May
17
How To Solve Your Cat’s litter Box Problems.
Posted by Carol Johnston at 15:23 | Filed In Cat Behavior
There are different reasons that could be behind your cat’s litterbox problems.In order to get to the root cause of the problem. You should take your cat to the veterinarian to check for a physical problem. Your cat could be ill and you wouldn’t know otherwise.
If the vet rules out any health problems, but tells you it’s a behavioral one. Then you need to figure out why your cat simply refuses to use the litter box.
Here are some of the reasons why your cat could be avoiding the litter box and what you can do about it.
Cats are very fussy. They don’t like going in a messy and smelly box, anymore than humans like using an unflushed toilet. You need to clean the litter box on a daily basis and wash it once a week with a solution of 1 part bleach to 30 parts water for sanitizing.
Another thing, cats don’t always like the type of litter we chose. It may not smell right to them even if it’s unscented. Cats are more sensitive to smell then humans. Also the texture of it may not feel right. You may have to try out different brands of litter by putting out more than one litter box to figure out your cat’s preferences.
The size, shape and type of box can be reason enough why cats avoid the litter box. Hooded boxes may keep the surrounding area cleaner, but some cats don’t like being shut in while other cats prefer the privacy of high walls and some like a box that has more room for them to move around in.
If you have more than one cat, then you really need to have more than one box. 3 boxes is needed for 2 cats.
In a multi-cat household sometimes cats will sneak up and attack another cat who is using the litter box. In a situation like this the cat will start to dislike the litter box, because he associates it with being attacked.
Stress can be a contributing factor to litter box problems. Cats don’t like change and they get stressed out easily by a recent move, redecorating the house, a new family member.
The location of the box. The box needs to be placed in an area where there is a low noise level and less activity. Places like bathrooms and kitchens are not the best places due to the high level of activity. Also the box should be in an area that is easily accessible for the cat.
Just by observing your cat and finding out what could be ailing or stressing him out. Figuring out what type of litter and box he prefers. Many cat litter box problems can be resolved and prevented.