Today in our wild wild documentary about felines… we are going to find the answer for the ancient question… “Why my cat doesn’t use the litter box”.
The dispute between cats and their litter boxes is the Number one reason why so many cats.. end up in shelters.
So many cat owners throw their cats away just because their cats urinated somewhere else than the litter box.
You don’t want to be one of these people – Please read on.
You have to understand why your cat avoids the litter box.
The biggest secret that can solve all of your problems about your cat is…
TRACKING YOUR CAT BEHAVIORS. By doing so, you’ll know the cause, and by knowing the cause, you’ll be able to eliminate it. Because you can’t eliminate a problem if you don’t know the problem !
There are 4 BIG reasons why a cat is urinating somewhere else than the litter box.
- Territory
- Preferences
- Medical Problems
- Family Anarchy
Also we’ve put out some PRO tips and TRAINING for your cat in order to use the litter box. Let’s get started.
1.The Cat’s territory
Cats are very territorial animals. They mark their territory using urine and by scratching the objects in their area.
Your house – Their Jungle
If your cat, feels, sees, hearts, believes something that can violate his area, the cat will start to market it. – That’s why your cat sprays urine on furniture and random places in your house. To show others who is in charge in hers area. The intruders can be your neighbor dog or just a animal who is nearby.
There is a big difference between marking the territory and urinating.
When a cat does mark her territory she stands up straight and back up against a vertical surface. This is called ” Spraying “.
When a cat urinates, she squat.
Best catch your cat in the action to see if she urinating or marking the territory.
2.The Cat’s Preferences
Why does the kitty avoid the litter box :
- The litter box isn’t clean.
- The cat simply doesn’t like the litter box.
- The cat prefers an opened litter box or a covered one.
- She might prefers a different type of litter sand.
- She prefer a better location for the litter box.
- If is an obese cat or simply a big cat, she needs a biggest litter box.
3.The Cat’s medical Problems
A.Pain Behavior
If your cat is hurt when she goes to the litter box, she will stop going to that place.
Your cat can have urinal problems, and this causes her pain. The cat associates the pain of urinating with the litter box, and she want another place to do her business.
You have to track your cat behaviors. If this thing happen more than 3 times in a road.. call the vet.
Do not let this behavior to repeat MORE THAN 6 TIMES ! It can became a habit for your cat and she’ll avoid the litter box even if she’s healthy.
B.The cat didn’t make it to the litter box.
Your cat is aware of the fact she has to urinate in the litter box but she cannot hold herself long enough till arrives there.
As your cat get older she can develop what is called Feline Arthritis.
This is a movement problem. It occurs because the joints between bones starts to inflame.
Your cat finds difficulty in the traveling to the litter box.
4.The Cats Family Anarchy
In the wild, felines have an anarchy. There are alphas and betas.
The alpha owns the territory. He is the only one how is allowed (by himself) to mark the territory. The other felines are aware of this. Just another feline that is strongest than the alpha can mark the territory. So if a beta marks the territory of an alpha basically means that the beta challenges the alpha.
This can happen in your house too !
Your little-beta-cat doesn’t have the permission to urinate in the alpha’s territory!
So if the little-cat finds the litter used by an alpha, she will avoid urinating there! She will try to find other place to do the work.
Also your cat might get bullied inside the litter box. And this can be another reason of avoiding the litter box.
In order TO DO NOT let this to HAPPEN , ALWAYS CLEAN THE CATS LITTER BOXES !!! And you must have 2 litter boxes per cat and located at a far distance one above another !
PRO TIPS
Do not change the litter box if it is unnecessary! Change it just if the cat doesn’t like it.
Also don’t change the location of your litter box.
As your cat get older, she will lose her memory and the process of finding the litter box will become harder.
You want the Litter box phenomenon to be habit for your cat.
From the color of the litter box to the route your cat arrives there.
If your cat has problems with mobility, place the litter box nearby the place where she spends the most of the time.
TRAINING YOUR CAT
Cats already know how to cover their urine and feces. This isn’t taught by their mothers. Being clean it’s in the nature of the cat.
Create an appropriate environment for your kitty
As you went home with the new mate, put the kitty in a room that isn’t too big and doesn’t have too many stuff inside – like furniture or other object.
Your kitty must have in the room:
- A place where to sleep
- Food/Water
- Toys
- The litter box
- Nothing more.
Your kitty is young, she doesn’t need like 10,000 different stuff around her.
In the wild, when the cat gives birth to her kitties, she does this in a small area, in a covered-protected zone. In this zone, the kitties grow up and learn the basics from their mother.
The mother gives kitties food and also teaches them how to hunt.
So put your kitty in an environment where she has just what she needs.
Otherwise your cat might get confused by the environment and she will try to find her own refuge.
Start training the cat
After the kitty wakes up or eats a meal, put her in the litter box.
If your kitty does poop in other place than the litter box, put the kitty and the poop together in the litter box.
Make sure you clean the floor with white vinegar to remove the smell. In this way the cat won’t return to the wasted area.
Every time when your cat does something on the sand, cover it and give your cat a treat.
By the time your cat will understand the idea of using the litter box.
IMPORTANT:
- DO NOT USE CLUMPING LITTER SAND! Your cat can eat it and this will cause digestion problems !
- Be Patient ! IT TAKES TIME TO TRAIN YOUR CAT!
This kind of training can work with mature cats too. But it is more difficult and takes more time.
Here is a more in depth video about training your cat.
The best setup for a litter box
- Have the litter box covered/uncovered ( based on your cat personality and preferences )
- Have a good litter sand
- Put the litter box in an easy to remember and accessible location for your cat. The best location is storage closet. Not too big, not so obvious.
- Put a simple newspaper under the litter box.
- Nothing fancy, simple and useful.
Your cat actually knows what he had to do when she sees the litter sand. She knows that she has to cover hers “stuff”.
Related Links:
How to stop my cat from sleeping/hiding in the litter box.
Kittynosaur 