Dealing with Your Cat's Litter Box Issues

Beside a cat’s natural instinct to remove itself from the unpleasant smell of its litter box, you could be to blame for some of the litter box difficulties your cat is experiencing. A cat’s sense of smell is much more sensitive than yours. Therefore, don’t put off cleaning the cat box until you can't stand the stench. Clean it before your pet decides to shun it and look for another location to do her business.

When it comes to cat litter, cats are wary of change. If she’s become comfortable with a certain brand that you've being using since she was a kitten, and you abruptly change to a different product that's quite different, she may decide to stop using her litter box entirely until you restore the status quo.

There are lots of reasons why your cat may decide not to use her litter box. If she tinkles on the carpet and you lose your temper and place her firmly in the litter box while yelling, you'll contribute to her aversion. Associating the litter box with anger will influence your cat to go elsewhere to do her business.

Another common mistake is to locate the litter box in the middle of the room. This causes your kitty to feel exposed, and cats prefer their privacy while taking care of their business. The same goes for placing the litter box near a window or on the front porch because they can be seen by other animals, which can frighten your cat or distract her from the task at hand. Try tucking the litter box into a corner or a closet to and monitor it to find out if she's more at ease with the new litter box location.

There are cats that are particularly picky when it comes to their bodily functions. She may decide that she won't defecate and urinate in the same litter box. So if you notice that one of these functions is taking place outside the box, your only recourse is to buy another one. Even though it might seem strange that your cat needs separate potties, your only consideration should be that you don't want to clean up her mess.

If you own more than one cat, you might discover that one of them is territorial when it comes to the litter box. The bigger or older cat might be aggressively keeping the smaller or newer one away from the box. Just buy another box and don’t try to solve the problem.

If you have a new kitten in the house, keep in mind that you need a smaller litter box to accommodate him. Just like toddlers are too small for the regular toilet and need a potty seat, a kitten will have a hard time climbing into a full size litter box, and he'll end up getting frustrated and disinclined to use it. Get a small box that's better suited to the size of your kitten.