New Cat Not Using Litter Box
Cat has a medical issue cat is not spayed or neutered cat is not litter box trained dirty litter box cat doesn t like type of litter switching types of litter too.
New cat not using litter box. Try cleaning the litter box everyday and keep it fresh for your cat to use. Multi cat household if you have multiple cats then just as mentioned before make sure you have 2 litter boxes per cat. If you and your veterinarian determine stress is the cause of your cat not using the litter box try to establish a routine for your kitty moving forward. If it goes on carpeting install a carpet remnant in its box.
If things are hectic at home make an effort to keep your cat s life as consistent as possible as far as feeding playtime sleeping goes. Then your cat will not use a litter box that is dirty and not cleaned. If your cat isn t comfortable with her litter box or can t easily access it she probably won t use it. The following common litter box problems might cause her to eliminate outside of her box.
Many cats are put off by the odor of scented or deodorant litters. Degenerative joint disease various forms of arthritis cancer diabetes kidney disease muscle atrophy or joint. Buying the least expensive litter or whatever brand happens to be on sale could result in your cat not using the litterbox. For the same reason it s not a good idea to place a room deodorizer or air freshener near the litterbox.
Take a look at the surface where your cat prefers to defecate and try duplicating that surface in the litter box. But if you re changing things up and bringing in a new litter box you might encounter some resistance. If it targets paper line the bottom of the box with paper. For instance if your kitty likes tile leave the bottom of the litter box bare.
You haven t provided enough litter boxes for your household. Common possible reasons for a cat not using the litter box. Have health problems ruled out first before you conclude that this is a behavioral matter. You haven t cleaned your cat s litter box often or thoroughly enough.
The first thing to do if your cat refuses to use the litter box is to take the cat to the veterinarian for a full checkup.