Problem with my cats - please help, much advice needed!

[HonorMatopoeia]

I have two lovely ginger cats, aged about 8 (I think, I can never remember for certain!). They are really loveable and good natured, they even let my toddler pull them around without too much complaint. They've been house cats for the last 6 years and we've had no problem.
All of a sudden one (or both, I'm not sure) of them has started to wee everywhere. The litter is fresh and there have been no other pets in the house. Finally Dh and I have had enough. I have a 3 yr old and a 5month old so hygiene is obviously high on my list of priorities.
What can I do? I don't want to condemn them to a life in a rescue centre, as they're old and have a couple of medical issues I'm not sure they would be able to re-home them. If I let them out how would they fare after all this time and would this stop the weeing in the house?
Alternatively, does anyone live on a nice farm and fancy a couple of friendly moggies?!
I'm off to clean up some more wee.............

imum, how did she cope with going outside after all that time as a house cat? I worry my two will just run into the path of oncoming cars.

Well being the timid thing she is she sits in the dogs kennel in her iglo thing all day, pops out to see me/dog/dh when we got out into the garden. but other than that, she might lie on the patio in the sun for a bit but really she just hides and never ventures round the front!

Ahh, doubt mine would do that! More likely to undergo some mass cat adventure including abseiling and quad biking

They might enjoy it! It was very hard I do love our cat but could not put up with the wee, the final straw was when I picked ds2 up from his bouncy chair and found him wet with cat wee where she had weed in it. We went down the vet route, cystisis etc but really she is just a bit pissed off with the kids and jealous! She is fine with being outside, not overly keen on it but there you are-its better than calling the RSPCA in which is the alternative. It took her so long to get used to us when we first got her she is too old now to go through it all again.
Its very sad, but then so is cat piss all over the houe-there really is no getting rid of that smell is there (although my mum swears by windolene)

Windowlene - now there's aplan!
Yes, I think outside is the way to go, may try setting up a shelter type thing outside to try and convince them nearby is comfy! One wee'd up the curtain last night and I thought Dh may strangle him, so for sanitys sake I think they return to the big outdoors. I'd be so sad to have to rehome them, especially as they are generally so loving.

our cat is a rescue cat and was previously a house cat as is as pedigree show champion. We kept him in for 5 weeks and now he comes and goes as he pleases. He was very stressed when we got him (only wee incident thankfully) but was quite ill at first but now seems happy. He doesn't spend much time outside but won't use a litter tray anymore good luck.

iMum you said "now she gets kicked out into the garden each morning and is locked in the downstairs loo at night"

sorry but is it just me who finds this really sad?
The cat is as you say a rescue cat, not much of a life she has been rescued into is it?
Have you ever taken her to the vet to see if there is a medical reason for it, or have you looked at what else it might be if it is not physical.

I have had cats all my life and they like to be clean..is normally a physical/psychological reason for peeing in the house.