Litter Box Training Problems in Cats

The Myth

When people talk about their kittens, or cats, being litter trained it often implies that some effort was made on an owners behalf to actively “Train” them. To any experienced cat owner this is a bit of a joke. Most kittens learn by watching their mom. Even kittens who have never seen a litter box feel compelled to dig in anything with a light texture, such as sand or dirt. It is an easy step to covert this natural behavior into litter box usage.

The Reality

If a cat is not using its litter box correctly the problem is usually medical or human error. Sadly a lot of people discard their cats who are not using the litter box, rather than finding a solution. True, there are times when the behavior is mental, but even that can be treated. Some breeds are more commonly known to have mental issues with their litter boxes, these include Persians, Himalayans, and Manx.

Problems and Solutions

Human Error

Too much too soon

A new cat or kitten has a hard time adjusting to a new house, you need to reinforce where the litter is by confining it to a smaller area where their box is going to be kept, if you cannot confine the cat to a small area, shut other doors in the house so there are not so many other places to go.
Cats like their litter boxes to be clean

If you leave a litter box too long before you clean it, a cat may decide it would rather go someplace else Not enough boxes per cat. The rule is one litter box per cat, and ideally one more box in another place of the house.
Wrong choice of litter

Cats seem to prefer non-scented clumping litter. Use one with baking soda to control odors.
Bad placement of the litter box

If the box is placed next to the laundry machine or furnace, the cat might have had a scare when the cycle changed or the furnace kicked in.
Wrong choice of litter box

Some people find the self cleaning ones are easy, but these could scare a cat, some cats prefer covered boxes, and others like open boxes.

Declawing. Declawed cats often refuse to use their boxes at some stage of their life because of the pain in their paws, while this may be considered medical, it is really human error since it is well known and preventable by human choice.

Medical Reasons

Cats are prone to urinary tract infections and bladder problems.

Many times these can be avoided by feeding a good quality pet food, one with low Magnesium. Calcium has also been linked to causing problems as such, cats should not get canned fish, or any dairy products.

Cats sometimes do not drink as much as they should.

Simply by adding some water to their canned cat food every day to make a soup, you can improve your cats moisture intake
Holding it too long.

If a cat is forced to hold their bladder too long, too many times, this can contribute to a problem. Such is common with people who do not provide indoor litter boxes and put the cat out to do its business.

Bacterial infections can be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian.

If the cat is not spayed or neutered it may be marking its territory. Having the pet fixed should solve the problem, although if left too long it may take a while for results to show.
Worms.

Although most problems involve a cat urinating out of the box, if the cat has bloody diarrhea or loose stool it may be a sign of worms which will irritate the cat to go inappropriately.

Behavioral Reasons

Some cats are more high strung and can be territorial.

Even a spayed or neutered cat with behavioral issues may spray inappropriately. A veterinarian can prescribe behavioral adjusting medications. You can try doing some fixes yourself. If there is a stray cat in the area and it is upsetting your cat you need to remove it, catch it and take it to your local pound or animal shelter. Make your place smell more like your cat, do not use chemical sprays. Simply wipe a towel on your cat, picking up his or her scent, then rub the towel on the area your cat is messing. This will take repetition over several days.
Try putting tin foil down where your cat messes, or food.

Cats generally will not mess near their food. There are products you can buy to help correct behavioral problems. The first one to get is one to remove current urine odors. Most problems are with urinating, if a cat is defecating outside of the box this is often harder to fix if it is behavioral.

Litter Box Hints

Better food means less waste, less poops.

If you feed a good quality food you wont be scooping the box as often.
Self cleaning boxes are handy

… but, as most diseases often show up first as stool changes you may miss out on early detection of problems.
Toxoplasmosis

A disease pregnant women can get and pass to unborn fetus, it is very rare, hardly worth mentioning, and can be easily prevented by having somebody else clean the box, or by wearing gloves. The cat has to catch it from an infected mouse before passing it on, and may only pass it on once after first being in contact with it. It is a parasite.

Reinforcement

Sometimes a younger animal will simply need a bit of reminding. This can be done easily by confining the pet to a small room, like a bathroom, with food, water, and a litter box. As mentioned under “Human Error” giving a youngster or new pet free range of your house may not be the best idea in the beginning.

Finally

If you cannot find or fix your cats litter box problems, it is cruel to abandon your pet. It is unfair to punish your cat for its problem. Giving to some unsuspecting new owner will only cause them grief and possibly add to the cats suffering. Turning it loose is considered a criminal offense (animal abandonment), in most areas and is cruel. A farm home may take a spayed, or neutered pet, but only if it is not declawed, and remember farm homes generally are not lacking in cats, if a farm needs cats there is usually a reason, like coyotes are killing theirs or disease. Not all farmers treat their cats the way your house pet is used to being treated.

Setting a house cat to live on a farm may not be a good answer as most farms offer a difficult life for cats who were house pets.

If you have given up hope of fixing your cats bad litter habits, and cannot find somebody willing to take it (never hide the fact that the cat does have a problem) then please take it to the veterinarian to be put down humanely.

User Comments

Debra

On March 11, 2008 at 12:05 pm

You’d GOT to be kidding! YOu advocate killing an animal just because he has a problem with using the litter box.
Who allowed you out of the hospital?
B Nelson

On March 17, 2008 at 11:19 pm

Debra, I suggest you reread.. I am not suggesting this.. however millions of cats are abandoned or destroyed because of this already. If a person is not going to get help for their cat, and is considering “dumping it” it is going to be hopeless rehoming it, as there are millions of healthy pets being euthanized already because of lack of homes. Giving a problem pet away is unfair to the new owner and pet.
Alyssa

On April 17, 2008 at 9:38 pm

I have a six-week old kitten (he was abandoned and I have had him since he was 3-weeks). I am having a difficult time litter training him. I took him to the Vet and the Vet said that he did not very very good ‘anal tone.’ Is this something that will develop in time or are some cats born with problems controlling their anal muscles and can never learn to control their bowels?
Shannon

On August 12, 2008 at 9:27 pm

Alyssa I find that placing the kitten in a litter box every hour or so helps them to learn. When my kittens were small to prevent them from getting hurt I would put them in a plastic dog kennel with blankets to sleep in at night, then immediately in the morning put them in the litter box. Sometimes they messed in the kennel but it is repetition for one and patience for two.

On another note I think it is absolutely cruel to have an animal put down because it has a problem in a litter box, and its not unfair to the next owner as long as they know the problem and are willing to accept that, some people just cant. I would rather see a cat running the fields before I would see it put down! I dont care WHAT you say!
B Nelson

On August 12, 2008 at 10:52 pm

If you tell a new owner about the problem, and they accept it, that is fine, BUT most people do not tell,and turning an animal loose to run free is illegal in most areas (animal abandonment) and considered cruel, I live in the country, I know what farmers, hawks, coyotes, other cats, etc, do to cats who were turned loose. It is NASTY!

Fixing the problem is ALWAYS best, but sadly not always possible. I will never make a person feel guilty if they cannot take the stress and cannot fix the problem and make the painful decision to euthanize their beloved pet, and then will be able to rescue another cat who is currently on death row, as millions are.
it is worse that millions of PERFECTLY healthy cats are euthanized every day.
weeble

On August 13, 2008 at 4:22 pm

Alyssa, when cats are babies, mother cats spend hours licking their tummies, and the cnstant manipulation develops the abdominal muscles and provides that ‘toning’ that the vet mentioned. Don’t give up on your kitten – this could be simulated by gentle rubbing with a gloved (fuzzy glove) finger i have never noticed any particular direction but to stimulate the human abdominal muscles it is usually recommended to rub clockwise. I just noticed the date of your question – how is your young cat?
cmnoid

On August 29, 2008 at 9:32 am

Thank you for all of this very usefull information. I have read other sites that suggest euthanization as well. This will not be an option for me. You have pointed out many things that could be the problem and I plan to figure it out and help my cat.
Jessie

On October 27, 2008 at 6:31 pm

I’d like to add a couple more ideas to hopefully deter people from the suggested alternative!

1. Most cats don’t want to urinate and defecate in the same exact spot. Having multiple litter boxes usually fixes this problem. Or you can try setting up a large litter box. I actually bought one of those storage containers that fit under a bed for my cats’ litter box (18 inches by 48 inches and 5 inches deep). There’s plenty of space for my cats to find a “good” spot and fewer box walls to scrub later. (I use the lid as a wall protector.)

2. The amount of litter may also be an issue. One of my cats will not defecate in a box if his feet doesn’t touch the plastic bottom. Oddly enough he will still urinate in it if I over fill it. Luckily my other cat isn’t picky. I usually just pile up the litter on one side and leave the other half almost bare. Seems to work!
Deb

On October 29, 2008 at 12:10 pm

I just yesterday had to have my precious cat put down because of behavior issues. I have agonized over this decision for months. We did find that he had the beginnings of kidney issues and was not responding to meds. The problem is that I live with my 85 year old mother and his urinating on the floor became a safety issue also. No shelter would adopt him out because of his issues and from what I have been told by many and read, it is more humane to put them down than pass them on to someone who might mistreat them if the behavior continues. I know all this in my logicle mind but I feel like such a monster for doing it. I was with him, holding him until the end and I know he did not suffer but I did cut short his life and he was still a loving, playful friend. I hope if anyone else out there is faced with this painful decision that there vet is as kind and understanding as mine was and she assured me I had tried every alternative. Just wanted to share in hopes it might ease someone else’e pain.
B Nelson

On November 9, 2008 at 10:12 am

Sorry about your kitty Deb, thanks for sharing. You did the right thing to euthanize the cat because you are correct, no shelter would have adopted him out, and he would have been put down at the hands of strangers anyhow, at least this way he was with people who loved him. Too bad you were not able to get him straigtened around, but this is the reality.
Deb

On November 10, 2008 at 10:55 am

B. Nelson – thanks so much fro responding. I think if I can ever get passed this overwhelming guilt and move to sorrow for the loss of such a wonderful pet, I might get get through it. I had another pet put to sleep who was 16 and in renal failure and though that about killed me, I knew I was ending his suffering and what a long wonderful life he had. He was an orphan so he ended up having a wonderful life. Tom was so young it just ended so quickly. Thanks so much for getting back to me. I know I just have to work through this pain.
ankrty

On February 13, 2009 at 6:17 pm

I have 4 cats, the father and 3 sons. I am at my wits end because I have one cat that refuses to use the litter. It is one of 2 that is not using it but I am unsure of which one it is.
I have tried every method that I have read about.
Due to severe back problems I am unable to clean 4 litter boxes. Although others live in the house, no one is willing to clean up continuously but they want the cats. I do not want to throw the cats out but I do not drive, and no one will come and pick them up. They are good cats with unique personalities and I would love to be able to keep at least one, but I am at the point where they all must go. But to have them uthenized just because of this is just as bad as if I were to throw them out into the street.
B Nelson

On February 14, 2009 at 11:15 am

to arnkrty #12
better food will = less poops in the litter box or around your house. You are better off to take the problem cat (if you can deterimine which one) to the vet for euthanizia rather than toss it out becuase this is animal abandonment and is cruel and ilegal.
As a parent you DO NOT need to “ASK” your kids to clean it up – you can TELL them to – its part of parenting – teaching responsiblity. Give them turns on who cleans which week.
Shannan

On February 26, 2009 at 10:47 pm

My situation is just like Deb’s. I just put my 10 year old beautiful cat down today! We tried everything to get her to stop peeing everywhere. I have 5 children and she was peeing on their beds, backpacks clothes etc. along with my husband and I’s bed as well. The vet was wonderful with me but I feel so guilty, she had so much more life left in her. I also feel guilty because I am relieved that I won’t have to keep smelling beds and clothes to see if she has soiled them before the kids go to bed or get dressed. What a horrible day!!!! R.I.P. “Fanny” (I love you)
Dawn

On March 12, 2009 at 7:50 pm

Sadly I had to put my 10 year old cat to sleep this week. It has litterally broken my heart into a million pieces. I am remodelling my home and after buying expensive rugs and trying to get him used to his cat box being moved to another room he started peeing. He went from one rug to another and did it in front of me. I could not handle the stress of coming home each night and checking all the rugs and getting annoyed with him. I’ve never been cruel to him and crating him seemed cruel having been roaming our home for 10 years. The prospect of giving him away would haunt me – would they take care of him,would they get frustrated with him. I always loved him and treated him like my baby and I didn’t want to start getting annoyed and frustrated with him anymore and putting him under more stress. I made the decision to put him to sleep BUT now regret it so much. I wish I had tried other options. It kills me to think that I have put him to sleep, even though at the time I thought I was doing the right thing. I have been overwhelmed with grief and guilt. I decided to have him cremated with other animals but after 4 days I contacted my vet and told him if it was too late I would like to have his ashes returned. Luckily, the lady told me she still had his body at the vet office. I stopped by this evening to give her the additional fee and asked them if it was possible to see him. I could not stay when they put him to sleep. They brought him out wrapped in a yellow towel. He looked peaceful and I felt comforted but tonight I am full or remorse again. I can’t believe I did this.. I wish I had thought through it more. I wish I could just sleep myself until I get over this pain. It is extremely painful. I lost a parent a few years ago and the pain is just the same only this time I had control. Tonight I am so full of guilt. Please think carefully before putting your cat to sleep. This has been the biggest learning lesson I have had during my life. Thanks
FranK

On April 25, 2009 at 5:27 pm

Dawn,
I had almost the same exact situation you did, and my heart too is broken into a million pieces. I have 2 wonderful cats…a boy and a girl both 12 years old. I had to give them both back to the original no-kill, cage free shelter because the girl would not stop pooping around the house for 16 months. I did the best I could for her. Ever since my wife died 16 months ago, and poor thing never got over the death of my wife (neither did I). The cats were left alone alot. I couldnt take the stress and anxiety anymore. The very special cage free shelter was very compassionate and welcomed them back after 12 years. They will get better attention and vetinary care there…much better then I could ever do. So I miss them terribly and feel so guilty that I dissapointed them. I feel the same grief as when my wife passed except in this situation I had control. I am having great difficulty with this but I have to move on with whats left of MY life. I hope they dont die of a broken heart.
Michael

On May 27, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Thank you for this article. We have 2 Manx cats (brother and sister, different litters for the past 11 years) and the big sister (she’s Calico and 22lbs…but only 3 lbs overweight – big boned) is the problem. While we lived in a big house in the mid-west, we dealt with the problem. We had a large un-finished area in the basement and could manage the bathroom issues as we always felt she had trouble even getting into and out of the litter box. Yes we did the tin foil and ran thru multiple liter box types to get the one that worked best.

We moved to Boston 2 years ago, into a smaller apartment where these problems are not easy to hide, a daily hassel and unfortuantely, getting worse. While we have done everything to avoid having her ‘put down’ its obvious now this is not something that is going to be fixed. Thank you for this article along with all the thoughtful comments. This decision has been a battle and not an easy one to accept.
Kelley

On June 4, 2009 at 4:15 pm

It is good to read this, and the other stories. I just, an hour ago put my cat to sleep. He was 14 and kept getting bladder infections and destroyed a couch and kept peeing on the bed as well as the floors and pretty much everywhere. He developed constipation three weeks ago and was on meds three times a day and a special diet, and peed everywhere trying to get the poop out. I was so exhausted from the cleaning and from dosing him. The constipation seemed to be getting better but the vet wanted to put him on a third med (twice a day) and said since we didn’t know why, it could keep happening. She wanted to “cut him open” instead of putting him to sleep, and I feel so guilty about going ahead. I felt like my quality of life was nil, even if Bart was still having good days. It is good to know other’s have been there and that I’m not the monster other forums seem to think.
sharon

On June 12, 2009 at 8:21 pm

I recently adopted a street cat from Pride Cat Rescue and am having problems with getting him to go poop in the litterbox. Maui pees in the box no problem. I have been leaving him in my bedroom with food, water, the litterbox and lots of toys while I am at work. When I come home I let him out and play with him for a long time and give him lots of attention because I feel bad and I don’t want him to feel like he’s being punished. He poops in the litterbox when confined but other than that I have to keep an eye on him and take him to the litterbox when I notice him acting funny. Does anyone have any ideas? My last cat (who I had to have put down at age 14) I got straight from the mother so I never had any problems and I’m not sure what to do.
Cara

On June 24, 2009 at 12:13 am

I’m struggling with the decision of putting my 10 year old cat to sleep. She pees everywhere because she doesnt like my other cat. She has peed everywhere my other cat goes and bullies her. She peed everywhere: the closet 3 times, my bed 3 times, the cat pole twice, on a cat blanket, on my spare bed 3 times ( even bought bed pee covers for the bed & used tin foil ontop of that), in a cat bed 2 times, under my office chair & even on the bathroom counter! 3 times,on a rug from my grandma (right in front of me!) I gave her to my ex to try it there at his place. He has a dog and 2 cats and it ended up that my cat peed everywhere. Couch, chairs, closet, dog bed.. I took her back and put her in a spare room. I cleaned his place and it took forever.
She hasnt peed at all in her own room but it is hard to deal with. I live in a townhome and the room has no windows so i open the door for her. I place a large dog crate infront of the door so she can get extra air and light. She cries and i feel bad but it is soo much work. Taking care of her seperately daily. I move the crate in the hall to give her more space and she just tries to escape to the rest of my house.
I even tried to give her away on a couple of classifed ads but she cant get along with other cats so it’s hard.
I’m struggling and i feel alone. I cry alot thinking about what i have chosen to do in a couple of weeks to her. I understand the others who wrote about their experiences. I just need to tell others because i’m afraid of not forgiving myself for the decision i will make I need some support because i live alone and my boyfriend doesnt understand what’s it like to deal with this and have to make decisions…
thank you for reading this.
Elaine

On June 29, 2009 at 4:24 pm

Cara, I certainly understand your pain and what a horrible decision it is to have to euthanize a cat due to litter box problems. I just made that decision and my cat was put down about an hour ago. It was the hardest decision I had to make and one that I have thought about for years. She was a 7 year old Persian cat that I loved with all my heart. One of the sweetest cats I have ever had. I have dealt with this for 7 years and the urination got progressively worse over the years. I tried different litter boxes, relocating the boxes, always kept them clean–every day I scooped, once a week I cleaned them entirely. I tried the equivalent of Prozac, Feliway products, different cat litters–types, brands….even tried various foods for sensitive stomachs because I thought that might be part of the problem since she always has loose stools. She eventually started pooping outside the box in the past year. She has long hair and I realized years ago that the hair stressed her out so I have been shaving her for years (which helped for a while). To make a long story short–I have spent thousands of dollars between products and vet visits and carpet and flooring replacements. I could no longer take it. My house smells so bad that I could smell it outside the door when I came home. I came home from work every day and cleaned and scrubbed everything and then did it again in the morning. I know alot of people here are against ending the life of a perfectly healthy cat–but there are no answers when it goes this far and I do believe this was the only solution. Nobody would take her knowing the situation–and putting her outside was not an option. That would have just been cruel. It seems like a selfish thing to have done this to her, but it was something I had to do.

I would encourage anyone with this problem to try the things I tried and hopefully they will help. Unfortunately it did not help my baby. God Bless her and forgive me.
Claire

On July 8, 2009 at 10:21 pm

WoW Cara, that was my life for 8 mths. I adopted a kitten & for 8mths he peed all over my 1 bedroom apt. My boyfriend wanted me to put him down.

He peed on my bed, my computer chair, the tile floors, the carpet, my couch, chair, in clothes, & more. I had to get rid of my bed and ended up sleeping on the floor for weeks bc i didn’t want to get a new bed in fear of him peeing again.

He was fixed, I spent 400 at the vet, he stayed overnight there and they tested him for everything (nothing was wrong).I would stay up all night crying and stressed out bc i tried everything & I was getting more stress from my boyfriend bc he said I couldn’t live like that (& i understand that). =(.

Anyway I ended up keeping him, I did talk to the vet they said they would put him down bc it wouldn’t be fair to pass this problem on to someone else! But every time i got him ready to go I just couldn’t do it.

So it’s only been a little over one week since he peed I got 2 litter boxes and found a spot where he likes, i see him peeing in the litter everyday now & i wanna cry i’m so happy!!!! So i hope that you can fix the problem get the cat checked at the vet and get the spray that the vet has so he won’t pee in certain spots & I would get a few litter boxs 2 if u don’t already have them. But your cat is 10 years old =(

Elaine – I will never ever judge someone who has to put a cat down. I do not like when ppl judge. It’s not something anyone should have to live with & If my cat does start peeing again. I will have to do it. Knock on wood! I want to cry reading these stories.

I know one things for SURE. I will never get another animal again. It’s too much pain. I do have 2 cats now, my other cat is so clean and great but I myself could never go thru that again.

I wish everyone that has this problem good luck and if you do have to do something you don’t like just make sure you try everything before you do it & if it doesn’t work at least you tried!!!

-Claire
Cara

On July 20, 2009 at 2:36 pm

Claire & Elaine
thank you for your support..
a week ago i took her, my girl , to my parents and my dad took her to the vet and had her put to sleep i drove with her to my parents place (6 hours away) to do this. my dad took her and it was the most painful thing i have and am going through
i just couldnt do it anymore
he made a nice box for her and i buried her with her toys and a sweater she liked, she was my baby cat..
going through with it was slow motion where i wanted to not do it but i let it
i feel mixed about this decision, i tried alot of things. and when i had brought her to my ex’s he even gave her her own box and she still peed all over his place..
i dont know.. it was so much work and it was wearing me down. i think ‘what if’ alot , ‘what if i did this differently..’ I think also that i let her down, that it was my responsibilty to take care of her and i couldnt do it.. i tried so hard and i loved her so much..
the pain hurts so bad and i have all of her stuff ( litter box and her travel cage with her pillow, still in my car in my trunk, and the room i had her in is still the same as it was.. i am having a hard time dealing with this because i love all animals and i never wanted to make this choice!!
i feel relieved that the work is gone but i feel guilty for what i did..
thank you all again for your stories and understanding..
Cara

On July 20, 2009 at 2:43 pm

thank you all for your comments..
i did drive her to my parents place, 6 hours away, to have her put to sleep because i couldnt do it..
i’m having a hard time dealing with this because i feel guilty about letting her down, she was my girl. 10 years and now she is gone because of me..
i could handle anything but the peeing, my ex even gave her her own litter box when he took her and she still peed everywhere at his place.
i loved her so much and my heart hurts with the pain of this decision. her carry cage and bed and litter box is still in my car and her room is still the same as it was before.
she was my family and i wish she didnt have that problem.. i hope i am also forgiven for this choice because i feel like a monster because she trusted and loved me so much and i let her down….
thank you all for sharing your stories
B Nelson

On July 21, 2009 at 10:24 am

to Cara
Its a terrible thing, I too had to put my kitty down for this reason. I had adopted Ginger when she was 3yrs old, she had been declawed and suffered most of the problems declawed cats do.. it got very bad for the past 2-3 years, peeing and poopinging everywhere despite the fact we had litter boxes all over the house. It was not medical except as a result of her earlier surgery.
I felt guilty too even though I know it had to be done.
Claire

On July 24, 2009 at 1:16 am

Cara,

You did the right thing! I cant image what kind of pain you are going thru but i feel some by just the thought. I know what you mean by letting your cat down thats how i feel, but you did give her love for 10 years and she had a great life with a person that really loves her, some animals get ignored their whole life. I hope you feel better with time. There is nothing else you could have done, and like i said no one should have to live like that.

My kitty peed on the couch twice in the last few weeks, I didnt tell my bf bc he would freak i just told him he is still peeing in the litter which he is … sometimes … but he is still on my case bc i planned on buying some new furniture to replace the stuff i had to throw away bc he peed on it in the first place & he said no matter what he will do it again & he did Idk what to do.
claire

On July 24, 2009 at 1:18 am

lol i call my cat and he and a she idk y he reminds me of a girl … thats y there are 2 posts.
Cara

On July 31, 2009 at 2:40 pm

thank you for your for your understanding and comments. thank you claire for your supporting words and when i want to cry, i think about what you said about that she was loved for 10 years and had a good home. i gave her lots of love and i should be happy that she knew it!
i hope your situation improves with your little kittydoll!
Sadie

On August 7, 2009 at 1:22 pm

I came across this posting today- I too am also struggling with the decision to put to sleep my beloved 9 year old cat. When he was 2 years old he developed a severe urinary blockage and was in and out of the hospital for 2 months getting urinary catheters until it was finally resolved with a prescription diet. He has never been the same and has struggled off and on for 7 years with UTIs and peeing/pooping outside the litter box. Now he is completely refusing to use the litterbox and at times I have noticed defecation is painful. I have tried everything- prozac, feliway, different types of litter in locations throughout the house, canned food, supplements, litter attractant, you name it. I have been enormously patient and loving with him through this all. My vet is now suggesting a workup for bladder stones or cancer but at his age, even if she found something, I would not put him through the surgery and recovery time. We have spent literally thousands of dollars between vet bills, special food and furniture and flooring replacements. Just when I think he is doing better, he’ll start having problems again- it is a vicious cycle. I have an extremely frustrated husband and a 9 month old crawling around the house- we can not live like this anymore. I can’t bear the thought of bringing him to a shelter or a no-kill place- he is too set in his ways and attached to me. Even if I found someone to adopt him, I would never know if they would be as patient as I have been. It breaks my heart to come to the realization that putting him down is the most humane thing I can do at this point. I will have to have my husband bring him in- I can’t bear to do it myself. I feel awful about this- it is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made in my life.
Cara

On August 8, 2009 at 7:33 pm

Sadie,
As you most likely have read, i struggled with bathroom issues with my cat and had her put to sleep about a month ago now.
I feel all that you are saying because i was there with that struggle before my decision.
I relate to the comment you made also about not taking your puss to the shelter because of being to set in his ways and attached and not knowing what someone else will do to your cat.
I still cry almost everyday with guilt and feel like a different person since that decision. We invest into our animals everything and they are family.
If i had to do it all over again, i would. As terrible as some may think when reading this.
The pain i feel and the relief of having a bit more freedom and not worrying about pee everywhere, are kinda equal at this point. I know it was the right thing to do in my heart. I have found so much support here and i hope you feel the same support here too.
Having your husband take her to the vet is a good option. I had my dad take her in for me, i drove 6 hours for that. We had a nice service in my parents yard for her after and i planted a beautiful flower on her grave. I said my good byes.
If you make this decision be prepared for a hard time.. be strong if you decide this!! If you need someone to email about this let me know and i can be your support.
take care
Claire

On August 8, 2009 at 11:21 pm

Cara,

I’m glad I helped even a little I hope you are feeling a little better. Again my kitty is not peeing again. I’m very happy but I’m knocking on wood when I say that. TY for asking =).

Sadie,

I remember when i called my vet & said I couldn’t put up with the peeing anymore and was there a place where i could put him up for adoption, the first thing she told me was – It is not fair to pass this problem onto someone else & I believe that’s true Iv been through so much stress & tears over my kitty, I wouldn’t want to see anyone else go thru that. I also thought what if he went to a home that wasn’t caring. I hope everything work’s out & you make the right decision for you. I see you did everything you could for your kitty. Let us know what happens.
Sadie

On August 12, 2009 at 10:58 am

Thank you so much for the support. I’ve decide to have my husband bring my beloved kitty in on Friday to be put down. I have a broken heart but I know this is the right decision and the most humane thing to do. I can’t believe it is ending like this- I never in my wildest dreams thought I would have to make this decision until he was much, much older. He’s lived a good life and I have many, many happy memories with my little guy. Thanks again.
Madiha

On October 18, 2009 at 5:38 am

It was mentioned in the article that if a cat is pooping outside their litter box the problem is more difficult to fix and is behavioral. My cat Dinky is almost 12 yrs old and she has a habit of pooping on clean floors since a few years I’ve tried everything but she refuses to go in her litter box, however she urinates without hesitation in her box. Is there anything that can be recommended training wise as i feel she’s very fixed in her habit and i fear it might be too late to retrain her.
B Nelson

On October 19, 2009 at 1:45 pm

to Madiha.
its usually behavioral.. not always.. sometimes its a problem with digestion or intestinal upset, (also genetics as in Manx cats) have a vet check your kitty.
MK

On October 23, 2009 at 4:11 pm

Just wanted to post a quick note for all the lazy selfish ignorant and cruel people on this site and elsewhere in the world who think it’s OK to have a pet (especially one they supposedly “love”) put to death for a behavior problem like urinating out of the box. Domestic pets rely on their owners for everything. You give them shelter, food, water and a clean box to go in. You create and maintain their entire environment so do you ever stop to think that maybe their behavior problems are brought on by you as well?? Ever think that there are other alternatives than sweeping the problem under the rug and sending your pet to an untimely death? Im not talking about animals who are in suffering from some medical condition. I believe that if an animals quality of life is severely affected sometimes euthanasia is the best option but to put an animal to death at a young age because the owner is inconvenienced by a behavioral problem that could be fixed with a little investigation into the source of the problem is sickening. So try to justify your actions in your own mind as much as you want but know that I think you are weak and selfish.
B Nelson

On October 23, 2009 at 11:23 pm

to MK (above)
nobody is advocating killing a young pet that can be fixed.
Amanda

On November 22, 2009 at 10:00 pm

I have three cats. I have raised them myself. My first two i got a year ago. a boy and a girl. Then the third one i found in my woods so i saved him. Its a boy. He isn’t a year yet. I haven’t got him fixed yet. The other two have been fixed. The one cat that has been fixed(the boy) started like two months ago peeing at the corners of my door. I don’t understand why he is doing that. I thought he was spraying but he was spraying before he was fixed so i know the difference between spraying and peeing. he actually pees! I clean the cat box everyday, sometimes twice a day. I have been using the same litter since day one. I was thinking maybe its because the other boy cat that hasn’t been fixed was making him mad? But hes actually peeing, not spraying. I tried putting vinegar in that area because i heard that makes them not want to do it there. It didn’t work! I don’t know what to do! He has plenty of water and food. I just cant figure it out! I also spend a lot of time at home so i don’t think he is doing it out of anger. He does it sometimes when I’m not home and when i am home i see him do it.Then the other boy cat that isn’t fixed sucks on my arm! I hate it! I never seen a cat suck on me! I got him when he was really young. I had to bottle feed him. It didn’t turn out so well because he had teeth and he would chew the nipple off so i had to just put milk in a bowl and he would lick it. He turns one in May. Hes way to old to be sucking! I don’t know what to do about him either! Someone please help me!
Janet

On February 5, 2010 at 9:19 pm

B Nelson, I wish you’d remove the nasty comment made by MK. It is hurtful, rude and definitely not needed here where several people have poured out their hearts. I wouldn’t want someone in grief to come across his hateful words.

It’s certainly easy for him to sit up on his high horse and judge the world around him, isn’t it? What an asshat!
Erica

On February 10, 2010 at 10:35 am

i cant believe you would tell millions of people to basically kill there animals because of a simple littler box problem there is nothing wrong with taking it to the animal shelter any animal that goes there you are allowed to write a note about and for most people the problem could just be jealosy of other cats and if they get an owner that doesn’t have any other pets than the cat could be just fine…but if you didnt do that then you just murdered a poor innocent cat i seriously hate people like you.
B Nelson

On February 11, 2010 at 12:49 am

to Erica. If you read the link you will see this was NOT what I was saying, I offered a TON of suggestions. After the owner is CERTAIN they cannot fix the problem I informed them that this is a last resort rather than abanoning the cat which is what many people tend to do. I would MUCH rather have a person address the problem and fix it!

Shelters generally have so many cats coming in that when they decide who goes up for adoption, it is NOT the ones with problems that cannot be fixed. You mention the cat might just be territorial.. I mentioned that, so in the end it is NOT those cats I am referring to.
Karen

On February 18, 2010 at 8:02 am

I rescued a cat left in front of a petco in a box in 2004. She seemed like a little strange (less trained, less social with people, maybe born to a stray) than our other cat that we have adopted from a family, who were unable to keep her due to being rough with their toodler and newborn. The older cat we have helped this one with house rules and kinda tried to teach her how to live as a pet. For the past couple of years, as our older cat is getting older, the newer one started peeing outside the box. It was first once in a while kinda thing that later became more regular. My husband took the older cat with him recently after being separated. The newer one is just peeing everywhere in my bedroom where the litter box is and sometimes pooping too. It seems like th eolder cat was watching her and making go in the box. Now that she is gone the younder one is just hard to handle. I keep the box clean, clean messy spots etc… But it is getting overwhelming. What do you recommend?
B Nelson

On February 18, 2010 at 11:29 pm

to Karen

Has your cat been to a vet to be checked for a bacterial infection or other problem? that is the first thing I would check. Otherwise I suggest keeping the cat out of your bedroom and relocating the litter box to another room, possibly breaking the cycle, also you didnt say if she was declawed, as mentioned, this is a common reason why cats do not use their litter.