please help with my cat and litterbox issue

[retrowire]

Alright, here's the setup.

Cagney is a cat that is just over one year old.

He used to poop outside the litter box and pee inside the litterbox. (Thank glox)

BUT, now he is doing both outside the litterbox.

We have two letterboxes in the area for him to choose from. I can't see why he went from partial usage to zero usage of the litter box.

But here's the variable... We're moving to a new house.

On the bad side, we're currently renting and I hate the idea of Cagney putting a cat urine smell in the house RIGHT BEFORE WE MOVE.

But on the good side and this is a question, will moving to a new home reset his bathroom habits and give us a new opportunity to train him?

Thanks for any help.

[Nitram]

1. Our vet told us to put a food dishes with cat food at each location he is marking.

It worked. And it worked very quickly.

With a stray that we adopted, we had to get a cage and keep the kitty in there for a couple of weeks. She learned to use the cat litter exclusively.

[Duppers]

2. Link to best authority on kitty issues

Litter box issues...

http://jacksongalaxy.com/learnlitterbox

I've never had a problem kitty but wish you much luck and congrats on your new home.

[ginnyinWI]

3. my daughter has a cat who poops on the floor next to the litter boxes.

If the litter box has been used at all ( there is another cat in the house who this cat is friendly with and has known since she was a kitten) she just doesn't want to use it. My daughter has to clean the boxes, and there are several, every day, so there is always a clean one. She does pee in the box, though. I think she is five or six years old and this has been ongoing.

She is still working on this problem to figure out why. It might be the texture of the litter itself, and changing it might help. It might be the location of the litter box. Is it near something with a scary sound ( furnace, clothes dryer)? Is it in a place there there is no back escape path? She's also wondering if littler scattered on the floor near the boxes is uncomfortable to walk on, on the way to the litter box. Things like that. Some cats are very sensitive.

[retrowire]

4. cagney also has grown up with our other cat Harpo

So I wonder. I notice nothing bad happens after freshly cleaned boxes so damn it, maybe Cagney's a neat freak.

[ginnyinWI]

6. Could be.

I've heard about other cats who are like this at the shelter where I volunteer. One was surrendered for "litter box issues", but the shelter staff saw that he was just, as you say, a neat freak. They would tell potential adopters that his litter box had to be cleaned very often and then he'd be just fine.

[ginnyinWI]

7. One more tip

Some cats need two boxes so they can pee in one and poop in the other. And if you have multiple cats, the number of boxes should be one per cat plus one extra.

[Freddie]

8. Our boys poop in one and pee in the other

Whatever works. I use clumping litter with sifting boxes, sift daily, add fresh litter on top frequently and wash/totally fresh weekly. No issues.
Keeping him in a cage with a blanket and a litter box for a while might help as cats won't poop or pee where they sleep.

[packman]

5. STRONG ADVICE - make litter deep

It should be 3/4 inch deep. We had a problem with our cat and it was our fault. We just put a sprinkling of litter in and after one usage the cat did his business outside the box. We were told, the deeper the litter the better and it worked. Cats do not like to go in a shallow litter and need to cover their stuff up.

Cats, by their nature, do not like to have their smell announced and try to hide it - good luck - also, maybe multiple litter boxes.

[Citrus]

9. Several things...

- Is your cat neutered? (Hopefully, he is.) Un-neutered males often use "litterbox issues" as a dominance thing.
- Make sure you use unscented litter. The scented stuff is toxic and to the exquisitely sensitive noses of cats, it can be literal agony.
- As someone already pointed out, make sure the litter is deep enough for your cat to get a "good dig". I think 3/4" is too little, but if it works, it works.
- Some cats like litter made of bigger pieces, some like the fine stuff, which is more like real sand/dirt. Experiment and find out what your cat likes.
- Some cats will only use the boxes that have lids. It really can be a privacy issue.
- As already noted, nearby disruptions with noises, machinery or even people-traffic can be a problem.
- Experiment with "kitty greens". Fresh grass can ease a cat's natural desire to feel the sun and earth. Sometimes if it's placed strategically, it can create a sense of being outdoors while in the litterbox.
- Cheap ground black pepper can be sprinkled liberally around places that are off limits. It's non-toxic and harmless but deters most cats.
- Diet can have an effect on litterbox use. No one knows exactly why, but it's worth experimenting with diet, too. Try to stay away from grocery store foods and if you can't make your pet's food or switch him to raw, look for brands that use only human-grade ingredients and have a variety of ingredients. Cats like to eat greens, bugs, flowers, flesh, berries, even tiny bits of bark from certain trees, so a variety of ingredients will more closely match a cat's natural diet.
- Consider learning the basics of cat massage or acupressure. It's surprising what can result from loving, therapeutic touch! (Two good books on massage and acupressure for cats are: Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats by Diane Stein, and Four Paws, Five Directions by Cheryl Schwartz, DVM.)
- Many behavioral issues are resolved by allowing cats access to the outdoors. This isn't always possible, of course. Most cats loathe a leash and freak out with harnesses, but "walking" your cat might help. (Never walk a cat or a dog with a collar, always use a harness.)
- Don't give up. Love and patience can conquer almost anything.