Litter Box Avoidance

Eating and eliminating waste are as natural in cats as in humans, and litter box are to cats as toilet as to humans. Cats can have issues not only with eating (or sleeping), but also with eliminating. The problem is not that cats have no waste to eliminate, but that they eliminate outside the litter box (also known as sand box, litter tray, litter pan, or cat box). And it happens frequently.

Obviously, the first thing we need to check in the first place is whether we have already provided enough and proper training for the cats to eliminate inside the litter box. If the training is found to be ineffective, we need to improve it and do the training again. In case enough training has been given for the cats to urinate and defecate inside the litter box properly and they did well for a period of time before changing abnormally, that means the cats are trying to give some warning signal if they suddenly fail to eliminate inside the litter box. The signal can be about the litter box, about them, or something else. We need to figure out the source of the problem to solve it.

As a side note, some cat owners may punish the cats for eliminating outside the litter box without wondering any possible issue, assuming that they are simply lazy or naughty. They fail to notice that the cats may have inappropriate elimination because of stress or some other issues, and punishment will only induce more stress than solve the problem. This way, the situation may only get worse.

To solve the problem, we can try to trace a few routes of possibilities stated above, cats’ medical condition, the litter box, and other issues.

Cats’ Medical Condition

If the cats have been eliminating in the litter box and did not avoid it until recently, they may be sick. Make an appointment with the veterinarian and check for any disorders or diseases that may result in this abnormal behaviour. If the avoidance is caused by physical illness, the recovery with medical treatment should solve the problem. In case the veterinarian has undergone thorough diagnosis and found no problem, then we should try to identify the cause(s) of avoidance elsewhere, for example, the litter box.

Litter Box

Cleanliness – One direct approach is to check the litter box for any dirt and smell. Dirty litter box and cats’ natural cleanliness are two common reasons for litter box avoidance. We will decline to use a public toilet that is dirty or smells bad. This is the same for cats. We need to know that while human beings have 5 million odour-sensitive cells in our nose, cats have 200 million, which is 40 times more than we do. Therefore, if cats turn their backs from the box and eliminate elsewhere, it could mean the box is not clean enough and it offends their sensory cells.

As a side note, being free from dirt and smell is vital for cats in the wild because the proper covering of waste and smell could prevent their predators from locating them, thus ensuring their chance of survival.

To prevent cats from suffering the dirty litter box, we need to clean the litter box daily or twice a day by scooping out the soiled litter and solid wastes. If we use regular clay litter, it is good to change the litter and scrub the box with warm, soapy water every week. But bear in mind that we should never use any harsh cleaning chemicals, such as bleach, to clean the box. The cats’ delicate sense of smell probably repels it, which further reinforce litter box avoidance.

Some cats may be more sensitive and easily upset with dirt in the litter box, and weekly litter changing and scrubbing may not be satisfactory to them. In this case, we can try clumping litter. Clumping litter requires less frequent changing and still remains relatively free of ordour. Scooping out the clumps and solid wastes once or twice a day, depending on the number of cats using the litter box, should be fine even with the most sensitive cats.

Location – The location of the litter box may also affect cats’ preference in using it. For example, if we place the litter box too close to their food and water plates or bowls, they may avoid the litter box because they do not want to eat and eliminate in the same area. It is easy to understand if we put ourselves in the cats’ shoes.

Another example is whether the litter box is not easily accessible or too far away from their normal reach. It may take some troubles for them to walk to the litter box to eliminate. Sometimes they may not be able to get there in time. In addition, there may be stressors for them on their way to the litter box, including noise (from the machines such as water heater, washing machines), but cats usually like quiet, safe and private places to do what they need to do. Again, this is an issue of user-friendliness in terms of location and accessibility, especially when the litter box is portable.

If location is the issue, then try to move the litter box to an area that compromises both cats’ privacy and our readiness for cleaning.

Litter Changes – If the cats start to avoid the litter box after we have switched the type or brand of the litter, try to change it back. The cats may not like the new litter. The feeling of litter is peculiar to individual cats’ taste. A type of litter that smells fine to one cat may not fit well with another cat. Probably because of their evolutionary nature as desert animals, cats are usually fine with the texture of sand. That is interestingly why we usually have a sand box as the litter box.

Whether the former type or brand of the litter is out of stock, or it is the first time to use a type of litter for a newly adopted cat, it would be useful to experiment with different types of litter to see what best suits the cat(s). To name just a few, we can test with clumping and non-clumping clay (the unscented versions are recommended for the reasons mentioned above), recycled paper, wood by-products, and plant-based material.

To avoid unnecessary waste, we can start with a small box or bag of each. Then we fill several boxes with different kinds at the same time and see which one the cats prefer. There should be one the cats find suitable for them. If for some reasons we need to switch litters, try to change it gradually by slowly add more of the new litter into the old. This is better than replacing the old with the new all together.

If the newly adopted cats are formerly outdoor cats, and they had no habit of using litter box, it is likely that they are not used to the litter. In this case, try to fill the box with clean dirt or sand or something we find they have been using in the place they were used to.

If the litter is not easy to find or is limited in resource, and we wish to switch to the more readily obtainable one, then make sure we wait until the cats have slowly and gradually built up the habit of using the box consistently. This may take over two or three weeks. After this, we can start to gradually mix the dirt with increasing amounts of the new litter.

Design of the Box – As tiny issue as it might seem, the size, shape and depth of the litter box may also affect the cats’ preference to use it. Like humans, they reject the box simply because they do not like it. For example, some cats may like hooded or enclosed litter box (for privacy reason or otherwise), but what matters is whether our cats like it. They may not find it appealing because it is too confining, for instance.

We also need to take into consideration if the cats are large and overweight. This kind of cat may find it uncomfortable to eliminate in such a confining box with small opening. In addition, longhaired cats may easily have their fur stained with the dirt inside the covered box.

Litter box with high sides may be troublesome for older cats or cats with health issues, such as arthritis, when they step into the box. In this case, we either choose a box with lower sides, or provide a sturdy ramp in front of the box and a step down inside, if necessary, for the cats to come and go more conveniently.

Plastic liners may be used in litter box to facilitate emptying and cleaning, but some cats may not like the litter box for the box liners. Remove the liner if the cats are found to pull up the liners or leave claw marks in the plastic.

Environmental Changes

Cats may avoid the litter box not because of their health or the litter box, but because of environmental changes. As mentioned in “Why is a Cat Hiding?“, cats treasure habits a lot and may feel uneasy or even anxious to changes in their environment. Anxiety can cause litter box avoidance.

Environmental changes include a lot of things, such as having a new child, spouse, family member, or pet, or moving into a new house, refurnishing the house, or changing of our routines, such as going out for work after weekends when we stay at home.

Some of the changes may seem trivial to us, but they can have immense impact on the cats psychologically. Therefore, when changes of this sort take place, make sure we pay extra attention to the cats, and that we keep the litter box extremely clean. This would help them regain their sense of safety and certainty.