Stressed cat not using litter box. Is lavender oil safe for calming?

Litter box problems can be extremely frustrating! Sometimes this can be managed by a few simple home modifications. For starters, add an extra litter box to the area where Shadow seems to be having his bowel movements - even if it that means that you have two litter boxes directly next to each other. If the current litter box has a hood/lid, leave the second litter box open, or vice versa. Also try using a calming pheromone diffuser (Feliway is one example) close to the litter boxes. If you have recently changed the type of litter being used, go back to the initial brand. If you have not changed the brand of litter, try using a different brand/type (such as Yesterday's News) in the second litter box. Also be sure to scoop the box several times per day - some cats will only use a pristine litter box. It may take a good bit of trial and error with some of these strategies to figure out what will work best for Shadow. If he continues to go outside of the litter box after a few weeks of trying some of these different strategies, it may be worth taking a trip to the vet to discuss a trial with anxiety management medications. I hope that all goes well!

The only air "fresheners" we worry about with cats are essential oils. I've included more information about that below. http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/ Any other air fresheners are fine unless your cat has asthma or is sensitive to certain scents. Don't forget that cats' sense of smell is much better than ours, so an air freshener that is too strong can actually deter a cat from wanting to go in the room with it. The most important thing in keeping the room smelling good is scooping the litter box at least once daily and cleaning the entire thing (changing the litter completely) at least once weekly. I also noticed that you have Creamcicle listed at unneutered. Getting him neutered will also decrease the odor of his urine which might be helpful. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I'm sorry to hear about what is happening. In terms of your cat, felines definitely can have a physiologic response to stress resulting in what you are seeing. The one thing that you would definitely want to be sure about is whether or not Shadow is refusing to urinate or is unable to urinate. One is obviously an emergency while the other is a waiting game. If she has refused to urinate for any more than a day, I would start to be somewhat concerned. I would be much more concerned if you start to see any straining in the litterbox or indications of pain / discomfort. This condition is something we are more likely to diagnose in male cats, but can occur less frequently in females. I think keeping her somewhere quiet for now is great provided she has free access to water and a litterbox. I would also make sure you are checking frequently for any changed in urination status or Shadow's behavior / demeanor. If you come to believe there may be an inability to urinate, take Shadow to the veterinarian immediately. Hope this helps.

Poor Lalu! It sounds like he's quite worried about having to be around your other cat since they don't get along, as well as being a somewhat anxious kitty in general. There are a few things you can do to help. First, I would make sure that you have multiple litter boxes, food and water bowls, resting places, scratching posts, and other resources in different parts of the house so that he doesn't have to go around your other cat - this can help tremendously to reduce stress in multi-cat households. Especially try to make sure that all of these things are available in the areas that he normally likes to spend time in - many anxious cats have accidents outside the litter box, or don't eat well, because they can't get to their litter box or food bowl without crossing the other cat. You can also try Feliway pheromone diffusers throughout the house to help reduce stress and promote more social behavior. Finally, you could also use a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to help with his anxiety - these can be ordered online without a prescription, and are very helpful for some anxious cats.

The older cat probably has the smaller, younger one intimidated. I suggest providing more litter boxes, maybe one the smaller cat has exclusive access to. To avoid behavior problems due to territorialism, the rule of thumb is one litter box per cat, plus one, that way no cat can 'guard' all the boxes and limit access to the others. Make sure the timid cat has plenty of places to hide, perch, separate food and water sources if needed, anything to help her relax and be able to be less intimidated by the other. Also, make sure the older cats get plenty of attention, playtime, treats, to help them stay calmer and less likely to lash out. Calming diets are also available, if you have not tried them yet. Royal Canin and Science Diet both have well-received diets of this kind. A good source of additional information about how to help cats get along and how to make your house more appealing and enjoyable for your cats is Jackson Galaxy's Catification books.

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.

I love that you have already switched to the unscented litter as that can be a big problem for many cats. Putting the litter box in the shower is a great idea. I would also make sure to clean up the spots he went outside the litterbox using an enzymatic pet stain cleaner to ensure he does not keep smelling urine/feces there and think that it is akin to a litterbox. Other things, like cleaning the litter box often, having multiple litterboxes which are different types of boxes, and trying different types of litter (such as fine-grain litter) may also help you figure out what type of litter Mittens likes. While it certainly sounds like Mittens is having trouble getting used to his new litterbox, it is important to remember that internal diseases (like organ, hormonal, or orthopedic diseases, among other possible causes) can cause Mittens to have a hard time making it into the litterbox so it is important to take Mittens to your vet for evaluation to make sure we are not missing something else that is making it hard for Mittens to make it to the litterbox. I have attached a link to an article with more great suggestions below. Good luck! https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-train-your-cat-to-use-a-litter-box/