Please help cat not using litter box

[zoey829]

I volunteer at the local shelter. And when I was thier I saw a cat that looks like the cat I had that passed away. So I had to have her. She is about 5 yrs old, declawed. Well, after the first night I notice she isnt using the litter box. I took her to the vet and she has no health issues. I changed boxes, put 2 in the room and had some that are open and some closed. I tried 3 different litters. One type gauranteed to have them use it. Well she doesnt.

I have a feeling she was an outside cat, even though she is declawed. I dont want her outside but I have to do sthing!! Any thoughts???? She seems to like to go on cat beds!!! Oh and yes it is poop and pee that never makes it in the box!

 

[chandab]

Have you just tried different brands of litter? Or, have you tried different textures as well? Different smells, different textures and so many non medical things can discourage them from using the litter box. If you have access, try plain sand or dirt, not as easy to clean as regular cat litter, but might be the texture she's looking for. There's also corn litter, http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/ did see an online warning about corn litter and mold issues, but don't know all the details. Here's one for pine litter: http://www.felinepine.com/original/ Not sure how different it is, but if you have pine pellet horse bedding, maybe try that for her. And, one more suggestion, the litter box itself can be a problem; depending on the size/style you have, maybe she doesn't like the type of box.

With three house cats and limited space for multiple boxes, I just bought a rubbermaid under the bed box and use that for a super size litter box (two house cats are indoor/outdoor, one is strictly indoor); and put up a cardboard "screen" so they have a little privacy, but lots of room.

Not a house cat, but I did have one barn cat that wouldn't use a litter box. I have a litter box in my feed and tack building, just in case a cat gets locked in, and also currently for two kittens I'm trying to ensure grow up. One barn cat, insisted on having her kitten in the tack shed, but refused to use the litter box, she deposited on top of my feed bins.

Only cat I've ever had that didn't use a litter box.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

She uses the cat bed because it smells like cat.

Try a smaller area like a kennel with an unscented litter box. Gently draw her front paws threw the litter. Cats have scent glands on their feet and we want that scent in the box. After a few days clean the box, but not too well, it needs to smell like the toilet. If this works then expand her area to a small room and so on.

Most cats prefer uncovered boxes.

Dr. Taylor

 

[zoey829]

I have tried small and large boxes covered and uncovered. I have also tried different textures and so on. She even went on the bathroom mat. Thesmallest room I have is the bathroom. I just hate to keep her isolated. But I am going to have to do sthing. This is so frustrating. I cleaned the cat bed with bleach and she still pee'd on it.

I have tried those special litters gauranteed to work. NOT!!!! Ugh!!

 

[Danielle_E.]

I think your cat is stressed, hence the reason for this behaviour. When she/he defecates again I would take it and put it in the litter box. This may help to scent and also show him/her where to go. I would keep the cat confined to one area for now and place the litter box in a quiet area.

I have tried small and large boxes covered and uncovered. I have also tried different textures and so on. She even went on the bathroom mat. Thesmallest room I have is the bathroom. I just hate to keep her isolated. But I am going to have to do sthing. This is so frustrating. I cleaned the cat bed with bleach and she still pee'd on it.

I have tried those special litters gauranteed to work. NOT!!!! Ugh!!

Wash the bed with vinegar

 

[Danielle_E.]

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 things like carpeting, bedding, or clothing, or smooth surfaces such as tile, cement, bathtubs, or sinks. Or maybe she frequently scratches on this same texture after elimination, even if she eliminates in the litter box. Sometimes a previously outdoor-only cat prefers to eliminate on grass or soil.

If your cat's eliminating on soft surfaces, try using a soft litter made of pine shavings. You could also try shredded newspaper, or even a piece of carpet in the box (you'll have to change it often, of course). Try to convert her to litter by sprinkling it over the carpet, gradually adding more if she doesn't object.

If your cat's eliminating on slick, smooth surfaces, try giving her an empty box or putting a very thin layer of litter at one end of the box. Leave the other end bare, and put the box on a hard floor.

If your cat has a history of being outdoors, use dirt.

 

[REO]

Put one of her turds in the litter box. If you can catch some of her pee (or something that smells like it) and put that in there too.

My kitty wouldn't use her box, prefered the carpet!

But I closed her out of that room and she stared going in her box!

Can you enclose the cat with food, water, box in a laundry room or something until she uses the box even once? To get her smell into the box?

 

[zoey829]

Yipeeeee I put her in the bathroom with 2 litterboxes and the opposite side her water and food. I was taking a shower and heard the litter. I looked and she pooped and peed in the box!!! So I cleaned it lightly. In case she like clean boxes but still smells like her. I let her out for a few hrs and she slept. I wll put her back in later this afternoon. I hope eventually she doesnt have to live in the bathroom.

 

[chandab]

Yeah! Progress. Some of the issues may have just been the new home, new people to get used to; so perhaps she's on her way to adjusting to life in her new home.

 

[zoey829]

I hope so because she is a really neat cat. How long to keep her confined? It is hard bc its the main bathroom. I have a bathroom down stairs but no window, and that is stuffy.

 

[Ashley]

Another thing, I had a cat that when he would get worms he would stop using the box.

 

[chandab]

I hope so because she is a really neat cat. How long to keep her confined?

I honestly don't know, but I'd say til a little bit after she's consistently using the litter box.

 

[kristen_tg]

Declawed? Litter aversion? Prefers the soft kitty beds? My first thought would be pain.

Declawing can leave them with damage that makes litter painful. Using soft things like cat beds or carpet is typical.

She may be using the boxes now because she's confined to the space and doesn't want to soil, so she's living with the pain. If that's the case that's good, because it means her desire to be clean is VERY strong. Given a comfortable option she would probably use it religiously. But if she's in pain once freed she's going to head right back to soiling.

FIRST thing I would do is try to rule out pain. Get some wee-wee pads and put them next to her box. She might need a little instruction that she can use the wee-wee pads.

If she prefers the wee-wee pads to the litter, I would not bet against the problem actually being pain. I'd confir her with the box and wee-wee pads for several days so she really understands the purpose of the wee-wee pads, then leave the pads next to the box. I might also pick up her target cat beds to encourage her to use the wee pads.

If she shows no preference it's probably a more serious problem, but sometimes they can be fixed depending on WHY. Normally they're an anxiety issue. If you can address the source of the anxiety you can usually "fix" them.

But I'd rule out paw-pain first.

 

[HGFarm]

Yeah, at least she is using the box in a smaller area.... perhaps once she is good at using the box, you can start leaving the bathroom door open and she will go in and out and keep using the box. I would keep her in there for several days at least until she is really used to going in the box.