# One or more of my cats is a "high pisser". How do they do it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-more-of-my-cats-is-a-high-pisser-how-do-they-do-it/411022 "2007-07-09T05:11:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-more-of-my-cats-is-a-high-pisser-how-do-they-do-it/411022/1 "2007-07-09T05:11:01Z")
Our cats are all big, ranging from 14 to 25 pounds, so we have these jumbo sized litterboxes, with covers. Perhaps because they are covered and these are all indoor cats, I haven’t actually been able to watch the process, but I assumed when a cat urinates, he sort of just squats down a bit and lets loose. He doesn’t raise one leg the way a male dog does. But when I clean the litterboxes out, I often find cat pee high up on the sides of the box, at the level where the lid comes down. How do they manage that? It’s usually even a bit higher than their hip height. Do they have prehensile penes that they can direct at will? They are all fixed former tomcats, but I imagine that one or two of them is trying to show dominance or something of that sort. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-more-of-my-cats-is-a-high-pisser-how-do-they-do-it/411022/2 "2007-07-09T06:19:21Z")
Could it be evaporated pee that has condensed? ---
**Author:** ![Av8trix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@Av8trix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Av8trix)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-more-of-my-cats-is-a-high-pisser-how-do-they-do-it/411022/3 "2007-07-09T06:36:08Z")
One of mine does this. Basically, he starts out in a normal position, squatting, kinda, but as he goes, he begins to lean forward more and more. The beginning of the stream is in the catbox, the end of the stream ends up hitting the specially constructed “pee-flaps” (made of clear shower curtain material) that I ended up making especially for this cat. Were it not for the plastic, he’d be launching well over the side of the litter box. He won’t use a covered litter box, so we had to compromise. Cat’s got issues, I swear. -A- ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-more-of-my-cats-is-a-high-pisser-how-do-they-do-it/411022/4 "2007-07-09T15:40:24Z")
My cat used to do this - I’m not real clear on the mechanics. Dealing with the litter box was always extra-gross because of the not-quite-dried pee that accumulated between the box and the lid. However, taking the lid off the litter box seems to have solved the problem. He no longer aims high to “do his business.” ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-more-of-my-cats-is-a-high-pisser-how-do-they-do-it/411022/5 "2007-07-09T15:49:14Z")
I’ve got a 24 lb cat. We use a storage bin type of container as a litter box. He was missing before, but it appears we have it under control now. The container is a good 8" deep. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-more-of-my-cats-is-a-high-pisser-how-do-they-do-it/411022/6 "2007-07-09T22:42:29Z")
[QUOTE=Av8trix] One of mine does this. Basically, he starts out in a normal position, squatting, kinda, but as he goes, he begins to lean forward more and more. The beginning of the stream is in the catbox, the end of the stream ends up hitting the specially constructed “pee-flaps” (made of clear shower curtain material) that I ended up making especially for this cat. Were it not for the plastic, he’d be launching well over the side of the litter box. He won’t use a covered litter box, so we had to compromise. Cat’s got issues, I swear. -A- [/QUOTE] Same here. Our cat Honey will start off in a squat, staring at the wall. As she pees, her back end gradually lifts until she’s peeing halfway up the litterbox wall. Luckily she doesn’t lift any higher (we use a large plastic box as a litterbox, not an actual litterbox) so I don’t have to clean pee off of the floor/wall. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-more-of-my-cats-is-a-high-pisser-how-do-they-do-it/411022/7 "2007-07-10T00:23:53Z")
[QUOTE=BetsQ] My cat used to do this - I’m not real clear on the mechanics. Dealing with the litter box was always extra-gross because of the not-quite-dried pee that accumulated between the box and the lid. However, taking the lid off the litter box seems to have solved the problem. He no longer aims high to “do his business.” [/QUOTE] Taking off the lid, in my opinion, opens up a hornet’s nest of other issues. I keep a container of moist disinfectant wipes that I clean off the rims with when needed, and that goes a long way toward eliminating the odor. I swear I have seen little drops on the _ **outside** _ of the lid. Must be some sort of trick of peeing through the fourth dimension.