Mary Allen
“No, I don’t like my toilet”: If yours refuses to use the litter box, there are reasons. You have to find out what these are. These 15 questions can help you track down your cat’s behavior.
Cats have their demands on the quiet place. With or without a roof, with a hygienic door or open, with or without a fragrance – preferences are different. There are also different requirements for the location and in the multi-cat household. It is always important, however, that no closed-door blocks access to the toilet. The following rule of thumb applies one more toilet than there are cats in the household.
Many cats don’t like changes. If towels suddenly hang down near the toilet, the fear of the tip of a towel can be the reason why the cat no longer wants to do its business in the litter box.
Causes of the Litter Box Denial
There are numerous reasons for being denied the litter box. To make your search easier, there are frequent causes as clues in this checklist:
- Is it quiet and undisturbed in the quiet place?
- Can the toilet be used at any time and without hindrance?
- Do several cats use the toilet?
- Is the litter box emptied and cleaned at least two to three times a week?
- Does your chick turn up her nose over a scented spray or a scented deodorant?
- Do you clean the litter box with a citrus scent that cats don’t like and that leads to people avoiding the toilet?
- Does the cleaning agent you use to clean your apartment contain ammonia that smells like urine and encourages you to pee on the tiles?
- Have changes been made to the litter box?
- Does the toilet size fit and can your cat turn around in the toilet?
- Is the entry the right height?
- Does your cat dislike the design of the litter box (for example roof, door, corner model)?
- Are your velvet paws satisfied with the litter (coarse, fine, hard, soft)?
- Is there enough litter to bury manure (about two to three centimeters)?
- Has a carpet or rug with a rubberized back been placed in a room, which is more attractive as a pee spot?
- Is the uncleanness of the house a protest against changes, stress, being alone, over-or under-demanding, boredom, or the like?
Cats Can Be Fussy
These are many questions that you need to answer in order to find out the reason for the denial of the litter box. By the way: The list is definitely not complete, because cats can be really picky. The scent of shampoo or deodorant can go against the grain, as can light with motion detectors, the smell of strangers, or music in the bathroom.
That’s Why Your Cat Says “No” to the Litter Box
Sometimes the kitties also mark to mark out territories or to leave other cats a message of love. Fears, insecurities, aggression, dissatisfaction, grief, and depression can also lead to unclean rooms.
You shouldn’t neglect your cat’s health. Maybe it’s not a refusal at all, but the cat has age-related problems or it doesn’t make it to the litter box that quickly because it has bladder or kidney disease. You should definitely clarify this with your vet.