Ragdoll Cat Forums

Hi there,

Have a situation with Skyler (my 5 year old nuetered male) about the litterbox that is not his fault but need your advice. We have used a mixture we made up of scooping litter along with a corn litter combination for years and never had a problem with peeing outside the box. Last time we went to Petsmart they had a different brand of corn litter that we went ahead and bought. Last weekend when we dumped out their old litter that we do regularly to give them "fresh" we used the new corn. Both he and Maggie pooped outside the box. Mike went to Petco and found the original corn and we replaced the contents of the box back to the original mix.

Skyler has on occasion used our bath mat to poop....but very rarely. He used it again and also peeded. We put the mat in the washer and cleaned the surrounding area and sprayed with Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor Remover. Skyler is still going back to the mat daily for the past 4 days and has peed on the mat with some over flow on the carpet. We treat the area everytime and clean the rug.

Also did not know that the corn is worse for cat allergies...which is the reason we started using it because we thought it would help Maggie's asthma?!?

1) Should I stop using the corn now that I know it can make things worse for her ...or do you think that will throw them off more?

2) Should I go ahead and remove the hood off their litterbox they've always used to make it more attractive to them?

3)Should I use another urine cleaner spray in the bathroom area, and which one do you like?

4) Should we get another box and put it in front of the shower where the mat is?

Skyler has never done this until this past weekend when we made the mistake of using a different litter that neither of them liked. Maggie got over the change back to the correct mix right away ...but not so with him. We neeed your help!!!!! Have not punished him because he doesn't understand and it would only make the situation worse. Poor Skyler...poor us.
Thanks in advance,
Willi

Do not ignore the possibility that an infection may have started at the same time.

Have you cleaned the box itself. Consider getting a new one. It may hold the odor that drove him away.

I'm probably not much help as I am only going to echo some of what I've heard on the forum before (I've never had one go outside the box) - but I would make sure that you also treat the mat with an enzymatic cleaner following the instructions exactly for doing it - along with the floor and carpet around where he went. Then I would get a litterbox, filled with the original litter they liked and put in that spot for a while and then assuming he is using it and not somewhere else, move it slowly back towards the other one until hopefully he is going in it and you can remove the extra box.... just my thoughts -- someone else may have a much better idea.

I agree with everything.

Vet check, because the stress of change can bring on urinary problems (though pooping there as well may make this less likely) but litterbox aversions can start because of the discomfort of urination that the cat starts to associate with the litterbox.

Make sure the cleaner you're using is specifically for pet urine removal. Remove the bath mat and replace it with something different (breaking a habit). Give him the old litter at his new preferred location - adjust the location over time.

I also got caught out this way - when I was adding the new bag of the same brand of litter to the old stuff still in the box I noticed there was a colour change. Didn't think much of it, but it set off another round of litterbox aversion in Sam. The company must have changed something in the make up of the litter and Sam took a dislike to it. Change (with some cats) has to be slower than a snail! LOL

Good luck.

(11-20-2009 10:55 AM)TeresaK Wrote: [ -> ]I'm probably not much help as I am only going to echo some of what I've heard on the forum before (I've never had one go outside the box) - but I would make sure that you also treat the mat with an enzymatic cleaner following the instructions exactly for doing it - along with the floor and carpet around where he went. Then I would get a litterbox, filled with the original litter they liked and put in that spot for a while and then assuming he is using it and not somewhere else, move it slowly back towards the other one until hopefully he is going in it and you can remove the extra box.... just my thoughts -- someone else may have a much better idea.

Teresa,
Thanks so much for responding to my plea! We put in a new, larger litterbox in the area with corrected litter and it is working great. Another mistake I had made was in washing the bath mat and assuming the odor was gone...when it was not. The mat is gone and I like the idea of moving the box slooowly back to the original location of the other.
Thanks again for your good advice,
Willi

I'm glad it seems to be working for you. I'll keep my finger crossed it continues!

(11-20-2009 10:51 AM)JanH Wrote: [ -> ]Do not ignore the possibility that an infection may have started at the same time.

Have you cleaned the box itself. Consider getting a new one. It may hold the odor that drove him away.

Jan,
Don't know if you got my reply, am still new at this. Just wanted to be sure you knew that the situation was taken care of by removing the mat and putting a new, larger box with correct litter in the "new" place. Really appreciate your interest and help.
Willi

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(11-20-2009 12:07 PM)thirzajane Wrote: [ -> ]I agree with everything.

Vet check, because the stress of change can bring on urinary problems (though pooping there as well may make this less likely) but litterbox aversions can start because of the discomfort of urination that the cat starts to associate with the litterbox.

Make sure the cleaner you're using is specifically for pet urine removal. Remove the bath mat and replace it with something different (breaking a habit). Give him the old litter at his new preferred location - adjust the location over time.

I also got caught out this way - when I was adding the new bag of the same brand of litter to the old stuff still in the box I noticed there was a colour change. Didn't think much of it, but it set off another round of litterbox aversion in Sam. The company must have changed something in the make up of the litter and Sam took a dislike to it. Change (with some cats) has to be slower than a snail! LOL

Good luck.

Jane,
Don't know if you received my first reply...am still learning the ropes. Thank you so much for your advice, and in making me feel better that this happens to other people, too. Got rid of the mat he was using and put in a new, larger box with the correct litter in that spot. Things are working out well now. Will try to move the box slowly to the other location in the future.
Thanks again,
Willi

Glad things seem to be getting better. Hope it continues getting better for you and Skylar.

Glad you have got it sorted! I can sympathise as I have had a similar problem with Frankie lately, which also seems to have settled down for the moment anyway!

Willi,

I think my husband thought I was crazy for making such a big deal about the whole litter box thing and having everything just right with Bella. But we know our kitties are sensative and don't like change sometimes. I hope Skyler is doing better and better!

I meet Brenda two weeks from today to get my new little girl!

Jackie