AT THE END OF MY ROPE!!!! help with a cat!?
Ok so I have a 7 year old cat that will not use the liter box. He's always been very finicky about using it, and sometimes would go outside the box, but the past year he's outright refused to use it, and instead pees in one corner of my dining room! It's horrible! If he had claws I would have put him outside by now, but his previous owners had him declawed. The vets said their I'd not kidney issues or infections causing this. We have tried placing several litter boxes around the house, tried every litter available, even sand and shredded paper. I strongly thought that it was because he is declawed and the litter hurt his paws, but then wouldn't the sand or shredded paper fix that issue? Basically I just don't know what to do. We have hardwood floors that are completely destroyed in that area. I have to clean the pee up 3-4 times a day, I just can't take it anymore. And I can't just get rid of the cat. Despite this problem I do love the little monster, and besides no one would adopt a cat knowing they had this issue and he would likely be euthanized at a shelter. PLEASE HELP! I'm willing to try anything!
Answers & Comments
1. The very first thing in ALL cases and especially if the cat is male is to assume Urinary Tract Infection! The cat should go to the vet for testing and if yes, medication to treat it. If it has a UTI it is painful to pee. It associates the pain with the litterbox because that's when the pain happens. Therefore, it avoids the litterbox.
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth
2. If the vet rules out UTI then you go at it from a new direction. First get a product that removes odor. Bear in mind that a cat's nose is 40 percent more sensitive than yours so when YOU think there is no odor, the cat most likely can still smell it. Never use anything with ammonia because that's what urine is! If the cat leaves a scent, that scent will pull the cat back to that same spot to use it again. I would have cleaned the area and put a litter box on that spot.
You need to go to the pet supply and get a product that works really well. I like this one and I get it at Home Depot. There is a location button for places that sell the product at the site:
http://www.odoban.com/where-to-buy.php
After you have deep cleaned the area (read instructions) then use Febreze from the grocery store to neutralize any remaining scent or just as back up.
3. You can go to the Dollar Store and buy a bunch of aluminum foil, crumple it in long strips, uncrumple and lay it down in the areas where the cat has peed. They hate walking on foil.
4. While at the pet supply look for citrus spray and spray the areas or even on top of the foil. Cats don't like citrus. If you use citrus in the home, put the peels on the foil (oranges, lemons, grapefruit).
5. The next step is to re-train the cat to a litterbox. There is a product excellent for this called Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract and it comes in a red/black box at PetsMart for one. Inside the box is a booklet with instructions to follow.
http://www.preciouscat.com/homepage/ - It's pricey but that's because it has a pheromone that draws the cat to it. The cat can smell it but you can't. I'd plan on using it for a couple months.
Another thing you might consider is if the cat has been having lots of anxiety by other pets in the home or the way it is played with or something has caused this emotionally. A product that might help is this which you can find at health food stores and pet supply:
http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pets-bach-... - It's a cat calmative and you put the drops in the drinking water.
This site is exceedingly good (best ever that I've found) and you may find other help from it:
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=litterbox
Good luck!
Mircat put this very nicely. I just wanted to add on what she said..
Litter box tips:
-Use uncovered litter boxes
-Use an unscented and clumping litter
-have one litter box per cat plus one (1 cat = 2 litter boxes, 2 cats = 3 litter boxes and 3 cats = 4 litter boxes)
-Use an enzyme based cleaner it clean up the urine like Natures Miracle
-Pick one brand/type of litter and stick to it for at least 2 weeks to a month
-Do not place all of your litter boxes next to each other or even in the same room/ level of the house
-Avoid placing litter boxes near appliances or in high traffic areas of the house
-Do not place a litter box where it is easy to guard from another cat in the home
-Scoop the litter box once or twice a day
-Empty out the litter box once a week, rinse it and replace it with fresh litter
-Do not use a litter box liner
-Give the cat extra TLC, treats and playtime if dealing with stress
-Keep your home as calm as possible and don't make any changes if possible
-Read these articles litter-box-101-preventing-and-solving-litter-box-problems and http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/training/ten-th...
Good Luck!
I have 5 cats and sometimes if I buy litter that they don't like they will not use the litter box at all. Maybe try buying different litter? Cats hate anything dusty or strong in odour!
Another thing may be that he has market his territory in that corner of your dining room and does not like where the box it. You could try moving it to that corner although that wouldn't solve anything in regards to your dining room smelling of cat waste.
This one sounds kind of crazy, but you should try a thin coating of litter in the box and then put a different material over it. Maybe a sheet of newspaper as maybe your cat likes those kind of textures. Or even cutting up a bin liner and placing that over the top of the litter. I really hope this helps you As I have just had the same problem with my new kitten!
Many declawed cats refuse to use a litter box - their feet are very painful, so much so that they cannot dig. Once the peeing out of the box becomes a habit, it's hard to stop. Take him back to the vet and have his paws x-rayed - they can develop bone chips in the paws, or even regrowth of a claw and both of these can cause severe pain. Try putting puppy pads (wee wee pads) down where he is going now, and try putting one in the litter box. Many declawed cats will use them when nothing else will worki.