Hi, we've recently started having a problem with one of our two Bengals. We are a three cat household with Kike (10 and not a Bengal) and Lady Emily and Charlotte (both one year old Bengals from the same litter). Emily and Charlotte were neutered in December. In the last month, Lady Emily has started weeing standing up and we're getting puddles on the floor outside the litter box. My husband has ordered an extra deep litter box which hopefully will stop the puddles BUT I'm worried about why it is happening. We have two litter boxes which are cleaned three times a day. Kike has unlimited outdoor access but the two Bengals only go out under supervision.
Is this a behavioural problem or could there be an underlying medical cause? Until recently, Emily was not jumping as high as Charlotte but she now seems to have caught up. I've seen her jump on to the top of a wheely bin last week so I don't think there is a problem with her back legs! Could she have a problem with her urinary tract? She hates going in the car so I don't want an unnecessary trip to the vets. What would you do?

My 6yr old male rescue pees standing up. He starts peeing slightly crouched but ends up fully standing. We just bought huge covered litter trays. The deep ones were not enough and he still peed over the edge. The only thing is you need a litter tray that has a lid with a lip that overlaps the bottom half or the pee will just run into the join. We bought Ferplast Maxi Bella cat toilet. The only thing with peeing standing up is it goes everywhere. I have to fully wipe out the whole top section everytime oscar uses it. Jackson Galaxy calls this issue Elevator Butt

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

Thanks for your reply Melissa. The term "Elevator butt" made me laugh. This is exactly what Emily does. You think, ah great she's squatting but then gradually she rises until most of the pee ends outside the tray. The new tray on order is 29cm deep so unless she learns to stand on her head to pee, I'm hoping this is going to resolve the problem!

My last cat was an adult rescue siamese cat. She peed standing up. I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on when I first got her. I had a little litter tray and it was soaked underneath along with the tile floor, yuck. Then I saw her go and she stood up and peed against the wall! I got one of those clunky hooded litter boxes and everything was great. I had to turn the liner up around the seam so it did not leak out. She would hop into the box, turn around and put her front paws outside the box on the floor and balance her hind legs on the edge of the box and go, sort of a downward dog pose. It worked for her and she went that way for the 15 years she lived with me. I don't think she liked getting her paws dirty.

Gosh, these cats keep us busy wondering how to cater for their every need. Love the yoga peeing siamese!!!!!! I hope the 29cm tray is deep enough All I can say is that I have to wipe the top of the lid with Oscar so maybe he pees higher!

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

With three cats, you need four litter boxes! Your bengal obviously needs a much larger one. Storage bins can work great when you cut down one of the sides. Pretty much no way for the cat to get pee outside the box. They may spray the back of the box, but it will run into the litter. Raiden will sometimes lift his butt up and spray the litter tub that I have sitting back there. It's hard to understand a cat's behavior most of the time.

Thanks for the advice Sharon. I'll get some storage trays in addition to what we've already got and see what happens!

Thanks also for your reply "CMYKjill". Maybe it is a problem with Emily not wanting to get her paws dirty. I'm a bit worried whether the cats would use a hooded tray but I guess at circa £25, it is worth trying. I can always give it away if it doesn't suit them. We bought them an igloo bed last year and none of the cats has ever used it.

We've got a moggie who has elevator butt. I kept wondering why there was always pee on the wall by 1 of the boxes, then I saw him doing it

Before buying a hooded tray you can try using a plastic storage tote, they're generally cheaper and if it works you don't have to spend the money on a hooded tray. Just make sure it's large enough for the biggest cat to comfortable turn around in it.



They'll usually jump in and out but if you have an older cat you can cut an opening in one end of the tote for them to step in and out.

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Dallas, TX USA
Diesel - snow Bengal born 09/01/2013 adopted Feb 2014
Tuck, Chloe, Buddy, Lewis & Tia - rescue kitties
Clyde, Bleu & Coal - Great Danes

I have two cats and I have two litter boxes. One is a jumbo hooded box, and the other is a large open storage bin. They use both of them and they are side by side. Generally they like the one with the freshest litter.

I would never think to put two boxes side by side. I'd have them on opposite ends of the house. Easy access from any direction! Raiden has a litter box in his enclosure, but he never uses that. He comes back into the house to use the one in the utility room. The one in the enclosure is covered due to the rainy hat can blow in. I'm sure that's the issue. He prefers an open box.

One of our three boxes is a tote, like Donna741 shows. We cut a hole in the lid. Quasar jumps up on the box then goes down in the hole. We used to have a huge, open box in the basement but switched to the lidded tote because our dog considered the open box her private buffet.

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~ Kyenta

The extra large tray arrived yesterday and I'm delighted to say that I have had a morning free from cleaning the utility room floor! Let's hope it continues. My husband has ordered a second identical tray for the living room.

Always love reading great news!

Our good fortune didn't last. My husband went into the utility room in his bare feet and got a nasty shock!
In the mean time we've bought a second identical box, rubber mats and an enclosed hooded tray with an overhanging lip (thanks for the tip there folks).