Litter Box Solutions

It can be extremely frustrating to have a cat using your entire house (or even parts of it) as its own little toilet. Luckily, there are several steps you can take to help teach a new or old cat to use the litter box and leave your carpets in peace.

Rule out other causes. When a cat stops using its litter box, it isn't always because your cat isn't trained or doesn't like its box. Consider these causes first:

• Rule out medical problems. The first step you should always take is a trip to the veterinarian to rule out possible medical causes. You always want to be sure that you're not trying to treat a medical problem with behavioral strategies.
• Rule out spraying. Generally, you can tell the difference between spraying and urinating because cats urinate down onto a surface, like your floor. Spraying would be horizontal onto furniture or a wall. In about 80 - to 90% of cases, spraying can be improved by spaying or neutering the offending cat.
• Rule out marking. Although spraying is a form of marking, cats can also mark by urinating around doorways, windows, or other territorial areas. This is different than simply not using the litter box. If your cat seems to be marking because of a threat or strife with another cat in your house, seek help from a qualified cat behaviorist to address the underlying causes

Back to Basics. We add a lot of frills, thrills, perfumes, and fluff to litter boxes that cats are not always thrilled about. Cats tend to prefer nothing but the basics in a litter box. If you're trying to solve a litter box problem, go back to basics to encourage your cat to go back to the box.

• Use basic, clumping litter that is fine-grained rather than course. No crystals, no perfumes, no special mixtures. Just the basics.
• Don't use too much litter. Contrary to what I used to believe, more isn't always better. Use only about an inch or two of litter in the box.
• Avoid litter boxes with covers over them. We like them because they keep the smells inside. Many cats don't like them. Why? Because they keep the smells inside!
• Similarly, if you have your box in a small closet witout sufficient ventilation, you may chase your cat away no matter how many air fresheners you put in there.
• Skip the litter box liners. They're convenient for us but many cats aren't the least bit pleased with them

Location, Location, Location! As in real estate, location is everything when you're dealing with litter box woes. Follow these guidelines:

• Never put your litter box near your cat's food and water bowls. Who wants a toilet in their kitchen? Likewise, avoid putting the box where your cat suns itself or sleeps.
• A high traffic area (a hallway or kitchen) may discourage your cat also. Would you want to take care of business with people walking by? Choose a room or closet out of the way.
• But not too out of the way. Alright, I know, I'm asking for everything, but would you be happy if you had to go all the way down to the basement from the third floor every time you want to go to the bathroom? Choose an area that is not in a high traffic area but not so secluded that your cat will never make the trip to the box.
• Try to avoid putting your litter box right next to a water heater or washing machine that may come on and startle your cat just as it is about to use its box. Some cats may adjust to this over time, but you need to stack the deck in your favor so no appliances near the box!
• Be sure your cat can see the doorway to the room that its litter box is in. Cats like to be able to see an escape route when they're taking care of business.

Execute a plan. You need to have a plan when trying to solve litter box problems. Start out by following the steps outlined above. For best results, you should also implement the following:

• Clean all old urine and feces stains in your home with an enzyme cleaner specially designed for this task. Regular detergents will not get rid of the smell of urine so your cats will continue to return to old spots to potty.
• Scoop the litter box daily and replace litter completely each week. Scrub your litter box out with baking soda and warm water each week.
• Follow the guidelines above for making your box more welcoming to your cat and also add several more boxes around the house. If you have more than one cat, have a box available for each cat so that cats don't seek another "toilet" when the box is occupied. If you live in a home with more than one level, put at least one box on each level of the house.
• Keep cat treats in your pockets or near your litter boxes and reward your cat with a treat EVERY time you see it use the litter box. Give the reward as soon as your cat exits the box, if possible.
• If there is one area or room of the house where your cats is soiling, try to change the association with that room. Move your cats toys, food, and water bowl to that area. Spend some time in there playing with your cat. Alternatively, cut off access to that area so that your cat can no longer use it during the retraining process. If your cat is soiling in your plants, try covering them with tin foil to repel the cat and put a litter box right next to the plant to encourage your cat to use that instead.

If these efforts are successful, you may be able to gradually change to a different litter type or to a covered box, or to reduce the number of boxes over time, but do so slowly! You don't want to chase your cat back out of the box just because you've always dreamed of using that funky new crystal litter that all of your friends are using.

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Written by Cara Shannon, who is the owner and one of the trainers at Buddy's Chance, LLC Austin Dog Training and Daycare. She teaches dog training classes for pet dog owners in Central Austin and consults on problem dog behaviors.

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