5 Causes of Litter Box Problems in Cats

Sick cats don't always look sick. In fact, most of the time they appear to be just fine. But if your cat suddenly stops using the litter box, the first step is to investigate possible medical issues. Here are a few key illnesses to watch for:

Urinary tract infection: If your cat enters the litter box on a disturbingly frequent basis, cries out while urinating or begins urinating in other parts of your home, a painful urinary tract infection could be to blame. Sometimes, even after an infection has been treated, a cat will refuse to use the litter box because she associates it with pain.

Kidney stones: These can be a painful and serious problem for cats. The symptoms mimic that of a urinary tract infection, but may also cause your cat to flinch in pain at the touch of her swollen abdomen.

Feline interstitial cystitis: Although this disease is neurological in origin, its symptoms include frequent and strained urination, often with little output. Other signs include a cat who obsessively licks herself where she urinates or has blood in her urine. The pain and nearly constant urge to urinate will cause your cat to relieve herself in places other than the litter box.

If any of these troubling medical symptoms are present, contact your veterinarian. Not only will these illnesses make your cat uncomfortable, in the case of feline interstitial cystitis, they could be life-threatening as well [source: ASPCA].

Spraying small amounts of urine onto vertical surfaces is perfectly normal behavior for your cat, but can be a real nuisance to their humans (especially if the drapes or furniture happen to be the target). Cats define their territory, compete for dominance or announce their sexual readiness by spraying urine, a practice that is particularly common with unneutered males and in multiple cat households.

It can be difficult to narrow the cause of urine spraying, especially if there is more than one cat in your home. Try isolating the cats from each other to determine which cat is spraying urine. Or, with the guidance of your veterinarian, administer a dye test to establish which urine sprays belong to an individual cat. Your cat will need to swallow a fluorescein pill that will make his urine visible under black light. (You can use a portable black light wand to see where the urine is located.)

Spaying or neutering a cat can help block the urge to spray urine. In addition, limiting access to windows where an indoor cat may see -- and compete with -- an outdoor cat, can prevent your cat from feeling the need to mark his territory. Try providing some private space for your cat, such as a cat condo or high shelf from which he can watch his kingdom. Or use a calming spray like Feliway that mimics cat pheromones. This is a good way to reduce stress and the urge to assert dominance with urine spray [source: Fenichel].

Placing the litter box out of sight in the utility room seems like the ideal solution, doesn't it? Unfortunately, your cat doesn't agree. She's been eliminating on the living room carpet instead. Now what?

It's time to think like a real estate agent: location, location, location. If your cat's litter box is difficult to reach, she won't use it. Would you want to march to an outhouse in the middle of the night? Plus, if the litter box is near a noisy furnace, dryer or other appliance, she might have a hard time relaxing and getting down to business.

To find the perfect litter box placement, keep these additional parameters in mind:

The type of litter box matters, too. Some cats don't like covered litter boxes, while others appreciate the coziness. Covered litter boxes trap odors inside, so be vigilant about cleanup. If your cat's litter box becomes too full of feces or urine, she will avoid the mess -- and the smell -- and may start to use other parts of your home as a makeshift loo [source: HSUS].

It may not seem like a big deal to you, but the type of litter box you purchase for your cat can make or break her elimination experience. So before you play litter-roulette based on this week's sale price, consider the consequences.

If your cat doesn't like the litter used in her box, she may begin to soil the carpets or bedding as far from the litter box as possible. She may also spend very little time in the box when she does use it, skipping the important and satisfactory tasks of digging and scratching. She may not like the texture of the litter (cats usually prefer find grains). Plus, an abrupt change in the type of litter can be picked up by her sense of smell, which keys in on scented formulas. One solution is to use an unscented formula and sprinkle it with baking soda to help control odors.

Pay attention to the litter level -- your cat certainly will. Levels that are too high or too low -- or inconsistent -- can be stressful and may cause her to seek other spots to eliminate. The ideal level is 1-2 inches (2.5-5 centimeters) [source: Johnson-Bennett].

Unlike their canine cousins, cats are not pack animals. Although a cat will often tolerate the presence of other cats -- and dogs -- in their household, all this company can be stressful. And this stress can lead to litter box problems.

When grouped together, cats will establish a social hierarchy that includes multiple territories. For example, while one cat may be dominant in the area where food and water are served, another may be dominant in litter box territory. These complicated relationships require cats to create routes that don't cross the path of the dominant cat. So when the cat who rules the litter box area decides to take a lengthy nap smack-dab in the path to the litter box, it can cause subordinate cats to relieve themselves on other surfaces throughout the home.

You can help keep the peace by placing multiple litter boxes for easy access. Put a bell on the collar of the cat who dominates the litter box area so other cats can hear her coming, and consider installing some vertical resting spots to ease tensions. Elevated shelves, cat "trees" and cat walkways can reduce testy interactions between cats [source: Litter Box Guru].