Why would my cat all of a sudden start urinating outside of the litter box, in other parts of the house?

JB has good suggestions. The #1 reason a cat stops using his litter box is there is something going on in the bladder -- an infection or crystal formation. Have a vet do a urinalysis RIGHT AWAY. It's important that this be ruled out and/or treated if you are going to be able to live with this cat in your house.

There's many reasons this could happen. My cat did the same thing. Does he have a covered litter box? If so, the smell of urine might be too strong in there, so he's using other places. Also, he could be having bladder problems. If it's painful to pee, cats sometimes seek other areas to go. Clean up the smell the best you can, and for now put a sheet of thick plastic on the floor areas he's peed on. Clean your son's sheets well and febreeze his mattress. Don't let the cat in there for awhile. Make sure your kitty's box is cleaned at all times and don't use super scented litter. Keep it in a private, quiet place. Lastly, call your vet to make sure it isn't anything serious.

Cats do not misbehave on purpose. He is trying to call your attention to the fact that something is very wrong! He cannot talk to you, so that is the only way he can express to you that something is wrong(short of biting you). Does he use his litterbox at all? If not, he may be experiencing troubles with his tubes. If you see him just laying there, it's probably a urinary blockage. Especially if he runs around and cries, or wants to go out. Has anything changed in the house? You didn't mention how old your son was. But with all the cats I've had (and they were all neutered) they never urinated anywhere out of place unless they were sick. Because if it's a question of marking his territory, he will rub against you and make sure he leaves his scent on you to claim ownership, since he can no loner spray. A female will do the same, rub against you to mark you as hers. So I guess first, get him checked by a vet. The only time y "head" male cat in the house started urinating somewhere where he shouldn't (and this is kind of funny) was when we hired a carpenter to do some work on our house. And Scrapper would pee on whatever tools he left there. Come to find out the carpenter hated cats. So I made it a point to pretend to leave the house to go do something. And guess what, he was downright mean to my cat when he thought I wasn't looking. So that night when my cat crapped in his box of nails, I just left it there. Man, you shoulda heard that guy scream when he reached in for some nails the next morning! Mess with my baby, will ya! We never hired him again. And my cat never misbehaved again. And then again, it might even be something as simple as he doesn't like the brand of litter you're buying. Have you recently started buying something else?

Take kitty to the vet. More often than not, when a cat suddenly starts peeing outside the box they have a urinary tract infection. You can call the vet to see if they will let you bring in a urine sample without bringing in the cat. The best way to get a sample is to get a clean plastic litter box and putting styrofoam packing peanuts in it. Put the cat, the litterbox, food, water and toys in a small room until he uses the box. Get a syringe (without the needle) and collect the urine from the box. Put the syringe in a ziploc bag and take it to the vet. They will look for signs of infection or crystals in the urine. If they find there is an infection present they should be able to send you home with the necessary medication. Make a follow-up appointment to bring the cat in for an examination in about two weeks-after meds are finished. If all other factors are the same in the household, then this is probably the problem. It is best to check it out immediately because UTI's are quite painful. When cats with a UTI pee, it hurts, they associate the pain with peeing in the box, so they stop using the box. The behavior usually reverses soon after treatment begins. Also, make sure to keep the litter box clean. Cats are fastidious creatures by nature and most don't like to use a box that hasn't been cleaned out in a few days. Good luck.

Cats don't like a dirty litter pan. I assume you have a litter pan in the house? If not, do have one, and change it every day. I would confine your cat in a cage or small bathroom with a litter pan, food and water for a couple of days so that he learns to use his litter pan only. When you let him out, keep an eye on him at first to make sure he is using only his litter pan.

are there any new changes in the house ie new persons in the home , litter box has been moved , new pets . cats hold grudges on new things in their enviroment

my cats normally poop on the floor when the little box is too "dirty" for their tastes...... but with the urinating.... I would be concerned and take him to the vet just to make sure there isn't something more going on.

WELL DONE, mhiaa! :)) That was a good work, with that carpenter. Anyway, I also think you should contact your vet. A neutered cat is likely to pee outside the litterbox if it is in pain when it does pee - and connects the pain to the litterbox. Of course, the litterbox should be cleaned itself, but if your kitty is indoors/outdoors... I don't know if that would be the problem. Good luck!

did you change the brand of the kitty litter? this happened to my cat when we change the brand of litter he uses.