We have several adorable foster kittens in my house right now (6 who should be ready in about a week, assuming they’ve gained enough weight for surgery) and my little boy has been “helping” me take care of them. He loves to carry them around and snuggle them and pet them, and the kittens, for their part, have come to accept him and even enjoy his attentions. Of course, as he’s helping me take care of them, the inevitable question comes out.
“What’s that?” he asks, taking a finger out of his mouth and pointing at the litterbox.
“It’s the kitties’ bathroom,” I respond, moving him a little further back from the box.
“The bathroom?” he asks.
“Yes, that’s where their pee and poop goes,” I tell him.
He nods. “Kitty go potty in bathroom!” he proclaims proudly.
The thing is, a lot of people seem to forget that the litterbox, for all intents and purposes, is their cat’s bathroom. Have you ever gone into a bathroom that is so disgusting you decide to wait for a cleaner place to relieve yourself? What would happen if that ‘cleaner place’ never arrived? Would you suck it up and use the disgusting bathroom, or would you ‘eliminate inappropriately’?
The fact is, not using the litterbox (or if you want to be fancy, “inappropriate elimination”) is one of the top reasons cats are surrendered to shelters across the nation. It’s frustrating, it’s time-consuming, and it’s humiliating to have this problem. However, a few small changes often fix the problem (for the vast majority of people). For the really hard-to-solve ones, you can visit http://www.thehappylitterbox.com/ for more tips (or call me for a consultation!).
1) First things first: Rule out a medical problem. This means taking your cat to the vet and explaining the problem there. They can do some tests to see if the cat has a urinary tract infection (a common cause for cats to stop using the box) or other medical issue. If it is medical in nature, once the problem is fixed, oftentimes the litterbox will sort itself out. If the medical problem does not get fixed, it is unlikely that any other form of intervention will help.
2) Check the cleanliness of your cat’s bathroom. Just as above, if you don’t like to use a disgusting bathroom, don’t expect your cat to. Cats are generally very clean creatures, and many have fastidious litterbox habits. Cats run the gamut from those that refuse to use a box that’s already been used (meaning, scoop the litter multiple times a day or get an extra box) to those that will accept (but not enjoy) a filthy box. In general, litter should be scooped at least once a day and the box should be completely cleaned out at least once a week or so.
3) Fix the problem! If your cat is not spayed or neutered, the likelihood of them marking their territory (thereby peeing outside the box) drastically increases. Fixing your cat will decrease (but not eliminate) the likelihood that they are marking their territory. Marking involves small amounts of urine usually on a vertical surface and usually near a window or door.
4) Create a stress-free zone. Many people know that cats a extremely prone to stress. This stress can cause the cats to stop using their litterbox. Give your kitty plenty of opportunity to play their stress away with interactive toys like wands, string toys, and laser pointers. Give your cat a kitty-massage with long deep strokes, especially rubbing the top of their head where the scent glands are. If your kitty is still stressed out (maybe something changed recently in the house, or a new cat moved into the neighborhood, etc) you may want to think about using some Feliway, a pheromone-releasing product that often helps calm cats who are stressed.
5) Check for litter-aversion. There are so many litter types and box types out there, it’s easy for things to get over-complicated fast. However, it’s important to rule out the possibility that your cat doesn’t like the box or the litter. There are three main types of litterboxes: open, hooded, and automatic. Open litterboxes are the most widely accepted by cats because they provide multiple avenues of escape. Hooded litterboxes are often favored by owners because they keep the stink in, but to a cat’s super-sensitive nose, that stink may be the reason they aren’t using the box. Automatic litter boxes will automatically scoop the litter for you, but if your cat was scared by the box turning on, they may decide not to use it. To check and see if the problem is that your cat doesn’t like their box, get an open litterbox in addition to your hooded or automatic box, and see if that helps. Another thing to check is the litter itself. There are a lot of scented litters out there that are marketed to people, but a lot of cats won’t use them, so stay away from scented litters. If your cat had a cut on their paw and that wound hurts stepping into the litter (especially if it’s clay litter), they are likely not to use the box. If they attribute the pain to the box, you may have to move the box to a new area of the house to see if that helps! Try clay litter in both clumping and non-clumping varieties. Also try shredded paper litter (like Yesterday’s News) to see if your cat likes that better. Another option is to get some Cat Attract litter or litter-additive, as that sometimes solves the problem. You also need to check the area that your box is located- if your cat feels trapped or unsafe there, they are likely not to use the box. Try a nice low-sided, large box for the bigger cats, as that often makes them feel more comfortable.
6) Get rid of the evidence. You’ll need to scrub everywhere that your cat peed or pooped with cleaner and then finish it up with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle. If your cat can still smell that they peed there, they are more likely to do it again.
7) Multiple cat homes. Keep in mind that if the bathroom is busy, your cat may use somewhere else. The general rule of thumb (especially if you’re having litterbox issues) is to have one more litter box than you have cats, and to have one on each level of the house. So if you have a two story house with a basement and you have two cats, you should have three litterboxes: one box upstairs, one box on the main level, and one box in the basement. Some cats will get by fine with less than this, but other perfectly normal cats (especially kittens or cats with mobility issues) need multiple options. Also, keep in mind that some cats will guard the litterbox. So if you have multiple cats and one box and if one of your cats is guarding the box, the other cats may have no choice bu to potty elsewhere. By spreading the litterboxes out throughout the house, you make this problem much less likely.
If you are having trouble with litterbox issues, don’t despair! You can always call me for a consultation and I will look at your setup and make recommendations based on your particular needs. After all, even kitties with finicky litterbox habits are perfectly loveable pets.