How Often Do [Male & Female] Cats Pee?

Most indoor cats use their litterboxes when nature calls. However, some kitties prefer to use the bathroom in the great outdoors. No matter where your kitty chooses to do their business, it’s essential to know how often your cat pees. Monitoring your cat’s bathroom habits can help pick up on medical conditions or urinary problems early on.

Cats should urinate between two to four times a day. Male cats generally urinate less frequently than female cats. However, healthy adult cats can hold their urine for up to 48 hours. If your cat holds their urine for longer than two days, you may need to contact your local vet.

Cat pee is a messy business – but it’s something all cat owners should know about! Keeping track of your cat’s urination can help keep your perfect little pussycat happy and healthy.

 

How Often Should A Cat Urinate In 24 Hours?

Suppose you’re monitoring your cat’s bathroom habits. On average, adult cats urinate between two to four times a day. However, this number can vary significantly, depending on certain circumstances. In that case, it’s important to know how often your little furball should be making a trip to the litter box.

Firstly, your cat’s diet will change their bathroom habits. If you only feed your cat dry kibble, the chances are that your frisky feline will need to urinate less frequently. But if you are feeding your feline a diet containing wet food, your cat will likely need to make a few extra trips to the loo!

Wet cat food contains much more moisture than dry cat kibble. So, when your cat is wolfing down their delicious dinner, it also gets an extra dose of hydration. This increase in hydration will cause your cat to pee more frequently than usual.

Secondly, your cat’s environment significantly impacts how often they urinate. If you live in warmer areas, your cat will generally drink more water to stay hydrated. Because of the additional water intake, your cat will urinate more often than in colder climates.

Although it may seem simple, it’s essential to remember that your cat’s water intake matters! Adult cats generally drink around one cup of water within 24 hours. Some cats naturally drink more or less water than others. Your cat has a natural instinct to keep hydrated for survival, so whether it drinks more or less than its furry brothers and sisters, it will stay hydrated as long as it has access to water.

Depending on how much water your furry friend drinks, they will pee more or less frequently. But you should also remember that some cats also pee more or less regularly than others, regardless of how much water they drink!

Pet fountains produce continuous running water. The running water is appealing and fun for cats to drink from, and pet fountains can encourage fussy drinkers to get the right amount of hydration per day!

If your cat struggles to drink enough water, you may want to switch their water bowl out for a pet fountain.
Older cats are more susceptible to health conditions that may affect their bladder. Feline diabetes is quite common in elderly cats, which affects how much urine they produce. Similarly, as your cat ages, it won’t be able to process liquids as well as it used to. It will generally expel more concentrated urine more often. Lastly, older cats tend to urinate more frequently than adult cats.

If you’re concerned about how often your pet is urinating, you will need to monitor the frequency of urination in a 24-hour window. If your cat is peeing more than five or six times a day, or if Fluffy isn’t peeing at all, it may be time to see a vet.

 

Tortoiseshell Cat
“Snickers”

 

How Long Can A Cat Hold Their Pee?

If your cat refuses to go outside to relieve their bladder, or they’re actively avoiding the litter box, there may be a reason for their unusual behavior. However, you don’t need to worry if your cat is holding in its urine. Cats can store their urine for up to two days, but it’s important to monitor your cat if they haven’t expelled any urine for longer than 48 hours.

When your cat refuses to pee, they are likely stressed or avoiding a dirty litter box. After all, your cat won’t want to use a dirty bathroom! You can help your precious kitty by relieving their stress or emptying out a dirty litter box.

Similarly, your cat may be struggling to find its litterbox. Try to keep the litterbox in an accessible area that your cat can find easily. You may also have to show your cat to the litterbox if it has recently been moved to a new location in the house.

After 48 hours without urination, you may need to assess your cat’s health. When your kitty refuses to pee for more than a day, toxins in its urine can begin to build up in its body. These toxins can cause severe illness and – in extreme cases – a ruptured bladder.

In some cases, cats may refuse to urinate for a number of medical reasons. Firstly, your cat may have a bladder infection or a blocked urethra. This blockage can cause painful urination for your precious pet, so they may avoid using their litterbox altogether!

A blocked urethra is more common in male cats and is often characterized by difficulty expelling urine. If your cat struggles to pee or can only get a few drops out at a time, you may need to consult your veterinarian.
Cats on medications or diagnosed with feline diabetes may have different bathroom habits than other cats. Once your cat has finished their course of medication, it should be able to expel urine normally. However, if your cat is still not urinating, it may be best to contact a veterinarian for advice.

 

Is It Normal For A Cat To Pee Once A Day?

While most adult cats urinate around twice a day, it’s not uncommon for some cats to pee more or less often. Some cats only pee once a day, while others may visit their litterbox up to five times a day! Just because your fluffy friend only urinates once a day doesn’t mean it is unhealthy, either! Healthy adult cats have different bathroom habits, and it’s completely normal.

Several factors affect how often your cat urinates. These factors include your kitty’s diet, environment, stress levels, access to a garden or litterbox, age, and medical conditions.
If your cat hardly drinks water, it’s not uncommon for your little furball to pee once a day. But suppose your cat is urinating more frequently or is not urinating at all. In that case, you may need to monitor their bathroom trips to ensure that your cat is happy and healthy.

Certain medical conditions may make it difficult for your cat to expel urine. However, the most likely cause of infrequent urination is dehydration. You should contact your local veterinarian if you notice any distressing symptoms.

