Cats may meow more,
avoid using the litter box, knock more things off of the shelves or have more spats with other house cats.
There are many health problems that can cause cats to
avoid using their litter box, so if your cat starts going elsewhere, your first trip should be to the vet.
Some cats will
avoid using a litter box that leaves them feeling exposed or unsafe; for these cats, it's best to provide a covered litter box and place it in a relatively quiet area of your home.
Some cats may
avoid using a litter box if it's located in an undesirable location, like a high traffic area or near cat doors / flaps.
Your cat could
avoid using the litter box in these cases because he associates trying to urinate with pain.
The noise of something like a washing machine or clothes dryer might stress out your cat enough for them to
avoid using the litter box.
If getting to the litter box requires climbing stairs, senior cats may
avoid using the litter box.
Not exact matches
According to the Huffington Post, felines have been known for changing their behavior, even right down to
avoiding use of the
litter box, after stressful situations, such as a move or the addition of a new pet.
Felines need clean
litter boxes and will generally
avoid using ones that smell.
Because of their sensitivity to odors, some cats
avoid the smell of chemicals and detergent we often
use to clean the
litter box.
We request that no shredded paper,
litter, or sand
boxes be placed in the cages (flat paper is fine); food containers can often not be
avoided since that is
used to lure the ferals into the traps.
While you'll want to ensure your cat is amicable to the
litter you choose — some cats can't stand scented cat
litters, while others would rather
avoid the
box then go on pine — making sure the product you
use works and is of high quality is important to mutual happiness for you and your pet.
To
avoid accidentally eating roundworm eggs, wash your hands before eating, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables and keep sandboxes covered to prevent stray cats from
using them as
litter boxes.
Avoid using harsh chemicals (bleach, pine, citrus) when cleaning
litter boxes.
Some cats will simply refuse to
use the new
litters, and no amount of going green is worth risking having your cat
avoid the
litter box.
Try to
avoid covered
litter boxes, as they can be awkward for arthritic kitties to
use without bumping their heads.
Recommendations include: keep your cat indoors; always cover its
litter box when not in
use; change the cat's
litter daily (T. gondii does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in feces);
avoid feeding cats raw or undercooked meat; wash your hands after gardening; and wash fruits and vegetables from the garden.
Avoid forcing the cat to
use stairs or a cat door to reach the
litter box because that can also lead to an ambush.
How to
avoid scratching behaviors, and just the right signals to give your kitten so that they behave well, and
use the
litter box properly, and such.
Cats tend to
avoid things that they associate with a negative experience — if the
litter box is dirty or something startles the cat while
using it, he will most likely
avoid that
box in the future.
Don't
use strong smelling chemicals or cleaning products when washing the
litter box, as it may cause your cat to
avoid it.
Most cats will
avoid using a dirty
litter box in favor of a cleaner place.
If your cat has experienced some kind of frightening or upsetting event while
using her
litter box, she could associate that event with the
litter box and
avoid going near it.
We agree that self - cleaning
litter boxes help cat owners
avoid scooping the
litter box but sometimes these great devices are not recommended in certain circumstances to be
used for a cat.
It's best to
avoid scented
litter; while humans may prefer the smell of rosebuds over fresh cat poop, your kitten does not, and it may deter her from
using the
litter box.
Cat
litter that clumps can be simply added to the
box after the
used part is scooped away, but the non-clumping variety has to be dumped completely and replaced fairly often to
avoid odors.
Most cats prefer to
use a
litter box that is kept cool, so any location next to a radiator, or where the
litter box is likely to get hot, is a definite thing to
avoid.
(To complicate matters, if eliminating is painful, your cat may associate
using the
litter box with pain and will therefore
avoid using it.)
Periodically peep in on their
litter box to make sure they're
using it regularly and that their stool is consistent and firm; if you notice your cat's
avoiding the
litter box or irregular excrement for an extended amount of time, consult your veterinarian.
Depending on how much your cat wants to
avoid the
litter box, he may continue to
use it, but only inconsistently.
Although not impossible, training him to
use a new indoor area — and to stop going in the original area he was trained to
use — is tricky, so
avoid having to change the location of his papers,
litter box, or training pads if at all possible.
-- Please
use extra care when cleaning the
litter box to
avoid getting soiled
litter on your hands.