New cat...

Hopefully someone out there has gone through a similar situation and can help out! Sorry

Last Wednesday I got a cat from a friend who was moving in with her boyfriend (he's very allergic). The cat a 2-yr-old male American Shorthair and is very loving and sweet. He's adapted very well to the new house and the new people (me and two roommates). The first day and night, I confined him to the laundry room with his litter box and food/water. The second day and night, I opened the laundry door but shut the basement door so he was confined to the lower level of the house. He used the litterbox both nights. After that, he seemed so comfortable and curious that I went ahead and let him explore the upstairs. He seems very comfortable in the house and hasn't been hiding or anything. However, he hasn't used the litterbox since. I have seen him eat and drink - he's finished at least two cans of food plus some hard food - but he hasn't used the litterbox. I know that at one point he urinated on my roommate's dirty clothes, which we immediately removed and washed, but that may have been a day when someone accidentally shut the door to the laundry room so he couldn't get to his litterbox. Even if not, it hasn't happened since. I have searched the house to see if he's going somewhere else, but haven't found any evidence of that. He doesn't seem sick or like he is in pain - he's very active. This is really worrying me. He knows where the litter box is, but just hasn't used it. It's been several days and nothing...any ideas?

 

Keep searching.

 

So you think there's a hidey-hole somewhere where he's going? Any ideas as to what to look for? I have looked pretty well.

 

Cats need to eliminate some time and some where. I would keep looking until it was found. Otherwise, gettting the cat back to the litterbox may be a problem in addition to clelaning the other spot.

 

In the meantime, while I look, what should I do? Should I start putting him in the laundry room with the litter box while I'm gone until he starts using it again? I hate to do that because he loves being upstairs. Unfortunately, there's really nowhere to put the litter box upstairs since there's just a living room, kitchen, and the bedroom. It pretty much has to be in the basement. If I do have to put him in the laundry room while I'm gone, is there any way to make sure that he keeps using it once I eventually let him wander again? Also, does it matter if the lights are on or off? I know cats have excellent eyesight, but does it matter for him using the litterbox if the lights are off?

 

Lights on or off, doesn't matter. He'll find it.

I would keep him there until you find out the other places he is going. How hard it will be to get him to use that box depends on how well he is housebroken. I have a cat who never has got the hang of the box and we have to use car floormats and lots of cleaning. (He will go on those just fine.)

There are products out there at your vet's and places like PetSmart that treat inappropriate urination, which is IMHO worse than number 2 because it seeps into cracks and festers (yeck!) and has to be scrubbed out.

It will take some diligence. The books all say to be patient and praise him when he does the right thing.

Good luck.

 

Thanks so much for everyone's help! I found it - under a tarp in a corner of the basement that we were doing some painting in. I threw away the tarp and Resolve-d the carpet and put the litterbox right on that spot. Sucess! He went twice already. I'm so happy! Hopefully this keeps up and he keeps using it and doesn't find another place.

 

Dear Largirl,

I didn't see you mention if you had moved his food. Get it away from the same room as the litter box. cats are naturally clean and you may have a real fussy cat here.

He may require that his litter box be cleaned daily.

Good luck!

Aimee

 

You may want to clean the soiled areas with straight white vinegar.
The smell is bad at first but the vinegar will NEUTRALIZE the cat urine.

 

I second the idea of moving his food away from the litter box. Nobody likes to eat in the bathroom!