What could be more frustrating for a cat owner than mishaps in the litter tray? Quite often, the cats that tend to have litter tray accidents are the ones that end up in animal shelters due to their owner’s exasperation. If a cat adamantly refuses to use the litter box, it means there could be an underlying reason or problem, so potty training your cat, or in other words potty training, can be the way to go. You may find that some cats that are not litter box trained or do not like to use the litter tray are very difficult to potty train, so before you go down this path, you may need to find out the reasons. why the cat does not use the litter tray. .

One main reason you may find that cats refuse to use the litter box is because it is dirty. Most cats are very particular when it comes to cleanliness and may turn their nose up at a dirty litter tray and refuse to use it, even if you’ve only used it once. So one of the first things to check if you discover an ‘accident’ is the litter tray, make sure it’s not dirty.

Depending on how many cats you have, you may encounter the problem related to not enough litter trays. Cats love their own space and privacy, especially when it comes to litter tray use, so they should each have at least one litter tray. In fact, some vets recommend two litter trays per cat as a sort of de-stress measure, though this would be beyond most people’s idea of ​​a stress-free life for themselves! Imagine the daily routine of cleaning two litter trays per cat!

Accidents can happen because you may be using the wrong type of kitty litter. Some of our feline friends are particularly picky when it comes to the smell and texture of a particular type of litter. Also, certain types of litter are very dusty, which could cause problems for some cats.

Shapes and sizes of litter trays have also been known to cause some litter tray accidents. Some cats may prefer the privacy of an enclosed litter tray, but some kittens or older cats may have trouble getting in and out of this type of litter tray. Keep an eye on your cat’s actions in a litter box and you will be able to determine from this which particular tray your cat needs.

If you think none of the above explanations apply to your cat, then there could be an underlying health problem causing litter tray accidents. The cat may have a urinary tract infection, kidney problems, bladder problems, or even diabetes. Visit your local vet so your cat can be examined and, if a problem arises, medication may be prescribed.

Make sure that if your cat has a litter tray-related accident, you clean the area well afterward to remove all nuisance odors. If you don’t, the cat may return to this particular area as a habit because it can detect odors and associate the area as a potty space.

Lastly, another reason your cat may have stopped using a litter box may have nothing to do with any of the above. In fact, there may not be any underlying problem at all. The cat could simply be ‘marking’ his territory and these facts may be particularly true in multi-cat households or in households where a new pet has just been introduced.