Reasons a cat would stop using his litter box?

Question

Sphynx (hairless cat) successfully used litter box for >5 years and suddenly will rarely use it now (to pee or poop). Tried totally cleaning it, getting a new litter box... He does occasionally use it but mostly goes in the floor. Very frustrating!

Answer 1

is it possible you changed the litter type, or brand, or scent??? my cats hate certain cat litters and will use others fine..

also... be sure it is VERY clean and in the same place all the time and no where near the cat food or water...

is there stress in the house??...

also some cats cant make it to the box as they age, is this a problem?..

does the cat have a kidney problem? or urine infection?
if so your vet can help if it continues...

just some things to think about... cat like to stay clean so there Must be a reason.....Good Luck..

Answer 2

A change in the household can cause this kind of behavior; this is particularly true if another cat has come to live there. Covering waste is an instinctive behavior that is meant to prevent potential predators from discovering an animal's presence. However, on occasion in a multi-cat household, the dominant cat will urinate or defecate outside the box; it's sort of his way of stating the he's the "top cat" and doesn't need to be afraid to let the other cats know that he exists. If you have gotten another cat, try getting separate litter boxes for each cat, and this may stop the behavior. If there's no new feline resident, or if the seperate boxes don't help, take your cat to the vet; there is always a possibility of illness. Good luck!

Answer 3

The cat needs to do the following to be using a litter box:
A) Know where it is. Did you move it?
B) Know they should use it when inside.
C) Have it easy to access. Is there anything blocking it?
D) Be able to get there in time or hold it long enough to go. Does the cat like to go far from the litter box?

Answer 4

have you change litter to a new kind if so that could be the reason if no other reason works try placing paper around the box in case he misses. gotta luv them krazy cats will we ever understand them? they are worse than us women also it there someone or something new in the house? this can upset a cat into doing this. your cat is older right could he be having a hard time getting in the litter box? is it to high for him to get in i hope maybe i helped some good luck

Answer 5

I hope I am soooo wrong in your case, but usually, when cats who have been successfully trained to use litter box suddenly poo and pee in inappropriate places, it is a sign that something is wrng with them such as kidney crystals, UTI, etc. If I were you, I'd take the cat to the vet for blood and urine test (or whatever the vet recommends) just to rule out kidney disease or UTI.

Answer 6

I think your cat is going through a stage of feeling ignored. He is being stubborn, even though you get a new box he still needs more attention. He also might be mad at you for something and wants you to get mad at him because he got mad at you. Or he doesnt want it to get dirty and you cleaning up his poop on the floor or anywhere else makes him think that your going to do it everytime. I'm not saying to not clean it up because that would be really grose, but just show him his mistakes and give him more of your attention. I hope it works out.

Answer 7

Is your cat declawed? If so, that is probably the reason why he is not using it anymore. 80% of cats surrendered to the shelter for not using the litterbox anymore are front declawed at least. Or maybe there was some large change in your household like a newcomer, or someone leaving. Think about everything that has happened since the cat stopped going to the litterbox every time. If the cat is declawed, it could have been something very small to set him off, as declawed cats are very sensitive to changes in their environment. It could have even been a change in cat litter. But you should check with your vet as well to see if he has any health problems. We discovered our cat was diabetic when he peed on the rug in the lobby.

Answer 8

hes thinks hes the boss now. can'ts go in the litter box and cover the crap for respect for u. in the wild they would dig a hole, do there bussiness, and cover it up for the respect of the domanint cat.

Answer 9

Don't you hate that? My daughter has a siamese male that does that , I think, because she isn't home as much because of her work and social life and he is acting out. He's ok if she is home for a few days at a time. So, that might be it.

Answer 10

if he goes in the floor the show it to him and smear his nose into it then show him the litter box and sit him in it that is what we did and it worked really good