Where Do Cats Pee From? Vet-Reviewed Anatomy
In this article
If you've ever noticed a cat peeing, it can be a bit of a confusing experience, as both male and female cats squat down and pee from behind. But when you really dig into the system, it’s not that different from a human’s.
Humans and cats are both mammals, and our internal systems don’t vary by as much as you might think since both humans and cats have a urethra, a thin tube that runs from the bladder to the outside, where the pee goes out of the body through the urethral opening. Here, we broke down everything that you need to know about how cats pee and cleared up any confusion about why it looks like it’s coming from their butt when it isn’t!
Where Do Cats Pee From?
To be clear, cats do not pee from their butt. Both male and female cats have a urethra, which dispels the urine from their body. Both have their reproductive organs and urethras near the rear of their body, which is why it can look like a cat is peeing from their butt when they’re actually not. It’s easy to see where the confusion comes from!
While neither male nor female cats pee from their butt, there are a few differences between the two systems.
How Does a Male Cat’s Urinary System Work?
A male cat has two kidneys that filter their blood and remove waste from the system, among other vital functions. This waste products and water form the urine that then passes through the two ureters, one exiting each kidney, and enters into the urinary bladder.
The bladder is where urine is stored. Once your cat is ready to pee, the urine passes to the urethra to exit the body. During this process, the urethra passes through the prostate, similarly to what happens in men.
The final portion of the urethra runs inside the penis, where it ends at the external urethral sphincter, which opens to let urine pass when your cat pees.
How Does a Female Cat’s Urinary System Work?
A female cat’s urinary system is exactly the same with regard to the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. The kidneys filter their blood and send the urine through the ureters to the bladder for storage. Female cats don’t have a prostate, so their urethra runs from the bladder to the urethral opening.
Once your cat is ready to pee, urine goes through the urethra and exits their body through the urethral orifice, which is inside their vulva, directly below their tail and anus. This is where a female cat pees from.
Final Thoughts
We hope we’ve explained how cats pee for you, the truth is that a cat’s urinary system isn’t much different from ours. We’re both mammals, and our body systems are strikingly similar! So, if you know how a human urinary system works, then you already have a good understanding of what’s going on inside your cat!
See Also:
Featured Image Credit: Lightspruch, Shutterstock
Expert cat care, straight to your inbox
News, insights, and useful advice, delivered to you.
No spam — unsubscribe anytime.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy & Cookies Policy.
How useful was this post?
Click a star to rate. You can leave written feedback afterwards. (We read all feedback.)
Christian started writing for a local newspaper as a teenager, and he's been involved in the publishing industry for most of his adult life. Combining his love of writing with a passion for animals, he is currently the Director of Editorial at Pangolia and the Editor-in-Chief at Catster.
Christian lives in the Philippines with his wife, son, and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
