Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My cat, Mittens, (about 7 years old, though we really don't know exactly old it is) won't go in either of the catboxes (ones in the garage and ones in the laundry room). It's a tabby cat, by the way. It seems to want to go on the floor that is right at the bottom of the stairs instead.

My family says that if he keeps it up, he's going and I don't want my cat to go. I've tried retraining it to go in the catbox but so far it hasn't worked. He has had a problem with this before, when he was going infront of the fireplace. I have two other cats (Jenna and Lusifur). We've had Lusifur for just about as long this cat and Jenna is my new one that I adopted from a pound.

We also are housing two other cats, Dora and Spartakis (the name is odd, I know and yes, that is how you spell it) who are my sisters. So overall, we have five cats and one dog. Do you think that might be why it doesn't like the catboxes?

Mittens tends to stay in the litterbox in the laundry room and will stay in their for most of the day.

Any tips on how to fix this problem? I havge run out of ideas, myself... I seriously need some help with this one...

oh boy...you do have a problem.

First off - some cats will avoid the litterbox when they are ill or in pain. Some how they think if they feel pain while in the box, it must be the litterbox that is causing it - so avoid pain, go some place else. A vet check might be in order.

That being said, with so many cats in the house, it may be strictly behaviorial. you vet might be able to give you some guidance here too. You didn't mention how long your sister's cats have been in the house - from day one? or just recently? Siblings long separated will have no idea they are littermates - they are all just cats who have to jockey for position and territory in the house. Any spats between cats?

You can try feliway at the base of the steps. Its happy kitty phermones in a spray or wall diffuser. But it can take 30 days to really kick in with the cats and is best used in conjunction with another method like confinement/separation/feeding in the new "litterbox" area.

Or if Mittens is a high anxiety cat anyway, you might want to try Bach Rescue Remedy. It's a homopathic treatment which will calm down a anxiety/aggressively driven cat. (my Annie cat) A drop or two on the tongue is enough to effectively end any fighting for the day. If territory spats are driving the litterbox misses, it might be good to mellow everyone out.

Is there a rug at the bottom of the steps? Sometimes rubber backing on throw rugs can give off a scent that says "pee here! poop here!" to some cats.

And look where the boxes are placed. We have one box in our basement with the opening facing away from the stairs. Only top cat Lizzy uses it. My other two are too afraid of some one sneaking up on them while they are getting comfortable.

As always, keep the boxes really clean - Mittens may be a priss when it comes to sharing a bathroom. And if you think it's behavorial, try looking online. One of the vet schools (Tufts? Cornell?) has a call in service to animal behaviorlists. Could be useful if your vet isn't really up on feline speak and/or there are no behaviorlists to consult with in your area.

best of luck!

Purrs,
Elizabeth

Wow! What a reply! I don't think there is anything more I can add here. Working with a knowlegable vet is the key here - hopefully you can find one who can help you out!

>>oh boy...you do have a problem.
>>
>>First off - some cats will avoid the litterbox when they are ill or in pain. Some how they think if they feel pain while in the box, it must be the litterbox that is causing it - so avoid pain, go some place else. A vet check might be in order.
>>
>>That being said, with so many cats in the house, it may be strictly behaviorial. you vet might be able to give you some guidance here too. You didn't mention how long your sister's cats have been in the house - from day one? or just recently? Siblings long separated will have no idea they are littermates - they are all just cats who have to jockey for position and territory in the house. Any spats between cats?
>>
>>You can try feliway at the base of the steps. Its happy kitty phermones in a spray or wall diffuser. But it can take 30 days to really kick in with the cats and is best used in conjunction with another method like confinement/separation/feeding in the new "litterbox" area.
>>
>>Or if Mittens is a high anxiety cat anyway, you might want to try Bach Rescue Remedy. It's a homopathic treatment which will calm down a anxiety/aggressively driven cat. (my Annie cat) A drop or two on the tongue is enough to effectively end any fighting for the day. If territory spats are driving the litterbox misses, it might be good to mellow everyone out.
>>
>>Is there a rug at the bottom of the steps? Sometimes rubber backing on throw rugs can give off a scent that says "pee here! poop here!" to some cats.
>>
>>And look where the boxes are placed. We have one box in our basement with the opening facing away from the stairs. Only top cat Lizzy uses it. My other two are too afraid of some one sneaking up on them while they are getting comfortable.
>>
>>As always, keep the boxes really clean - Mittens may be a priss when it comes to sharing a bathroom. And if you think it's behavorial, try looking online. One of the vet schools (Tufts? Cornell?) has a call in service to animal behaviorlists. Could be useful if your vet isn't really up on feline speak and/or there are no behaviorlists to consult with in your area.
>>
>>best of luck!
>>
>>Purrs,
>>Elizabeth
-----
Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

'That being said, with so many cats in the house, it may be strictly behaviorial. you vet might be able to give you some guidance here too. You didn't mention how long your sister's cats have been in the house - from day one? or just recently? Siblings long separated will have no idea they are littermates - they are all just cats who have to jockey for position and territory in the house. Any spats between cats?'

Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention that. I haven't seen any spats. Lusifur and Mittens used to always be together, but now Mittens, always is in the litterobx. Last time I checked though, he wasn't. I'm going to look for him in a second but I doubt he went into a place where he will get hurt. Spartikis is just as shy as Mittens is and Dora is crazy and outgoing. I haven't noticed any spats between them. In fact, Ihaven't noticed any spats in any of the other cats.

No, there is no rug by the wall. There is a newly put in wood floor down there and new walls put in by there but no rug. There is, however, a rug by the fireplace.

Thanks, I'll look into the products you mentioned and will consider moving a current catbox (or buying a new one and putting it somewhere). I'm trying to determine if it'll confuse the other cats...

Any other tips on fixing this problem?

part of the reason I focused on the behavioral is because a cat hunkered down in the litterbox is a "bunker" mentality. Without being stressed over something, Mittens wouldn't want to stay someplace so stinky. By being surrounded by such strong cat smell (poop denotes territory) you can think of Mittens as a slightly crazy person saying, "mine, mine, mine, mine..."

To a cat's point of view, the base of the steps and the fireplace may be prime spots to announce to the feline world, "I'm here! my territory! deal with me!" Afterall, everyone has to go over the poop to walk the steps and a fireplace can be a great spot for viewing a large portion of territory. We keep things away from the front of a fireplace for safety reasons but it's giving the cats a great line of sight for who moves where through the room. Mittens is announcing to the feline world what he thinks.

Have you thought of closing Mittens up in a single room? Madame Alto's suggestion of a little kitty prozac sounds like a really solid one in this case. Try working with your vet - let them know this is a make or break issue for Mittens and your family.

Cats don't have to be spatting to be ticked at one another. It can be as subtle as an ear twitch or a tail swish. The cats get it, we usually don't.

best of luck!

Purrs,
Elizabeth