Help me not kick my cat to the curb

[Anonymous]

Lovely, friendly cat. 3 years old. So sweet to my toddler.

But he WON'T PEE IN THE LITTERBOX. He pees on the (wood) floor next to the litter. Our house smells like cat piss. He poops next to the litter. And this is just cleaned, just changed litter. What is the deal?

[Anonymous]

Did this start all of a sudden?

How big is your cat box? Is it covered?

[Anonymous]

Cat's not happy about something.

[Anonymous]

Did you change anything when this happened? New cat food? New brand of litter? Sudden lack of attention? It could be anything. One thing I wouldn't rule is actual illness.

[Anonymous]

is it a covered box? most cats don't like those.

get a couple plain, open-toped litter box and buy "cat attract" litter.

try to confine the cat to one room for a week or two. Put two litter boxes i there with "cat attract" litter. Make sure to spend time petting the cat. Make sure the box is in a quiet place with little activity/traffic.

That might help retrain the cat.

[Anonymous]

We have 2 litterboxes, uncovered, standard size, I'd say. They sit in the landing to the basement. We tried moving the boxes to the basement, but then he pooped and peed all over the basement. On thr landing at least it's contained.

He's a big cat, probably borderline overweight, but also very long. 18-20 lbs? Guests are shocked by how big he is ... A vet tech said she thinks he's part bengal because of his spots and his size.

To be honest, I can't remember how this started. Maybe six months ago? No change in litter, except for when I tried the cat attract stuff, which did not work. I did start feeding him a lower calorie food because I don't want him to get obese.

He's on my lap purring now. Now that we have a kid, he probably doesn't get as much attention from us. He seeks out attention from our toddler, and she loves petting him.

[Anonymous]

He needs to see a vet NOW.

[Anonymous]

He needs to see a vet, and depending on how much money and time you are willing to invest in him, a behaviorist. Eliminating outside the box is a very common problem and depending on the cat may be fixable or may not be.

Definitely add boxes, and get the most giant boxes you can possibly get and fit especially since he is a big cat. You can have boxes on the landing AND in the basement. Get new boxes -- throw out the old ones. Plastic boxes get scratched and the pee smell sticks no matter how clean you think they are -- just start new.

I would try the Precious Cat cat attract litter plus the herbs you sprinkle on top. Get unscented litter at a minimum though, and plan to scoop it daily. Keep all the litter boxes scrupulously clean.

I think you need to get the wood and probably the subfloor on the landing replaced asap and have a plan to put down replaceable materials under his litterboxes as well that you can change out. That wood floor will never come clean, and it will continue to attract him because of the smell.

And definitely if you can confine him to a catproof room for a couple of weeks, try it.

Good luck. Peeing problems are the worst.

[Anonymous]

Are you scooping every day? My cat won't use the box if there is any urine or poop in it. We have to scoop 2x per day and have multiple boxes. Make sure the boxes are washed regularly, also. -- Is cat stressed by your toddler being rough or feeling neglected by you? -- Illness is another possibility. Go to the vet.

[Anonymous]

Rather than standard size litter boxes, buy a couple of those plastic storage tubs and use those for litter boxes. Obviously, you won't need the lids. My cat, also a big kitty, had been having trouble with the regular cat litter boxes until we started using the plastic storage tubs. I think I pay around $6 for one at Target. They are cheaper than regular cat litter boxes and work great.

Good ideas on the litter changes, too.

Also, talk to your vet. Might be something else going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rather than standard size litter boxes, buy a couple of those plastic storage tubs and use those for litter boxes. Obviously, you won't need the lids. My cat, also a big kitty, had been having trouble with the regular cat litter boxes until we started using the plastic storage tubs. I think I pay around $6 for one at Target. They are cheaper than regular cat litter boxes and work great.

Good ideas on the litter changes, too.

Also, talk to your vet. Might be something else going on.

My vet also recommended storage tubs as long as the sides aren't too tall. Another options is a small kiddie pool. And you may also have to retrain your cat to use the litter box. I agree with a vet exam to rule out any health issues.

[Anonymous]

Man, I'm so glad I don't have pets!

[Anonymous]

pets are terrible most countries leave them outside

[Anonymous]

My cat stopped using the litterbox when he was about 5 years old. I think he decided he didn't like the smell of his own urine or poop in the house.

It turned out he liked going outside, like a dog. So now he's an indoor/outdoor cat. And he couldn't be happier. I don't have a cat door, but he lets me know when he wants to go outside.

It worries me a lot, but I figured if his life is shortened ... at least he's happier.

Go see a vet, but if that doesn't work, consider giving your cat more freedom.

[Anonymous]

Please don't let your cat outside. In addition to potentially shortening his life (drastically if he gets hit by a car or eaten by a fox or coyote, or more long-term if he picks up a disease from another cat for which there is no vaccine) he will also likely wreak havoc on the small animal and bird population. I would try every other option before letting my cat outside.