After Moving one Cat wont use Litter Box

Hola

We got 2 himalayans and about 2 months ago we moved to a new apt. The first couple weeks were fine, but after that the male cat does NOT want to pee in the litterbox. It seems like everywhere else is fine.. including floor outside the litter box, but not inside it. Any clues to why this happens and what I can do to fix it?

Thanks
Espen

Hi Espen

It is certainly strange when our kitties drive us nuts like this! isnt it...But a couple of things come to mind. I am sure you always keep the litter box clean but I found that after a few months they tend to be a little stinky...I think it has to do with the strong urine smell. The smell tends to seep into the plastic in the litter pans. So I have changed the litter box altogether.

I have also had some issues recently with my male cat. He does not like a cover over the box and so when he would pee he would lift his leg really high and it would go over the sides...To help with that I found a cardboard box that was higher around the edges than the litter box itself. This helped for awhile but the best thing I did was get another litter box. So we have 2 cats and 2 litter boxes and I have had no further problems.

Good Luck and let us know if this works out for you!

Cindy

Have you tried re-training him the way you did when you first got him? I find butter on the paws is the best way, I have never failed with this method.
I agree with changing the box too. I have never done this but I'm willing to bet it will work for sure.

Thanks for the response guys!

When it comes to the smelly litterbox - yes its clean, and we thought about the smell as well so we bought a new box but have same results.

Whats the butter on the feet you are talking about? We didnt train this cat.. got him from the pound so we dont really have experience in potty training. Actually both our cats were about 2 years when we got them so this is the first time we have had the problem

Have you taken him to the vet to find out if there is a medical reason?

If you put a little butter on his paws and plop him into the litter box, he'll lick his paws and get used to the idea that his box is where he keeps himself clean. You may get some resistance at first, like he may not like being put in the box and therefore get clumps of buttery kitty litter on the floor, but keep sticking him in there gently and he will get the idea.

Just a thought - it may not work for you, but it has ALWAYS worked for my cats, I've had lots.

When it comes to the smelly litterbox - yes its clean, and we thought about the smell as well so we bought a new box but have same results.

Are you still using the old box as well? If not, you should have one for each cat.


Have you taken him to the vet to find out if there is a medical reason?

Good suggestion. The stress of moving could have caused a UTI.


If you put a little butter on his paws and plop him into the litter box, he'll lick his paws and get used to the idea that his box is where he keeps himself clean. You may get some resistance at first, like he may not like being put in the box and therefore get clumps of buttery kitty litter on the floor, but keep sticking him in there gently and he will get the idea.

Just a thought - it may not work for you, but it has ALWAYS worked for my cats, I've had lots.

I do not think that is a good idea as you DO NOT want your cat ingesting cat litter.

A few things to consider:


Definitely a vet check would be a good idea to eliminate any medical reasons.

Where is the box located? It could be that something scared him (like the furnace turning on or the washing machine?) and he now associates the box with a fearful experience. Try adding more boxes and put them in different locations in your home.

Have you changed litter brands recently?

Is the box covered or open? An uncovered box is preferable because it tends to be kept cleaner and odors aren't trapped inside the hood, which makes it most unpleasant for the cat forced to enter it.



This link has some more info: http://www.catinfo.org/litterbox.htm

(and I really wouldn't recommend the butter thing either)

Good luck!

Your cat may be stressed from the move, or even marking his territory. Is he spraying or just going on flat surfaces? Some members here have had good success with using cat pheromone plug-ins, such as Feliway. I would also recommend confining your cat to a room with a litterbox to retrain. Using a brand of litter called 'Cat Attract' (i think the brand is Dr Elsey's or something liek that) may also help. Good luck! oh, also, while the cat is confined, that is a good time to thoroughly clean any areas he has peed on, using an enzyme based cleaner found in pet stores, such as Nature's Miracle. If the cat can smell the urine, he may be going back to the spots just because of the scent.

I don't have much more to add. You've gotten some good advice. I'm here to ask for pictures of your kitties.:D

Are there specific areas he's always going to aside from right beside the box like always going to a certain corner in the living room etc? I'm wondering if the previous residents had cats that peed in the house/apartment - perhaps your cat is covering their smell with his? Usually this would happen within the first week of moving in but it's possible. :shrug:

As Kristin7 mentions an enzymatic cleaner will remove the smell, don't use ammonia based cleaners - to a cat they smell smiliar to pee & usually will go again to cover that smell.

I would say a health check at the vet is a very good idea, stress can cause many different things - my senior kitty developed HyperThyroidism after we moved. :2cents:

Hola

We got 2 himalayans and about 2 months ago we moved to a new apt. The first couple weeks were fine, but after that the male cat does NOT want to pee in the litterbox. It seems like everywhere else is fine.. including floor outside the litter box, but not inside it. Any clues to why this happens and what I can do to fix it?

Thanks
Espen

How does your cat urinate? Easy, or not? It is suggested to visit your vet, and I agree with it. I remember it was in March 2003, one my male cat started to urinate everywhere except litter box. He urinated with obvious effort. He had terrible FLUTD, he almost died from urinary blockage later. If cat urinates without effort, then it is probably some mental problem. Anyway, checkup by your vet is a must.

Best wishes to you and your sweet little.

How does your cat urinate? Easy, or not? It is suggested to visit your vet, and I agree with it. I remember it was in March 2003, one my male cat started to urinate everywhere except litter box. He urinated with obvious effort. He had terrible FLUTD, he almost died from urinary blockage later. If cat urinates without effort, then it is probably some mental problem. Anyway, checkup by your vet is a must.

Best wishes to you and your sweet little.

It kind of look like he has problems when he is sitting in the litterbox although when he is on the livingroom floor he has no problem whatsoever.. And as mentioned in a few posts above with the possibility of having other cats peeing on the same floor.. the apt is new and we are the first tenants :shrug:

This is seriously starting to drive me crazy. Worst part is that even the first 4 weeks after we moved in he was fine.. not sure what to try anymore.


Thanks for all the answers though.. Cant tell you how much I get made fun of when I tell my 25-30 year old buddies that im gonna go home and post on my pet forums to get some solutions to my kitty problems :thumbs up

Oh.. anyone have any good tips for how to clean pee from carpets? Have white carpet in the bedroom with yellow stains that we cant get out..

Have you taken him to the vet yet to be checked for a urinary tract infection and bladder stones?

And, do you now have two litter boxes....one for each cat?