My cat won't use his litter box anymore?

Question

We have had my male cat for over three years now, ever since he was about six weeks old. And he had been potty trained ever since. But now all of a sudden out of nowhere, he won't use his box and he is doing all of his business all around the house. And he also will not stay on the floor, he constantly has to be up on top of stuff. And I have tried to put him in his litter box but he will just run out of it. Anything to do?

Answer 1

Take him to the vet.  He might have a UTI or other illness.  When it hurts for them to go they associate the litter box with the cause of the pain.    

Answer 2

Have you changed the litter or box or moved its location recently?  Cats can be very finicky about changes like that.  Did you use a new cleaner to clean it?  Is it clean?  If everything is normal, I would have him checked out by the vet ASAP.

Answer 3

Well, clean it.  Dump it out - clean the box- you have to put something in there to hide the smell and clean it every day.

Answer 4

Has anything changed in your household, ie: another new pet, new baby, moved furniture around or moved to new home?  These things can upset a cat and cause them to not use their litter box.  It could also be a medical condition.  Have your cat checked by a vet if nothing new or out of the ordinary in the home.

Answer 5

First, you want to make sure he doesn't have a urinary infection.

Then I just have a lot of questions --

Have you moved the cat litter box recently or have you changed the type of cat litter that you use?  

Is it possible that something may have scared him in the area where his litter box is?  If that's a possibility, try moving it to a place that would be more to his liking.

Is he sharing the box with any other animals?  

Have you recently had anything that has happened in your environment that would make your cat feel unsettled.  New animals, children, any kind of change that would affect him.

Hopefully this is something very simple and temporary and your kitty will be back to his manners soon.  Good luck!

Answer 6

If the box is cleaned regularly and nothing has spooked the cat in the box's present location then a check up at the vet is in order and if all is well then rethink the cat liter brand, box location and it indeed the box is clean enough.  

Answer 7

Try out these step they will work but if they don't then buy a book I'll recommend "Cat Training Secret Revealed" first try these steps

step 1- when you see your cat/kitten about to p**p pick it up gently and carry to the litter box

step 2- give lots of attention once done the toilet and a treat

step 3- repeat very time until it learns doing the toilet in the box is a good thing

if it dose it anyway ells lightly tap the cat/kitten on the nose and say no

good luck!

Answer 8

Does he have fleas? My cat refused to walk on the floor when she had fleas. The vet said that cats can figure out that fleas are in all of the "normal" places they stay (floor, sleeping spots, etc), and some cats decide to start going different places to avoid a high concentration of fleas (at least until the fleas hop off the cat and populate there too.) A few weeks after we put her on flea meds, she stopped. They can develop severe allergies to the flea saliva that makes them more eager than the average cat to avoid the flea infested areas.

My vet recommended Revolution for her flea medicine.

Answer 9

Definately a sign that something is wrong....could be any number of things; but you need to go to the vet asap. Sounds like you cat is in pain during the whole bathroom process...Also, once you take him, you need to make sure that you treat all the places he has gone. He will continue to use those places if he can smell that he has gone there before.