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Why Do Cats Stop Using the Litter Box?
Human Medications And Your Pet
Our goal at the Animal Hospital of Streamwood is to help your pet stay healthy, help heal your pet when it is sick or injured, and to ease your pet's pain when it is hurting.
We will do this with quality care, compassion and tenderness.
Why Do Cats Stop Using the Litter Box?
There can be many reasons why cats stop using their litter boxes, but they are often not what we would expect. Cats do not stop using their litter box because they are mad about something unrelated. Spite and revenge are not motivations for cats and the monetary value of carpet and bedding has no meaning to them. It does not help to punish them for soiling inappropriately or giving them special privileges when they go in the proper location.
The most common reason for cats to stop using their box is an aversion to it. Medical conditions that cause painful or increased urination can both contribute to this problem. If it hurts to urinate, the cat may associate the box with pain. If they have to urinate excessively (because of diabetes or kidney disease), the box may get soiled quickly or they may not be able to make it there. In this case the cat may choose a location they can get to more quickly. When trying to solve a litter box issue, the first step should always be a complete medical work-up to rule out underlying medical reasons.
Litter box aversion can also occur when the box is not clean or private enough. If the cat has been startled or ambushed while using a box (by a child, dog, another cat or even the owner trying to catch her), she may choose a perceived safer location to eliminate. Punishment for eliminating elsewhere and then relocation to the box can also lead to a bad association with the box. In multi-cat households, it is important to provide one litter box per cat plus one additional box. The location of each box should be quiet and private. In large houses, there should ideally be one box per level.
Cats can also show strong preferences for different surfaces and types of litter. Most cats will prefer a high quality scoopable litter. They generally prefer litters that are not scented, boxes without liners and with open tops (not hooded). For a previously outdoor cat, you can try adding some soil or grass.
If a cat shows a strong preference for a certain location, sometimes it works to place a box where they are going. Once they are using the box consistently, it can be slowly inched away to a better location. If it is not possible to put a box in the preferred spot, the owner can make the spot less appealing by placing upside-down plastic carpet runners or aluminum foil over the area.
Always remember, everyone makes mistakes and what works for one cat may not work for another. Working together with your veterinarian, many elimination problems can be resolved.
