Why is my kitten having litter box accidents after we moved?

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.

If this is a recent behavior change for Cuddles, the first step would be to have him examined by a vet as soon as you are able to - there are a number of medical problems that can cause accidents outside the litter box, so your vet may recommend basic blood work and other testing to check for any evidence of a problem. If everything comes back normal, then it is likely that the issue is behavioral. Having accidents like this is often a stress or anxiety-related behavior in cats - if there have been any recent changes in the household, such as a new pet or a new baby, a move to a new house, or a guest staying with you, these could all be reasons for him to be pottying in inappropriate places. There may also be something about the litter box that he finds objectionable - he may not like the type of litter provided, or the location of the box. It can sometimes take some detective work to pinpoint the problem in cases like this, so if you're still stumped, I would consider making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can meet your cat in person and do an in-depth evaluation to help diagnose the problem and develop a plan to treat it. In the meantime, you can try a Feliway diffuser in the house or a natural calming supplement such as Composure to see if this helps.

There are a few things to consider; some cats will go in the corner of the litter box, so they end up hanging their tush over the edge and it goes out of the box. You could try a litter box with a cover or with high sides to see if that helps. The size of the box and ease of entry is something else to consider. If she is still small enough that she has to leap into something that she can't see into, getting in the box may be a bit daunting. Make sure the has an approachable entry for her. Also consider if you changed the type or brand of cat litter. Some cats can be very picky. Go back to the old brand if you have switched. If you have not made a change it cat litter, you can also try a cat litter called Cat Attract-- its a brand of cat litter that most cats accept very well. Another thing to keep in mind is other cats and the location of the boxes. If you have multiple cats, make sure that you have enough litter boxes. If you have 2 cats, have 3 boxes. If you have 4 cats, have 5 boxes. I know that seems like a lot, but its the best way to prevent negative cat interactions near a litter box, and avoid them feeling territorial. If you have an older cat, the box may have been "occupied" when she needed to go, or she may have been intimidated by the other cat being nearby and didn't want to get in a confrontation. To be thorough, I would also recommend that you take her to your vet to see if there's any medical issue going on that could be contributing. Take a stool sample with you. If she has intestinal parasites or other causes of inflammation in her intestine, she could be having some urgency that doesn't allow her to quite get into the box. Also, if she is painful somewhere, she may be trying to avoid getting up into the box. I hope that helps you. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

There can be a couple of reasons why Zuzy will not use the litter box. Cats like a very clean box, and the litter should be scooped every day with the litter itself being changed once a week. If the box isn't clean enough for her, she won't use it. Cats can also be very picky about the type of litter used. If you changed litter recently, she may not like it and won't want to use it. Don't use scented litters, cats typically don't like the scent and will not use the box if it smells funny to them. I would use an unscented litter only. The litter box itself may be a problem. It could be too small for her to turn around in, or if it has a cover, she may not like using the box under a cover. Conversely, if it doesn't have a cover, she may not like going to the bathroom in the open. Cats also won't use a litter box that is too close to their food and water sources, so if the litter box is close to those, she won't use it. Finally, there could be a medical issue behind her not using the litter box, such as a UTI or bladder stones. If none of the above scenarios apply to Zuzy, I would take her into your vet for a health check to see if there is a medical cause behind her refusing to use the litter box. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi. Poor Zuzu. Usually when kitties defecate, or urinate, outside the box, they are trying to tell us something, if she isn't urinating, that is definitely a concern. Most likely though, she is going somewhere or she would be a lot sicker. I recommend getting her seen as soon as you can. In older kitties, some of the common problems we see include kidney disease, high thyroid, cardiac disease, diabetes, UTI's, or cancers. So in a case like this, blood and urine will help us rule a lot of those out. So to start I recommend an exam and labwork. Good luck

It sounds like you are on the right tract with Neko in that fact that you clean the box daily and that you purchased a larger litter box. Some other things that may help would be to make sure the box is in a quiet, private location where he cannot be started/trapped in the box by another animal. Additionally, as far as litter goes, most cats prefer a clay based, clumping cat litter. If he seems picky, you could set up a few boxes, each with a different type of litter (corn based, pellets...etc) and see which one he prefers. Lastly, going outside the box can indicate a medical issue or behavioral issue. If he is urinating outside the box, have his urine tested for an infection. If he is having a soft stool, then I would recommend to have him seen by his veterinarian and the stool tested. If it is a normal stool, then you may try adding in canned food into his diet which can increase water content and make it more comfortable to pass. You could also try changing his diet to something that is very easy to break down such as Royal Canin kitten food. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, thank you for your question about Merlin. It is possible that Merlin is exhibiting these behaviors due to the a recent change of environment and new scents. To help further identify and remedy this problem I have provided additional information below. Hope this helps! -Your cat may have an aversion to the litterbox. This can develop due to odors, litter type, other cats or dogs, or an attraction for other substances. Observing your cat using the litterbox can help to determine the cause. Hesitation to enter the box, excessive scratching outside the box, straddling the box, and failure to cover up feces may be indications that your cat has a litterbox aversion. Making your cat’s litterbox more appealing can help. Daily cleaning, as well as changing all the litter out weekly can help. Boxes should be cleaned with a mild, unscented soap. Having the box in a low traffic area of the house may also help to reduce any anxiety surrounding the litterbox. Lastly, finding a litter your cat prefers may be key to making the box more appealing. Using cardboard trays and a few different kinds of litters may aid you in finding your cat’s litter preference. -A multi-pet household is another possible cause of inappropriate elimination. Cats may urinate or defecate outside of the litterbox if there are too few litterboxes present, if the boxes are not cleaned regularly or if inter-pet aggression exists. Owners need to determine if there are an adequate number of litterboxes present in multiple locations; it is recommended that the number of litterboxes total the number of cats plus one. It is very important to clean boxes daily. Non-clumping litter should be completely discarded every day; clumping litter should be scooped daily and completely discarded every 1 to 2 weeks. Owners should observe interactions between cats and other animals in the house to see if any harassment or territorial aggression exists; cats may be aggressive towards one another and dogs may follow cats around in search of a tasty treat. Depending on the case, it may be beneficial to separate cats or place litterboxes in areas where the cat cannot be bothered by canine housemates. Additionally, open litterboxes should be used instead of covered ones, so that the cat can visualize its surroundings and have multiple escape routes. Spraying can be differentiated from the other problems because the cat will still use the litterbox for urination and defecation normally. However they will also target specific areas to spray (usually vertical surfaces though sometimes horizontal), assume a characteristic stance, and stand while urinating. Owners should recognize that spraying is not always an abnormal behavior. Cats spray either due to positive or negative stimuli. Positive stimuli can be normal sexual or predatory behavior. Negative stimuli, which normally results in more frequent and problematic spraying, is usually due to anxiety or inter-cat aggression. Whether positive or negative, the stimuli should be identified and removed. Spay or neuter all intact cats. Clean or remove objects that the cat likes to spray on and make these areas less attractive to the cat. For instance if the cat sprays one spot on a wall, move the cat’s food dishes to that spot. Most cats do not like to soil where they eat. If the cat sprays when it sees another cat outside block the view. If these tactics do not work then room diffusers or spraying with feline pheromones may help reduce spraying. Medication can be prescribed by veterinarians and have been shown to greatly reduce marking behavior. However, since the behavior can return as soon as the drug is withdrawn, drugs should be used only after or in conjunction with the methods mentioned above.