My cat won’t use the litter box – what to do?

Note: This post is part of a series this week on ThatMutt.com called “Saving the cats.”

My cat Scout had some, shall we say, serious litter box issues last summer.

Scout decided he was going to poop everywhere but the litter box. This went on for quite a few months, and it was getting more and more frustrating. An “accident” is one thing, but deliberately using every corner of the house as a bathroom is another.

I was spending a lot of time cleaning up after my cat, and there did not seem to be an end to it. I was definitely weighing my options and considering the reality of how much I could really tolerate. A cat that does not use a litter box causes a lot of property damage. I can understand why a cat owner would eventually decide the cat needs to “visit the farm.”

But seriously, there are always going to be irresponsible people who just don’t value their cats. There will always be people who abandon cats over something silly like “I didn’t know she would shed so much.”

And then there are pet owners with legitimate reasons to re-home their pets.

Maybe the cat is terrified of the new baby and bites. Maybe the person lost a job or a spouse and can’t afford to pay for basic cat supplies. The person might even use “allergies” as an excuse when really he doesn’t want to admit his financial situation to a complete stranger at a shelter.

Understandable.

Or maybe the person has had enough of the cat peeing outside of the litter box. I mean, really, who can put up with that?

Below are some simple suggestions for cat owners who are having behavioral problems with their cats. Most people want to keep their cats but some are not sure what to do about certain problems. Some cat owners truly don’t understand why a cat sprays or why a cat scratches.

I hope this post will help a few cats keep their homes.

If we can increase the number of cats that get to stay in their homes, we can decrease the number of cats entering pounds, shelters and rescues. It’s just one of the pieces to saving more cats. With dogs, we always talk about educating owners on training, exercise and basic behavior. With cats, it shouldn’t be any different.

Here are some common cat behavioral problems and some steps to fixing the problems.

Common cat behavioral problems

1. My cat stopped using the litter box. What do I do?

If your cat has suddenly stopped using the litter box, I recommend pinpointing what changed before the problem started.

Have you moved the box to a different room? Do you have a new pet? Have you had family visiting? Switched the type of litter? Switched your cat’s food?

Cats can be very sensitive to change, so sometimes the solution can be as simple as switching back to the litter you were using or moving the litter box back to where it was.

“You might have to make changes that your cat favors over what you would prefer for yourself,” said Michelle Smith, owner of Natural Pet Center in Fargo. “After all, your cat is the one that is using the bathroom and not you.”

When Scout stopped using the litter box, I considered all kinds of possibilities. I started scooping the box twice a day and changing the litter more often in case he thought it wasn’t clean enough.

I switched him back to a cheaper food he had previously been eating in case his new food was part of the problem. I also planned on buying a different type of litter and setting up two boxes side by side so he had more options.

Before anything else, you should first rule out any medical problems such as urinary or bladder issues, Smith said. Once that is ruled out, the cat owner should think about the box itself.

“Most cats prefer to have an extra large, uncovered litter box,” she said. “They also prefer unscented litter and a box that is cleaned regularly.”

After leaving out several litter box options for Scout, the solution turned out to be that simple – Scout prefers an open litter box without a cover over it.

For whatever reason, “Mr. Princess” no longer wanted to use a box with a cover, even though he’d been using one for years. I don’t know if another pet trapped him in there at one time or if the lid slid off and startled him or if it smelled bad to him. Who knows. But after switching to a large, open litter box, Scout has gone five months without any “incidents.”

If changing the type of box doesn’t work, Smith tells cat owners to make sure the litter box is in a convenient space for the cat. You may also need to add another box if you have a large home or add another box if you have multiple cats. Sometimes each cat prefers its own box, and sometimes one cat will even guard the box from another cat.

When Scout was having “bathroom issues” I also made sure to block off his access to certain rooms. I kept all the bedroom doors shut, and whenever I wasn’t home I put Scout in our laundry room where his box is located. That alone cut back on most of his “accidents.” Cat owners highly underestimate the power of prevention. People crate dogs all the time to keep them out of trouble. I do the same with my cats when needed.

2. Why is my cat peeing on things (spraying)?

Many people don’t understand the difference between “accidents” and deliberate marking (spraying). A cat sprays by deliberately leaving a small amount of urine on a surface such as the walls or the furniture to mark his (or her) territory. This is not a litter box issue. The cat is not urinating because he has to go to the bathroom. He is communicating to other animals “Hey, I own this place!” Female cats are also capable of marking.

The most obvious solution here is to get the cat spayed or neutered. This will most likely take care of the problem entirely. Unaltered cats are much more likely to mark than altered cats for obvious reasons.

For cleaning up odors, a solution of 50 percent vinegar and 50 percent water seems to work just as well as any odor removal product sold in stores. Most products will attempt to cover up the odor without actually removing it, so if you buy an odor-removal product, look for a natural product that contains enzymes.

