My Freaking CAT (Read 634 times)

So we have this cat. Grey/Silver whatever. He gets attention, plays with the dog and kids, sleeps in closets. Typical cat stuff. He goes by a couple names Pinot was first, then I decided to call him Ted Nugent. Why not, right. So now my 3 year old calls him Cat Nugent. That will stick. But the stupid thing will not use the litter box. He spends a lot of time outside. Scratches at the door like a dog, in and out, in and out. Never a dirty litter box. Even with several types of litter. He pisses in the kids playroom. Sometimes under the desk, in a toy tub, on a tigger costume. What do I do? I am no animal hater, but the pecking order in my house goes, Wife, kid, kid, kid, Dog, Me, Cat...I have no issue with him 'living out on a farm' (please not hate mail), but I am willing to try to break him of this. Cat people, smart people, anyone?

Is he neutered? That's probably the first thing that can cause litter box issues. The other thing is the outdoor thing. Cats get particularly territorial if they are indoor/outdoor (not to mention the other risks...my childhood kitty lost a hind leg to a neighbor dog, so for that reason alone I will never again have a cat that goes outdoors), so he may be marking his territory more. We had a male cat who would pee near windows and doors, since he could smell the spots that neighborhood cats made around our house (yet another reason to keep a cat indoors--roaming cats have a tendency to be nuisances to neighbors). #1 I'd try to keep him out of the areas where he has already peed. #2. I'd buy a few jugs of Nature's Miracle solution (any major pet supply store will have this stuff). It's not cheap, but it works VERY well. #3 look for a litter designed to attract the cat to use it. I think there is one called, funnily enough, "Cat Attract." I haven't used it, but have heard good things about it. Of course, he may just be pissed about the Ted Nugent thing...can't say that I'd blame him, and I live in the whackmaster's home state.

he is nuetered. how could you be mad being named after the motor city madman...sweaty teddy nugent... the author of the bestselling "kill it and grill it" I say he is a lucky cat nugent. Thanks for the tips. Will try to see if some of that works.

No hitting! First of all, I just don't like hitting kids or pets. Secondly, at least for one of my cats, it makes him angry and even more likely to lash out. I suggest clapping in his face and yelling "no!"

I volunteer at an animal shelter and we get pets in all the time for the reasons you described. It's really sad I want to echo Zoomie --- have you taken the cat to the vet? When a cat is not using his litter box, it's the FIRST thing to check. After that, it's a behavioral issue --- but rule out a medical issue before you start getting into that. And please do not hit the cat or rub his face in it. He will not equate that to "use the litter box." Call your vet.

A lot of the older members of RA will probably remember our beloved Gus. He was also having litter box issues and we never were sure what was at the root. We have neighboring cats who pee around our house, but he also developed seizure issues (which was what eventually killed him at about 12 years of age, which is relatively young in a cat) and prior to his death the vet was also suspicious that he may have had a bladder tumor (the vet had a hard time catheterizing him and felt there was some sort of abnormal obstruction). So he had a variety of issues--any one of which could have been responsible for his litterbox aversion. Definitely rule out obvious health problems in your kitty. The longer he avoids using his box the more a bad habit will develop.

We have issues from time to time with our cat. We need to keep his litter box very clean or else he finds another place to go. Most cats will choose cool slick surfaces. I had a beautiful (yes, it truly was beautiful) wash basket (Longaberger) that became a frequent spot for him to use. We stopped using it and the problem disappeared. During the summer, Scout will pee on towels that we leave on the porch to dry the dogs off -- again when his box gets too dirty. My advice for you would be to place more than one litter box in your house, remove anything the cat has used in the past, and consult a vet. Hope the situation gets better!

How old is he? What type of box is it? Is it a lidded box w/ door? I read in the Tufts Veterinary journal that cats can actually develop hip issues from jumping in and out and getting spanked by the door.