Cat problems...?

Question

We adopted a new cat and we already have another one....I know this is digusting but He wont go in the litter box we gave him.....Its clean but he keeps going outside the box and goes other places around the area.....We have had to clean the carpet ssooo much...how can i get him to go in the litter

Answer 1

Solving Litterbox Problems

Cats tend to have surface and location preferences for where, and on what, they like to eliminate. Most cats prefer a
loose, sandy substance, which is why they will use a litterbox. It’s only when their preferences include the laundry basket,
the bed or the Persian rug, that normal elimination behavior becomes a problem. With careful analysis of your cat’s
environment, specific factors that have contributed to the litterbox problem can usually be identified and changed, so
that your cat will again use the litterbox for elimination.
Some common reasons why cats don’t use the litterbox are: an aversion to the box, a preference for a particular surface
not provided by the box, a preference for a particular location where there is no box, or a combination of all three. You’ll
need to do some detective work to determine the reason your cat is house soiling. Sometimes, the reason the litterbox
problem initially started may not be the same reason it’s continuing. For example, your cat may have stopped using the litterbox because of a urinary tract infection, and has now developed a surface preference for carpet and a location
preference for the bedroom closet. You would need to address all three of these factors in order to resolve the problem.
Cats don’t stop using their litterboxes because they’re mad or upset and are trying to get revenge for something that
“offended” or “angered” them. Because humans act for these reasons, it’s easy for us to assume that our pets do as well.
Animals don’t act out of spite or revenge, so it won’t help to give your cat special privileges in the hope that she’ll start
using the litterbox again.

Medical Problems

It’s common for cats to begin eliminating outside of their litterbox when they have a medical problem. For example, a
urinary tract infection or crystals in the urine can make urination very painful. Cats often associate this pain with the
litterbox and begin to avoid it. If your cat has a house-soiling problem, check with your veterinarian first to rule out any
medical problems for the behavior. Cats don’t always act sick, even when they are, and only a trip to the veterinarian for
a thorough physical examination can rule out a medical problem.

Cleaning Soiled Areas

Because animals are highly motivated to continue soiling an area that smells like urine or feces, it’s imperative that you
thoroughly clean the soiled areas (see our handout: “Successful Cleaning to Remove Pet Odors and Stains”).

Aversion To The Litterbox

Your cat may have decided that the litterbox is an unpleasant place to eliminate if:
The box is not clean enough for her.
She has experienced painful urination or defecation in the box due to a medical problem.
She has been startled by a noise while using the box.
She has been “ambushed” while in the box either by another cat, a child, a dog, or by you, if you were
attempting to catch her for some reason.
She associates the box with punishment (someone punished her for eliminating outside the box, then placed her
in the box).

What You Can Do

Keep the litterbox extremely clean. Scoop at least once a day and change the litter completely every four to five
days. If you use scoopable litter, you may not need to change the litter as frequently. This will vary according to
how many cats are in the household, how many litterboxes you have, and how large the cats are that are using
the box or boxes. A good guideline is that if you can smell the box, then you can be sure it’s offensive to your cat
as well.
Add a new box in a different location than the old one and use a different type of litter in the new box. Because
your cat has decided that her old litterbox is unpleasant, you’ll want to make the new one different enough that
she doesn’t simply apply the old, negative associations to the new box.
Make sure that the litterbox isn’t near an appliance that makes noise or in an area of the house that your cat
doesn’t frequent.
If ambushing is a problem, try to create more than one exit from the litterbox, so that if the “ambusher” is waiting
by one area, your cat always has an escape route.

Surface Preferences

All animals develop preferences for a particular surface on which they like to eliminate. These preferences may be
established early in life, but they may also change overnight for reasons that we don’t always understand. Your cat may
have a surface preference if:
She consistently eliminates on a particular texture. For example, soft-textured surfaces, such as carpet, bedding or
clothing, or slick-textured surfaces, such as tile, cement, bathtubs or sinks.
She frequently scratches on this same texture after elimination, even if she eliminates in the litterbox.
She is or was previously an outdoor cat and prefers to eliminate on grass or soil.

