I'M DESPERATE! Cat won't use litter box after getting spooked!

[mondelfkind]

I have 2 male cats, both approx 2 years old. Neutered. My more dominant black cat who has the most love and affection ive ever seen in a cat has the most emotionally unstable confidence. The wind blows the wrong way and hes in crisis. Unfathomable how sensitive he is beyond normal cat level. Hes been to the vet recently, passed with a clean bill of health.

Its happened before where he gets stressed out by something at stops using the box.

But.
This time he did something.

i went in the bathroom one morning to find the lid flipped and a present outside the door. I know it was him because the next day i heard a crashing sound, he came trotting out with a look of guilt and the box all askew again and shortly thereafter peed and pooped in his "spots" that he choses instead of the litter box when the sky is falling.

I tried the ssscat motion sensored air can but its not going off when he tries to go in no-no places so it being faulty has not helped. I tried freshening up the box to make it more appealing. Booby traps have worked wonders for me in the past when correcting bad behavior without them being thinking im a bully because they dont know im behind it. And positive reinforcement has shown affective as well.

But im at a loss and i need some constructive ideas and steps to get this to stop because my head is ready to explode and im starting to resent him and cats can pick up on that and i dont want to make things any worse than they already are.

Truthfully i dont even know if hes being bullied in the box without my knowledge. Theyre at that age where they're fighting for the hierarchy and i cant decipher if its more than one thing triggerng his litterbox strike. I have some real trouble makers and i feel like it could be virtually anything causing this. Id loooooove to get a little camera to try to catch whats really going on when im asleep or not around but thats only smidge of a solution and might tell me nothing.

Please help me!

 

[jcat]

How many boxes do you have? The rule of thumb is one per cat, plus one extra. Putting three (or even four) boxes in different spots in your home could prevent litterbox bullying and improper elimination. At least two of the boxes should be without lids, in case he got a scare from the lid.

These articles include some very important tips that might help:

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[amber varner]

It sounds like your more anxious cat could use some of those water drops for anxiety in his bowl. I don't know specific brands, but I've heard they can really take the edge off. I would search some threads here on how to sooth his anxiety, because it seems this is likely causing him to have bathroom mishaps. I think there's different things you can buy for your home too, like aromatherapy wise to give the cat a more calm vibe. I'm not too familiar, but I'd research it and give it a try. If there's a reason the cat is anxious (in his past) perhaps you can help him overcome it. If it's just his personality, try to accommodate  him, and make sure he feels safe no matter what.

Try to pay attention to your kittens interactions when possible and reward good behavior, rather than scolding too harshly. A stern "no" is always ok though and moving the cat if necessary. Don't allow your confident kitty, to be too much of a bully if you witness it. Some dominance displays are gonna happen, but if it gets out of hand, step in and let him no it's not okay. 

Like the other poster recommended, make sure you have at least 2 boxes. Three or four would even be ideal, depending on how large your home is. Also having a large box should help. Cats with anxiety tend to like open top litter boxes, so they can see their surrounding and see their escape routes if needed.

You might even wanna throw the litter box you have away and just replace it, if it holds a negative connotation, you may not be able to get rid of it. If you don't wanna do that, I'd make sure you really scrub all the scents off of it and replace all the litter brand new. I'd also put it in a new location, to associate it with something new and not scary. If it has a lid, I'd remove it as I suggested before. But I think getting him a new box, and treating the anxiety is key here. If he poops on the floor, put it in the box afterwards, so the cat can smell his scent there, or even wipe a urine soaked towel somewhere inside the box to mark it.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.  

 

[webmiss]

You can also try a feliway diffuser to relieve stress