ok, i have a 1yo male (neutered) cat. he REFUSES to go in the litter box. we have a bunch of other cats, and 2 litter boxes which are very clean. thered be no way for me to keep the other cats out of one of the litter boxes. he used the litter box for a little while...
he usually goes to the bathroom in the same place, but lately hes just been going wherever. he started out as an indoor cat then we had to let him outside because he wasnt using the box so much. now my mom is saying that if he keeps this up hes going to have to go to a shelter. he went for a checkup fairly recently, so i dont think its a uti, but could it be?
HOW DO I GET HIM TO START USING THE LITTER BOX?!
2007-06-10 13:11:36 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
ugh, but HOW do i retrain him. he flips out on me when i try to put him in the box, he'll only go if he does on his own. how would i keep 5 other cats out of a litter box?
2007-06-10 13:18:34 · update #1
put the litter box in the spot where he goes to the bathroom (when he doesnt use the box) Once a cat finds a place to 'go' they like to stick with that area. Also make sure the littler isnt by his food, because they wont use it.
2007-06-10 13:31:30 · answer #1 · answered by Cricket04 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have multiple cats and your cat is healthy then it is most likely a territorial problem. My wife and I work with strays and this is a common problem. Chances are one of the other dominant cats is not allowing him access to the boxes (if he uses it, the others WILL know). I've seen cats attack a cat who is lower on the social scale when they tried to go in the box. He's been looking for an alternate solution but you probably expressed displeasure (understandably) and now is just going anywhere out of desperation.
Are all the other cats fixed? If not you should try that. Males and females both.
Since there isn't a way to explain to the other cats that he can use a box, you'll either have to give him his own box and room or something similar.
You can also try getting totally new boxes and start from scratch. I don't know how much room you have but if you put them in different locations and give him first chance it might help (the old boxes have been marked by odor by the other cats).
Unfortunately, one of the others has probably decided there isn't enough room in your home and someone has to go. Watch for any subtle or overt hostile behavior towards him. If this is the problem, it's very hard to deal with.
2007-06-10 20:29:24 · answer #2 · answered by Pooka 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
you will need more litter boxes. also the cat may have a bladder infection and that is probably his way of letting you know it. i have 6 cats in my house and have just as many litter boxes if not more due to the fact that they do use the same box alot of the time. my simese did the same thing before she passed away with cancer.
2007-06-10 20:23:59 · answer #3 · answered by Tiffany J 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need more litter boxes. Two boxes for a bunch of cats isn't enough. You need a lot of boxes in different locations and they need to be kept very clean.
2007-06-10 20:14:50 · answer #4 · answered by Behaviorist 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds as if your cat is desperately trying to hang on to whatever shreds of territory he can mark. The fact that he has started to go everywhere is a sign of how "desperate" he has become.
When we had many cats, we found that one huge litterbox (like the platic pools they sell for little kids at the toy store) worked better than several small ones. It was suggested by our veterinarian, who did the same thing with his cats, and it worked very well for us. Not everyone has the space for it, though.
Keep in mind that cats are solitary animals by nature. They are for the most part adaptable, but some cats simply aren't suited to living in multi-cat households. No matter how much you love him, the best thing for him might be for you to find him a good home where he will be alone or with one other cat.
2007-06-10 20:38:40 · answer #5 · answered by twosweethounds 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Did you happen to change the type of litter you were buying? That can pose a problem. Try a different kind just to see. Sometimes they don't like the smell of it. Give it a try and good luck!!
2007-06-10 20:20:14 · answer #6 · answered by Christa B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need more boxes I usually figure 1 box foe 2 cats.
2007-06-10 20:17:23 · answer #7 · answered by Kit_kat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will need to start training him again,maybe he has a little cheeky side to him.
Start from the start and train him to use the box.Get him his own box until he's trained again .
2007-06-10 20:15:50 · answer #8 · answered by Clara.x 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he feels that the other cats are using his space!!
2007-06-10 20:15:55 · answer #9 · answered by tomball_gurl_224 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