Why won't my cat use the litter box?

Question

I have a 1 and a half year old kitten, and she stopped using the litter box a few months ago. I thought she may have had a urinary tract infection. I took her to the vet and she got a clean bill of health. Then I tried to put her in the litter box when she started scratching on the floor.....whenever I did that she would squirm and act frightened.
Its like shes afraid of the litter box and refuses to use it.
I moved it to a quieter area and even put a privacy tent over it, but she still gets frightened when I put her in it.
I keep the litter clean, I don't change brands so I'm not sure what it can be. HELP PLEASE!!!

Answer 1

Here is what I learned from an Animal Behaviorist. Only change one thing at a time and give her the choice of how you maintain the litterbox now and the new litterbox. You need to ask yourself, what changed when she stopped using it. It is a complete process of elimination. Do you use scented litter? Is it scoopable? Is it in a quiet place? Did you put anything new under the litterbox such as a mat? Cats don't like change and any change can throw them off. Does she pee beside it or on carpet? Could be a texture thing too. Most Cats also don't like any additives such as liltter deoderizer or box liners.

Check out the site listed in the source. I hope it helps.

Answer 2

First of all, at over a year old, your cat is no longer a kitten. :,(

Second, you didn't say whether you've had it since it was a kitten, nor did you say where you got it from. For all we know, you adopted it from a shelter who rescued the animal from an abusive family (perhaps the kitten was caged with nothing but an uncleaned litter box by the rotten person).

Third, not all animals have the same reactions to their environment, and some get bored with the same old thing every day! Some humans like the ocean, while others are terrified of it; some dogs like to swim, some don't; some cats like to play with toys, some don't. You said that you "don't change brands"; maybe you should!

Fourth, I've seen cat owners with litter boxes placed in plain sight, and some that are hidden from view, all depending on their cat's whims. Most put the boxes in low traffic areas, such as laundry rooms or always-opened closets, and other nooks and crannies.

Fifth, sometimes, the substances used in the box may be "offensive" to the pet in some way, possibly due to odor or even touch. Try using other materials, such as shredded newspaper (avoid magazine sections, inserts, and colorful sections, which have a high ink and/or clay content, which will not absorb liquids as easily), sand, confetti-cut papers, etc. Use the same substance for a least a week, so the pet gets used to it. If that doesn't work, try another. Make sure the box, itself, is kept spotlessly clean, with no soapy or perfumey smells (most animals find such scents irritating).

Sixth, I know this is going to sound silly, but one cat-owner friend of mine had a slightly different problem: the cat would only "go" in one particular bathroom, whether there was a litter box in there or not! The owner "gave in", and put the litter box in there, and there was no problem! Then, the owner put the box outside the bathroom door, and the cat went there. After three months, the owner slowly moved the litter box to its "final" resting place, in an out-of-the-way area! At the very least, it indicates that patience pays off!

P.S. There is no need to put "HELP PLEASE!!!" anywhere in any question you submit. This website is all about helping people, so your plea is redundant (the time you save not typing is better used to pet your precious puttytat!). :)

Answer 3

try changing the liter
try putting the litter box were she goes around the house the most
try using sand its more natural
if your cat is an out side cat then it probally will not use the litter box in the house .
dont watch her go to the litter box\
dont put the near the litter box it will just freak her out even more.
try putting her food and water next to the privacy tent then its right there when she needs it .

good luck i hoped this helped.

Answer 4

You actually should change the litter brand. You may have to try a couple different brands before one works. There is one called Cat Attract made for this situation.

Answer 5

Go buy some litter call CAT ATTRACT. If you can afford to also buy a new litter box but the CAT ATTRACT is the most important. Pet Smart sells it. About $12./bag. Guaranteed!!!

Answer 6

when did you change brands? before or after she stopped using it/? it could be she doesnt like the new brand -
cats most prefer NON-Scented Clumping litter..
try adding a second box in a different location.. never put litter box next to a scary appliance like a laundry machine.. one scare could do it...
confine your kitty to a room with the litter box to reinforce litter habbits...

was she declawed?? failure to use the litter box is a common side effect from declawing and is 100% human caused..

Answer 7

Is it an old box from a previous cat or did another animal go inside it? If so she can probably smell that cat on it still and gets scared.

Answer 8

yes, try another litter brand!
Also you might try to get more than one box...i have one cat and she has two boxes, gives her a choice lol :)
Good Luck!!

ps. my cat scratches the floor when she uses the box and when she eats!