8. Moving Location
You may think one room is as good as another, but kitty may think differently. If the box is moved into a family room where the kids play video games or the stereo is usually blaring, your cat's going to have a difficult time relaxing enough to do its duty. If you move the box to a room where an appliance makes a sudden noise, the cat could become afraid of the box by association.

We live in a completely different world than cats do, Milani says.

"Most of their hearing is tuned in at an ultrasonic level. If a litterbox had originally been placed by a snug, protected interior wall and then moved against an exterior wall where the cat can hear noises from the outside, such as other cats, this can be upsetting to some cats. It all depends on their level of confidence," Milani says.

9. Invaded Territory
"Cats feel most vulnerable when they sleep, eat and use the litterbox," Johnson-Bennett says. "That's why they like to sleep in elevated places and always keep an eye on what's going on around them."

If a cat is in the litterbox and the household's more aggressive cat confronts it, it will feel stress and may start to avoid the box. The same could happen if the box is located near a window where the cat could see outside "intruder" cats approach the house. "The cat figures the strange cat is where its box is located and might decide to avoid the whole situation," Johnson-Bennett says.

10. Punishment Strategies
"When a cat doesn't use the box, sometimes we punish them by rubbing their noses in it, or we grab the cat and toss it in the box," Johnson-Bennett says. "The cat begins to associate the box with punishment and thinks you're saying 'don't go.'" And again, the cat will then use an unacceptable area to relieve itself.

- More Litterbox Tips -

Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4