My cat has recently began not to use his litterbox.....why?!!!

Question

3yr old male cat, fixed, declawed. We got him about 4 months ago and he was happy and healthy...and USING HIS LITTERBOX!! But in the last week, he has began to pee and poo all over the house. He prefers the throw rug in the hallway and pillows that get left in the living room floor. He will use the litterbox for like one pee and one poo and then he will begin going in the house.

There have been no changes....no new pets, no new ppl, no new litter....nothing!! Why has he started this? The only change is that we switched litterbox liners, but he has been using those for over a month with no problem....until last week!

How can I make him stop going all over the house and use his litterbox again??

**He got a clean bill of health from the vet, so DON'T recommend that!!

Answer 1

I am ignoring your statement about - clean bill of health from the vet so don't recommend that. That is a stupid and dangerous statement.

Your cat could have easily developed a urinary tract infection or bladder stones, these come on very quickly especially in male cats.. even when the cat is otherwise healthy. if your cat becomes blocked and can not urinate then he will die. many cats that become blocked have a few symptoms at first like litter box avoidance and excessive cleaning of their penises. from there, if left untreated, it quickly escalates into a deadly blockage. you may have 3 to 4 days. so PLEASE for the sake of your cat, get him in to the vet and have him checked ASAP.

Answer 2

I think it depends on what the veterinarian did when you took him in. It could be a bladder infection,  a veterinarian won't look for that in a routine examination. If they didn't check his urine, take him back to the vet for a urinalysis.  A lot of times this is the reason cats don't use their box. If it's not a bladder infection or some other health problem, then it obviously is behavioral. Scoop/ change the litter box more. Get another litter box. Best of luck to you!

I was a veterinarian technician for 7 years.

Answer 3

Cats all over the country have begun rolling protests over poor quality food, insufficient scratching of the tummy and lack of bedclothes. You should get in touch with the Feline Federated Pussygateau Union before this thing gets really out of hand. You usually find the matter can be resolved without bring the dogs in.

Best of luck, Jackson.

Answer 4

When's the last time you changed the litter? Maybe it's old and he just doesn't want to use it anymore. Or maybe you're not keeping it clean enough for his liking.

If you haven't done so yet, you'll need a special pet enzyme remover for the spots. If you just use regular cleaning products it leaves a "pee here" flag to his nose and he'll keep doing it.

Answer 5

I realize that he got a clean bill of health from the vet, but I really need more details than that.  When was the vet visit (as in within the last week)?  Was a urinalysis performed?  Even if all of these were done in the last week you may still need to return to the vet.

First make sure you are cleaning the soiled areas thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner.  You'll need to soak an area roughly 3 times the size of the area that has been peed on.  Repeat at least once.

Try using different types of litters and different styles of boxes.  Even if he liked them before, he may have changed his preferences.  I've had to switch litter types several times to keep my cats happy.  They all like a large, uncovered box in a very public area.  Mine are strange little creatures.

If he is also defecating outside the box it may be a sign of a behavioural issue.  This can be brought on by stresses that humans wouldn't even notice, even things like weird noises outside.  If he gets a completely clean bill of health (in the last week) then you may want to consider behavioural medications.

My cat will urinate on beds, sofas, and piles of clothing when stressed.  We have previously placed him on a short course of Clomicalm which helped calm his anxieties.  This led to him using the litter box again.  I also used a Feliway diffuser and a spray, this is a phermone based product designed to calm cats and reduce marking.  I had the diffuser in the area he used most of the day and used the spray on areas he had urinated on.  I sprayed once a day.

Good luck.

Answer 6

Did you just wash the rug etc where he has done his deeds or did you use a pet urine stain remover?  In not I would do that as this will help keep him from using that area again.  Dr. Elsley has an additive called Precious Cat Ultra Litter Attractant.  It is in a 20 Oz clear plastic container.  It looks like catnip. They also make cat litter that works but it is more expensive.  I had a cat that would not use the litter box at all, right in front but not in. I got this stuff and she is a good girl again.