Won't go in litter box

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Jc95
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Won't go in litter box

Post by Jc95 »

My 3 year old cat has just started pooing outside the litter box for the first time. It's becoming worse and the vets says it's just a virus an ideas what I can do?
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Lilith
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Re: Won't go in litter box

Post by Lilith »

Hi JC and welcome :)

I find 'a virus' a rather odd diagnosis (though always a good idea to get the cat to the vet if you're the least bit worried.) Unless there's evidence of a stomach upset with the cat taken short with a runny belly I'd be more inclined to look for other causes, such as -

Have you changed the brand of litter?
Have you altered the position of the tray and is it in a private enough and easily accessible place?
Has there been any upheaval in the cat's routine, such as visitors, workmen, different human routine such as work hours?
Possible disputes with neighbourhood cats if the cat roams - ie bullies may follow a cat in and use its tray so the victim feels unwilling to use the same litter.

My youngest cat has a history of this and in every case it was down to the brand of cat litter. The faddy little madam needed the tray cleaning out even if there was only one wee in there, fresh litter adding, oh and we Didn't Like 'fragranced' varieties or even a handy flushable one because it smelled like wet sand. Once the skivvy (me) got the point, all was plain sailing, and now she will even do The Pile in the upstairs tray of flushable ... wheew ...cats eh?

Hope this helps for now and there will be other people with more ideas coming along - good luck and hope you manage to overcome this problem and fuss to the puss :)
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fjm
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Re: Won't go in litter box

Post by fjm »

Could be the virus means pain, which the cat associates with the tray? But I agree, upset in some part of the required routine is just as likely. Some cats seem to create superstitious belief systems out of thin air - Pippin believes he has to go out, sit on the doorstep, and then come in to make meals appear. Heaven knows what weird procedures he will invent when he has to use a tray again.

I'd try changing the tray - for a lower one if you can - and move it to a new position for a while. If old tray = pain, new tray may be acceptable.
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Ruth B
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Re: Won't go in litter box

Post by Ruth B »

I've had a couple of times when cats didn't use the tray, one was an elderly, terminally ill cat that started to have bouts of diarrhea and it was obvious that she was trying to get to the tray and just didn't make it, the other was when I introduced a new cat to the household and a dominance battle started and the non use of litter tray was their way of trying to mark the territory. So like the others have said, if there is no sign of an upset stomach, either from what they are producing or if they show pain when you try and handle them or when they are trying to produce solids, then I would also suggest a different cause.

Others have given most of the obvious options, different litter, different tray, household changes. The only thing I can add is if they always go just in front of the tray then make sure you have a good supply of newspaper in and put that down in front of the tray so you can just fold any solids up in it and get rid of them. Don't tell them off when they don't go in the tray but give them a lot of praise if they do use it.
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