Cat Crying in the Litter Box: Urinary Blockage, Constipation, or Pain
🚨 Check first
Emergency triage: If your cat squats in the litter box letting out a low, painful yowl or growl, and you find no urine at all (or only a few drops of blood), this is extreme pain from a urethral obstruction (urinary blockage). Do not wait—go to an emergency vet right away.
📌 The answer in 3 seconds
- Cats normally do not vocalize when using the litter box. Growling or crying before, during, or after squatting is almost always a sign of sharp pain or discomfort.
- There are 3 main causes: 1) cystitis or urinary stones (uroliths) causing burning or blockage, 2) severe constipation or anal gland inflammation, and 3) arthritis or back pain in senior cats that makes squatting painful.
- Right after your cat cries, check the litter box to see what came out—urine, stool, or nothing at all.
📊 Flowchart
- Step 1As soon as your cat leaves the litter box after crying, check the litter to see if: 1) they peed, 2) they pooped, or 3) nothing came out at all.
- Step 2If nothing came out, or there are only a few drops of blood in the urine (hematuria): Call your vet or an emergency vet right away for life-threatening urethral obstruction or severe cystitis.
- Step 3If hard stool came out, or your cat strained without pooping: Suspect constipation pain or anal sac inflammation. Bring a stool sample (or smartphone video) to the vet the same or next day.
- Step 4If a senior cat pees and poops normally but cries when squatting: Hip, knee, or back arthritis may make squatting painful. Switch to a spacious, low-entry litter box and ask your vet about pain relief.
⭕ Step-by-step fix
Step 1 · What you can do at home right now
As soon as your cat leaves the litter box after crying, check the litter to see if: 1) they peed, 2) they pooped, or 3) nothing came out at all.
Step 2
If nothing came out, or there are only a few drops of blood in the urine (hematuria): Call your vet or an emergency vet right away for life-threatening urethral obstruction or severe cystitis.
Step 3
If hard stool came out, or your cat strained without pooping: Suspect constipation pain or anal sac inflammation. Bring a stool sample (or smartphone video) to the vet the same or next day.
Step 4
If a senior cat pees and poops normally but cries when squatting: Hip, knee, or back arthritis may make squatting painful. Switch to a spacious, low-entry litter box and ask your vet about pain relief.
❌ Never do this
- Assuming your cat is just 'announcing' their bathroom trip and ignoring painful crying during urination or defecation.
📋 Make notes for the vet
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