Refusing to Use the Litter Box

Cats are quite fastidious creatures and can refuse to use their litter box if it is not kept up to their standards of cleanliness. If your cat starts to ignore the litter box in favor of your floor, particularly if he or she does so in the immediate area around your litter box, try cleaning your box more frequently. Make sure that you use odor eliminators such as Simple Solution or Nature's Miracle to regularly clear your box of odors you may not be sensitive enough to smell but that are very apparent to your cat.

Sometimes cats are not really litter box trained and are only attuned to the particular location of the box. If you move the box and find your cat continuing to eliminate in the same space where the box previously lay, this is a good indicator that he or she is not truly litter box trained. If you have to change the box's location, try slowly moving it a few inches every day until you finally bring it to its desired resting spot. Changing the type of litter you use, such as going from clay to clumping or pine or newspaper strips can confuse your cat. If you wish to change litters, slowly add a little bit of the new litter every day into the old while slowly decreasing the amount of the old litter, until you can finally eliminate the old altogether. Some cats are particularly sensitive to scented litters, usually formulated for multiple cat households, and you may need to switch back to a regular litter without scent. Cats can also react negatively to changing the type of litter box you use, such as covered or uncovered. If your cat generally is good about using the litter box but occasionally have accidents, this again may be indicator that he or she is not litter box trained. The only way to eliminate this problem is using close supervision and/or confinement to train the cat to only use the litter box.

Confine your cat to a small area, such as a bathroom or small kitchen. Make sure your cat has a soft place to sleep, as well as toys, water and of course, his or her litter box. Do not let your cat free feed but rather put his or her food down for 15-20 minutes and remove after that, as eating throughout the day increases the chance for eliminating in the wrong place. Make sure his or her place to sleep is in the far corner of the room away from the litter box. If you find that the room is not working, you can confine your cat to an even smaller space by using a plastic or wire dog kennel with just enough room for a bed and a small litter pan. If the cat eliminates on the bedding, remove it immediately and neutralize the odor.

Give this at least 10-14 days where you can safely say the cat is using the litter box every time to eliminate. Slowly allow the cat more freedom and a bigger space, but return to confinement in the kennel if he or she eliminates in the wrong place. You will need to use an odor neutralizer to treat any soiled areas to eliminate any trace of urine or feces, or the cat will continue to go there. Do not use ammonia-based products as this smells too similar to urine for your cat's senses. If you can't find an odor neutralizer like Nature's Miracle, you can make your own solution with 50% seltzer and 50% white vinegar.

You can also cover the area that has been soiled with a plant, or a piece of furniture, or a garbage can so the cat is unable to eliminate there. If you notice your cat moving toward the area and slowing sniffing and scratching, pick him or her up and move him or her to the litter box so they understand that they need to go in the box and nowhere else. Never ever hit or yell at your cat if he or she goes in the wrong place. This will serve nothing toward teaching them the correct way to eliminate, and will unduly stress out your cat.

If you are experiencing turmoil in your household, such as a new job that takes more hours, or a new roommate or spouse moving in, or the birth of a baby, or the addition of a new pet, your cat can become stressed and one way cats have of showing their stress is inappropriate elimination and spraying. If you suspect this is the case, you can attempt to provide a less stressful environment for your cat - provide him or her with a quiet spot in the house with a nice comfy resting place. Natural remedies, such as Bach's Flower Remedies, can also help soothe your cat's anxiety without medicating them.

Sometimes inappropriate elimination is indicative of a medical problem, and not necessarily a behavioral one. If your cat's inappropriate elimination persists, consult a veterinarian to determine if your cat has a urinary disorder.

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Kitten and the litterbox

Each newborn kitten comes with the instinctual knowledge that bowel and bladder elimination must be deposited in a hole dug in the earth and then covered up.

All that one needs to do to train a kitten is to provide the earth and show the kitten where it is. The kitten will take care of the rest!

Start out with a litterbox large enough to accommodate your cat as an adult. This eliminates the need to change boxes which can sometimes be a factor in its future disuse. Pour in an absorbent cat-box filler about three to four inches deep. I like a scented filler that does not have a lot of fine powder in it. The new powdered clay fillers are very good. The advantage to using powdered clay is that you remove only the balls of matter each day and replace the lost litter occasionally. If you use regular filler, clean it everyday, and completely change it every three or four days.

