Ask Angel...
"My cat doesn’t always use her litter box. Why?"
QUESTION: My cat doesn’t always
use her litter box. Why?
 ANSWER:
Glad you asked! We kitties want you to know
that when one of us has an “accident,”
there’s always, always, ALWAYS a reason. Our
species is programmed to “go” in loose
material so something has to be very wrong
for us to go against this instinct.
Sometimes it has to do with the box and
litter itself. In the wild, cats always
choose a fresh, clean new area for potty
purposes. At the shelter we have a choice of
several litter boxes in scattered locations.
Then if one is “occupied” or if “Bully
Billy” is blocking the way, we have an
alternative. The litter boxes are BIG,
clear, 58-quart plastic storage containers
filled with about 2 inches of UNSCENTED
litter. We don’t like using the brand that’s
on sale after we’ve gotten used to our
favorite litter. Our personal staff, i.e.,
the volunteers, keeps the boxes nice and
clean by ALWAYS scooping twice a day.
Sometimes they even try to scoop while we’re
still in there. This annoys us!
If all is well with our boxes, the two other
reasons that cause us to go against our
instincts are PAIN and STRESS/FEAR. PAIN is
caused by urinary crystals that form in the
urine and REALLY hurt when we go. Some
kitties start avoiding the box because they
feel pain when they urinate in there. TAKE
YOUR KITTY TO HER VET FRIEND IMMEDIATELY!
STRESS is caused by change or turmoil in the
house (new person or baby, moving, fighting,
divorce, etc.). We cats are VERY sensitive
creatures and, although we may not always
show our feelings on the outside, sometimes
we are really upset and stressed inside.
FEAR is caused by aggressive pets, loud
noises, rough kids, etc., that make us
afraid to go to or into our box. This is why
some kitties don’t like a COVERED litter
box. There’s only one way in and one way
out. TRAPPED WITH NO ESCAPE ROUTE!
The good news is that there IS an effective
way to get us back in harmony with our
natural instincts. The bad news is that you
are going to have to show some TOUGH LOVE in
retraining kitty to the box by confining her
to a bathroom or dog cage for three weeks,
minimum. This is a case of, “It’s going to
be a lot harder on you than on me,” because
most owners do not like the idea of
confining their beloved pet to a bathroom or
dog cage for THREE FULL WEEKS to get her
back to good habits. Bad habits take time to
form, and it takes time to get back to “the
box and ONLY the box. Naturally, any
problems with the litter (sometimes a kitty
has a preference for a different kind of
litter), number of boxes, health, or
stressful/fearful situations must be
addressed before we are given gradual
freedom outside the bathroom or cage.
Actually, being confined should NOT be
viewed as a punishment for us. It is
actually the most loving gesture an owner
can make to a treasured pet, the opportunity
to keep what is most important to a cat, her
home and family.
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