Litter Box Aversion

Another reason why cats urinate or defecate outside the box is simply that the box is not acceptable to them. The box may be dirty, may not be adequately private, may smell funny or be uncomfortable. The following are clues that an inappropriate urination problem reflects litter box aversion.

• Urination does not involve spraying vertical surfaces.
• Both urination and defecation occur outside the litter box.
• Two or more cats share a litter box (the current litter box recommendation is one box per cat plus one extra).
• A new brand of litter is suddenly being used.
• The box is covered. A covered bathroom area is highly unnatural for cats as they prefer better lighting for elimination and odors are concentrated in an enclosed area such as a covered box.
• The box is not changed frequently.
• The cat has had a negative experience in the box (the cat was captured from the box to receive medication or be disciplined).
• The litter box is in a heavy household traffic area.
• A puppy or dog (or even a small child) is bothering the cat in the box.
• The litter box is located near a noisy appliance (such as a clothes dryer).

Cats with this problem frequently require re-training to the box. As a first step, an additional box should be provided in a location separate from the original box. Many cats feel the box has been claimed by another household cat and are reluctant to use it or violate the other cat’s territory. Similarly, there may be some competition over the box between cats.

In a single cat home, the cat may have experienced something unpleasant in association with the current litter box (molestation by a child or dog, loud noise etc.) and needs a new "bathroom area." It is important not to keep the cat’s food in a location near the box as the cat will not want to use the feeding area as a toilet. If the cat seems to have arthritis issues, a more shallow litter container may be better so the cat will not have to do any climbing or high-stepping.

Obviously, any litter boxes should be scooped daily or even twice daily and kept as clean as possible. Clumping litter should be changed at least monthly and non-clumping litter should be changed twice weekly. The box should be washed with soapy water or water alone with no strong-smelling disinfectants that might be objectionable to the cat.

We have had good experience with a litter additive called Cat Attract, which is an herbal product designed to return the cat to the box. We recommend including this product in the regimen. If the problem is difficulty in keeping the box clean, a self-cleaning box may be helpful.

A litter box length should be at least one and a half times the length of the cat (not including the tail) so that the cat will have adequate space to maneuver and cover his or her excrement.

As the next step, some other type of litter can be provided to see if the cat prefers a different brand or type. (Signs that the cat does not like the litter include: sitting on the plastic lip of the litter box to eliminate, failure to dig a hole in the litter, and/or shaking the litter off the paws after exiting the box.) If nothing seems to work, the cat should be confined in a small area, such as a large plastic carrier, with a litter box. The cat is gradually allowed more area after he/she has proven that he will use the box. (First, the carrier is the housing area, then a small room such as a bathroom or playpen is allowed, next a large room is added etc. until the cat again has his usual access.)