Often with such a problem as “cat has stopped using the litter box,” the owners complain that the cat takes revenge, does outrage, and some claim that the animal has gone mad…
Of course, the possibility of spiteful pet on some family members, stress or the circumstances as a whole, cannot be excluded, but often the problem lies elsewhere, you just need to be more attentive to your pet.
Let’s say right off the bat that a dry and clean cat litter box signals one of two problems to owners.
The first is that the cat doesn’t want to or can’t do its business in the litter box, it has begun to pee elsewhere in your house.
The second reason is that the cat doesn’t pee at all. It is much more dangerous for the health of the pet, it indicates the pathologies.
In this article we will consider all the possible causes and suggest solutions.
Important! Both adult cats and baby kittens love cleanliness – make sure the litter box and the place where it is located are hygienic. Dirt and foreign odors disturb the animals.
Cat won’t using the litter box – causes and solutions
Let’s talk about the reasons why your cat is not using the litter box.
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Medical reasons
- Infections and inflammation. Infectious diseases or injuries can cause excessively frequent urination – the animal doesn’t have time to run to the litter box.
- Thirst. Kidney diseases, diabetes and endocrine diseases cause excessive thirst – the cat drinks too much and therefore does not always have time to urinate in the right place. You should be concerned if your cat drinks more than 70 ml/kg per day.
- Pain syndrome. Painful urination and defecation due to some diseases (cystitis, constipation, IBC) can be associated with the litter box. Cat will try to avoid it.
If you notice that the cat doesn’t pee at all in the litter box, cat does his stuff anywhere but in the litter box, rule out health problems – take tests, have an ultrasound. If the cat needs medical attention, a veterinarian will diagnose and prescribe treatment.
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Psychological reasons
- Stress. Stress after moving to a new home can lead to this behavior. Cats like routine, they need to have things the way they are used to. Calm the cat, give him time to get used to it, and in no way scold him – this can make the problem worse.
- Restlessness during the heat. An excitable cat during the pubescence period can tag all around, so pay attention to the psycho-emotional state of your cat. Do not scold him – this will only aggravate the situation. It is better to consult your doctor, and if mating your cat is not in your plans, correct its behavior with sedative herbal tinctures.
- Jealousy. You’ve got another pet in the house and you’ve noticed that your old pet is getting into the litter box less and less often? Maybe he’s doing it because he’s jealous of the new member of your pack. Reassure your pet that you haven’t stopped loving him. Organize a place for each pet to eat and toileting. Preferably place them in different areas of the room, so as not to provoke the cat into conflict.
- Hostess Instinct. No new pets have arrived, but friends have visited with their doggie or kitty – it’s a mini-stress for the resentful cat. Cuddle him and try to get rid of the smell of someone else’s pet – that should help.
- Revenge. “I’m certainly not vindictive – I’ll get my revenge and forget it,” is what literally every cat may one day declare. But not every cat, of course, shits by the litter box. If this happens to an adult cat all of a sudden, think about it and ask the cat for forgiveness. Maybe it will help you!
- Bad associations. The animal may refuse the litter box after a bad experience. Let’s say you decided to pet the cat while it was doing its toilet business – this may have frightened and distracted the cat. Or you tried to give him an unpleasant medication while he was sitting in the litter box. The cat may remember these moments and stop going to the litter box. The way out is to move the cat litter box to a more secluded place and not disturb the cat during such an important process.
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Problems related to the litter box
- Dirt. Cats are very tidy animals, see if the litter box is clean enough. Give it a good wash, but don’t use detergents or disinfectants – the litter box should still have that cat smell. Replace the litter box with clean litter. Check the cleanliness of the litter scoop – a dirty scoop can leave an odor that humans can’t smell, and it will scare the animal away. Dirt near the litter box often discourages the cat from using it.
- Cat doesn’t like the litter box. It happens and so – you like everything about the new litter box (it’s shiny, big, beautiful and fits the color of the tiles / wallpaper), but it absolutely does not suit the cat, and that’s it! And despite the fact that the new litter box is so beautiful, the old, scratched and not shiny – will be the perfect choice.
So do not rush to throw away the old litter box when you buy a new one. The potty for cats should be the right size, so that the animal fits in it completely and has room for maneuvering.
