Litter Box Changes

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 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.