As long as your cat is an indoor cat and you scoop their litter box every day, it’s fairly easy to determine how frequently they urinate on a regular basis. However, since cats are private pets who value their privacy, it may be challenging to determine this information for cats with outdoor access who prefer to relieve themselves outside and for those living in multi-cat households.
While self-cleaning litter robots and modern cat litter furnishings have made our lives as cat parents easier, it might be difficult to keep an eye on our cat’s regular elimination routines.
Let’s examine the specifics to see if your cat’s frequency of urination is typical or indicates an issue.
How Frequently Do Cats Pee Every Day?
The domestic cat has preserved several characteristics from their desert dwellers descendants, including the ability to survive on incredibly low water consumption through the production of very concentrated urine, as a result typically a kitten will frequent the litter box as often as they eat (4-6 times per day), an adult cat will pee 2-3 times within a 24hrs period while a senior cat may pee more often due to a medical condition.
To calculate the average quantity of pee in multi-cat households with numerous litter boxes, divide the quantity of urine balls by the number of felines to get a median.
Felines are creatures of habit, usually pee in the same area of the litter tray so if you remain vigilant, clean the tray daily, you’ll be able to spot inconsistencies or variations as soon as they arise.
How Much Pee Is Normal For A Cat?
The amount of urine produced daily by an adult cat will be influenced by several factors which varies between individuals, we will discuss them in more detail later-on in this article.
These include, but not limited to:
- Water consumption
- Cat’s age and medical condition
- Diet
- Medication intake
- Environment
- Climate
- Behavioural anomalies
Normally, adult cats produce the same daily amount of urine, an average of 18-28 ml of urine per kilogram of body weight for every 24 hours while normal urine volume in kittens is between 5 and 60 ml per kg of body weight per day (Osborne, 2014). Polyuria (excessive urine production) is defined as urine volume exceeding 40ml/kg/day.
Reasons Why A Cat Pees More Often Than Usual
Jimmy peeing outdoors
Increased or frequent urination can be caused by multiple factors and medical conditions in the pet cat.
Let’s explore them in detail:
Water Consumption
Similar to humans if you drink more water, you’ll pee more, same goes for your cat. If your kitty consumes a lot of water, he/she are going to urinate more than a cat that doesn’t drink much water.
Diet Change
If your cat used to be fed wet food and recently transitioned to a dry diet, without a doubt you’ll notice them drinking much more water since dry food contains little water content (6 to 10% moisture) in comparison to canned food (over 80% moisture).
Stress
Anxiety and stress triggered by environmental changes, travel, introduction of another cat into the household plus inter-cat conflict can cause your cat to demonstrate behavioural alterations or changes to their physical wellbeing in the form of frequent urination, urination/defecation outside the litter box, overgrooming, vomiting together with appetite changes. If your cat is experiencing acute/chronic stress, please consult your veterinarian.
Age
Your cat’s age is another factor that may influence urination patterns. Newborn kittens will pee frequently while senior cats (11 years onwards) will tend to drink plus pee more often than adult felines due to changes within the metabolic process and age-related diseases (i.e. renal failure, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism) which can cause the litter tray to become dirty quicker prompting those cats to eliminate outside the box.
Medical Reasons
There are a vast number of medical conditions that can increase your cat’s urine output which can intensify your cat’s need to urinate, here are some common ones:
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- Liver disease
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Feline Lower Urinary Tract disease (FLUTD)
- Hyperthyroidism
Moreover, painkillers and certain medications (particularly prednisolone and anti-seizure meds), can increase your cat’s water consumption and urine production.
Poisoning
Intoxication isn’t uncommon in cats thanks to their grooming habits. Poisoning in cats can result from toxic substance ingestion, poison inhalation, toxin absorption through the paws or poison swallowing while grooming their coat.
Common signs of toxicity include drooling, increased drinking plus urination, vomiting, lethargy, incoordination and/or seizures. If you suspect your cat has ingested ANY poison, seek immediate veterinary advice.
Climate
The weather can influence the amount of water your cat consumes. Just like people, when it’s hot and humid we consume more water and same goes for your cat, especially if he/she has a high play drive and it’s a sweltering day outside, they will tend to drink and pee more.
If Your Cat Is Drinking And Peeing More Often Than Usual
Solj peeing in a new litter tray
If your cat suddenly starts drinking more water and peeing more often than usual, it’s time for a thorough health check at the veterinarian.
To help your vet, measure your cat’s water intake and urine output daily. Also note down any other behavioural signs accompanying the increased level of thirst even if they seem unrelated to you.
If A Cat Is Peeing Less Or Unable To Urinate
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) can develop in cats of any age, breed and gender. The bladder and/or urethra (the lower urinary tract) can become infected or obstructed, preventing your cat from peeing normally.
A cat suddenly peeing less, straining to urinate, experiences pain while urinating, pees outside the litter-tray or unable to pee due to a urethral obstruction requires immediate medical intervention since it’s a life-threatening emergency.
Ureteral blockage happens exclusively in male cats as their urethras are thinner and longer than female cats which makes them more likely to become blocked. Conditions that can cause ureteral obstruction include bladder stones, swelling or spasms of the urethra or accumulation of urinary crystals and cancer.