Cat Litter Box Problems Guide

Despite the fact that I've had a page up on litter box problems for quite some time, I continue to get many requests for help from visitors surrounding this and related problems. I've put together this more extensive guide in the hopes that this will give you many ideas and strategies on how to overcome your problems.

As this website becomes more and more popular, I unfortunately don't have the time to respond individually to requests for help via email. In addition, I am not a veterinarian, and am not qualified to give such advice. I am also not an animal behaviorist or a pet psychologist, and I don't have any formal training in these areas. I do, however, understand cats quite well, and I certainly know how frustrating it can be to try to understand them, especially when they're having problems.

So, here's what I've put together...

Cat Litter Box Problems Guide

Tips for Solving Litter Box Problems
Solving cat box problems can be a challenge. Anything from an illness to stress can throw your cat off her routine. Your veterinarian needs to be involved in the discussion, and physical problems ruled out before you approach the behavioral issues. You should be aware that even the most well adjusted cat can be thrown off by stress. Stress can come from many sources, including a change in household routine, the addition of a family member or pet, or the death of another pet. Even changing the amount of attention your cat receives can put stress on your cat.

Anatomy of a Cat Box Problem
Solving a litter box problem means being patient, diligent, and consistent with your cat. If your cat develops litter box aversion, the original cause can either be medical in nature, or it may be behavioral. If there's a health issue, it will need to be dealt with first. Either way, some retraining may be required to get your cat back on track.

Resources on Cats and Litter Box Issues
Here's a list of resources on inappropriate elimination, the litter box, and spraying/marking behavior which either support the information I have published in this guide, or offer additional insight or a different perspective on the issues.

Litter Box FAQ
I've seen some general litter box questions come up repeatedly, and thought I'd put them together in this FAQ (frequently asked questions) document.

Reasons Your Cat Won't Use the Cat Box
Some of the main reasons your can't won't use the litter box.

As for my own experiences with my cats in this area, while Teddie has had her bouts of constipation, and Frankie has had issues with what I call "cling ons," none of the three Cat Lovers Only cats have ever had clinical litter box problems. There has never been a case of inappropriate elimination in the house, so I have not had to personally conquer this beast.

When Teddie is having constipation problems, she plays around in the box and swishes the litter around, but doesn't go. She'll visit the box many times within a short time span, and sometimes she'll act like she's trying, but no dice. Eventually, she uses the box.

If your cat is acting like that, it's probably not related to what we normally call box problems. She may be constipated, however, which can lead to long term bowel health problems. Also, feline constipation can have a number of causes, including impacted anal glands. So make sure you follow up with your vet.

Do you have a cat litter box problem with your kitty? Or... do you have a solution to one that would help someone else? A fix that worked for you, or might work for someone else? Share it!

This is our discussion forum where you can help and be helped by other Cat Lovers Only readers!

You and others can comment, and vote on submissions so that other readers can know which solutions work most often.

Check back here in a while to see your post as submissions need to be approved. I'll do my best to get to them as soon as possible.

Click below to see problems and solutions posted by other visitors to this page...

My Cat Has Started Urinating Outside The Litter Box In The Same Location Every Time 
I have a 6 month old female I have raised since she was 2 weeks old. Her mother deserted her. I nursed her on a bottle until she was old enough to eat ...

Pees while standing... burying behavior at food bowl 
Hello, My cat seems to be confused about a few things. She stands while peeing and the pee often goes over the edge of the box. I bought a tall box which ...

Indoor/outdoor cat litters in the neighbors yard 
My next door neighbor had complained that our cat litters her yard. We have the indoor litter box and he uses it on a regular basis, but obviously does ...

Cat plays with poo 
My cat keeps taking poo out of his litter box to play with as a toy. How can I get him to stop?

Moe Will Not Poop in Litter Box  Not rated yet
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Box Aversion  Not rated yet
Hello,
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2Cats, one pooper on the floor; mystery  Not rated yet
We have a brother and sister team, almost 8 yrs. old and all of a sudden we've noticed that one of them has decided to poop 'outside the box'. We haven'...

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My sister ...

UTI stopped box use  Not rated yet
How do I get my cat to start using her litter box again?
She stopped after 15 years of normal use, because of a prolonged UTI. She is 15 and is in ...

My cat poops and pees on my kitchen floor  Not rated yet
She started peeing on the dinning room floor in oct 07 a few months after I moved in with my husband. He has 2 cats also. My cat has been chased and even ...

My cat wants to live in the kitchen  Not rated yet
I have an elderly cat, who used to hate the litter box, but used it properly when she had to. She always wanted to go outside to relieve herself.

Within ...

my cat pees in my room or in front of bedroom door  Not rated yet
I moved out of my mothers house and into an apartment in november and the first few months i had NO problems with my cat. Recently my grandma was in the ...

Can I place the litter box outside?  Not rated yet
I live in a first floor condo with a patio enclosed by a 6 foot fence. I have a cat door leading to the patio which I leave open and my two cats go in ...

male cat overspray   Not rated yet
My large male cat is very fussy and the litter box must be cleaned often or he will not use the box. He has started to over spray the box even when the ...

Help! My female kitty is peeing on back door and wall  Not rated yet
I have a two year old female kitty who is peeing outside the litter box on my back door and in my bedroom on the wall. These two places mainly. I have ...

cat peeing in my bed  Not rated yet
We recently moved into a house and one of my cats is now urinating on our bed she is a year old always been a clean cat. Is it because we moved?

My ...

Cat suddenly won't use litter box  Not rated yet
have 2 males and 1 female, males are 6 and 4 years old
female will be 2 in May, (got her when she was 6 wks. old) female has stopped using the litter ...

Problem: my cats pee all over the house  Not rated yet
I have 2 cats in a sml appartment, they have a litter box nd do use it at times but are still urinating all over the house, mainly the front door entrance ...

My cat rubs herself on my rugs almost always after pooping  Not rated yet
PLEASE, I am at wits end. My cat is 3 years old and almost every time she poops she rubs her hiny on the rug. My vet has cleaned some stinky glands near ...

Changing the location of the litter box  Not rated yet
I have three cats (2 males and 1 female) who are all neutered. I have 2 litter boxes. One is down the basement and the other tucked into the corner of ...

Vented Cat Litter Box !  Not rated yet
Here's a suggestion from a reader:

I love cats but have always hated one thing about them, the litter box. I looked for options for years. Then I found ...

Sleeping in the Litter Box  Not rated yet
I just adopted a four-month female kitten from the Humane Society. I have had her for four days and she has been a happy, loving, kitten, always jumping ...

Problem: Refuses to poop in the box!  Not rated yet
My Cat is diabetic. We keep tabs on his blood sugar to make sure it is in normal range. But he refuses to go in his box! Once in a great while he will,...

All of a sudden pooping on the hearth  Not rated yet
Wizzy is 7yrs and all of a sudden after always going outside (he has never had a litter box) he looks to the hearth (where there is ash) or a quiet corner ...

Elimination Location  Not rated yet
My 4th cat and baby, Sasha just started going in the house a couple of weeks ago. She has gone in the dining room 3 times which is only steps from the ...

Little poops on the carpet and scooting marks  Not rated yet
Just in the past two days my 8 year old female cat started leaving little dry poops on the carpet and what appears to be scoot marks along with them - brown ...