Welcome to PIF Tails Virtual Cat CommunityEmergency Vet Visit
If your cat has stopped using the litter tray provided, take your cat straight to the vets for a physical check up.
The most common reason for litter tray problems is an Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) which is easily treated if caught early but fatal if ignored.
UTI infections are more common in older neutered male cats but can happen in any cat.
A cat, which frequently visits the litter tray and only urinates small amounts of urine or nothing. The wee may contain small amount of blood and appear pink in colour.
As the cat associates the pain of urinating with the litter tray, many cats will start to squat outside the litter tray and this is the point that many owners realise that the cat is unwell.
The cat's bladder will harden as it fills with urine which can not be emptied as the cat can not urinate.
Depending on how long the cat has been blocked different treatments are offered :-
An temporary diet of special food to dissolve bladder stones.
Catheterise the cat to enable expressing of urine, usually the cat is kept overnight at the vet clinic for this procedure.
Use syringe to extract urine directly from the cats bladder, often done if catheter is not working.
Special diet for life to prevent further bladder stone build up.
If the cat suffers further UTI attacks there is an operation which shortens the urethra tube to reduce the likelihood of an UTI attack.
As toileting issues in cats are usually stress related, do not punish or shout at your cat, as this will increase the problem.
The carpet should be cleaned with biological washing powder mixed with water, then dabbed with surgical spirits and left to dry. The stain needs to be removed completely, as any trace would entice the cat back to wee again on the same spot. Use a black light to locate all possible urine stains, as it is easy to miss a site with the naked eye.
Read this article on basic litter tray facts, to ensure that your home has the right number of litter trays, in the right location filled with suitable litter. Click here to read the Basic Guide to Litter Trays
It would be best to limit the cat to one room whilst retraining to use a litter tray correctly, this is especially useful if the problems stem from anxiety issues.
Cats who are unfamiliar with traditional store bought litter, may prefer a tray filled with sand or soil. Please note, if the soil is from your garden (rather than purchased from a garden centre) oven bake the soil on a baking tray and allow to cool before using, in order to kill bacteria.
Make sure that the tray is kept clean, scoop solid waste out of the trays daily and completely emptied weekly and replaced with fresh litter.
If the litter brand/type is to be replaced, try mixing 90% old litter with 10% new litter at first. Every time you empty the box increase the new litter by 10% and reduce the old litter by 10%. The slower the changeover from one litter to another, the more likely the cat is to continue using the tray without problems.
When moving the litter trays location it is best to move the tray by an small amount couple of inches, every day until the tray is in the new position. If this is impractical a new litter tray can be placed at the new location and keep the original tray in place. When the cat notices and starts to use the new tray, cease cleaning the old tray altogether. This encourages the cat to avoid the old tray and chooses to use the new clean tray consistently, then remove the old tray. The slower the changeover from one location to another, the more likely the cat is to continue using the tray without problems.
Place the new covered litter tray next to the old uncovered litter tray. When the cat notices and starts to use the new covered tray, cease cleaning the old uncovered tray altogether. This will encourage the cat avoids the old tray and chooses to use the new clean tray consistently, then remove the old tray. The slower the changeover from one type of litter tray to another, the more likely the cat is to continue using the tray without problems.
New pets or visitors in the home can trigger a toileting issue, ensure that the cats litter tray is in a quiet location where the cat is not disturbed whilst using the tray.