When a cat stops using her litter box, it becomes a problem very quickly! Not only is this the number one problem for cat owners, but it’s the main reason cats are surrendered to animal shelters, and even euthanized.

This is the first of a series of articles on cats and litter box problems. In this article, I will explore several reasons why your kitty may have stopped using her box.

First Things First

The first thing you should do is to take your kitty to the vet for a check-up. She could have a urinary tract infection, which would make using the litter pan very painful for her. If this is the case, she could have associated using her litter pan with the pain from the infection, which would cause her to urinate elsewhere.

If your cat is older, she could be suffering from arthritis, which would make it hard for her to get into and out of the litter box. Watch your older companion and see if she’s having trouble jumping up on the couch or into her favorite window. If she is, try using a litter box with lower sides, or take a plasic dishpan and cut out a u-shaped opening for her. Leave about an inch or so at the bottom to keep the litter in the pan.

Territorial Marking

Another thing to consider is that cats mark their territories by spraying urine. If you see your cat backing up to a wall or other surface with his tail raised, he’s spraying. This behavior is especially common among unneutered males, although females do it too. The best way to prevent this problem is to have your cat spayed or neutered by the time she or he is five or six months old.

Keep That Box Clean!

It’s important to keep your cat’s litter box clean. Scoop it at least once every day. Make sure you have enough litter pans, too, if you have a multi-cat household. Some cats won’t use a litter box that another cat has used, and sometimes one cat will bother another in the litter box. The rule of thumb is one litter box for each cat, plus one more.

Why has your cat stopped using her litter box? There can be many reasons; sometimes it’s a process of elimination to figure out why. In the next article in this series, I’ll talk about what to do about a cat who sprays.