14 Common Reasons Cats Don’t Use the Litter Box

Common Reasons Cats Don’t Use the Litter Box

Does your cat sometimes urinate OUTSIDE the litter box? It’s a common problem with cats. In fact, it’s something my subscribers ask me about all the time. Inappropriate urination is one of the most common reasons house cats are relinquished to shelters or “put outside”.

Thinking outside the box is a good thing, but URINATING outside the box? Not only is it annoying and unsanitary, it can cause terrible odor problems in your home.

So why do cats urinate outside the box? Well, there could be many reasons.

Here are 14 of the most common reasons:

1. The litter is dirty
2. The box smells bad
3. The box is too small
4. The box smells like harsh cleaning chemicals
5. You don’t scoop often enough
6. They don’t like the kind of litter you’re using
7. The litter is too deep
8. The litter isn’t deep enough
9. The box is in a noisy location (they have no privacy)
10. You don’t have enough boxes (you need at least 1 box per cat)
11. It’s a behavioral issue (they’re marking their territory)
12. They could have a medical problem, like a urinary tract infection
13. There is a spot in the house where they smell cat urine and think it is okay to go there
14. Another cat intimidates them from using the box

Understanding the reason can help you change the behavior. So go through all the possibilities, and try to fix the problem once you determine what it is.

If your cat is urinating outside the box because of an odor issue, it can be a tough problem to solve. That’s because once your kitty starts urinating in a spot outside the box, he will continue to do it over and over again. The smell just naturally draws him back to that spot (just as it does when he sprays to mark his territory).

One product that works really well if you’ve got odor problems is Zero Odor. I’ve used this product and had several pet lovers test it and they love it.

It’s hard to get your cat to stop urinating outside the box, especially when he’s been doing it for a while. Getting rid of the cat urine odor isn’t easy either, but it can be done.

I hope this information helps you understand why your cat may not be using the litter box and you find ways to solve the problem.