My cat has decided to lose the litter box!!?

Question

My 4 month old cat has decided to stop using the litter box and start using my rugs! What do I do? She has never acted like this before.

Answer 1

1. GO TO THE VET. cat this cat checked out. When cats stop using their litter boxes it can be their way of saying something is VERY wrong! It is not like they can right you a note. GO TO THE VET for some tests.


2. It could be the litter box itself. There could be a bad smell to it that you do not know about. Try using litter bags in stead of just nothing. The bags help keep the Box smelling nice... for your cat anyway. Id your box too small for your cat now? try upgrading to a bigger size. If your cat is not comfortable... it will not use it.

3. Change the litter brand. Some cats just don't like Clay litter. It bothers their toes when the "GO". You could try the scoopable brand. If your using the SCoopable, switch to clay. Some cats don't like the "SAND" of the scoopable.


What is under your rug? You might have a little problem under there that you don't know about yet. CATS have great hearing. Even better than dogs. Your cat can be hearing a mouse, termites or something... yuck... even worse under there. Cats will sometimes squat in an area they would like to keep clean of preditors.


My cat used to do the same thing in my closet. I was renting a small house for the summer and I thought the landlord was goign to kill me. My VET said he was marking his territory... I thought my cat was just trying to piss me off! I finally decided to take up the carpet in the closet, and see what was going. I FOUND A COLONY OF TERMITES! My landlord was so greatful to my CAT he offered us one month free! We decided not to take him up on it.

Answer 2

Cats are very smart pets. Have you change cat litter? The scent? Do you clean the box properly? Have you moved the box to a different place? If you haven't done any of these things and the cat just doesnt use the litter box does the kitten feel ok? Does he act normal? His belly could be hurting, he could have sensitive paws to the litter. Cats will use there litter box when they know where it is and are trained to do it. So this is very odd! I have had cats all my life and cats from other people that were not litter box trained and I have trained them and changed the cats personality. It is all in the cat and the cats owner, they need to trust you and you need to understand them. It sounds like there is something wrong with the cat. You might have to take him to a vet.

Answer 3

One of my cats used a small rug once because the cat box was just too filthy to get in. From then on, she used that rug constantly, whether the box was clean or not. The smell brings them back to the same place. Clean them with vinegar, it will help remove the smell. If possible, put them in the washer with a ton of white vinegar and detergent (bleach if they're white). If you can get the smell out, the cat should leave it alone. Unfortunately, I ended up throwing my rug away (it was a cheap door mat, so it wasn't too much of a loss).

Also, a sudden change in behavior like that may indicate a medical problem, such as a urinary tract or bladder infection. You may want to consider taking her to the vet.

Answer 4

Get rid of the rugs. Confine your kitten to the area where the litter box is, if possible put a cut out section of one of the rugs into the litter box, when the kitten starts using it, and gets its scent into the litter box, then remove the piece of rug. Put the kitten's food as far away from the litter box as possible

Answer 5

First thing you want to look at is, the contents of your kitty litter. Often times, when your kitty/cat quits using it's box, it's because of the contents.First of all, the box must remain clean at all times. Next you can try a litter brand without built-in odor killer.I have two more suggestions for you. Try surrounding the box with a 2" wide platform covered with nubby carpeting so the cat can knead it's claws. This last one is what has worked best for me. Put approximatly 2 cups potting soil on top of your kitty litter and gently mix in the soil on top, leaving plenty for your kitty to be able to smell. Soon your kitty will be back in it's box. Be sure to also give your kitty plenty of encouragement when he/she does go in the desired area. From a very happy cat's mama!

Answer 6

Ok. You need to take her ot the vet for tests. Check her urine...is it bloody? When cats stop using the litterboxes, it's their way of saying "Hey, mom, I'm not feeling too well". My guess is a urinary tract infection. Good Luck!

Answer 7

are you keeping it clean enough?, try some other litter, and get one more litter box for it to use.