Need Help Or She's Gone

[CheshireGarfield1496]

Hey. I was hoping to have some outside help with my Cat Anna. For awhile now no mater where I place her litterbox, what litter I have in the she perfers or how much litter there is in it.(regular litterbox) she leaves presents on the kitchen floor or pees just under the kitchen sink. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, or if I'm not catering to what she likes? If this continues indefinitely for a bit longer I'll be asked to find her a new home and I don't want to do that. I've had her for awhile and I know she's not doing this on purpose but the others I love with think so.

 

[maggiedemi]

What brand of litter are you using? Is it clumping and do you scoop & change it often enough? Is the litter box big enough, jumbo size? Are you feeding enough canned food? Hopefully we can figure this out.

 

[CatsAreTheBest]

Is your cat declawed? When they have just been declawed and step into the litter box, it hurts. So some of them just decide not to use the litter box again. Also try watching this video: (sorry I couldn’t get a link, just search it up).

Why a Cat Stops Using Its Litter Box | Cat CareYouTube

 

[CheshireGarfield1496]

Hey thanks for chiming in it really helps. No she is not declawed, it's a regular litter box. I usually just clumping tidy cat or pet guard. I clean the litter almost every night before bed and just after noon before work.

She has to eat canned patte cause her stomach can't handle dry foods or gravies/juices in cans.

 

[maggiedemi]

Which variety of Tidy Cats litter do you use?

 

[rubysmama]

Is she an only pet? Did anything change prior to this beginning? Does she ever use the litter box?

 

[orange&white]

If she used to use the litter box consistently but suddenly stopped, she may have the beginnings of a UTI. I had one cat who had 3 urinary tract infections during her lifetime, and every time she got one she would start peeing outside of her box. Within days of getting medication and feeling better, she'd go back to consistently using her litter.

If this is a change of behavior, I'd ring up your vet for a urinalysis appointment.

 

[MeganLLB]

The first thing to rule out is a medical issue. Also, I have heard of other people having a problem with Tidy Cats because they changed their formula I think? But that was a while ago.

 

[maggiedemi]

I had a problem with a few on the new scents, the black label 4-in-1, and the blue label Glade. They were okay with the other two varieties.

 

[Ragdollbabies]

We had a kitten who completely quit using her box, and what worked for us was starting over with a brand new box (large, no cover) and Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter. It has some herbal attractant that encourage even problem cats to use the box. We kept her in a bathroom with the new litter box, a cat bed, toys, and food for about 72 hours so she would get used to using the litter again. After that we gradually let her back out for longer and longer times, and she never had another accident!

Good luck!

 

[CheshireGarfield1496]

Hey than again for the advise.
Update: she doesn't have UTI, and she uses her box once in awhile. It's just she poops and peeps so close to the box but not in it. And I don't know why. I'm thinking of just scrap the litter box and get a new one with I guess a different type of litter I think she'll like? I don't know. It's just exhausting to deal with at the moment

 

[orange&white]

Is she getting inside the box and peeing/pooping over the rim, or is she just getting close to the box but not in it?

 

[maggiedemi]

Try a different clumping litter besides Tidy Cats. My cats almost never have problems with their litter, and they had problems with the Tidy Cats black label 4-in-1 and the blue label Glade one. Also, get a Jumbo or Giant size litterbox with high sides, those are the best.

 

[Elfilou]

If she is going right beside the litter box she knows where she's supposed to go but for some reason can't stand doing it. Cats have a strong need to bury their feces, so if they aren't doing that something is wrong.

Try a box without a hood. Maybe she feels trapped inside a box.

Try a bigger box. Same reason.

Try different litter. Maybe she doesn't like the scent of this one, or the litter hurts on her paws.

Try a different location. Maybe the current location doesn't feel safe enough for her.

Those are the few things that pop to mind first. I hope you can make it work for her. She's clearly trying to tell you -something- is wrong! It's up to you to find out what exactly that is. If you look at the issuse in a problemsolving way and keep trying different things you should be able to easily change the behavior pretty fast - hopefully!

 

[Brian007]

Have you actually taken her to the vet and discussed her behaviour, any new, unusual behaviour should be vet checked.

