Cat trouble?

Question

A little while ago, I adopted a kitten who was 4 months old. She's now almost a year old and is spayed. When we adopted her from the shelter, she was using the litterbox and seemed to be litterbox trained since she used it when we brought her home. Now, though, she decides to use the bathroom wherever she likes (behind the TV, behind our washer, and in front of doors- yuck!). What causes my kitty who knows fully well how to use the litterbox (which she does do, about half the time) to do her business elsewhere? Is this a symptom of an illness or should I take her to the vet? And if there are any ways to stop this that you're aware of, please let me know.

Answer 1

I feel your pain. My cat did the same thing, used the box fine then decided that the bathtub was the only place she would ever go. I had to get rid of her, because I spent so much taking her to the vet, trying to find out what to do...in the end she just wouldnt change no matter how hard I tried. I hope you find a way! Good luck!

Answer 2

It could be as simple as the type of litter you are using. We changed the litter and the cats went all over the place. We changed it back and no problems. If there is nothing physically wrong with your cat, try changing the litter and/or the box. Some cats like privacy when they go, so if you don't have a hooded box, change it. Keeping it clean is another thing you need to keep in mind. Cats don't go in a litter box that isn't constantly clean. Are there other animals in the house? The cat could be stressed by them and that is why there are accidents. If you have another cat, you may want to invest in having two litter boxes. Check the type of food you are feeding it. You want to get one that promotes good urinary tract health. You also need to get rid of any odors from the spots you don't want it to keep going to. Nature's Miracle is a bit pricey, but it works very well to get rid of urine, vomit, etc. When you live in an apartment, this stuff becomes your best friend.

Answer 3

Cats are usually very clean, so when they stop using their litter box, there is usually a good reason. Take her to the vet as she may have a health problem which the vet can easily treat.

There are lots of non-medical reasons too that cats start soiling around the home. The link below, explains all the different reasons and and offers advice on how to solve the problem.

http://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/Pawprint/AllAboutPets/Spraying_and_soiling_indoors.asp

Make sure you clean the areas where she soiled thoroughly, otherwise the scent will attract her to keep returning to the same area. The web article will also advise you the best way to eliminate the odour completely to help break her habit.

Good luck.

Answer 4

This cat is ticked off about something.

Probably, the cat box has an odor that the cat find offensive. Clean it up really well, change the litter often.

Don't move the cat box. Leave it in one place.

Don't move the cat's bowls. Feed her in one place.

Basically, try to get back on her good side.

Pick her up and set her down in the litter box a few times a day for a few days.

Answer 5

She could just not like the litter. Or you might not be cleaning it enough. Actually it could be a sign of a urinary tract issue. We've had that exact problem with one of ours. His urine was tested and found crystals in it, which isn't good. He's on Purina One Urinary Tract Formula and he's just fine now. Put pieces of foil in the soiled areas. Cats generally don't like to step on it. They don't like orangey smells so try spraying something orange scented. Put an orange air freshener in the areas she pees & poops.

But take her to a vet so they can test her for whatever they think she needs to be tested for.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Not using the litter box is one of the first signs of a urinary tract infection. I would call the vet and make an appointment.

Answer 7

I have that problem with my kitty sometimes cats don't like change and sometimes that's there way of saying they didn't like something some cats more then others.Sometimes cat won't use their litter box if its dirty.There are things to help though and heres a few.

http://www.thecatconnection.com/page/TCC/PROD/LTR-SUPLY/LTR-7551

Answer 8

i also would like to know...my cats are just the same

Answer 9

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 litter box. 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 litter box problem can usually be identified and changed, so that your cat will again use the litter box for elimination.

Some common reasons why cats don't use the litter box 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 litter box problem initially started may not be the same reason it's continuing. For example, your cat may have stopped using the litter box 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 litter boxes 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 litter box again.

Medical Problems
It's common for cats to begin eliminating outside of their litter box 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 litter box 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 Litter Box
Your cat may have decided that 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 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 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. This will vary according to how many cats are in the household, how many litter boxes 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 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 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 litter box, 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 litter box.
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 litter box.
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 litter box.
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 litter box was previously kept or where there are urine odors.
She eliminates on a different level of the house from where the litter box is located.
What You Can Do
Put at least one litter box 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 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 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 litter box is located and set her on the floor. 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. 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 House Soiling 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 (see our handout: "The Fearful Cat").