Litter Box Training Questions

Visitors' Litter Box Training Questions

Cats Not Using Litter Box

Hello,

I'm quite frustrated. I am a sucker and have taken in a few cats over the past year. One of these cats consistently pees on my bathroom rugs -- or any rug for that matter. I've had to quit using rugs. My most recent arrival is a kitten of four or five months of age. The kitten has been pooping in different spots in the house. Yet another cat, who adopted me, seems to be the culprit for a daily dump in the same location each day. I'm at wits end. I've spent so much time and money cleaning up my carpets. I have three litter boxes, one covered. Two of them are in a storage room on which I have installed a cat door for them to go through (this is to keep the smell from escaping because you have to go through a bedroom to get there). Any advice?

~~Jaci

Expert Reply

Hi, Jaci,

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. At least with the cat that pees on rugs, you can simply not put rugs on the floor. The other cats popping wherever they want is a definite problem and I can understand your frustration.

It is good that you have a separate litter box for each cat. I can't give you a definite reason why your cats would do this, but I do have some thoughts for you.

• There may be a territorial struggle going on between the two cats. You don't mention whether both cats are males or whether they are neutered. If they are not both neutered, this can enhance that territorial behavior.

• Are you scooping the litter box and keeping them clean? Many cats are extremely picky about using only a clean litter box. I have a Siamese and if I don't scoop twice a day, she will go outside her box. Since the boxes are in a separate area, it is probably easy to forget to go out and scoop them, so you'll have to make a concentrated effort or move the boxes to a more convenient location, if you feel this could be contributing to the problem.

• Have you switched litters recently? A sudden switch in types of litter can lead to a cat refusing to use the litter box.

Once you look at the issues above, try these things the next time your cat defecates on the carpet:

1. Take your cat to the vet along with a stool sample and discuss this issue. The vet will be able to rule out any health issues that may cause the cat to defecate outside of the litter box. He or she should also have more suggestions for you on re-training your cat.
2. Since the one cat has accidents in the same location, try temporarily moving his litter box to that spot. Hopefully, he will get the idea that you want him to go to the bathroom inside the litter box. Keep in mind that some cats like covered boxes and others don't, so you may have to experiment with this issue. Once you get him to use the litter box, begin to slowly move it back to where you want it to be located, showing him where the box is and doing this slowly, a little at a time.
3. For the cat that goes all over the house, contain him with his litter box to a small area, such as a spare bathroom to help retrain him that he needs to use the litter box. While he is being retrained, clean the areas he has soiled with a good enzymatic cleaner. You should be able to purchase one at any pet center.

Thanks for your question. I hope some of these suggestions help.

~~Lori

Am I Doing This Right?

I have a new five-week-old kitten. We have had him for four days. As far as I've seen when I'm sitting there, I know he has used the litter box about four times and pooped once, which was really hard.

Usually he grooms or tries to nap when I put him in there. Why? I put him in there about every 45-60 minutes to make sure he doesn't go anywhere else. Am I doing this right?

Is it normal that he wants to nap in there? He even got in there himself once and was napping when I found him. Is he going to the restroom enough? I have water available to him at all times.

Thank you~~ Kelly B

Expert Reply

Hi Kelly B.,

Very young kittens sleep a lot, and although it may be a little disturbing to find your kitten sleeping in his litter box it's not completely unheard of.

Did you get your kitten from a shelter? Out of necessity, many shelters must keep cats in small cages during their stay, and each small cage contains a litter box. Due to lack of space, some felines develop the habit of napping in the boxes to get off of the hygienic floors. Perhaps this happened with your kitten?

Now let's address the frequency of Kitty's eliminations. He may possibly be going to the litter box more often than you realize, although one stool in four days isn't much. Since that stool was hard, you may want to pick up some canned kitten food to provide more moisture in his diet. This suggestion may seem a little worrisome to you considering the recent wet cat food recall, but you should be able to find a brand that is not on the list.

Finally we come to the training issue. Cats tend to be more private than dogs, so I recommend giving your kitten some space to do his duty away from watchful eyes. I recommend you read our article on House Training Cats for guidelines on training your kitten. If you have him neutered at four months old, it may also keep him from ever developing a urine spraying habit.

I hope this info gives you what you need to get on the right track to a long and happy relationship with your new kitten.

Thanks for your question~~ Kelly

Trouble Litter Training Kitten

I have two kittens that I purchased from our local animal shelter six weeks ago. They are both now four months old.

The male kitten is pooping and peeing all over the house. He goes in the bathroom on the rug, on clothes in the laundry room and on every bed in the house. He uses the litter box when I confine him to an area, but as soon as he is let out he is back to the same behaviors. Help!

~~ Jamie

Expert Reply

Hi Jamie,

Are you sure it's definitely just one of the kittens? Typically when one kitten goes astray, the other will follow because it's drawn to the scent.

First of all, you need to scrub wherever he's peed with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water to clean away any residual scent. The urine crystals can sink in deep, and even humidity can cause them to emit smells. Really soak the areas while you're cleaning them.

Next, you can try spraying the off-limits areas with a citrus spray or another commercial product to repel cats. This will discourage your male from entering those places.

If you're only providing one litter box for both cats, you might try adding a second one. Some cats are picky about using the same box as others. Scooping the box more frequently may also make it more attractive to your male.

Your male may also not care for the type of litter you're using. If you're using clay litter now, try switching to a recycled newspaper litter and see if he prefers it. Since he's going in your laundry now, he may actually like the feel of this litter better.

Is your male neutered? Nearly all shelters take care of this before they release the kittens for adoption, but if yours didn't then your kitten may feel the urge to mark his territory. If he's not neutered, go ahead and have it taken care of. You may also want your vet to examine him to see if there's a medical reason behind all of the house accidents.

Finally, confining him may be your best option at this time, but you can use the time wisely. You can treat him as though he is a brand new kitten being reintroduced to the litter box. Return any accidents he may have to the box so he can see where he's supposed to do his business, and only let him out of confinement for short supervised periods. Hopefully he will become so ingrained in the habit of using the box that you can slowly allow him more freedom.

I hope one or more of these suggestions proves useful. Thanks for your question.

~~ Kelly

Sudden Habit of House Soiling

My cat is suddenly pooping around the house in different spots, and she's done this four times now. She is now limited to just one room in the house, and so far she hasn't done it there yet. What could have happened that she is suddenly doing this? Please help!

Thanks~~ Barb

Expert Reply

Hi Barb,

Most people don't consider this angle, but sometimes a sudden soiling problem in a well trained cat is sign of a medical problem. Since this is so out of character for your cat, it might be good to take her in for a check up. Then you can at least rule that out and move on to looking at other issues.

For now, you've done the right thing by limiting her territory. This forces her to use her litter box, and this will hopefully help retrain her. When the time comes, you can begin to increase her territory gradually. Try to add just one more room, and if she soils out of the box, confine her back to one room again and repeat the training.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you're able to resolve he situation.

~~ Kelly