Your cat is hardwired to drink enough water to sustain itself. However, some picky pets may turn their noses up at their water bowl! In that case, you can try buying your kitty pet fountain to encourage it to drink more water. The running water will entice your cat to drink more often, which should help keep them hydrated.

 

Orange and white cat
“Butch”

 

How Often Do Cats Pee At Night?

We’ve all been woken up in the middle of the night by noisy meowing! While it may be frustrating to get up and fumble around in the dark, your cat may be trying to tell you that it needs to pee. Alternately, some cats let their owners sleep soundly throughout the night without needing a bathroom break. So why do some cats pee at night, and how often do they need to pee?

Generally, healthy adult cats urinate around two to four times a day. That means you can expect your feline friend to pee once or twice during the day and once or twice once the sun has gone down. However, this isn’t always the case.

Cats spend a lot of their day lazing around and enjoying cat naps. And when they’re awake, they usually fill up on food and water before heading back to bed for another snooze. Because your cat is asleep for most of the day, they will more than likely make a trip to the litterbox or the back garden while they’re awake.

Your cat’s sleep schedule isn’t on a timer, so they often go to the bathroom when the mood strikes. Some cats are more active once the sun goes down, so they may need to urinate more frequently after their owners have settled in for the night. On the other hand, more active cats can sleep through the night cuddled up next to their beloved parents and may not need to use their litterbox at all.

Cats are charming and adorable – but they’re not always predictable. If your cat wakes you from a deep sleep, there’s a high chance that they’re asking to be let out for a pee. Instead of letting them out at night, you can make your cat’s litterbox more accessible so you can enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.

 

What is a Normal Cat Pee Clump Size?

how to tell if a cat needs to pee

What color is normal for cat pee?

Why Does My Cat’s Urine Suddenly Smell So Strong?

Why Does My Cat’s Urine Smell Strongly of Ammonia?

 

How Long Does It Take A Cat To Pee After Drinking?

Your cat will usually process water after 10 to 24 hours. However, some cats can hold their urine for much longer. Your cat may use their litterbox a few hours after drinking if they have a smaller bladder, while other cats can hold their pee for more than a day.

Just like humans, cats have different bladder sizes. Most medium-sized cats can store around five ounces of water before nature calls. But bigger cats and kitties with bigger bladders can sometimes store up to ten ounces before they need to expel their urine.
Generally, kittens and older cats need to urinate more frequently than adult cats. Older cats have weaker bladders, so they will likely use the toilet a few hours after having a drink or use the bathroom more frequently.

If your cat needs to pee, they usually alert you and ask to be let out or led to their litterbox. If you notice that your kitty is meowing, pawing at the door, or waiting around for you to open the door, your kitty probably has to pee.

Some cats prefer to use nature’s litterbox. If your cat likes to pee outside, you may also notice that it is pawing at the carpet or other soft surfaces. Soft materials remind your cat of soft soil, so if Fluffy starts to paw at the rug, it may be time to let her out to do her business!

 

How Often Do Kittens Pee?

Kittens generally pee more often than adult cats. On average, you should feed your kitten two to three times a day. Once their little bellies are full, it’s common for kittens to need the bathroom straight after a delicious meal.

If your female cat has recently given birth to kittens, you may need to pay special attention to these newborn balls of fluff. Before kittens are four weeks old, they may struggle to expel urine independently. If you notice that your kitten needs to urinate but finds it difficult to pee, you may need to intervene.

You can help young kittens pee after every feeding through a process called stimulation. To stimulate waste expulsion, you will need to hold your kitten in the palm of your hand. Its stomach should be resting in your hand.

Once your kitten is comfortable, you can dip a cloth into warm water and gently rub it around your kitten’s urethral area. It would help if you rubbed the cloth in a circular motion, taking extra care to be gentle with their sensitive groin.

The warm water should encourage your kitten to start urinating. Make sure to hold your kitten over grass, a litterbox, or paper towels if you want to avoid a messy clean-up afterward! You will need to keep rubbing the cloth over your kitten’s urethral area for a few seconds after they have finished urinating. This will help ensure their bladder is empty and avoid possible bladder or urinary tract infections.

 

How Often Do Male Cats Pee?

Male cats should urinate around two to four times a day. The frequency of urination depends on several factors, including age, diet, bladder size, water intake, and medical conditions. Although male cats only urinate up to four times a day, they may also begin to scent mark.

Scent marking is a way to let other cats know that they’re encroaching on your cat’s territory. Male cats will mark their scent by spraying urine in certain areas of your home or garden. While this is normal and natural behavior for male cats, it is more commonly displayed in unneutered males. Once a male has been neutered, scent-marking behaviors diminish or stop entirely.

It’s important to note that male cats have a narrower urethra than female cats. Because it is slightly thinner, it is more susceptible to urethral blockage, which can cause urination problems. When your cat’s urethra is blocked, it may struggle to expel urine. Your cat may also show signs of discomfort or pain. It will only pee in small quantities but will try to pee more often.

If your male cat is having difficulty going to the bathroom, you may need to contact your local veterinarian for advice.

 

How Often Do Female Cats Pee?

Female cats generally urinate around two to four times a day. However, this number may vary depending on certain factors like diet, water intake, age, and medical conditions. Female cats also usually have smaller bladders than male cats, so they urinate more frequently than males.

While it is more common in males, female cats may also display scent-marking behaviors. So, if you want to stop your frisky feline from leaving her scent all over your home, it may be time to get her spayed! Spayed cats are less likely to scent mark, which may help with other behavioral issues your female cat exhibits.

Resources: