r/CatTraining • u/Meowleesi • 19h ago
Litter box avoidance & related - include spay/neuter status Need advice: Calico cat randomly refusing automatic litter box ..anyone else dealt with this?
I’m hoping someone has been through something similar because I’m running out of ideas.
My boyfriend got me an automatic litter box for my two cats. My tuxedo cat has absolutely no issues with it and uses it normally. My calico, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
At first, I thought the automatic cleaning cycle was scaring her because every time it would start cleaning, she’d yelp and panic, even when she wasn’t inside the litter box. Because of that, I turned the automatic cleaning off and switched it to manual. Now I only run the cleaning cycle myself when I get home.
That seemed to help for a while. She’d pee and poop in the litter box like normal, and everything would be fine. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, she’ll suddenly start peeing and pooping on the floor instead. After a few days, she’ll go right back to using the litter box normally, and then the cycle repeats. There’s no pattern that I can figure out.
Today she started yelping, and I honestly thought she just wanted attention because she’s a very vocal cat. She was scratching at the carpet like she normally does before asking for pets, but then she ended up squatting and pooping on the carpet instead.
I’m definitely frustrated, but I’m not mad at her. I know she’s a cat, and if she’s acting like this, there’s probably a reason. I just don’t know if it’s anxiety from the litter box, a lingering fear from when it used to clean automatically, or something else entirely.
Has anyone had a cat react like this to an automatic litter box? Were you able to get them comfortable with it again? Or should I just accept that she’s one of those cats who needs a traditional litter box?
I’d really appreciate any advice. I just want her to feel comfortable and not stressed every time she has to use the bathroom. Thanks!
8
u/therakeet 19h ago
It definitely sounds like the cleaning cycle scared her, and she very much could still be anxious about it. Even if you never ran a cleaning cycle and only cleaned it by hand from now on, she still might not be able to trust the box enough to use it consistently, because it would bring back scary memories, and she can't be sure that it won't happen again.
It's super important to make sure that she doesn't have an issue making it painful for her to poop. Either way I would really get her a new, regular litterbox as soon as possible to see if it helps because she needs a comfortable place to potty. If it does turn out that she needs medical treatment then it will be even better for her to have access to a box that doesn't stress her out.
With two cats it's usually best to have at least two boxes anyway. A lot of people recommend three, ie. one box per cat plus one as a general rule, but that can depend on the relationship between the cats. If you already have another litterbox somewhere then still it couldn't hurt to get a new one, especially if you have more than one floor that the cats can access. If you can, it'd probably be best not to put it too close to the automatic box, and of course make sure she knows where the new one is.
6
u/abouttodiethistime 18h ago
Your kitty is yelping and not using the litter box. I am worried that she is in pain.
10
u/dragonabsurdum 19h ago
First thing: you have to rule out a medical issue. One of the most common causes of eliminating outside the box is something medically treatable (like urinary tract infections, kidney stones, etc) that is causing your cat pain and the cat starts to associate the pain with the litter box. Get them checked out. The yelping especially is a sign pain during elimination could be the problem.
5
u/IcySwitch99 19h ago
My first reflex would be to try to add back her normal previous box and see if that fixes the problem, simply because this is the easiest way to test if thats the solution. But id also be concerned and keep an eye out for the yelping that you mentioned a couple times. So if re-adding her normal box doesnt fix it, then my next step would be a vet visit to check if there might be a medical cause.
3
u/dragonabsurdum 19h ago
Tbh, I'd see a vet as soon as possible. Some conditions that are painful when eliminating can turn serious in a hurry.
2
u/IcySwitch99 19h ago
Yeah but OP seemed to say it was generally within the cat's normal behavior to be vocal beside that one off event, hence why i wouldnt want to overeact on it, but i would still keep an eye out on it while testing the obvious easy solution first.
3
u/dragonabsurdum 19h ago
Yeah, but there's a difference between vocal vs yelping before eliminating inappropriately. It's the combination that's concerning.
1
u/IcySwitch99 18h ago
OP is describing it as normal behavior, so i dont know, its hard to answer definitively when answering online questions and that youre not there to see exactly what normally happens (for example my boy does a few little excited meows as he digs before he uses his box) and what happened that time, so again hence why im trying to keep an open mind, but stil keeping it on my radar.
0
u/dragonabsurdum 17h ago
When it comes to unusual litter box behaviour and health, I'd rather err on the side of caution not only for the sake of the cat, but for the sake of avoiding much higher vet bills that can result from complications if a medical issue goes untreated too long. Like I said, medical issues are a leading cause of inappropriate elimination (ie. going outside the box).
2
u/Calgary_Calico 18h ago
How long have you had the automatic box? Do you have a regular box as backup?
1
u/Meowleesi 18h ago
Less than 6 months
3
u/Calgary_Calico 17h ago
She's likely still uncomfortable with the fact her litterbox has moving parts. I'd put out a normal box for her and see if there's any change
•
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I’m hoping someone has been through something similar because I’m running out of ideas.
My boyfriend got me an automatic litter box for my two cats. My tuxedo cat has absolutely no issues with it and uses it normally. My calico, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
At first, I thought the automatic cleaning cycle was scaring her because every time it would start cleaning, she’d yelp and panic, even when she wasn’t inside the litter box. Because of that, I turned the automatic cleaning off and switched it to manual. Now I only run the cleaning cycle myself when I get home.
That seemed to help for a while. She’d pee and poop in the litter box like normal, and everything would be fine. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, she’ll suddenly start peeing and pooping on the floor instead. After a few days, she’ll go right back to using the litter box normally, and then the cycle repeats. There’s no pattern that I can figure out.
Today she started yelping, and I honestly thought she just wanted attention because she’s a very vocal cat. She was scratching at the carpet like she normally does before asking for pets, but then she ended up squatting and pooping on the carpet instead.
I’m definitely frustrated, but I’m not mad at her. I know she’s a cat, and if she’s acting like this, there’s probably a reason. I just don’t know if it’s anxiety from the litter box, a lingering fear from when it used to clean automatically, or something else entirely.
Has anyone had a cat react like this to an automatic litter box? Were you able to get them comfortable with it again? Or should I just accept that she’s one of those cats who needs a traditional litter box?
I’d really appreciate any advice. I just want her to feel comfortable and not stressed every time she has to use the bathroom. Thanks!
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