Trays with low sides are good for kittens, adult animals need a litter box with high sides. In the case that the cat ignores the classical litter box, it makes sense to change it for a closed litter box. Perhaps your cat needs some privacy at such a delicate moment.
Cat does not like the filler
A very common problem. Cats are very sensitive to the consistency, smell, and type of litter. If he doesn’t like stepping in, he will poop anywhere near the litter box but not in the litter box itself. Cats like fine grained bedding that looks like sand. Try an odorless, mineral cat litter and the situation can change dramatically. If that doesn’t work, experiment with other types until you find one your cat likes. Swap sandy for woody. Woody – to silica gel.
Smell
You want your poop to smell like lavender/orange, but kitty doesn’t need that for 300 years! Therefore, it is possible that the kitten refuses to go to the litter box, because it does not like the smell of fragrance in the litter.
Also, make sure that the litter box was made of quality material and did not “smell” of cheap plastic. Washing the cat’s litter box with all kinds of fragrant-smelling products is not recommended. They can not only confuse your cat, but also cause allergies.
The wrong place for the litter box
Would you enjoy going to the toilet in the middle of a noisy plaza? I doubt it. A kitten is no worse than a human. If the litter box is in public view, in a place that is too bright, noisy, and crowded, don’t expect it to be used for its intended purpose by the kitty.
Cats, of course, like people, do not read in the toilet, but the privacy, silence and peace of mind during the process like no less than you and me. Some cats meow nervously and grudgingly if the owner just looks at them, sitting in the litter box. So put the litter box in a quiet place. Quiet is just as important to the cat. Do not put the cat’s litter box next to the washing machine, WC or other noisy household appliances.
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Other reasons
- Hormonal. During the sex hunt well-mannered male and female cats sometimes refuse to go to the litter box. Girl cats do this because the litter box can be a real pain during the sex hunt, and boy cats mark their territory during the sex hunt. Talk to your vet and he may prescribe a sedative.
- You have trimmed your pet’s claws. If you have just trimmed your pet’s claws, it may refuse to use the litter box. Cats’ claws are very delicate after a nail trim, burying the filler may cause them discomfort and pain. Try changing the filler to a softer one until the claws grow back.
Cat is not using to the litter box at all – causes and solutions
Why does the cat refuse to pee?
Have you noticed that your cat is peeing in his litter box but there is no trace of urine and have sounded the alarm? You’re right, because small problems with refusing to go to the litter box can develop into big problems with urination.
Why the cat doesn’t urinate:
- Bladder inflammation (cystitis);
Cystitis can occur both if cats walk outside and if they spend their lives inside four walls (if those walls are cold). Infectious disease is another cause of inflammation. Clinical tests help determine the diagnosis, uroantiseptics and antibiotics help to control the disease.
- Urethral inflammation;
- Kidney diseases;
- Urinary tract obstruction (congenital or mechanical);
- Urolithiasis. If there are stones in the urinary tract, it is impossible to pass urine because the ducts are obstructed.
If we exclude infections, then the development of the disease is provoked by improper diet, the predominance of meat and fish in the diet.
All of these conditions require immediate medical attention – take your pet to the vet!
The cat refuses to poop
If the cat doesn’t poop, it’s probably not a pest. But it can’t do this because it is suffering from constipation. There are several reasons for constipation:
- unhealthy diet;
- stressful home environment;
- bowel disorders.
In all cases the cat needs your help. The easiest way is to feed your cat food that has a laxative effect: boiled beets, milk. In severe cases only laxatives for cats will help.
Important! Treat your pet only after consulting a vet and by following his instructions.
Kitten is not using the litter box – what to do
Mom-cats teach her offspring to bury their feces, the kitten should learn to use the litter box as intended by three months of age. If the baby “misses”, refuses to enter the litter box or does it every other time – the owner will have to observe the kitten’s behavior and correct it.
Specifically:
- Insistently, but affectionately, put the little pet in the litter box immediately after eating and sleeping.
- Get a spray for toilet training, spray it on the litter box – the smell will attract the kitten and tell him what to do.
- As soon as the kitten gets worried and starts looking for a place for his stuff – calmly take him to the litter box.
- Be sure to praise the kitten when he does everything right.
- Don’t scold or punish your baby when he fails.
- Experiment with the place for the toilet, the type of litter.
Patient and loving owners who listen to the desires of their pet will certainly be able to “agree” with the cat and find a compromise in such an important and delicate matter.