Litter Box Blues
By Zoe Forward, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Canine/Feline)
The
most common reason a cat might refuse to use the box is that he perceives the
box to be dirty. Cats have a very keen
sense of smell and, although the box may seem clean to you, it doesn’t to the
cat. Have you ever been inside a rest stop
restroom and upon one sniff think about going in the bushes along the side of
the road? Most people on average clean
their cat’s litter box once or twice a week.
How would you like to use your own bathroom if you only flushed the
toilet once a week?
STEP ONE: KEEP THE BOX CLEAN
The
single most important thing to do is to keep the litter box clean. Take the hood off because hooded boxes can
create a gas chamber-like effect. Find
the finest scoopable litter possible that is unscented (the scent is there for
us, not the cat) and scoop the box daily.
Replace litter daily as needed.
Dump all litter out entirely every other week and clean the litter box, itself,
using a diluted lemon juice or vinegar solution to help cut the ammonia
odor. Do not use ammonia-based products
to clean the box. It smells like stale,
old urine to the cat. If you use
non-scoopable litter, dump it out every other day.
STEP TWO: ENHANCE THE LITTERBOX
EXPERIENCE
Do
you have enough litter boxes? You need to have one box per cat plus one.
If you have one cat, you should have two boxes. Some cats are extremely territorial about
their box and may prevent another cat in the household from using the box. An especially fearful cat may not approach a
box because something terrifying is between him and the box, such as a vacuum
cleaner. Therefore, he will eliminate
outside the box instead of approaching it.
With two boxes, the problem is solved.
Where
is the litter box located? Cats don’t
like to have their litter box close to their food or bedding. They like to have a consistent, private place
to do their business. So, don’t put the
box in one of the busiest rooms in the house.
Be careful with boxes in the bathroom.
If a cat gets sprayed by the shower in the box, then he may refuse to use the box
again. Is the box easy for the cat to
get into? This may be silly, but some
people keep the boxes in a closet and then forget to leave the door open! Some
obese cats can’t make it over the high edges of a box and might need a doorway.
STEP
THREE: REDUCE STRESS
When cats feel insecure, anxious or stressed they will
often express their anxiety by eliminating outside the litter box. If you immediately punish the cat for not
using the litter box, a vicious cycle develops.
The more the cat is punished, the more stressed he becomes. The more stressed he becomes, the more often
he won’t use his litter box. When you
came home and found a puddle outside the box, did you grab the cat,
yell, rub his nose in it and then throw him into his litter box? You might think you are teaching the cat that
he is supposed to use his litter box, but the only thing the cat learns from
this experience is that you are a deranged maniac! Sometimes you home and are loving and
affectionate, but other times you come home violent. Unfortunately, this approach cultivates distrust, fear and
insecurity. Instead of punishment, find
ways to reduce the cat’s stress level and concentrate on rewarding good
behavior.
Sometimes a stressful event in the cat’s life may be
causing him to eliminate outside the litterbox.
Did you introduce a new person, pet or change homes? Was there some event that occurred right
before he started inappropriately eliminating?
How
to reduce that stress? Be sure to spend at least 15 to 20
minutes per day of quality time with the cat that is having the problem. Bring out the toys and play with things he
likes. Or give him attention such as petting or brushing. Or just sit with him
quietly in the same room, if that makes him happy. Perhaps, there are a lot of
cats in your house and he never gets to be the focus? Then, spend this time in
a room with him as the solo cat.
Try one of the pheromone cat products such as the Feliway
Diffuser. Use this in the room where he spends the most time.
I’ve
cleaned up the box, now how do I get him in it?
Many cats won’t magically start using the box once it’s
got the right litter and is located in the right place. First of all, the cat won’t know that the
litter is clean. The cat will assume
it’s the same, old dirty place it’s been for months and go use the restroom
where he knows it will be clean. For
example, in the past whenever the cat urinates in the living room or defecates
under the piano, you don’t let it sit there for a week. You cleaned it up promptly. The cat keeps going back because he knows
it’s always clean. Alternatively, if he
was punished by being thrown in the litter box and forced to dig in the litter,
the cat avoids the box because he associates it with unpleasant experiences.
To turn this around, you must prove to him that the
litter box is clean and pleasant.
Whenever your cat is hungry or in a playful mood, get out a special
treat or toy and use it to lure him near the box. Then, enthusiastically praise and reward your
cat when you get near the box. Within a
short time, the cat will get the hang of the game and come towards you and the
box. Work especially hard to call the
cat away from areas he has soiled in the past and profusely reward the cat for
coming to you. Now the cat will see that
not only is the box clean, but it’s also a very rewarding place to be. The next step is to reward him when he uses
the box.
IT’S STILL
NOT WORKING!
For severe litter box problems, it may be necessary to
confine your cat with a litter box, his toys and bed to one room for a few
days. By confining your cat, he can more
quickly learn to use his box. When you
are in the room with your cat and he goes in the box, praise and reward him at
that moment. If you’re not there, the
chances are high that he will use the box on his own, provided it’s clean. If given the choice of linoleum or tile
floor, your cat will choose the litter which is absorbable and gives him a
better opportunity to bury. Cats are
creatures of habit so confinement is used to help break the cat’s habit of
eliminating in inappropriate places. If
he doesn’t have access to these areas, then he doesn’t have the chance to
reinforce old habits.
If you are turned off by the idea of confinement, then
you probably don’t really understand it.
Maybe you’ve tried it before, went about it the wrong way and had a bad
experience or the cat had a bad experience.
If your attitude is that confinement is a prison sentence, then it’s not
going to work. Confinement should be a
positive and rewarding training experience.
NOTHING IS WORKING, COULD HE HAVE A MEDICAL
PROBLEM?
Sometimes a cat will stop using his litter box because he
has a medical problem. Cats are prone to
urinary problems. Common signs of
urinary tract disease include urinating small puddles, blood in the urine,
straining or vocalizing when urinating, or your cat urinates on cool ceramic
surfaces such as sinks, bathtubs or stovetops.
Have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian, if you see these signs.
If your cat had a medical problem, you might find after
the problem has been treated, he won’t return to using his litter box. He may associate the box with a painful
experience or he may have developed a habit of urinating outside the box. You might need to follow some of the above
hints to get him to go back into the box.
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