It is important to place the litterbox in a semi-private location such as under a table or inside a closet with the door partially open. Cats like their privacy.

As soon as you bring your kitten home, show her the location of the litterbox by placing her in it. She will probably jump out immediately. That’s okay. Several times those first few days, place her in the litter box. She will soon find out that that is the only place where she will be able to dig a hole for elimination purposes. For the first several days, every time she does get into the litterbox, praise her with "Good Kitty!"

If your kitten does not use the litterbox after this procedure, have her thoroughly checked over by a veterinarian. If she is healthy, but still insists on going in places other than the litterbox, clean these areas with soap and water and then overspray them with a solution of 25 percent white vinegar mixed with 75 percent water. This will remove the ammonia smell which might encourage her to go back to these same spots. If she is returning to the same spot, place the litterbox there. If this does not work, confine her to one room, such as bathroom, for a week. Place her food, water, and bed in one end of the room and her litterbox in the other. Once she has started using it again, you can let her roam freely.

The Adult Cat and the Litterbox

If you have just adopted an adult cat and want to train her to use the litter box, start from the beginning, following the instructions in the previous chapter. If you are the guardian of an adult cat who has stopped using the litterbox, then look for medical or behavioral causes. Fortunately, most behavioral litterbox problems are self-correcting. It usually requires confining the cat to a single room with her bed, food, and water at one end, and the litterbox at the other. The cat will begin using the litterbox within a few days. Before trying this extreme measure, however, consider the many conditions which will cause a cat to quit using the box. These conditions must be altered if a permanent change is desired.

The first problem to consider is the medical one. If your cat is defecating out of the litterbox, consider having her checked for blocked anal glands. If she is constantly licking in the anal area, scooting along the floor, or crying, see a veterinarian. A cat may also have diarrhea which may be causing feces to stick to her fur and drop off later outside of the box. Diarrhea may be caused by an improper diet, hairballs, parasites, eating spoiled food, or an illness. If you suspect any of these as the problem, see a veterinarian.

Indiscriminate urination can be caused by a bladder infection, diabetes, old age incontinence, or arthritis. Some of the symptoms to look for besides urination outside of the box are: increased frequency of urination, decreased volume of urine, increased thirst, crying, obvious distress during urination, enlarged abdomen, and blood in the litterbox. Of course, any change of personality is a possible sign of illness. See a veterinarian immediately if you suspect a bladder blockage. This is a life threatening situation!

There are many factors to consider if your cat’s discontinued use of the litterbox is a behavioral problem. Changing the brand of litter or the size, shape, and depth of the litterbox can cause some cats to refuse its use. If you have just adopted an adult cat, this could be her problem until she becomes accustomed to the new litter and box. Experiment first with litterbox filler. Then try a different litterbox.

The stress is tremendous to a new adoptee going from her old familiar territory, then to a shelter, and now to your home. It takes a cat from three to eight weeks to become fully adjusted to a new environment, and this includes consistent use of the litterbox. Be patient, and do not punish your cat by hitting her, rubbing her nose in the feces or urine, or scolding her. Cats are very clean by nature and the last thing a cat wants is to soil her territory outside of her toilet. A cat knows what a litterbox is for, and she knows how to hit that tiny little target hole that she just created! The anxiety of being given up for adoption can cause some cats to release stress by defecating or urinating wherever they feel secure, and it may not be in that brand new litterbox.

Cats will discontinue using a litterbox that is full. It is best to clean it daily. With more than one cat, it is a good idea to have a litterbox for each.

A new adoptee might be accustomed to going in a box that has shredded paper, sand, sawdust, powdered clay, or some other substrate. Experiment with different substrates. The depth of the substrate can be a critical factor for some cats. Some like it deep, some shallow. If your cat urinates on a certain rug, cut out a piece of rug, place it in the litterbox along with some litter, and gradually reduce the size of the piece of rug while at the some time increasing the amount of litter. If your cat is urinating on a cold surface like the stove top or sink, see a veterinarian. This could be a medical problem.

If you have just moved into a new home, and your cat started urinating outside of the box, you might suspect the mastic used on some tiles and carpets. Some have an ammonia smell, which is the odor of urine, encouraging some cats to urinate on these surfaces. You might also suspect that the previous owners had a cat who missed the litterbox.

