Litterbox Avoidance in Cats

Health Reasons

• Your first priority is a visit to your veterinarian to determine if the inappropriate elimination is the result of illness. Conditions such as urinary tract infection and kidney disease can cause litterbox avoidance, and leaving these conditions untreated can result in serious health problems or even death. Since cats do not communicate like we do, sometimes they will eliminate in different areas in order to get your attention when they are sick.

Environmental Reasons

• After ruling out medical causes, determine if the litterboxes are unpleasant or even threatening to your cat. First make sure you have enough litterboxes for the number of cats in your household. The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Veterinary Medicine recommends one box per cat plus one extra, so for example if you have four cats you should have five litterboxes. Placement of the boxes is crucial, especially in multi-cat households. OSU recommends making sure the boxes are not in enclosed areas where other cats can attack the cat that is using the box, or where loud appliances or other machinery can turn on suddenly, scaring the cat while in the box. Cats are clean animals and will not use heavily soiled boxes. They are also finicky about the type of litter in their boxes, so constantly changing litter based on whatever is on sale can cause cats to avoid their boxes altogether.

Psychological Reasons

• Changes such as moving to a new house, the birth of a baby, the addition of new pets to the family or even furniture rearrangement can cause stress in cats. Some cats will manifest stress as litterbox avoidance. Change and stress can also cause illness in cats, which can in turn cause litterbox problems, so it is important to recognize how all of these factors are related and should be addressed simultaneously.

Solutions

• If your veterinarian has diagnosed a health problem be sure to follow the recommendations regarding medication and other treatment. Clean the soiled areas in the house with an enzyme cleaner specifically formulated for pet stains; this will help ensure the cat will not continue to eliminate in the soiled area. Make sure there are enough litterboxes in safe areas without a lot of traffic. Scoop the boxes daily, completely emptying and cleaning them every few days. If you are not sure which type of litter your cat prefers, offer several different litters in several different boxes and make note of which box your cat uses most often. In cases where your cat has been stressed by other new pets, consider re-introducing the pets more slowly.

Prevention

• Keep your cat healthy by feeding quality food, offering plenty of fresh water and making annual visits to the veterinarian. If your cat is old and has been diagnosed with arthritis, consider adding boxes in several rooms including on all levels of the house, as sometimes it is more difficult for arthritic cats to walk or climb stairs fast enough to heed nature's call. If you anticipate a major change in the household, talk to your veterinarian about anxiety medication or supplements to help ease the transition and prevent litterbox avoidance due to stress.