Please help - cat not using the litter box

I just don't know what to do. Our little guy is 3 (4 in Aug) and back at the end of Feb he started pooping outside of his litter box. He was peeing outside the box at first but that was mostly in Dec-Jan.

We have been to the vet 3 times. He is on a stool softener 3 x's a day as we think he is constipated and causes it to hurt when he uses the box. We changed his food to all natural and organic products which seems to be helping. These are higher fiber food to help with the constipation. At least he is going every day now. We changed to cat attract litter and he hasn't peed outside the box since then. We scoop the box 2-3 times a day so it is always clean.

We have him locked in a small bedroom most of the day to try to keep him contained and hope to lure him to use the box. There are 2 boxes in that room along with this food, etc. We let him out for awhile each night when we are home and can watch him.

We tried feliaway with no results.

Is there anything else we can do? We are at our wits end and now that I am pregnant, DH has to do all the cleanup and I am worried about being exposed to this.

I'm nervous this is now behavioral, that he is choosing not to use the box. We look online and there is a lot of people out there like us, but not a lot of solutions that have seemed to help

Re: Please help - cat not using the litter box

Did he start pooping outside the box before you kept him confined to one room ?
It may be that he does not like being confined and is pooping outside the box as a behavioral issue. The small bedroom may be too small for him as well.
I'd also move the food and water as far away from the litter boxes as possible.

My cat has run of the apartment during the day, but at night I keep her closed in our bedroom otherwise she tears around making a ton of noise. Her litter box in in with us, and on the opposite side of the room is a small dish with food and water.

Re: Please help - cat not using the litter box

Re: Please help - cat not using the litter box

I feel for you, I really do. I have been through hell with Sushi and it certainly has been a long process.

First, I would try to put your mind at ease by taking your cat back to the vet for a simple blood test. It is rare for an indoor cat to transmit toxoplasmosis but a blood test will tell you for sure whether your cat is even carrying it. (you can even keep the results a secret from your DH)

Second, it really comes down to trial and error. Cats instinctively WANT to use the litterbox so when they don't, something is bugging them.

I would try changing the box itself (low pan? cover?). Then the placement. Keep trying to change the litter. Are there feral cats outside? I saw some cat show where the kitty on the inside was marking because of the cats OUTSIDE.

Is your cat doing anything in particular when he goes? The fact that he is doing it away from the litterbox leans me toward behavioral. For example Sushi goes in the corner of the kitchen next to other cat's food when Miso blocks her in. It is her way of saying, "if you wont let me pass I'll shit where you eat"

Ill keep thinking of different ideas for you

Once I declared the bedroom off limits to Miso, sushi stopped peeing in my clothes.

What about confining him to a smaller room? Like the bathroom. I had to do that with Sushi. It was also more convenient because at least if she went it was on tile. I kept her there for a week (which broke my heart but I did notice a difference). I bought her here own litterbox that only SHE uses (its in our bedroom).

Message edited 6/8/2012 7:36:30 PM.

Re: Please help - cat not using the litter box

I had the same problem and had all the medical tests done. I ended up taking the lid off my box and that worked.

Re: Please help - cat not using the litter box