What You Can Do

If your cat is eliminating on soft surfaces, try using a high quality, scoopable litter, and put a soft rug under the
litterbox.
If your cat is eliminating on slick, smooth surfaces, try putting just a very thin layer of litter at one end of the box,
leaving the other end bare, and put the box on a hard floor.
If your cat has a history of being outdoors, add some soil or sod to the litterbox.
Make the area where she has been eliminating aversive to her by covering it with an upside down carpet runner
or aluminum foil, or by placing citrus-scented cotton balls over the area (see our handout: “Aversives For Cats”).

Location Preferences

Your cat may have a location preference if:
She always eliminates in quiet, protected places, such as under a desk downstairs or in a closet.
She eliminates in an area where the litterbox was previously kept or where there are urine odors.
She eliminates on a different level of the house from where the litterbox is located.

What You Can Do

Put at least one litterbox on every level of your house.
Make the area where she has been eliminating aversive to her by covering it with upside down carpet runner or
aluminum foil, or by placing citrus-scented cotton balls over the area (see our handout: “Aversives For Cats”)
OR
Put a litterbox in the location where your cat has been eliminating. When she has consistently used this box for at
least one month, you may gradually move it to a more convenient location at a rate of an inch per day.

Oops!

If you catch your cat in the act of eliminating in the house, do something to interrupt her like making a startling noise, but
be careful not to scare her. Immediately take her to where the litterbox is located and set her on the floor. If she wanders
over to the litterbox, wait and praise her after she eliminates in the box. If she takes off in another direction, she may want
privacy, so watch from afar until she goes back to the litterbox and eliminates, then praise her when she does.
Don’t ever punish your cat for eliminating outside of the litterbox. If you find a soiled area, it’s too late to administer a
correction. Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your cat’s nose in it, taking her to the spot and scolding her, or any other
type of punishment, will only make her afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. Animals don’t understand
punishment after the fact, even if it’s only seconds later. Punishment will do more harm than good.

Other Types Of Housesoiling Problems

Marking/Spraying: To determine if your cat is marking or spraying, please see our handout: “Territorial Marking In
Dogs And Cats.”
Fears or Phobias: When animals become frightened, they may lose control of their bladder and/or bowels. If your
cat is afraid of loud noises, strangers or other animals, she may house soil when she is exposed to these stimuli....



-----------------------------------------------------------------


Solving Litter Box Problems

If you're having a hard time persuading your cat to use the litter box, it just may be time to draw a line in the sand. Most cats prefer eliminating on a loose, grainy substance, which is why they quickly learn to use a litter box. But when their preferences include the laundry basket, the bed, or the Persian rug, you may find yourself with a difficult problem. By taking a closer look at your cat's environment, you should be able to identify factors that have contributed to the problem, and make changes that encourage your cat to head for the litter box once again. The most common reasons why cats don't use the litter box are an aversion to the box, such as dislike of a covered box, or dissatisfaction with the depth of the litter. Two other common reasons are a preference for a particular type of litter not provided in the box, or a preference for a particular location where there is no box.
Animal Care Professionals:
Print and customize the
PDF version of this tip sheet
with your contact information.

Sometimes, the problem is a combination of all these factors. To get to the answer, you'll need to do a little detective work—and remember, the original source of the problem may not be the reason it's continuing. For example, your cat may have stopped using the litter box because of a urinary tract infection, and then developed a surface preference for carpet and a location preference for the bedroom closet. If that's the case, you'll need to address all three of these factors to resolve the problem.

Cats don't stop using their litter boxes because they're upset at their human caregivers and are determined to get revenge for something that "offended" them. Because humans act for these reasons, it's easy for us to assume that our pets do as well. But animals don't act out of spite or revenge, so it won't help to punish your cat or give her special privileges in the hope that she'll start using the litter box again.

Medical Problems

It's common for cats with medical problems to begin eliminating outside of their litter box. For example, a urinary tract infection or crystals in the urine can make urination painful—and both are serious conditions that require medical attention. Cats often associate this pain with the litter box and begin to avoid it. So if your cat has a house-soiling problem, check with your veterinarian first to rule out any medical problems. Cats don't always act sick, even when they are, and only a trip to the veterinarian for a thorough physical examination can rule out a medical problem.

