hello all,
I'm in a bit of a conundrum because my cat will refuse to use his catbox to defacate about 80% of the time. he has been doing this on and off sice he was a kitten, but for the past six months its gotten pretty bad and my father is threatening to throw him out. When i first looked into the problem I figured it was an issue of the box not being clean enough, so we started cleaning it more often and tried to make sure that the box have no fecal matter in it at all so that he would use it. That worked for a bit but then he started his normal behavior so I thought maybe it was because our female cats urine was very basic, and gave off too much of an ammonia smell. we switched her food and that has helped control the Ph balance in her urinary system, but my male cat still used the carpetting instead of the rug. we then got another cat box, one upstairs one downstairs so that each cat could have their own box, that situation also worked for about one month and then he started using the rugs again. we've even tried switching litters to keep him from using the rugs, but nothing seems to be working. has anyone else encountered this problem? what did you do to fix it? I'm at wits end trying to figure out what is bothering him so much, and would really appreciate any advice offered. thanks for any help!
*ash
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cat not using ltterbox
Replies (4)
Have you taken your cat to the vet since you've noticed the litterbox issues. That may be a first good step. A vet can give you some idea on whether the issue is behavioral or if something is really wrong with your cat. There is a great website that has a section on this topic that might be a good thing for you to look at. Go to http://www.catwellness.org/signs.asp.
Hope this helps some!
yeah he was at the vet when this started and they said that he checked out just fine with the exception of his teeth. they didnt tell me what his problem could be, they just said it was a behavior issue that would pass. i plan on taking him to another vet soon, i've just gotta get the money out of my dad. i'm pretty sure he will have a clean bill of health and they wont really give me much info on what his behavior problem could be. and one thing i forgot to metion is that he goes on the rugs directly in front of the litterbox. for some reason that site will not come up, is it the correct address? thanks much for the advice.
The cat needs to go return to the vet for a check up ASAP.
If all is clear on the health front, then the problem is behavioral. Have there been any changes in the cat's environment? Even the silliest change can cause a cat to react by not using the box! Rearranged furniture, a new cat prowling through the yard, new family member or other human living with you? New paint, wallpaper? Also many cats want their own litterbox, so if you can have one per cat in your household that might help. Also many cats like to pee in one place and poop in another which would indicate the need for an additional box or two.
At any rate, you will need to take steps to retrain the cat to the box. Basically you need to confine the cat to a room like a bathroom, or a large cage with only food, water, bedding and the litterbox. As he begins to use the litterbox consistantly you can expand his space. There is more information at this link:
Litterbox Problems
Cats need easy access to boxes and you may need to put several boxes around the house where he can get at one.
You need to thoroughly deodorize wherever the cat has been pooping. Petastic is highly recommended as is Heaven's Own. It is the smell of the "accidents" that causes a cat to reuse the place.
Check into using Feliway, a spray that mimics the happy scent cats leave when they rub their check against something. You can get it from your vet or from Cat Faeries at http://www.catfaeries.com
If you visit the website, you will see a phone number that you can call and for a fee discuss your cat's problems with someone. The person who does this is very knowlegeable and it may be worth the $$ for you. Feliway is also available in most large pet supply stores. There is also a plug-in with Feliway that can help.
Finally, if all else fails, ask you vet about using an antianxiety medication such as Buspar or Prozac. These very often work, however the decision to prescribe them will rest solely with your veterinarian who will be able to monitor the dosage and side effects.
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hes been doing this behavior for about six years on and off, and has seen a vet a few times but they said it was behavioral and that needed to reteach him how to use the box. I plan on taking him to the vet soon anyway because he needs a check-up and i plan on going to a different vet, the one i currently take my cats and dog to has given my aunt some very faulty information which led to a slow and painful death for her dog, her entire body was poisoned by a UTI so its likely that the vet missed soemthing when i took my cats there and its very possible that this isnt just a behavioral problem. just this week there has been a major change in his like but other than that the only big changes for him have been us giving the two cats their own boxes. my father girlfriend and son moved in with their cat and dog, so i understand that my cat is very stressed at the moment, but obviously this behavior has been a problem for awhile my father just didnt get ticked off about it before his girlfriend moved in. I plan on trying the feliway and treating the rugs he goes on, thanks for the suggestions.
