My rescue cat wont use the litter box?
2 weeks ago, I got a six month old neutured male cat from a rescue. He is the only animal in our house and we keep the litter clean in a good sized pan with no lid. If I lock him in the room, he will use the box, but if I let him out, he will pee and poop in the wrong places.
I dont know what to do and am getting really frustrated. Any suggestions?
Public Comments
1. get a water bottle. For some reason, spraying water at a cat when they are doing something they aren't supposed to be doing makes them stop! It worked on my cat. He used to like peeing and pooping in plastic bags, for no reason. He also is an only "child" and the little box was huge and no lid as well. But then he started pooping on the side of the little box and not actually in the littler box. The people at PetSmart told me to keep a lid on the box so the cat can have its personal time. I know it sounded weird to me as well, but it worked!2. If you catch him in the act, very firmly and clearly say "No!", then pick him up, flick him in nose (not too hard) and put him in the litter pan. You may have to keep this up for a long time before he starts doing it right. Then when you see him using the litter pan sat "Good, Kitty!" and pet him. Cat's are smart, he'll get it.
3. Make sure he has privacy, and that the box is not in a high traffick area. Cats don't like their water and food be near the box keep them apart by at least 15 feet. Clean the areas where he messed with vinegar or a pet enzyme because cats have a good sense of smell. He will be able to smell it even if you can't and will keep going back to the same spot.
4. lock him into a room for a few days with just food water litter box and his bed to give him time to acclimate to you and the new household. going dodo cat boxe of the catbox is usually an indicator of stress.
5. Would it be possible for you to just get a second litter box to put out in that area somewhere? I know it may be an inconvenience to do that, but it seems alot better than cleaning up after the little bugger. My second thought is to call the place where you got him and ask for their advice. Also call up a vet and see what they recommend too. But above all, please be patient. It's just a little one and it will learn. Just love him. Which it sounds like you do. After reading what others said I have to add to this. Please don't spray them! The vets will tell you that it will only make them afreaid of you and scared too. It shouldn't be done. The other is to NOT flick them in the nose! That is a very sensitive area to do that to. That to will only make them scared of you and they will not trust you with other things. To me that is a very mean thing to do to any animal. We got these animals to give them the love and care that they needed. Alot of them were taken away from owners that abused them or neglected them. Why would we want to inflict nasty things on them again? I commend you for taking this little guy from a rescue place. thank you for doing so. Again, please don't do those things that others say. There are better ways for your issue. And have fun with him too! He is lucky to have you!
6. I would think that with time he will get adjusted and start using the litter box. There is not telling what kind of stress he was in before he ended up in the rescue. He already knows that there is a litter box and what to do with it. It may just take a little more time to feeling secure in his new environment. As frustrating as it can be, continue to be patient with him. I admire you for getting him from a rescue, that is super awesome! hang in there with him :)
7. First, have you had him tested for a urinary tract infection. If not, do so just to make sure. If the litter box is not covered, get one that is. Some cats like privacy. If it is covered, take it off, He might just be a cat that doesn't like the feeling of confinement.
Watch him closely. Take him to the litter box several times a day. Close the door and stay in there with him. When he uses it, pet and praise him. Clean all areas thoroughly wear he has urinated If a trace of smell is left behind, he will use this area again. Persistence is what usually works, Frustrating yes, but I think that you can break him of the habit.
8. To the person who said that you should flick the cat in the nose, I would definitely not suggest following this advice. Cats' noses are very sensitive and it hurts them. There is no reason to cause them physical pain when they make a mistake. Go flick your own nose. How does it feel? There are much better ways to train a cat; for one, using a water bottle like the other poster suggested. Just make sure not to get water in their ears. One squirt should do the trick. If you don't want to squirt your cat with water you can put some coins in a can and shake it whenever the cat does something he isn't supposed to. Cats learn quickly. There really never is any reason to inflict any kind of pain whatsoever on your cat though.
To the OP- thanks for sticking with this cat and trying to resolve the problem. Sometimes cats just take some time to learn. There are a few things that have worked for me when we've brought home new cats. For starters, they have sprays at places like Petsmart that you can spray in the areas you don't want your cat peeing/pooping. They've worked fairly well for me. The only problem is that it is reactionary. In other words, once they've peed or poo'd there then you spray it. It does help them from thinking that they can just pee and poop in the same spot again though because once their scent is in there, it may be hard for him to realize that it's not where he's supposed to be going.
You can also place aluminum foil anywhere you don't want the cat to go. Cats hate the feeling of it on their paws, so if you put a piece of foil where he's going then he'll be more reluctant to walk on it and go there.
When your cat does go poop somewhere he's not supposed to, move the poop to the litter box so he smells it in there. You may actually be keeping the litter too clean! You may want to try always leaving a poo or 2 in there so your cat can smell where his previous poo is. Maybe your cat has some sensory issues and can't smell where his litter box is when he's not in the room.
Also, as another poster suggested, try multiple litter boxes. Sometimes cats just don't like to have to travel to get to their litter box. My vet suggested having up to 6 litter boxes in my home when we first got my cat that was afraid to use the box. We started with 4 litter boxes because our house isn't huge, and slowly we started to take two of the boxes away. Just make sure if you do remove litter boxes that you do so with care because if the cat is used to a litter box being somewhere and then it's gone, they may go where it once was. To help with this you can slowly "merge" the litter boxes that you are getting rid of. Each day move the litter box you are trying to get rid of a foot closer to one of the ones you want to keep. This can take time, but it has worked for me.
Definitely cover the cat box too, as cats like their privacy when going. It sounds like you've only had this cat for a short period of time too, so he may be just getting used to the environment. He needs to feel safe when he's going. That being said, he is in a new environment as well and may just be getting used to his new environment. He may be stressed, but you definitely want to nip this problem in the bud before it becomes habit. Where do you have your litter box located? Is it in quiet area that is always accessible and out of the way of people and other animals? Sometimes if a cat feels like there is too much activity going on around their litter box they won't use it because they feel vulnerable. When a cat is using the bathroom in the wild they are vulnerable to attack because their gaurd is down a little, so they have to feel safe when and where they go. If your kitty feels like he is going to get interuppted or even attacked while going then he may just go wherever he feels safest. This can also explain why when he's closed in a room he feels safe to go in the litter box (nobody else is around to scare or interrupt him). Also, this is another good reason to have a lid on the box with only one way in and one way out. This will help the cat feel like they are protected.
If all else fails, I would strongly suggest taking your kitty to the vet. Sometimes when cats are using the litter box when they're near it like you mentioned, but not when they have the ability to roam free it may indicate that they have some underlying medical problem. Your kitty may have something like a urinary tract infection that causes your cat to have to pee badly and your kitty doesn't have time to make it to the litter box.