Cleaning Soiled Areas

Because animals are highly motivated to continue soiling an area that smells like urine or feces—and because cats' sense of smell is so much stronger than humans'—it's important to thoroughly and properly clean the soiled areas.

Urine stains will glow in the dark under a fluorescent black light, which can generally be purchased at hardware and pet supply stores. Once located, the stains should be cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner, also available at pet supply stores. Strong smelling household cleaners will do little to eliminate the odor or deter your pet from re-marking the area. Be sure to clean the area thoroughly before steam cleaning to avoid "locking in" the odor.

Aversion to the Litter Box

Your cat may have decided the litter box is an unpleasant place to eliminate if:

* The box is not clean enough for her.
* She has experienced painful urination or defecation in the box due to a medical problem.
* She has been startled by a noise while using the box.
* She has been "ambushed" while in the box by another cat, a child, a dog, or by you, if you were attempting to catch her for some reason.
* She associates the box with punishment. (For example, someone punished her for eliminating outside the box, then placed her in the box.)

What You Can Do:

* Keep the litter box extremely clean. Scoop at least once a day and change the litter completely every four to five days. If you use scoopable litter, you may not need to change the litter as frequently, depending on the number of cats in the household, the size of the cats, and the number of litter boxes. If you can smell the box, then you can be pretty sure it's offensive to your cat as well.
* Add a new box in a different location, and use a different type of litter in the new box. Because your cat has decided that her old litter box is unpleasant, you'll want to make the new one different enough that she doesn't simply apply the old, negative associations to the new box.
* Make sure that the litter box isn't near an appliance (such as a furnace) that makes noise, or in an area of the home that your cat doesn't frequent.
* If ambushing is a problem, create more than one exit from the litter box, so that if the "ambusher" is waiting by one area, your cat always has an escape route.
* If you have multiple cats, provide one litter box for each cat, plus one extra box in a different location.

Surface Preferences

All animals develop preferences for a particular surface on which they like to eliminate. These preferences may be established early in life, but they may also change overnight for reasons that we don't always understand. Your cat may have a surface preference if:

* She consistently eliminates on a particular texture—for example, soft-textured surfaces such as carpeting, bedding, or clothing, or slick-textured surfaces such as tile, cement, bathtubs, or sinks.
* She frequently scratches on this same texture after elimination, even if she eliminates in the litter box.
* She is or was previously an outdoor cat and prefers to eliminate on grass or soil.

What You Can Do:

* If you recently changed the type or brand of cat litter, go back to providing the litter that your cat had been using.
* If your cat is eliminating on soft surfaces, try using a high-quality, scoopable litter.
* If your cat is eliminating on slick, smooth surfaces, try putting a very thin layer of litter at one end of the box, leaving the other end bare, and put the box on a hard floor.
* If your cat has a history of being outdoors, add some soil or sod to the litter box.

Location Preferences

Your cat may have a location preference if:

* She always eliminates in quiet, protected places, such as under a desk, beneath a staircase, or in a closet.
* She eliminates in an area where the litter box was previously kept or where there are urine odors.
* She eliminates on a different level of the home from where the litter box is located.

What You Can Do:

* Put at least one litter box on every level of your home. (Remember, a properly cleaned litter box does not smell.)
* To make the area where she has been eliminating less appealing to your cat, cover the area with upside-down carpet runner or aluminum foil, place citrus-scented cotton balls over the area, or place water bowls in the area (because cats often don't like to eliminate near where they eat or drink).

OR
* Put a litter box in the location where your cat has been eliminating. When she has consistently used this box for at least one month, you may gradually move it to a more convenient location at a rate of an inch—seriously!—per day.

Everyone Makes Mistakes

If you catch your cat in the act of eliminating outside the litter box, do something to interrupt her like making a startling noise, but be careful not to scare her. Immediately take her to the litter box and set her on the floor nearby. If she wanders over to the litter box, wait and praise her after she eliminates in the box. If she takes off in another direction, she may want privacy, so watch from afar until she goes back to the litter box and eliminates, then praise her when she does.

