Severe Litter Box Avoidence

[cassidyraie]

So I've had my cat Cookie for about five/six months now, and she's about six months old. Since day one, she's had a severe little box avoidance issue. Her favorite spots are the bathtub, underneath my bed, and any article of clothing that had fallen onto the floor. She'll use the litter box occasionally, but I can't seem to find out why she despises the litter box. My two other cats have never had any kind of accident. 

I've tried several different litters: regular litter, pine pellets, almond-based, and "kitten attract". 

I've tried moving the litter boxes in several different places. 

The litter box is ALWAYS clean. I scoop it 2-3 times a day, change the litter completely once a week, and wash the box once a month.

She's not declawed, and hasn't yet been spayed. 

I'm at my wits end. I'm not the type of person to ever give up on a cat, but this has gotten to be too much for me. 

Unfortunately I don't have the money to get help from a professional feline behaviorist, 

Has anybody else had similar problems? I would be so thankful for any type of advice. I'm just not sure what to do anymore. 

 

[molly92]

Has she been to the vet for this? A lot of medical problems can cause litter box avoidance, and those need to be ruled out before you can focus on the behavior.

 

[cassidyraie]

I haven't gotten her to a vet for her litter box issues, but she has been to the vet for her usual shots and tests. 

 

[molly92]

I would definitely take her to the vet and explain this problem, because there are some tests they can do that aren't done in a standard check-up to identify urinary problems.

 

[donutte]

Yep, agreed. Maple was treated for an infection, and ultimately put on Prozac for anxiety. No peeing outside the litter box for over a week! But she has done some poops, I think she gets a bit constipated occasionally. And she'll run around the house (she's a big girl so sounds like a cavalry in the house when she does that), not sure if your cat does that suddenly.

 

[cassidyraie]

The vet diagnosed her with Roundworm, so her litter box avoidance has gotten a lot better! She still slips up from time to time, but that's probably just from avoiding the litter box. So, we're working on that. Thanks to everybody who posted! 

 

[molly92]

Great news! Replacing her litter box with a brand new one that doesn't have any unpleasant roundworm memories might help with her remaining avoidance issues.