| One of the reasons why it tends to be | | | | |
| difficult to solve house training/house | | | | Did you rearrange or add any new furniture to |
| soiling or litterbox avoidance issues, is | | | | your house? |
| because you are the one who must identify the | | | | |
| cause. | | | | Are you 100% sure this cat is the one not |
| | | | using the box? |
| The most difficult part of solving litter box | | | | |
| avoidance problems is identifying the cause. | | | | Are any of your cats not getting along? |
| Unfortunately, cats are extremely sensitive | | | | |
| to change - and if your cat has been | | | | Inter-cat disagreements are actually much |
| regularly using the litter box and then | | | | harder to spot than most owners realize. Just |
| suddenly stopped, something has changed | | | | because they aren't fighting doesn't mean |
| whether you are aware of it or not. | | | | they're getting along. One of your cat's may |
| | | | actually be "silently" intimidating one of |
| So the goal is to figure out what's changed. | | | | the others, but you don't know how to read |
| | | | the signs so you aren't aware of it. |
| Here are a couple of things to think about: | | | | |
| | | | If you're sure you know which cat isn't using |
| The most important thing to consider when you | | | | the litter box, and you know which litter box |
| need to figure out what has caused a house | | | | that cat usually uses, keep an eye out to see |
| soiling problem is: WHEN did the problem | | | | if any of your other cats are spending extra |
| start? | | | | time "hanging out" close to that box. |
| | | | |
| 2nd most important: Are you certain it's not | | | | If you have any covered litter boxes, pay |
| a health issue such as an Urinary Tract | | | | special notice to any cats that have a |
| Infection? (The #1 symptom of an UTI is | | | | tendency to sit on top of the litter box. |
| litter box avoidance) | | | | |
| | | | One surefire method of retraining a stubborn |
| Other questions to consider that will help | | | | cat is to keep the cat in a nearly empty room |
| you figure out the cause: | | | | for a day or two, providing only a few toys, |
| | | | a scratching post, water, a bed and a litter |
| Did anything at all change near the time when | | | | box. |
| the behavior started? (Try to think of | | | | |
| everything, no matter how unimportant it | | | | Use this technique to house train your cat |
| seems) | | | | and don't allow free access to the rest of |
| | | | the house until the cat is completely |
| Have you moved to a new home recently? | | | | retrained and no longer eliminates outside of |
| | | | the litter box. |
| Did you recently introduce a new cat/dog | | | | |
| ferret/roommate into your house (or | | | | Some people think it's crazy when they |
| apartment)? | | | | realize just how many things can upset a |
| | | | cat's bathroom habits. What they don't |
| Have any of the litter boxes been moved? | | | | realize is that elimination is actually a |
| (Maybe he or she tends to regularly use one | | | | very complex and fragile part of a cat's |
| certain box and that particular one has been | | | | life, and it can be easily disrupted. |
| moved) | | | | |