Don't ever punish your cat for eliminating outside of the litter box. By the time you find the soiled area, it's too late to administer a correction. Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your cat's nose in it, taking her to the spot and scolding her, or inflicting any other type of punishment will only make her afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. Animals don't understand punishment after the fact, even if it's only seconds later, and trying to punish them will often make matters worse.

Other Types of House Soiling Problems

Marking/Spraying: To determine if your cat is marking or spraying, consult a veterinarian or animal behaviorist.

Fears or Phobias: When animals become frightened, they may lose control of their bladder and/or bowels. If your cat is afraid of loud noises, strangers, or other animals, she may soil the home when she is exposed to these stimuli.

© 2002. Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. All rights reserved.

Answer 2

Make sure you have two litter boxes at first. One for new guy and one for old guy. Place the litter boxes in separate corners of the house, so that neither one can defend the other box while defending their own. Litter boxes are territorial until cats get to know each other.

Never use a covered cat litter box until the cat is well settled in. Sometimes a cat does not like the "trapped" feeling of a covered box.

I'm sure when new guy get settled in things will be okay. Right now he is insecure about the other cat.

Be sure and show new guy where "his" litter box is and you may even consider confining him to a room by himself with his litter box and food and water. Maybe you released him into the house too soon.

Good luck. I hope you know about Nature's Miracle. I couldn't live without it iwth my 8 cats!

Answer 3

Three litter boxes for two cats, with clean litter. They are picky. He may very well have a bladder infection. Cats often do not want to use the litter box when they have a bladder infection, because they associate the pain while urinating, with the place they normally urinate - (the box). They try other places, in order to find a place where it won't cause pain to urinate. Additionally, if your cat is not neutered, this could contribute to the problem with urinating (or spraying) around the house. But I would not just assume it is behavioral, but get him checked with a good veterinarian for infection or stones. For cleaning, try this: Water with bleach and the cleaner Spick and Span. (Check your carpeting to be sure it does not cause spotting). This has worked the best for the various times we have needed to clean digressions from litter use. Please do check with the vet, as infections can cause additional damage if not properly treated.

Answer 4

An idea...If you have a cage, put him in it with his litter, food and water. He has to sleep there and most animals, cats and dogs, won't use their bedding (which would be his cage here) but maybe then he will realize it is the litter or else. Once you know he has used the littler, let him out of his cage for a few hours to play. And put him back, till he gets the idea. I have done this before and it has worked...but remember each cat has it's own personality. If he continues in a caged area, I would try changing the litter. Good Luck.

Answer 5

Litter problems:

1. Maybe the litter is too close to his eating area. Cats don't like to take a dump near the place where they eat. Heck, I wouldn't want that too, that's too gross.
2. Try to change the litter. Maybe he doesn't like the brand.

Answer 6

Rule of thumb...# of cats + one = # of litterboxes in the house. So if you now have 2 cats, you need 3 litterboxes. If he is continuously going to one spot, put a litterbox there. If that isn't convenient put something to block it (ie a plant). Sometimes even putting his food there will break the cycle. Also, it might be worth your while to take him to the vet to see if there is a medical reason for inappropriate urination, such as a urinary tract infection. You can talk to your vet about recommendations too. Good luck.

Answer 7

A few guesses: he doesnt like the litter, he is still getting used to you and the other cat? Try other brands of litter is my best guess.

Answer 8

get another litter box for him. u should always have one more litter box than cats. (5 cats= 6 bozes, 2 cats= 3 boxes...)and if u r using scented litter, use another. cats HATE scented litter.

Answer 9

Maybe he needs his own litter box,but if he is only peeing then he is marking the home.I have three and thy do good the old one I had did pee and ever time he did I showed him and told him very strict that I was not happy with him, it did work.

Answer 10

http://www.utahhumane.org/Education/Cats/LitterBoxTrainingYourNewKitten/tabid/474/Default.aspx

http://www.litterkwitter.com/en/doogies_kitten_cat_advice.php