see if they have a preference.

• Make sure to wash your bedding thoroughly to ensure that the scent of cat urine is eradicated. If your kitten smells the scent of pee, they may get confused and think it’s the perfect place to “go.”

• Check to be sure that your cat has access to the litter box and hasn’t accidentally been locked out.

• Make sure you’ve placed your cat litter box in an appropriate location.

Kittens may occasionally urinate on the bed as a form of protest, though this is unusual. If you’ve cleaned the box, making sure your kitten has access to their litterbox and ruled out any behavioral problems, it’s time to take your kitten to the vet. Urinating in strange locations is one of the first signs of a urinary tract problem!

3 Things That Make Your Cat Pee More or Less

It’s normal for your cat to pee 2-5 times per day, but that’s assuming all of the conditions are “right,” and your cat is 100% healthy. If you notice your cat is peeing more or less than usual (either in a single day or over a few weeks), here are some possible explanations:

Diet & Nutrition

Both wet and dry food can be nutritious for cats, but the difference in water content between the two types of food is astounding. Wet food is nearly 80% water; meanwhile, only about 5-10% of dry food is water. Additionally, many cats seem to be picky about the taste and temperature of the water they drink your cat may only drink cold, fresh, and flowing water.

A wet food diet and 24/7 freshwater access can help your cat to pee a healthy 2-5 times a day, while the opposite conditions can cause dehydration and fewer than two pees a day. If you notice your cat is lethargic, not drinking, and not eating, your cat may be dehydrated and require an immediate vet visit to replenish her fluids via IV.

Medical Conditions

In many cases, a cat will pee more than usual because she has the urge to drink large amounts of water due to a medical condition. Sometimes, your cat may pee less than usual or make more unproductive trips to the litter box.

Here are a few medical conditions impacting urine output and frequency:

• Feline Interstitial Cystitis (FIC): A lower urinary tract disease with no identifiable cause that leads cats to pee more often, strain while peeing (sometimes with blood), and even be unable to pee

• Renal Failure: When your cat’s kidneys push water through quickly without removing waste from the urine, causing an increase in urine that appears paler than normal

• Urinary Blockage: A blockage in the lower section of the urinary tract that completely blocks urine output that may also come with urinary stones

• The clearest way to determine if your cat has a medical condition impacting her pee is by comparing her habits. If she normally pees twice a day and suddenly begins peeing five times a day, you may want to take her to the vet. Additionally, if your cat isn’t peeing at all, a vet visit must also be in order.

FIC is one of the more common reasons behind a cat’s unusual peeing habits.

Age

A newborn kitten’s peeing habits are far different than those of an adult or senior cat. Young kittens may pee every couple of hours and require stimulation from their mothers to help them pee. The frequency of urination will level out to 2-5 (usually 2-3) times per day during the adult years from ages 1-7. And with diabetes, thyroid conditions, and kidney issues being more common in senior cats, older cats may regularly pee 3-5 times a day.

How Often Do Older Cats Pee?

Older cats are more likely to develop conditions like arthritis, petting-induced aggression, and an overactive thyroid. But as your cat gets older, she may also begin to experience three notable changes to her urinary habits:

• Her body is producing more urine. Older cats are more prone to diabetes, renal failure, and hyperthyroidism, all of which have “increased thirst” as a primary symptom. The more your cat drinks to quench her thirst, the more pee she’ll have to output.

• She’s making more trips to the litter box. A cat’s bladder can hold about 20-50ml of urine at a time. So if your cat is drinking more water than usual, she’ll have to make more frequent trips to the litter box sometimes peeing more than five times a day

• She doesn’t always make it to the box in time (incontinence). Painful conditions like arthritis and age-related renal disease can impair your cat’s ability to make it to the box promptly. Her bladder may leak occasionally, or she may pee elsewhere on the floor.

If your senior cat is without health issues (especially those triggering increased thirst), she may still pee 2-3 times per day. But a cat with diabetes or displaying signs of incontinence may normally pee three or more times daily.

How Long Can a Cat Hold Its Pee?

That depends on how badly the urge to pee hits and whether a cat has immediate access to a litter box. A cat may be able to hold her pee for 24-48 hours when she has to such as when you’re en route on a plane or a train where you can’t let your cat out to use the litter box.

However, just because your cat’s bladder can hold 25-50ml, that doesn’t mean it’s safe long-term. Allowing your cat to go too long without peeing (usually 24 hours or longer) can cause a dangerous build-up of toxins, a ruptured bladder, or fatal kidney failure.

You should take your cat to the vet immediately if she’s gone 24 hours without peeing, and break your travel plans up into comfortable 6-hour chunks to let your cat out to drink water and use the litter box if you can.