Cat attract litter or additive is apparently ever so effective, as mentioned by Ragdollbabies . And, a large open tray, with a low lip to hop over, might be worth investigating. Along with a variety of paw appealing soft litters to trial.

It could be that she has some sort of IBS and gets caught short on her way to or from the litter (diarrhea or constipation). What do her poos look like? Or perhaps she is becoming arthritic and struggles with the in/out aspect of tray hygiene, how old is she?

Also, where is the tray located? Is it in an area of heavy human traffic or penned into a corner? Do you have other cats who might be making her skittish and fearful of ambush, so she dashes one out and is offski quick smart?

Do you have two trays - some cats like to pee in one tray and poo in another? Is her tray placed far away from her food and water - cats hate eating, drinking, and excreting in the same areas.

Does her tray have multiple exit route directions, i.e., it's not in a cupboard. Is her tray somewhere on her 'level', e.g., she doesn't have to go down into a cold, dark basement or suchlike? Have you changed anything to do with your cleaning products in and around her tray?

Most cats miss the litter on the odd, rare occasion but for her to suddenly do it so frequently, I again suggest a vet visit.

Oh, and scrub your kitchen floor and sink cupboard with an enzyme cleaner like vinegar. And, perhaps put a child lock on the sink cupboard. And definitely move her tray out of the way of a thoroughfare through your kitchen which lots of people use and put things near, like shoes, bottles, etc etc. Talking of people, are there any new people, children, or other animals in the house?
Don't fret though, we'll get to the bottom of this (pardon the pun) sooner or later.

Sorry for all the questions, I just like to get as much info in a oner to help me and others unravel the clues.

 

[lavishsqualor]

You said that you're certain she doesn't have a UTI. Did your vet tell you that? Did he or she run a urinalysis? If not, in all seriousness I think that's your first step: Vet. If your vet gives her a clean bill of heath then I would switch her litter box and litter. For litter, I'd use Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract, and I'd make a litter box using a clear Rubbermaid Clever Store Tote which you can easily find at Target or Walmart. Now, that's going to be a BIG litter box, one that she'll have to jump into. But it will alleviate her urinating or defecating over the side. I have about a thousand dollars invested in very decent looking end tables that house litter boxes but my cats won't go anywhere close to them. They use the Rubbermaid.

Let us know how she does.

 

[orange&white]

A Rubbermaid tote is what I was going to suggest if she is getting in the box, but peeing/pooping over the edge. May not help if she isn't even getting inside the box.

Not pretty, but effective for cats who like to stand up instead of sitting:

Bin Cat Box.jpg

• orange&white
• Mar 23, 2017

 

[CheshireGarfield1496]

Hey thanks again for more advise. The Vet has said she's got a clean bill of health. The check up being on 45$. Yes money is an issue but this has gone on a long time and I've changed various boxes, used a line not use a liner, different brands and different locations putting the box in deficated/peeped places, using baking soda and oder elimination on cleaned up messes. I want to keep her but I live with the family. She's not using her litterbox no matter what I do expect for rare occasions. The places her box can go will have traffic daily. So no spot in the hone is perfect.

Has anyone else experienced this?
She's not sick, she's not got UTI, she purrs, she sits in my lap, played in her cardboard box, and with toys but idk why she will not use and box I introduce to her a magority of the time. She's only 4 maybe 5 and doesn't have arthritis.
I really love my cat and wish she could just tell me what's wrong so I can fix it. I don't mind spending a few hundred more dollars on her if it'll for sure fix this problem but she's on the thinnest ice possible with the rest of the family.

 

[CheshireGarfield1496]

Edit: I'm hoping to get a new brand of litter and a Rubbermaid tote from Wally world in the next few days.

 

[Brian007]

Maybe try some sort of "cat litter attractant" litter and/or additive too...... Heaps of people on this site have had their lives transformed because of it. If I had a cat who continuously failed to deposit inside its box, I'd definitely give it a go. If you do an internet search for it you might find it's available on Amazon or another online store where you live.

And maybe try talking to your family about the need to give your cat peace and quiet when she's heading towards her box, as she might feel too hurried, scared, or embarrassed if there is always noise and movement next to it. If you can get your family on your cat's side it might help everyone.