There are two main causes for a cat litter box problem. One is behavioral, and the other is physical. Before assuming it’s a behavioral problem, you should always bring your cat to the vet so that you can rule out any physical causes. As you read this, keep in mind that your cat will form an association with her experiences, either good or bad. So, if your cat has a bad experience in the litter box, she may associate negative feelings with it. If those feelings are strong enough, perhaps due to repeated bad experiences, she may refuse to use the box at some point.
Here are four physical reasons why your cat can’t or won’t use the box properly.
- Urination Pain – if your cat has a physical problem causing her pain when she urinates, she’ll learn to hate the box. When she absolutely can’t hold it anymore, she’ll go on your bedroom carpet. Remember that cats often return to the same spot again and again until you remove the odor!
- Pain During Bowel Movements – if, for example, your cat is painfully constipated she will associate pain with the litter box. When she is finally able to go, it may be on the kitchen floor, instead of in the box.
- Painful Joints and Muscles – if your cat can’t get in and out of the litter box without experiencing pain, she won’t want to use it. If there is anything causing her pain while squatting, or getting in and out of the box, it could mean trouble. Injuries, arthritis, or some other painful joint condition could create a cat litter box problem.
- Problems With Motion – perhaps your cat has difficulty climbing up into the litter box. Older cats, or cats who are diseased or have been injured often have limited movement, and aren’t able to use the box.
It’s not true that your cat just doesn’t want to use the box to annoy you, there is some reason, and it could be physical. Your vet will help you determine if a physical cause is your cat’s problem.
Once you determine the source of the problem is pain, then your vet can treat the cause. The treatments will vary for painful urination, bowel movements, or joint or muscle pain depending upon the underlying cause. Some retraining will probably be required. You’ll also need a lot of patience to help your cat readjust.
If a mobility problem is at fault, there may be some things you can do to help. Make it easy on your cat by getting a low litter box so your cat doesn’t have to step too high into it. Also, a large box that is easy to move around in would be better. Depending upon your situation, your vet may have a treatment to help your cat’s mobility problem.
Remember, a cat litter box problem that has a physical cause is usually fixable, once the cause is identified by your vet.Anything that causes your cat to associate an unpleasant experience with the box needs to be addressed right away. If you catch these problems early on, they are much easier to handle.
