Preventing Litterbox Problems

Some litterbox training problems are easily preventable. Cats may avoid using the litterbox for reasons that are within the cat owner’s immediate control. Cat owners tend to place their litterboxes in a place that is away from the living space of the home. A litterbox is often placed in a laundry room or bathroom. A cat may be blocked from access to the litterbox by a closed door. If the litter box is placed in a room with a door, the door should be securely propped open so that the cat does not get trapped inside or prevented from accessing the litter box.

A cat may be reluctant to use a litter box that is in the basement on a cold cement floor. Some people place a litterbox in a closet. If this is done, the door should be kept open and prevented from closing. Some cat owners put cat doors into doors to the rooms with their litter boxes.

If there are not enough litterboxes for the number of cats in the household, a cat may be forced to eliminate elsewhere. It is recommended that a cat owner have as many cat litterboxes as there are cats in the household. Some cats do not like covered litter boxes. It may be best to have more than one type of litterbox for a house with multiple cats. If all the cats seem to prefer one type of litterbox, the cat owner can replace the others with the preferred kind of litterbox.

Some cats prefer certain types of litter. Different types of cat litter have different textures. Scoopable litter and fine, dust-free clay litters tend to be less harsh on a cat’s paws. Litter crystals can be very coarse. A cat owner may want to try different cat litters if a cat seems sensitive to litter texture.

One of the most important things that a cat owner can do to prevent litterbox problems is to keep the litter in the litterboxes clean. Some cats will avoid using a dirty litterbox. Instead of entering a dirty litter box, they will eliminate outside the litter box. If a cat who previously used the litterbox refuses to use one, the veterinarian should be contacted since a termination of litterbox use could signify the onset of a medical condition.