litter box help!!!!!!!?

Question

my 9month old cat that i just adopted yester day peed alot on my bed i thinks its called squating . anyway we got this litter that smells like pine some people are telling me that is the reason she is not using the litter box is there a way that we can get her to start using it. we even put her in the box and did the scrape thing with her paw. locked her in the bathroom with the box and nothing. what can i do should i just give her back to my mom . or is it to late to train an indoor out door cat to use the litter box. she is so sweet. i would hate to give her up.

Answer 1

Hi there...First consider all the possibilities such as:
- changes with litter brands (consider using the litter she was accustomed to before you adopted her, if you can find out)
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
- unspayed/un-neutered if cat is over the age of 5-7 months. Cats will become aggressive as they sexually mature and territorially mark with either urine or defecating.

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

Answer 2

Well no need to go get hasty and through her out.There are a few things you can try before you decide wether or not she just isn't litter trainable.First off,Do you have another cat? cause if you do some cats are very picky and won't use a box that another cat has used or is using also,.Second: I would deffinatley try changing her ltter .she may not like the pine! I would also try to find out if she used the litter box with her previous owner? And what litter did she use if she did use it okay.You can try a 2 week trial lock her up at night with her litter box and if she poddies on the floor scoop it up put in the litter box and show it to her let her smell it and do that everytime that away she gets the idea.and last if she is mainly urinating around the house,she may have a bladder or urinary trach infection,cats are very prone to those sorts of things.she could just be acting out to tell you something.Or she could be in heat.possibly getting her fixed if she isnt already. Well that should cover most of the litter box issues.Try these feww things first off and see if she breaks.If not she may just need to be an out doors kinda cat!!!Hope this helps good luck.

Answer 3

I agree that the scented litter is probably the problem. Cats don't like strong scents. Also, if you have a hooded litter pan, some won't use it. Check to see if there is anything around the pan that may spook the cat (furnaces make noise and can scare them). Put cat nip around the litter to make it more appealing. But throw out that litter you have and wash out the pan with an unscented soap to get rid of any traces of the pine smell. Also, call your vet to get tips... they can really help. Good luck

Answer 4

I know you've had a lot of advice about this problem. Here's a little more. Try mixing one of the fine graned clumping litter's in with the pine (it sounds like you may be trying to be more environmentally concious), there is one on the market that is made from recycled newspapers. Putting the sand box in a low traffic area helps. My old cat would face the wall if anyone was around while he was on his "throne". Also, there's a Orange Enzyme based cleaner in stores that will disinfect your bed & discourage your cat from peeing on it again...lots of luck!

Answer 5

I know from experience that most of the time when a cat pees on your bed he's trying to get your attention. 1st try regular unscented litter and give that a little time to work. If that doesn't work take her to the vet because she may have a bladder infection or some other such problem (which is easily fixable once diagnosed). Good luck.

Answer 6

to find out if its the litter, dump it & replace with regular litter. If she uses it, its the pine. If not, she could have a uti. My cat had one & she peed all over the house. After she was treated, she went back to her box. Good luck.

Answer 7

It's probably the pine scented litter. Cats don't like scented litter or scented things near their potty areas. Put unscented litter in the box, and put the box in a private, quite, low traffic area. If you find any poop around the house, stick the poop in the box and then put her in the box. She'll get the hang of it. Get rid of that smelly pine stuff!!!

Answer 8

I would give her time - and also you might want to talk to your vet. Perhaps starting with newspaper ripped up in the litter box - thick padding of newspaper on the botton and torn pieces (lengthwise) to fill 1/2 way. Then, perhaps graduate to sand litter.

That's what I did for my 2 week old adoptee male kitty. Works like a charm.

Answer 9

Okay. I have had 3 cats so I understand. Keep putting her into the box even if she doesnt do anything. Keep doing it until she's a bit older. People say that they go to the bathroom in the box natrually but do THIS. I didn't do this with one of my cats and she doesn't cover up her leftovers.

Answer 10

Try a different kind of litter. Some cats really are VERY sensitive to certain textures on their paw pads. Use one that is a finely grained clumping litter- you will likely see improvement.