Tips for Cat Not Using Litterbox?

[Mayci & Setsuki]

Hi y’all,

I’ve had my cat Setsuki for almost a year now (our gotcha day is 3/11! ) and she has struggled continuously with her litter box habits—she will use the litter box appropriately for a while, and then will (seemingly randomly) decide she no longer likes to use it and start refusing to. I’ve gotten pretty good at catching what sets her off to start that behavior; usually, she won’t use it if she’s already used it once or twice, and it’s not been cleaned.

She was in remission from her diabetes for a few months until recently. A visit to the vet for a funny looking wound led to us realizing she had a skin infection and her diabetes was flaring up. The first month she had no issues with her litter box, but within the last few weeks she has started refusing to use it AT ALL, despite her medically improving. I just ordered her an automatic litter box in hopes that might help, but I’m afraid that she won’t use it considering she’s totally avoided her boxes at home in the last three weeks.


I use specialty pet cleaners to eliminate the smell so she won’t come back to them that way, but she just finds somewhere else to go. She has pheromone sprayers near both litter boxes, and both are the exact same box, same litter, and same mat. I’m a bit at my wits end and would love any other advice y’all might have to help modify this behavior. I know diabetes will make her go more often regardless, so it’s more likely for her to not use the litter box every now and then. But every single time has become incredibly exhausting

thank you !!

 

[Hendrick Cuddleclaw]

what litter are you using?

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I see you are using Novolin N insulin and only giving it once a day. Novolin N is not a good insulin for cats at all. It is a harsh insulin and is not recommended for cats.
You would be much better using an insulin such as Lantus and giving it twice a day. Looking at your spreadsheet you would have a good chance at remission again if you were giving a good insulin and twice a day.
It is great you are home testing. I would strongly recommend you test before every dose and make sure you are feeding Setsuki 1 hour before the dose. So you would test the BG, feed, wait one hour, then give the dose.
Also with that drop to 77 and 71, I would recommend you reduce the dose to 0.25 units.

With regards to the litter box issues….do you think she could be suffering from FLUTD which is a painful lower urinary tract inflammation which can cause the cat to avoid the litter box because of pain. I suggest googling FLUTD and seeing if that could be the cause. The treatment is relieving any stress and treating the pain amongst other things…..just a thought.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

We've had as many as nine cats here along with up to five big boxes in the same spot for just over 20 years. It might not help you but cleaning concrete is a nightmare. What has finally worked for me is mixing hydrogen peroxide with baking soda into a gooey paste, spreading it over the stained (repeatedly peed on) areas, letting it almost dry then using a metal putty knife off it comes. Then a good mopping with dish soap. Concrete is porous, you'll never get it completely clean.
Along with medical issues like urinary tract problems we have two cats now that do one or the other outside the box. They've been checked and rechecked, it's just what they do. Daniel hates plastic and paper on the floor, why I'll never know. Good luck.

 

[JL and Chip]

Dr. Lisa Pierson has a thorough discussion of inappropriate elimination and suggestions for resolving issues on the “Litter Box From Your Cat’s Point of View” page of her web site:

https://catinfo.org/the-litter-box-from-your-cats-point-of-view/

It’s worth the read.

 

[Pack]

Well, the only tip I can give is to get her to a dresser. Usually, cats have the instinct to learn from day one, where they can litter. When I bought my Siamese cat and brought her to the apartment, I showed her the litterbox. She understood everything and has been using it ever since. Perhaps the problem is that it doesn't sit in a good and inaccessible spot. Some breeds need specific parameters to be comfortable enough while littering. You can click for more info. Another piece of advice is to take her to the litterbox every time she doesn't use it. It will remember where it stands.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I don't honestly think there's an easy way to get the smell completely out of a litter box. I use disposable boxes. These are also infused with Nature's Miracle.

Also, if you are using a covered litter box, get rid of the cover. It traps the smells inside.

I'd also make sure that your cat doesn't have a UTI or has idiopathic cystitis which can be uncomfortable when your cat is urinating. You can try glucosamine and condroiten (e.g, Cosequin) for the latter.