If your cat has an accident, say nothing, clean it up, and spray over it with a 25 percent white vinegar and 75 percent water solution. This will mask the ammonia odor and discourage kitty from returning to the same spot again.

Some cats can be stressed enough to temporarily discontinue using the litterbox if a new baby, pet, or significant other moves into the home. The loss of a significant other, including a companion animal pet, can temporarily break a cat’s litterbox routine. These problems are usually self-correcting.

Cats like their litterboxes placed in a semi-private location. Inside a closet with the door slightly open or under a table away from the main traffic pattern are good places. I know one person who keeps it in the shower stall. Experiment with locations. Put the box in a place that seems comfortable to your cat.

Any disturbance in a cat’s routine or change in her territory, such as remodeling or painting, may cause her to temporarily discontinue use of the litterbox.

It is important not to feed tablescraps to a cat. Feed her a quality food. If irregular eating habits are creating housesoiling problems, feed her twice a day and put the food away to eliminate in-between snacking. This would also benefit an overweight cat.

Remember, do not punish a cat for any behavior problems. A cat views chasing, kicking, hitting, and screaming as punishment. Physical punishment creates stress which can result in litterbox problems.

Urine Spraying

First, it is important to understand the difference between spraying (urine-marking) and indiscriminate urination. A cat who is not using the litterbox, who is urinating outside of the box, is usually motivated by a different set of circumstances. Urination of this kind is found in the form of a puddle on a horizontal surface. A cat who is spraying will usually urine-mark a vertical surface. This cat’s urine will be running down a door or the side of a chair. There are many reasons why cats spray.

Cats are very territorial, and it they perceive their territory to be threatened, they will mark it as a warning to others. Unaltered cats tend toward more territorial marking than neutered cats. But neutered cats, male or female, will territorially mark, as well.

Cats will mark their territory by spraying if there is an unaltered male or a female in heat wandering the neighborhood. Spraying will most certainly occur if another cat is not introduced properly into the existing cat’s home. Sometimes spraying will take place if there are too many cats in a household. How many are too many? That depends on the cats and how well they get along. For some cats, the addition of one more cat would be too many.

Cats may spray if they are in a stressful situation. This may be when a stranger enters the home such as a new baby or a new significant other. Stress may result when the house is being painted or remodeled. Sometimes, a new cat in the neighborhood staring through the window will produce enough stress to simulate your cat to urine-mark.

For temporary relief from this problem, your veterinarian can help by prescribing chemical therapy. In the meantime, in order to permanently eliminate spraying, you must discover and remove the motivation for your spraying cat’s behavior. Usually, the spraying is hormonally driven, but not always. Therefore, sexually altering your cat may solve the problem. This will make her less territorial, hence no need for spraying. Your neighbors may be willing to alter their cats, as well. You may have to play detective to discover what is causing stress in your kitty’s life. If your kitty is being physically punished for any misbehavior, she will release the stress of this abuse by spraying, on you, your property, or whoever is administering the punishment.

Stop a male cat from spraying

Surely one of the most challenging and potentially heartbreaking conditions that a cat owner can be faced with is a cat who sprays indoors "inappropriately".

Indeed, "inappropriate elimination" is the most common behavioral problem seen by veterinarians. In 1995, 41 of the 62 cases of feline misbehavior treated at Cornell University's Small Animal Clinic involved this frustrating and perplexing condition. Tragically, house soiling/spraying is the number one reason for last resort feline euthanasia, over and above any other single behavioral or medical condition. There is no significant gender difference observed in the number of female versus male cats exhibiting this behavior, and yes, contrary to what misinformed people may tell you, even cats that are spayed and neutered will spray!

The first step to take in meeting this challenge and seeking solutions for your cat is to find a vet that cares. If, as was my initial misfortune, you are told: "This is a no-win situation. I have seen a lot of this over the years. Nothing will stop it", grab your furry friend and thank them kindly in advance for forwarding your records onto another doctor. There have been so many recent advances in the use of relatively safe and often very effective anti-anxiety drugs, with new ones coming to market every year, that no animal lover should ever have to hear these words spring from a vet's mouth.

The first step in the discovery of possible causes is to rule out potential physical reasons. If your cat is not already spayed and neutered, this is a must. However, these procedures do not guarantee a cessation of the spraying behavior.

