Litter tray issues: Needing help with my Cat!?

Question

Hey people. I got a serious issue with my cat and don't know what else to do. Little Molly is a really shy black cat and I have 3 in total. One is the mother of 2 kittens of who we kept - So we have a little family of cats. One of the cats are scared of everything including now the mother cat. We have one litter box and where the other 2 cats will use the litter tray, one of the kittens (now coming to one year old - she about 10 months old) just will rarely use it. She preferes to lay stools in corners of walls, under beds, couches, any dark place. I've kept the littertray clean as possible, sprayed the "away cat" stuff which is meant to prevent this happening all around the house bar the litter tray, put her out at nights, yet still no luck. I really like her but my mum is away to get rid of her if she dont stop. Help please?

Answer 1

maybe if you move the litter box to a dark corner, she might go in it. but if she is afraid of the other cats, she might also be afraid of their scent, which could be the problem. try buying a second litter box, only for her. keep it in the place she likes to go potty the best and hope for the best. also, if you see her going potty anywhere else, gently move her to her new litter box. she will learn eventually, and praise her each time she goes. if problem consists, maybe you could see her into an animal shelter or foster care

good luck

Answer 2

try getting Little Molly her own litter box, in the garage or away from the others. thats what i did when we got 2nd kitten & it worked, although the 2 share both boxes now that they are getting along. it started out just the kitten would use it. Good luck

Answer 3

Scott,  Put her in the bathroom with her own litter tray each night.  She defiantly has some sort of a problem with something.  She is doing it on purpose for some reason.  Hopefully we have some animal behaviorists here that could help you out.  Please, please don't get rid of her.  I'm sure someone will give you a good solution.  Judy

Answer 4

Scott -

I have five cats.  More during my lifetime.  Sometimes when there are mulitple cats in a household, one or more may decide they aren't going to share a litter box.  Sometimes, all will use the same one.  It's really just a hit and miss as to whether a cat will share territory.

Once, I had two cats and one of them would not use the same litter box.  The vet explained it to me and I got another box.  After about a year, the cat started using the same box as the other cat - go figure.  Anyway, with multiple cats in the house, it isn't uncommon to need more than one litter box.  Also, as cats get older they change.  And, try to be accomodating and let your cats outside whenever you think they want to go out.  Do this at least for a while, and your cats will learn to use the litter boxes less and less, plus they will learn to control their movements longer if they are secure in thinking they will be let outside before it becomes critical.  

Your cat is choosing "out of the way" locations now because, they are by nature clean and they are trying to "go" in a less noticeable spot.  

Try another box and more attention to letting them out more frequently, I think it will help.

good luck

Answer 5

Your little kitty is scared because there are too many cats around her. She needs her own box, hidden away somewhere where ONLY she can use it. Too much stimulation in a cat's world can result in her trying to "hide" the evidence that she is around--and that includes her f***s and urine.

Cats, especially female cats, are very territorial. Females usually run the clans and are the major hunters--and only one will be "alpha" in the group. This is not your shy girl. She's trying to erase any evidence of her presence, or hide it, so that the other female is not "aware" of her, in case she would decide to drive her away.

You can try this: get a large box, about the size of a TV, turn it upside down so the opening is at the bottom, and cut a small hole in the bottom side just big enough for your shy girl to come in and go out of. Put a new litter pan with new litter (nothing she or the other cats have used before) in the box, and put the box with the pan/litter in a completely different place than where your other litter pans are.  Gently introduce your shy cat to this arrangement--and the place. I suggest you use a different room, where she has not used any corners, and the other cats have no access. Don't let any of the other cats use this box or even get inside it. Eventually she'll make the connection that this is HER place and HER box, and none of the others will be there--and she'll feel safer because the box is in an out-of-the-way place, and has no "open" part where another cat can leap down on her. It might take a few tries--but she'll get it eventually. She may have to have this arrangement as long as you have the other cats, but at least you won't have little surprises all over your house.

Answer 6

quick fix: get another pan for her... stick it in her favorite p**p spot, and then stick her in it get her use to the smell then make sure no other cat goes in it... she will def. use it

Answer 7

First up there is no quick fix for this... it will take some time.

You need to get the problem kitty her own litter tray and keep the other 2 away from it. When kitty messes in a corner of the house (and I know this is gross, but...) pick it up and put it in the litter tray you want her to use. As you identified yourself, she is using dark places - where she feels secure enough to go without being harassed - so you need to think about that too, and put the tray somewhere she has gone before. You need to spend a lot of time with her, away from the other cats, so she builds up confidence. Putting her outside at night may mean she feels punished, and you can't really punish her for having to 'go'. Put the other two outside and let problem kitty relax for a while.

Show her the litter tray, plenty of times, and once she's smelled her own business in there take it out and keep it clean.

But keep showing the tray to her.

Once you've seen her use her own tray, give her a treat of whatever her fave food is. It will encourage her.

This takes a few weeks, not days.