Litter box placement and tidiness are key!
Create a calm environment.
If your cat is generally stressed, she may be communicating that through the change in her litter box behavior. Maybe you’ve moved, or you have a new baby, or a new cat. Changing their environment or routine can stress cats, and sometimes that stress can even lead to a medical issue like a UTI. Reducing that stress as much as possible may solve the issue. Place the litter boxes in a quiet, private area, away from foot traffic, away from their food and water. Make it a positive experience by using pheromone spray. Cats want to go in areas where they feel protected and away from commotion. As they may be stressed by the presence of others near their litter, especially very active or loud children and dogs, put the litter box in a place where dogs or kids can’t access it.
Keep the litter box clean.
Scoop the box at least twice a day; clean with enzymatic cleaner and disinfect the litter box and replace all the litter in the boxes every week. Cats don’t want to step in a dirty litter box. Some are more sensitive to an unclean environment than others.
Use shallow, bigger or uncovered litter boxes.
Provide litter boxes that are shallow so your cat can climb in easier. High sided or top entry boxes might make it difficult for your cat to get into the litter box. This is especially true for small kittens, older cats, and special-needs cats. If it’s too hard for your cat to get in the litter box, she may go elsewhere. Make sure the litter boxes big enough for the cat to enter and exit easily. Use a bigger litter box and/or uncover it if it’s covered. Place it in an area where the cat can see her surroundings and has multiple escape routes. Your cat might feel cramped or trapped in her litter box, which makes her feel unsafe. Or she may just not fit in the box at all! When in doubt, go bigger.
Give multiple cats options.
If you have multiple cats, make sure you have one litter box per cat plus one other. Set them all in different locations so the cats have options. Cats are territorial and may be too stressed to use the litter box if they’re competing with another cat. Sometimes, cats will even chase each other away from the box or wait outside of it to jump on a cat who emerges. If you live in a multi-story home, have a litter box on every floor. Cats can have occasional accidents if they don’t have a litter box nearby when they need to go. This is especially true of kittens, older cats, and special-needs cats.
Change the type of litter.
Try a different brand of litter. Use unscented litter if you haven’t been because cats dislike strong smells. Keep trying different litters until you find the right one. You can even try setting multiple boxes, all with different litters in them. Once you know your cat’s preference, be consistent with the type of litter, texture and scent that your cat prefers and avoid changing their routine. If there’s a thin layer of litter in the box, put in more. If there’s a thick layer of litter, put in less. Your cat may think there is too much or too little litter in the box for their comfort. Declawed cats sometimes have litter box issues as well. They may associate the pain they feel in their paws when trying to cover their waste with the litter box itself. Use soft types of the litters then.
Eliminate accident odors.
If your cat does go to the bathroom outside the litter pan, thoroughly clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner that is specifically designed for cat urine. Block that area for a few days or place additional litter boxes in the areas of inappropriate elimination. If your cat is still smelling her elimination in an area she’s not supposed to go, she’ll keep thinking it’s a bathroom.
Regular cleaners may mask the odor so that we can't smell it, but the odor will still be discernible to your cat, and can prompt him to continue to use that area as a bathroom. Enzymatic cleaners contain natural organisms that digest the bacteria that cause stain and odor, making it so that even the pet can’t smell it.
Make the area less appealing.
Your cat has decided she wants to go in a certain spot and really doesn’t want to stop. After all, cats really like routine. If your cat has developed a preference for eliminating on another surface or location, move the litter box to the area your cat is eliminating or make that area less appealing. You can add bright lights or motion sensors to the area, or place tin foil, upside-down carpet runners, or double-sided sticky tape on the preferred surface to repel your cat. Some cats don’t like certain air freshener scents, particularly citrus scents, and will avoid the area if one is placed there.
Addressing medical issues.
If your cat starts going to the bathroom in other locations, and you have been following the guidelines above, your cat may have a medical problem. Sporadic urination outside of the litter box is one of the most common signs of a urinary tract infection or other medical concern. Cats can suffer from bladder infections, emergency urinary blockages, arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, and other conditions that may affect their litter box habits. These issues will only worsen without treatment, so take your cat to the vet as soon as possible! Your cat may connect the box with painful elimination, even if their health is back to normal.
If your cat isn’t spayed or neutered, what you think is peeing outside the litter box may actually be spraying and marking. These behaviors are strongly associated with mating, and usually stop after your cat is spayed or neutered.
DO NOT:
• Rub the cat’s nose in her own waste. This will never work and will only serve to stress your cat.
• Place the cat by force in the litter box. It could cause your cat to develop a negative association with the box.
• Yell at the cat. This will only cause fear, not solve the issue.
And don’t get discouraged! It may take some troubleshooting, but you will be able to find a solution that works for you and your cat.
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