Cat Litter Box Issues   Pet Supplies
 

 

 

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Litter Box Issues



• Want your cat to use a new litter box? Confine the cat to one room with the box. Once the cat is using the box, he can have access to the rest of the house. Also, if you have only one litter box, don’t whisk away the old one right away. Give some choice. Another method is to put some of the old used (but scooped) litter into the new box to transfer your cat’s scent.

• Try a spray catnip attractant. Once your cat gets in the box, he may want to continue to use it.

Have enough litter boxes. If you and your cat live in one room, one box may be enough. A house, especially a multi-level house, will need more boxes, at least one per floor. Experts recommend that you have one more litter box than the number of cats. That means if you have 2 cats, you should have at least 3 litter boxes.

Location, location, location. Do you want to have to go down to the basement to pee? Your cat probably won’t either, unless that is where he hangs out. Have a litter box on every floor. If your cat is peeing on the floor in certain rooms, think about locating a litter box there.

• How about some privacy? You might need to add a lid to your box. (Or if you have a lid, try removing it.) Don’t locate the box in a high traffic area or your cat may feel vulnerable and be disturbed by the lack of privacy. If your cat is shunning the litter box, consider moving it to a different location your cat might like more.

Keep it clean. Scooping litter isn’t fun, but do you like to use an unflushed toilet? All boxes should be scooped at least once a day. Accident areas need to be thoroughly cleaned with a non-ammonia cleaner to get rid of the scent that announces, “Hey, here’s the toilet.”

• If you have more than one cat, there may be some territorial issues. If this is the case, then you definitely need more litter boxes.

• Are you using scent to cover up smells? You need to clean your box more often and/or change scents. Your cat’s nose is much more sensitive and they may not like the scent you are using. Especially avoid citrus scents.

• If you need to change the location of the litter box, consider moving the box only a few feet at a time, every couple of days, so the cat gradually gets used to the relocation. If the cat stops using the box, move it more slowly.

• Once your cat has urinated outside of the litter box, she is likely to return to that spot to pee again. For a discussion of this problem, please see Inappropriate Urination .


An excellent resource on house soiling by cats can be found at the Cornell Feline Health Center Website.



Last updated 09/25/2006


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Professional pet care and quality pet supplies are vital for pet health. Always consult your veterinarian about your cat's health and your choice of supplies. This site administered by a *human* physician,
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