My cat had a urinary blockage. Why is he not using his litter box?

I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Cats have weird brains, and often after a traumatic time trying to urinate, they start to think it is the litter box's fault and decide to pee elsewhere. First, you need to clean all urine with an enzymatic pet cleaner - this will break down the pheromones that you can't smell but he can. Second, even though he is cleared of the UTI, it is still possible that his bladder is inflamed. This syndrome in cats goes by many different names, including FLUTD or FIC. There are many different things you can try to help him out, including environmental enrichment, calming supplements, changing the litter and/or box to a completely different type, prescription anti-anxiety medications or anti-inflammatories. I will include a bunch of information for you to look at below. If you still have more questions, please post another on PetCoach, or choose a consultation to discuss this further in a one-on-one conversation with an Expert. Inappropriate Urination: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=633 Supplements for stress:
Zylkene and Comfort Zone Feliway Diffuser Special Diet: Hill's® Prescription Diet® c/d® Multicare Feline Stress Environmental Enrichment: https://indoorpet.osu.edu//cats FIC/FLUTD: https://icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/feline-idiopathic-cystitis-fic http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=612 Litter Box Care:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3638

Litterbox aversions can be tough to deal with! It sounds like this started with a few medical problems so you should definitely update your veterinarian that Jack is still urinating outside of the box in case his crystals have not resolved. If everything is okay medically you could try a different type of litter in the box (unscented clumping is usually preferred;, adding additional large, shallow, open litter boxes; scooping the boxes twice daily and/or placing a Feliway diffuser near the boxes. If you're still having trouble talk to your vet - there are some medications like fluoxetine that occasionally can help with this problem too. Good luck!

He likely has FIC - feline idiopathic cystitis. It is associated with stress. Here is article about this issue: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=612 The article will address things you can do to help prevent occurrences of these episodes however, you will never full prevent them from happening 100%. I strongly suggest you start using Feliway diffusers in the house if you are not already doing so. This will reduce his stress and stress is a huge contributing factor to this issue. Be sure to get enough diffusers to cover the total square footage of your house. https://www.feliway.com/us/ https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/comfort-zone-diffuser-with-feliway-for-cats Hope this helps. If you have more questions after reading the article please feel free to post again. Best wishes.

That does seem odd. It is important to encourage her to use the litter box as holding the urine can increase the risk for a bladder infection. Cats are sensitive to the type of litter, size of the box and location of the box. If you have more cats, you need 1 litter box per cat + 1 additional box. You should also have a litter box on every floor of the house. This article discusses different types of litter and litter boxes: https://www.petcoach.co/article/cat-litter-finding-the-right-fit-for-your-cat/ In general though, cats prefer large, uncovered litter boxes, clay-based clumping litter that is scoped every day and a private, quiet location. If you have other cats or dogs, if they can access the litter box, it may cause your kitty to be afraid that she could be trapped in the box. Cats are a prey species in the wild and they still retain those instincts. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. Most cats response best to combination therapy. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is not uncommon when pets have not been eating or drinking well to have more extended time between visits to the box. It your kitty was a bit dehydrated from being sick this will also mean less urine in the box too. As it seems that your kitty is feeling better with the care your vet provided i would give it a little time. If he or she is eating then things should normalize. If he or she starts to feel sick again then dehydration may make things worse, and a recheck with your vet is then advised. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I suggest you have to your vet for an exam and urine test. This may be a behavioral issue but it could also be medical like a UTI or cystitis (bladder inflammation). Continued use of Feliway diffusers and doing some environmental enrichment are also recommended. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Why-Use-Feliway/Cat-peeing-outside-the-litter-box ) ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( https://www.thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats )

I'm so sorry that you are having such problems with Kitty. I am imagine how frustrating this is for you. Since these problems started with the move, stress may be playing a role. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. Hover, there are a large number of reasons that a cat will inappropriately urinate and defecate (urinate and defecate outside the litter box) and stress may be only one of the reasons. I am attaching a handout below which discusses this in detail. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=633 The first step in figuring out why a cat is urinating outside the litter box is to have your veterinarian do an examination and get a urine sample to evaluate for a medical reason. If that is normal, then we need to look at other possibilities. The handout above discusses litter box issues that can play a role. Make sure you have at least 2 litter boxes (if Kitty is the only cat), they are not covered or lined, and are cleaned daily. You may also want to try products like Cat Attract Litter (https://www.drelseys.com/shop/cat-attract/). If your veterinarian cannot find a medical reason and all litter box issues have been dealt with, then it may be time to discuss medication with your veterinarian. Medications are also discussed in the handout above. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that you can figure out what's going on with Kitty. Thanks for using PetCoach.