How Many Times a Day Should a Cat Pee?

All animals, including cats, have to urinate to release excess liquid and waste from their bodies. You might notice that the pee smells very bad, which, in cats, is quite normal.

However, something you may be wondering about is the frequency at which your cat pees, whether it is normal or not.

You might notice an increase or decrease in the frequency of urination, as well as an increase or decrease in terms of the amount of urine expelled. So, how many times a day should a cat pee?

Normal Cat Urination Frequency

On average, it is normal for a cat to urinate anywhere between 2 to 5 times per day, and of course, this does depend on the cat itself as well as various other factors. There are a variety of factors which may affect the frequency of urination.

For instance, if your cat eats a lot of salty food, it’s going to be thirstier and drink more. If it is very hot and humid, this may also cause the cat to drink more water. If there is lots of moisture in the cat’s food, this may also cause increased urination frequency.

What is important to note here is that your cat may pee twice a day or it may pee 5 times per day. Both of these can be normal, as long as it is constant. However, what you need to pay attention to is a marked increase or decrease in the frequency of urination, as well as the amount of urine being expelled.

Drastic increases or decreases in the frequency or amount of urination are often indications of a serious medical condition. These medical conditions are often related to liver or kidney disease, bladder infections, and hormonal imbalances, among other things.

A Cat Marking its Territory

A distinction that does need to be made here is between normal urination (because they need to pee) and marking their territory.

If your cat walks around the house squirting little spritzes of pee on walls and furniture, this has nothing to do with urination, but with marking territory.

Both female and male cats do this, although it is more common in males, especially males which have not been neutered. This has nothing to do with urination per se, and it’s not related to today’s topic of discussion.

Peeing Frequency and Volume

Ok, so let’s talk about the frequency at which your cat pees and the volume of urine which it expels each time.

Decreased Overall Urine Volume

If your cat is peeing at a drastically decreased frequency, or they are peeing a lot, but only very small quantities, this is an issue you need to watch out for. If your cat does not pee much, and when it does pee, it seems to be straining and in pain, there may be a urethral blockage, something that is fairly common in male cats.

Increased peeing frequency with much smaller volumes, or decreased frequency all together may also be indications of bladder or other infections, bladder stones, and other such related issues. There are various urinary problems which may be causing this, and they are all signals to get immediate medical attention.

Increased Overall Urine Volume

Your cat may also be peeing more frequently and releasing large volumes of urine each time. This is a condition referred to as polyuria. This is usually a result of the cat’s body not being able to regulate urine formation. Diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or even just increased water intake may be to blame for this.

Conclusion

Whether your cat pees 2 or 5 times a day, this is somewhat irrelevant, but what is relevant is the volume of urine as well as any marked increases or decreases in frequency. Keep a close eye out for these changes, as they are usually always signs of an underlying condition.