Cat Scared Of Litter Box

Hey, guys! My cat has a problem and I seek advice.

On Friday, Charlie (5 months old, common cat breed), started having diarrhea. When I woke up in the morning, I found his soft poop in my room, on the floor. While I was dressing up, I heard him cry-meowing and I knew he wasn't feeling ok; when I got to him, the whole room was showered with diarrhea-poop. I instantly took him to the vet, who checked his temperature (it was normal) and gave him some medication (today I must go back to the vet with some poop-samples).

On Saturday, he pooped again in the house, after I heard him cry-meowing like Friday. Yesterday, again. But yesterday, I also noticed something else: he seemes to be afraid of his litter box. He has this box since he was little and he never had any problem with it.

I saw he needed to poop, I took him to the bathroom (where the litter box is), but he ran away and pooped again around the house. I took him back to the bathroom and closed the door (after he tried to escape from there), I cleaned up the poop from the house, and when I got back to him, I saw he also peed on the bathroom floor, although the litter box was right next to him.

AIfter this, I tried during the day to take him several times to the box, and he really seemed frightened; whenever I tried putting him inside, he jumped outside and ran away. I also tried several times to stay with him and play with my hand in the box, in an attempt to show him it's nothing there to be afraid of, and I managed to make him use it some times like that...

This morning I tried the same strategy; I played with my hand in it, he peed in it, but when I took him in to poop, he jumped out and pooped around again.

He still has diarrhea. But orherwise, he seems fine, nothing else has changed in his behaviour: he eats and drinks normal, he plays etc.

I read on the internet that he might associate the box with something negative - so the diarrhea-issue and after he was probably in pain.

As I already mentioned, today I'm going to the vet again and will talk about this problem, but I need some more advice, I really don't know what to do.

Thank you in advance!

Sorry your Charlie is having litter box issues. And, yes, sometimes when a cat has pain or discomfort using when peeing/pooping, they end up associating the pain with the litter box and develop litter box avoidance issues.

Hopefully once the diarrhea is gone, he'll get back to using the litter box. If he is still hesitant to use it, once he is well again, you could try putting out a different looking litter box, with even different litter, in a different location and see if that helps.

Here's a TCS article with more info:
Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet (different litter box suggestion is towards the end of the article)

Sending healing vibes that Charlie is better soon.

Thank you, rubysmama !

Let us know how things go at the vet, and keep us updated.

rubysmama said:

Let us know how things go at the vet, and keep us updated.

Click to expand...

Sure thing!

Ok, so I went to the vet with the samples, the results will be ready in max. 2 days. He also gave me some more meds for Charlie...
As I got home, what did I find: a house full of poop, he pooped everywhere...
I really don't know how to deal with this...

Hopefully the meds will get things back to normal soon. Or the test results will help the vet diagnose Charlie's problem.

Meanwhile, I'd close the doors to as many rooms as you can, to limit where he can have accidents. And maybe try putting down puppy pads. Or even a tarp, or something easy to clean.

Is the vet concerned about dehydration from all the diarrhea?

Add several more litter boxes? Say two more? Try a different litter in each one? Hopefully he won't associate the new boxes with the same experience his old one is giving him.

Keep us updated please! Hope you find a cure/fix!

Hi. Maybe you should try different litter. In many cases litter may cause the problem. What litter are you using? Maybe he eat something from his box, or he doesn't like smell of the litter. Maybe allergic? There can be many reasons.

Yes, while he is having diarrhea definitely limit where he can go. Diarrhea HURTS. so he takes off running trying to escape it, i have had several cats do this and feel for you, not fun at all! Usually it clears up in a couple of days and everything gets back to normal. Now your poor boy associates his box with the pain. Once the diarrhea clears up and he doesn't go for a few days because he is cleared out, he will return to his box. It would be a good idea like said above to maybe get him a different box in a different place, at least for a while. In the meantime get a good enzyme cleaner for cat accidents. My heart goes out to you!

I already limited the access as much as I could. Unfortunately, the place where he can stay is the living room and the kitchen, which are open space (otherwise, I only have the bedroom and the bathroom left - and I can't let him stay only in the bathroom).
Yesterday I added another box, today I'm going to buy different litter aswell.
I saw him this morning how much he panicked before pooping, poor boy was so scared, and yes, he actually tried to run from the action of pooping itself...

hempcatlitter said:

Hi. Maybe you should try different litter. In many cases litter may cause the problem. What litter are you using? Maybe he eat something from his box, or he doesn't like smell of the litter. Maybe allergic? There can be many reasons.

Click to expand...

I have used the same litter (clumping) since he was little and he never had any problem with it... The vet recommended me to try silicate, which I will buy today.

ImInfinitee said:

(otherwise, I only have the bedroom and the bathroom left - and I can't let him stay only in the bathroom).

Click to expand...

Uhh I would for a few days until you get this under control. I wouldn't want him pooping all over the house. Put something for him to sleep on and his food and litter in there. A couple days won't hurt him.

Also where is he with his vaccines and deworming? At 5 months it should all be done but I don't know when you got him. What kind of food does he eat? Has it changed recently?

True, but the bathroom is so small and I don't know... I just can't.
The vaccines and deworming are all done since August-September.
He eats Royal Canin, dry and wet. The only thing that changed was that he only ate dry food for 1 or 2 days (before diarrhea started) because I couldn't find the wet one anywhere... jen

Poor baby. Does he have any sort of schedule as to when he poops? Like after he eats? Or, with the diarrhea, is it just whenever.

Is he back on the wet food? Did you stop the dry? Is his appetite ok?

Unfortunately, it is just whenever...
He is back on the wet food, but I didn't stop the dry one, I usually fed him both. But his appetite is ok, it never changed. rubysmama

Would he eat just the wet food? If so, I'd try stopping the dry food for a few days and see if that helps. I suggest that because you mention upthread that "The only thing that changed was that he only ate dry food for 1 or 2 days (before diarrhea started)" It's possible he had a reaction to an ingredient in the dry food.

Is the wet food you feed him all one flavour? Or various ones?

Here's a photo of him, thought you'd like to see him:

I saw on the internet that there are 2 or 3 different flavours, but at the local pet shops I can only find a single one. Though, I fed him this kind of dry food for about 1-2 months now, and he never had any reaction, but I could try and stop it to see if it helps... rubysmama