3. How do I stop a cat from scratching the furniture?

Declawing is an option, but before you jump to declawing, consider some realistic training options:

Appropriate scratching areas

Smith recommends having at least one scratching area in your home per cat.

“You also need to keep in mind how your cat prefers to scratch – vertical, horizontal or at an angle,” she said. “My cats perfer to scratch standing up, so we mostly have posts.”

She suggests cat owners try a variety of cat scratchers until they find the type their cats enjoy.

“If cost is an issue, check into scratchers made of cardboard,” she said. “These are increasing in popularity and are now available in a variety of different sizes and shapes. These are also great if you have a catnip lover. You can easily apply catnip which will fall into the cardboard.”

For Beamer and Scout, we have some shorter posts that are about 18-inches high and also a larger post about 3 feet high that they can stand on their hind legs and scratch.

Teach the cat that certain furniture is off limits

You’re probably laughing right now, but I’m serious. When we bought a new couch in November, we decided it would be off limits to our cats. We use a firm voice correction – “No!” when we see them thinking about jumping onto the couch. We also kept a squirt bottle nearby at first.

We succeeded in teaching our cats not to touch the couch in our presence, but they do sneak up there when we are not home. So, when we can’t supervise, both cats go into our laundry room with the door shut.

When you are teaching a dog not to sit on the furniture without permission, it’s important to block the dog’s access to the furniture when you can’t supervise. It is no different with cats. More cat owners should seriously think about this type of prevention. It works well for us.

Soft Paws nail caps for cats

Soft Paws are nil caps you glue over your cat’s claws. I’ve used them on my cats for four months now, and overall I’ve been pretty happy. However, last night I used a fresh pack for both my cats and I got glue all over my fingers. I don’t know if the product has changed or if I got a defective pack, but it was very disappointing. The adhesive tubes and the applicator tips were not working well together and glue kept leaking out onto my fingers. Very frustrating.

Anyway, when you do manage to get the Soft Paws on properly (and that’s the hard part!), the product does work well for preventing property damage. There is a bit of a learning curve. It takes the hoomans a few tries to get a good applying system down. It also takes the cats some time to accept the caps. They do fall off here and there, but overall it’s a product that makes a difference for us. You can read my full Soft Paws review for more info.

Declawing

Finally, my stance on cat declawing is that it should be a last resort after attempting to teach the cat appropriate scratching options. Easier said than done, though, and if your options are re-homing the cat or to getting the cat declawed, I support the idea of declawing. Do your research so you know exactly what the risks are and what is involved. Then let go of any guilt and hug your cat because he’s lucky to have a home.

4. Why does my cat throw up on the furniture and rugs?

Hairballs

I didn’t really know what a hairball was until I owned a cat. Hairballs occur because cats are constantly grooming themselves, and during this process they end up swallowing lots of fur. As the owner of two cats, I am blessed with cat puke probably two or three times per week, usually in the worst places like on my bed where the cat happens to be lying. Talk about nasty!

There’s not a whole lot you can do about hairballs, but one suggestion I have is to invest in a FURminator for cats. I know they are quite pricey for a brush ($30 or so), but they are worth it. Brush your cat every day for a week or so when you first get the brush. Then brush your cat once a week or so and you will cut back dramatically on the shedding and yes, the hairballs.

Change in diet

My cats also tend to throw up if they eat something new or if I change their food. Dog owners are always told to gradually switch to a new food by mixing the new food with the old. Cat owners don’t seem to share that type of advice as often. But cats can get upset tummies from a new food, too, so change new foods gradually.

Eating grass or plants

My cats will eat and destroy pretty much any plant. You guessed it; we no longer have any indoor plants. If you want to have indoor plants and cats, I suggest getting a hanging basket and hanging your plants from a ceiling hook. If we let our cat Beamer outside (supervised – chill out!), he will immediately chow down on grass. This results in a nice pile of cat puke a few hours later. So, if you let your cat outside and he keeps throwing up, it may be because of what he’s been eating outside.

5. How do I stop my cat from opening cupboards?

When I adopted my first cat (Scout), I had no idea cats could open cupboards. I had no idea that I would come home to an apartment covered in powdered sugar because my cat apparently had a great time ripping open the bag, rolling in it and then dancing around on every surface. I also did not know that my cat would help himself to his food by dumping the entire bag onto the floor.

Cats get into shit. There is a solution, though: Child locks.

You can buy child locks at Target (in the baby section) and probably at Wal-Mart or most hardware stores. They come in many different varieties for different types of cabinets.

Our cats attempt to open our pantry every single day. We depend on those child locks.

We also have to keep all garbage containers in child-locked cabinets or behind closed doors like in the bathroom.

What are some other common cat behavioral problems, and how do you fix them?

This beautiful black cat is up for adoption with CATS Cradle Shelter in Fargo.