cat refuses to use litter box

Bigguy1963

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hello,im at my witts end,i adopted a 4 year old female cat from a local humane society ,gave me all the vet shots,and exam paper work,my question ive had her since 7-1-22 that afternoon,brought her home bought brand new litter and box,she hasnt gone pee since i brought her home ,and poops outside of her box,i have a 14 day return,hate to do that to this cat but i just lost a cat to health problems ,and i didnt want another sick cat,any i deas would be great thank you ,my boy was with me from a kitten till he was 13 ,thanks
 

louisstools

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Could just be due to the stress of a new home? How have you integrated her into your house? Is she in a confined room to adjust or is she roaming the whole house? Other pets? Any children? Assuming USA - Independence Day with all the fireworks and such can be very stressful on kitties. My own girl was having some troubles yesterday due to the neighbor's having kids over that were playing.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. I agree - this could be part of the 'new home' effect. A lot of cats, especially ones who are a bit older and have lived elsewhere - maybe even in multiple homes before - can take a bit longer to warm up to a new place. So, I think it will change if you give her more time. It's only been a couple of days! Is she eating and drinking?

Place the poop in the litter box so that she understands that is where her 'stuff' belongs - and search around to make sure she isn't peeing somewhere else. If you do find a wet spot, soak it up and place part of the paper towel in her box as well, so she can smell both her pee and poop in it. And, of course, use some enzymatic cleaners to clean up the rest.

As mentioned above, about steps to take for getting a new cat to adapt - you might find this TCS article helpful. TCS also has one about introducing cats to other cats/dogs should that be applicable.
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home – TheCatSite Articles

I also included some TCS articles about cleaning up urine.
How To Get Cat Pee Smell Out Of Clothes And Linens – TheCatSite Articles
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions – TheCatSite Articles
 

sunny578

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Yes, it sounds like stress! I would make sure that she's in a small space and that you have lots of different litter box option. Please keep us posted!
 
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