Kitty stop using her litter box......

[skkkkkmj595]

Hello everybody! For a while now my cat Mizzy stop using her litter box and doing her thing everywhere in the house. She started peeing under the table then pooing in the hallway then she moved to the kitchen sink and now she's doing it in the bath tub. I keep her litter box clean I bought her the littermaid. She's been using it for almost 6 years now and I've never have a problem before. Until lately. She's a very healthy cat. The last time I took her to the Vet she gained another lbs. so the Vet told me to watch what she eat because of her age she's getting older.
Any suggestion please how I can get her to go back to use her litter box?

[moosmom]

Trying isolating her in a room with her litterbox, food and water. That should do the trick. That IS providing she has a clean bill of health. Are you sure she doesn't possibly have a Urinary Tract Infection?? That's the first thing to rule out.

Is she an only cat?? If not, you may need to get another litterbox.

[smokey the elder]

She looks just like my Bosun! Please rule out any health issues. Has the litter formulation changed? Also, litter boxes get funky over time with smells only the cat can detect. You might want to try a brand new litter box. Also retraining using a small room or big cage is often effective.

[skkkkkmj595]

Thanks for the advice guys. I will try your suggestions. Yes, she's the only cat in the house just me and her. I've never change her litter formulation for a year now. I will try to get her a new litter box. I don't think she has UTI. Actually she's using the bath tub as her permanent litter box now she don't do it anywhere in the house anymore. Do you guys think it's a good idea just to put her litter box in the tub? I clean the tub everyday with bleach.
Another thing I remember last winter she has fleas I don't know where she got it because she never go outside and she was not really herself. She started staying in one place sitting on the window sill only come down to eat she lost lots of hair and weight. That's when it started. The vet gave her advantage and a week or so after the fleas are all gone. That's when she started being happy and frisky again and gaining more weight. BUT the pooing and peeing in the tub never change..

[TopCat3]

Hello, welcome to Pet Talk. Yes, I tend to think, follow the cat, then lead the cat. If it were me, I would put her litter tray in the bathtub for a few days, to get her thinking you're "with her" in her thinking so she'll start to "trust your judgement" when in a few days' time you start to move it, first outside but right up against the bathtub, then six inches away, then another six inches and so on every four or five days till it's outside the bathroom. Unless you feel the bathroom is a good place to keep it, if there's room? See how much she'll tolerate and perhaps let her show you where it's comfortable for her to have her litter tray.

Another thing, where was her tray before this started? Did a noise, or a biting insect, or anything at all spook her one day when she was using her tray in its former location? A new household cleanser with a foreign smell that she found irritating to her nose each time she went to use the tray?

I can't think what else to suggest, fortunately I have never had this problem. It must be very distressing, but at least she has settled on one place now, and in the bathtub its easily contained and cleaned up. Good luck.

[moosmom]

Do you guys think it's a good idea just to put her litter box in the tub

I think TopCat3 is right, try putting the litterbox IN the bathtub. If you don't THINK she has a UTI, it's best to get her to the vet to rule it out.

The litterbox should be in a quiet place, free from alot of "traffic".

BTW, cats don't necessarily need to be outdoors to get fleas. Actually, you can bring fleas in on your shoes and clothing.