Cats missing the litter box?

Question

My sister got a cat for Christmas. He used his box for about 2 weeks, & has since started using the bathtub & floor to poop. He uses his box but only RIGHT after she has cleaned it. She's tried water in the tub, & then he uses the floor. She's tried newspaper where he's gone & then he just moves to a different spot on the floor.
The box is a 'kitten' size box & Max is only about 5#. He's a rather small guy.
Any suggestions? She is taking him to the vet on Friday for shots & I'd like to give her some questions to ask the vet about his problem.
THANKS!

Answer 1

First a caution about what you should never do. Never, ever punish a cat for peeing in the wrong place, by yelling, rubbing his nose in it, or forcing or throwing him into the litterbox. You'll create far more problems than you'll ever cure, even if you catch him in the act. You'll teach him nothing but fear and distrust for his human bully, traits you want to avoid at all costs, and you'll only reinforce his fears of the litter box by throwing him into it.

http://cats.about.com/cs/litterboxproblems/a/urinewoes_4.htm

A. make sure couch is very clean, with non- amonnia cleaner with enzymes made for this purpose...
B. make sure cats litterbox is extra clean:
C. take kitty to vet to make sure it does not have a UTI: cats will go somewhere other than their box if urination hurts: they equate their litter box with the pain. Do this asap, and check for orange droplets at the lip of the litter box and on the couch.....
below are some more in depth pointers, but those are the 3 biggies: ESPECIALLY the get the kitty to the vet, it probably is a UTI: which can be fatal if left untreated= kidney failure.

First a caution about what you should never do. Never, ever punish a cat for peeing in the wrong place, by yelling, rubbing his nose in it, or forcing or throwing him into the litterbox. You'll create far more problems than you'll ever cure, even if you catch him in the act. You'll teach him nothing but fear and distrust for his human bully, traits you want to avoid at all costs, and you'll only reinforce his fears of the litter box by throwing him into it.

http://cats.about.com/cs/litterboxproblems/a/urinewoes_4.htm
First things first, and the most serious possiblecause of inappropriate elimination is always pain in urinating, which translates to avoidance of the litter box, which is a symbol of the pain in the cat's mind.

We'll assume your cat got a clean bill of health from your veterinarian because this article is about peeing in all the wrong places. (FLUTD and FUS are covered elsewhere.)


Eliminate Other Likely Causes

Next, your task is eliminating all the other causes of your cat's missing the litterbox. He missed the whole room, you say? Well, bear with me. You need to ask yourself a number of questions involving what has changed to disturb my cat? Cats are fussy little critters who like to have everything orderly in their home. The slightest change which you may accomodate or even enjoy will upset your cat's applecart and he will let you know loud and clear, by peeing where he darn well pleases, even though he ordinarily would prefer his litterbox.


Here are some questions to consider:


Has your cat been declawed? Declawing is a painful, mutilating surgery, and phantom limb pain can linger for years. A rough substrate in the litter box will cause severe pain to the nerve endings in a declawed paw, and the cat will associate pain with the litter box. Always use "gentle" litter for declawed cats, such as one of the newspaper-based litters (PaPurr or Yesterday's News are both good).
Have you recently moved? - This is a biggie. Your cat will feel very insecure in new surroundings and it will take some time for his comfort level to return to normal.
Is there a new baby in the house? Cats are very jealous of their attention and he will need lots of extra love and cuddling so he knows that he is still first in your heart. (You may feel a little differently, but humor him, okay?)
Is there a new cat in your home? A new dog? The above applies equally to these situations, and in the case of another cat, make sure it has its own litterbox. Cats hate to share, particularly if they've never had to before. The general rule of thumb is one litter box per cat plus one extra. Don't ask why-- it just works.
Is his litterbox meticulously clean? Have you ever had to relieve yourself in one of those portable facilities at a fair, when the deodorizer has failed its job? Cats are every bit as disgusted as you were and their sense of smell is better, by far. I rest my case.
Have you changed your brand of litter? Cats tend to be creatures of habit, and any changes should be done gradually. In the case of litter changes, just sprinkle a bit of the new litter on top of the formerly used brand. Then gradually add more until the cat has accepted the change.
Have you moved the litterbox? Likewise, cats are used to their normal routines.
Has another cat in the household recently had surgery or been ill? I know this sounds strange, but the odor of anasthesia and medication can linger and create fear in your other cats.
Is it possible any form of trauma has occurred when your cat was using the box? Such as attack or intimidation by another cat? Again, a cat will avoid any source of discomfort, whether it be physical or emotional. His mind will link the location with the trauma.
These are all questions designed to make you think like a cat. Consider the things that might make you uncomfortable in the same situation. If one of these questions makes you pop to attention, your problem may be solved quickly by elimination the source, i.e., switching back to his old brand of litter, or moving the litterbox back to its original place. However, if the problem has been longstanding, you may need to dig deeper and the retraining may take a bit more time.

Answer 2

Good idea for the vet to do a urinalysis to see if the cat has a UTI. (Urinary tract infection.) Going outside the litterbox is a big sign of that. The cat associates the pain with the litterbox and goes elsewhere to do its business. The test only costs like $35 and it'd be well worth it. This will help determine if the cat is naughty or if its a medical problem. If its a UTI, the cat will go on antibiotics if its a bacteria problem, or a change in food for a few months if it is crystals in the urine. Crystals can cause a blockage which can be deadly, especially in male cats.

It is recommended to feed high quality premium food, low magnesium food, to prevent further UTI occurances.

Answer 3

Cats are generally very sparkling and fastidious animals of their toiletry conduct. How-ever, there is continuously human being who does no longer follow the norm. I easily have an 8yr old desexed lady who has unexpectedly began doing an identical ingredient, yet then I do have 5 different cats to boot. i'm preparation her all once more desirable to easily pass into the container to do her poops somewhat than only beside it. It takes more than a number of time and staying power. recognize even as she generally is going for a poop, after eating is one, and follow her. even as she starts to finish %. her up and placed her in the container and stay there 'til she does her pastime. yet another trick is to get a touch stick and scratch in the muddle to mimic the cat's popular behaviour. you're saying you save the muddle sparkling so as that could no longer the reason. Do you've different cats? competition for the tray and the numerous scents left in the back of may reason issues. My cat is getting the message and is responding nicely to my being in the back of her each and every of the time. do no longer save shifting the container because it confuses the cat, she likes familiarity. As I stated, time, staying power and preparation.