Is my cat clever or is this usual behaviour

[Oldsu]

My 19 year old cat Maisie always pees in her litter tray or outside in the garden she has never had an accident until Boxing day, a pair of jeans had fallen on the floor and she started peeing on them , I shooed her off but then noticed blood in her pee, obviously she went to the vets yesterday and has cystitis but I cant help thinking she knew something was wrong and peed in front of us so we could get help because there were no other incidents she used her litter tray as usual later on and hasn't peed anywhere else since. On a good note the vets says she is in remarkable health. And here she is the little madam

Yes the Bengal would wee outside the tray when he had a uti. They are very clever.

Cystitis can lead to litterbox resistance, because of the pain and discomfort it causes. But cats are clever and what's more, yours is a calico. We have a tortie (our second) and she's very good at letting us know when she's not happy about something. I hope Maisie feels better soon.

Yes, she is a smart cookie but not unusual. Our cat has recurring UTIs, about two to three times a year, and she wees in the bath when it happens so we see the blood and know she needs a vet visit. The rest of the time she goes outside and wees privately. She will also (very uncharacteristically) come and sit on your knee if she has a tick that needs removing and rub against your hand so you give her a good stroke, find the tick and unhook it for her.

Our other cat doesn't do the above, but has learned the command for sit and stay to get treats. We have a dog and as soon as she cottoned on the puppy training and rewards, she decided she wanted in on it too.