Hi there. So I'm totally crying while I write this because I'm a wuss, but anyway...
We had to rehome my kitty awhile ago because she -refused- to use a litter box. We gave her to some people who don't have any other cats, apparently she's having the same problem there. So the lady wants to give her back to us.

She's the sweetest kitty in the world. I'd love to take her back....
does anyone know how to get her to use a litter box?!

I don't think it's other cats, the woman who took her didn't have any other cats.
And it's not the number of litterboxes. Apparently at her current home they have 4, but she refuses to use them. Or, she does use them but also goes in their little girl's room.

Hiya Your cat may not know where her litter box is. Especially common with young kittens or after a move. Place the litter box in a clean, accessible, and relatively quiet location and show your cat where it is. You may want to put the box on the same floor as the cat to begin with.

When our cat smudgey was a house cat he used to always go to the toilet on the floor next to it. I was starting to get inpatient . So I changed the litter tray everyday and scooped out what the other cats left . And brought the cat litter that clumps up as he didn’t like the feel of the stones after the cat has been to use the toilet and scooped it up afterwards. Brought a bigger tray and that done the trick hope this helps.

Thanks for your suggestions. Maybe I should try moving it. I dunno if that's it because the lady she was rehomed to had litterboxes in 4 different places but it's worth a try.

It's easy to get impatient with that kind of situation. D: It's gross and annoying and unpleasant. I'm glad you figured out something that worked for you. I'll give it a try :3 Thanks

It could be she doesn't like the litter you're using or sharing a box with other cats. She might also be sick. If she still isn't using it after you clean it out and change the litter I'd have a vet look at her.

I work for a veterinarian, I would get her to the vet and make sure she is not suffering from a urinary tract infection. Very common in cats. And they tend to quit using the litter box in this situation. They also tend to develop crystals in there urine, which can cause urinary blockage. Requires a special diet. Also causes them to quit using the box. A round of antibiotics and a diet change usually corrects this issue.

There is also a product called Cat Attract that is very helpful. You can check it out at presciouscat.com.

Cats are very prone to urinary issues and are also very affected by changes in their life/environment, etc.

First you need to rule out any health issues and then address behavior issues.

Thank you :3
I think I'll take her to a vet and have her checked for an infection definitely.
This is stressful, I hope I don't have to get rid of her again. :/


Oh hey, does anyone know how to delete a thread? :P I posted this twice on accident.

Warning: I am not saying this to be mean.. just hear me out.. Maybe it's you and or this other woman.

I have had a few female cats in my life and not a single darn one of them would use a litter box! Not one single one of those females cats would use it! I have had to rehome at least 4 female cats for this reason and this reason alone. However, each time I rehomed the cats the new owner had no issues with them using the cat box. Right now one of my previous females lives outside in the barn where she has access to do her business anywhere she wants.. she uses a little box now..... WTH?

I used every single type of litter out there and even went outside to get sand from under the trees, or dirt, even wooden shavings. Tried newspaper, crystals, clay litter, newspaper littler, every type of litter and sized pan I could find. Big, little, medium, covered not covered in a remote spot, in a busy spot, near the food away from the food. I have done it all! (And I can't say with certainty, but I doubt all the female had UTI) Me and female cats are just not meant to be. Heck me and any female animal we don't mesh well, it's nothing but problems. However, me and a male animal are absolutely perfect.

I will NOT get another female cat. I have a male now and I have NO troubles with him using the litter box even though he was born outside and spent the first 8 weeks of his life outside. I picked him up, put him in there and he went and has never missed a litter box since. I have to in the house.

So maybe it's just that you and the female cat don't mesh well and either did the other woman. Your vibes just aren't right and she is letting you know she is not happy. They do that. Horses who poop in their water and letting you know they are unhappy with whatever situation. Animals have funny ways. Female cats just aren't happy with me.

Just my 2 cents and experience.

I would suggest enclosing her in a small room containing only her bed and a litter box for awhile. Cats are relatively clean animals so its in their nature to never want to soil their living area. I'd say that your house it too big so it doesn't see everywhere as her living space. If she is in an enclosed space, she will NOT go anywhere but in the litter box. Allow here to develop a habit of using it and gradually introduce her to other rooms of the house (i.e. one room at a time for a few days), always lettering her have access to the original litter box. Its annoying, but should work.

What Shcirerf said.

I have had cats in my life for 70 years. I have had males and females, all spayed or neutered. The only time they have had litter box problems was when they had a urinary tract infection or were stressed out or both. My vet said that sometimes stress can cause urinary tract problems - my stressed cat had blood in his urine.

One time, we had to get rid of a new cat who was causing stress to the first cat.

We recently took on a middle aged, spayed female whose owner had died. She is a nice kitty and uses her litter box...except a couple of times when I was using the potty, she got up in the sink and tinkled. Was she being companionable? I had to laugh.

I'm going to second the Cat Attract litter. We used it for a while after we first adopted our two (adult) cats. They loved that stuff; it was clear that they actually enjoyed using the litter box, as they'd do extra digging and stuff while they were in there.

This might have some useful info:
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals..._problems.html

I've only had trouble with my cats using the litter box twice. The first time my boy Sneezer had a UTI so he was going all over the house, and the second was my girl Mitty. She was born feral and lived the first 2.5 years of her life outside. When she moved in she used the litter box perfectly right away, but after her being inside a year I decided to switch to a clumping litter and she starting going right in front of the box. I finally figured out (after a few months!) she didn't like the scent of the litter. I switched to unscented clumping and the problem was gone immediately.

Ditto, to the vet. Had the same with my cat.

Has the kitty been declawed? If so, the type of litter used might be painful to her paws and switching out to something softer might be beneficial.

Definitely try switching litter brands. Sometimes they just don't like the smell.

Also try taking the poop, putting it in the pan and taking your cat to smell it. That way she'll know that's she's supposed to go there, and not anywhere else.

How old is your cat? Has she ever used the box? People say it's an instinct that they know how...my cat didn't seem to have that instinct and we had to train her to use the box. It was horrors for a while. Had to just keep putting her in there. Or if there's a specific spot she goes in, put the box there. Good luck!

I agree with taking her to the vet. If it's not a medical condition, try a bunch of different types of litter. Some cats really hate the standard litter. Try the pellets type, clumping stuff, anything you can get. Have you tried a covered vs uncovered box? Some cats like to be private while they go, some don't like feeling trapped in a covered box.