Examinations for lower urinary tract diseases should be given immediately as a painful case of cystitis (bladder infection), interstitial cystitis, urethritis, or a urethral blockage can certainly convince a cat that the litter box is the cause of the pain and an enemy to be avoided at all costs.

Simultaneous with seeking answers in the cat's physical health, a thorough analysis of the environment is in order. Have you recently moved? Gone on a trip leaving kitty at home alone or with a stranger? Brought home a new pet or significant other human? Have you finally added one too many cats to the household ? Has your schedule changed? Are stray cats loitering and spraying the exterior of your cat's property? Cats are highly territorial and if something, or someone, is threatening them and causing stress, the natural inclination is to redefine the territory (your house, bed, walls, appliances, furniture, drapes) as their own.

Perhaps a dominant member of the feline tribe has begun to bully a more submissive one, limiting their range of motion and access to the litter box area. When one of my favorite male cats began to spray up a storm in the house, his aggression toward a female cat that he had coexisted with for a couple of years dramatically increased. Her world quickly closed down, as did her ability to move about the house freely. She spent all her time under a chair trying to avoid the bully. Thus began house soiling problems with her as well since she was too terrified to brave the trip downstairs to the litter boxes.

Have you changed the location of the litterbox? Do not place it too close to the food and water area as cats do not like to eliminate in the same vicinity where they eat. Likewise, a brightly lit, loud, heavily trafficked and overly-exposed section of the house is not the place for your kitty to "do their business". Cats are dignified and prefer privacy for such personal acts.

Perhaps a new brand of litter does not appeal to your cat in either the texture and/or the scent. No matter how good a fragrance smells to you, bear in mind that your cat's sense of smell is far superior and what is simply pleasant to you may be repelling and pungent to them. (Cats detest citrus scents.) If you are a multiple cat owner, it is strongly advised that you have one litter box for every two cats. No one likes to wait in line to relieve themselves, and cats are fastidious. Keep the litter boxes scooped and clean, and be mindful when washing them to use only mild and unscented cleaning agents.

It is important to remember that cats thrive on consistency and familiarity, and are often confused and stressed by changes in their little worlds. All of these events can be very distressing to our feline friends and cause, in and of themselves, for a cat to express his displeasure by soiling or marking his territory. While there are a plethora of products on the market designed to eliminate the smell of "eliminate" and end this frustrating cycle once and for all, you may suddenly find yourself exhausting the medical and environmental options and considering the drug therapy course of treatment.

"Better living through chemistry" is a modern-day mood stabilizing anthem that also applies to our feline friends and the psychological symptoms and conditions that they exhibit. In years previous, up until the mid-1980s, Valium and progesterone derivatives were the only pharmaceutical alternatives available to most vets. Progesterone was effective in barely one third of the cases, and the potential side effects included hormonal and organ imbalances and severe damage.

While Valium was more effective, it was also addictive, and as the third and final drug I tried on my male cat, I found it to be not only unsuccessful in changing his behavior but heartbreaking to employ. The extreme stupor he displayed caused by the heavy sedative properties made him unable to navigate the stairs or walk with a steady gait. Drugging a cat so that he was unable to stand up long enough to spray was not an acceptable alternative.

Prozac is a medication that is frequently tried early on in drug therapy especially if the suspected cause involves an increase in the cat's stress and anxiety levels. Because this seretonin-enhancing drug is also effective in treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorders and depression in humans, many cats cease their anxiety-related spraying once a Prozac regime begins.

One of the most recent and most effective drugs to be employed in a variety of cases is Buspiron, another anxiety-reducing agent. Unlike Valium, it is not addictive, the side effects are minimal, and the cat can undergo a retraining process while on the medication that can be sustained when the dosage is stopped. In addition, one of the positive side effects is an increase in the cat's confidence with a proportionate increase in their level of affection for and friendliness toward humans. An increase in play and "young at heartness" may also be noticed.

In just the few years since I experienced my own very painful and prolonged ordeal with my beloved but increasing aggressive and distressed sprayer, the research in this field has accelerated. More and more vets are receiving the education and important information needed to help the owners of such troubled cats make accurate diagnoses and humane decisions. While I was never able to find a drug or a solution that helped my cat and ultimately made the wrenching decision to euthanize him, new advances in the field should help guarantee that fewer of us need endure such a painful experience in the future.