Retraining elderly cat to use litter box

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I have an elderly cat who has a history of digestion issues. A couple months ago he started having severe constipation, which he alerted me to by pooping on the floor in front of the litter box instead of in the litter box itself. It took a little while to readjust his diet to fix the constipation issues, which have cleared up.

Unfortunately, I know this because he's still pooping on the floor, and now it's a bit harder to clean up after.

He still urinates in the litter box, and I suspect that he's just gotten used to pooping on the floor or associates the pain of constipation with the litter box or the like. I've tried replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into, as well as changing the kind of litter in use to see if that breaks the association, but that hasn't helped either.

Unfortunately, there isn't anywhere else in my home that would be suitable for his litter box, so changing its location isn't a possibility (and anyway, he is going to the right room).

What else can I try to stop having to mop my bathroom floor every day?

cats toilet-training

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asked 4 hours ago

fluffy

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I have an elderly cat who has a history of digestion issues. A couple months ago he started having severe constipation, which he alerted me to by pooping on the floor in front of the litter box instead of in the litter box itself. It took a little while to readjust his diet to fix the constipation issues, which have cleared up.

Unfortunately, I know this because he's still pooping on the floor, and now it's a bit harder to clean up after.

He still urinates in the litter box, and I suspect that he's just gotten used to pooping on the floor or associates the pain of constipation with the litter box or the like. I've tried replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into, as well as changing the kind of litter in use to see if that breaks the association, but that hasn't helped either.

Unfortunately, there isn't anywhere else in my home that would be suitable for his litter box, so changing its location isn't a possibility (and anyway, he is going to the right room).

What else can I try to stop having to mop my bathroom floor every day?

cats toilet-training

share|improve this question

asked 4 hours ago

fluffy

1405

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

I have an elderly cat who has a history of digestion issues. A couple months ago he started having severe constipation, which he alerted me to by pooping on the floor in front of the litter box instead of in the litter box itself. It took a little while to readjust his diet to fix the constipation issues, which have cleared up.

Unfortunately, I know this because he's still pooping on the floor, and now it's a bit harder to clean up after.

He still urinates in the litter box, and I suspect that he's just gotten used to pooping on the floor or associates the pain of constipation with the litter box or the like. I've tried replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into, as well as changing the kind of litter in use to see if that breaks the association, but that hasn't helped either.

Unfortunately, there isn't anywhere else in my home that would be suitable for his litter box, so changing its location isn't a possibility (and anyway, he is going to the right room).

What else can I try to stop having to mop my bathroom floor every day?

cats toilet-training

share|improve this question

asked 4 hours ago

fluffy

1405

I have an elderly cat who has a history of digestion issues. A couple months ago he started having severe constipation, which he alerted me to by pooping on the floor in front of the litter box instead of in the litter box itself. It took a little while to readjust his diet to fix the constipation issues, which have cleared up.

Unfortunately, I know this because he's still pooping on the floor, and now it's a bit harder to clean up after.

He still urinates in the litter box, and I suspect that he's just gotten used to pooping on the floor or associates the pain of constipation with the litter box or the like. I've tried replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into, as well as changing the kind of litter in use to see if that breaks the association, but that hasn't helped either.

Unfortunately, there isn't anywhere else in my home that would be suitable for his litter box, so changing its location isn't a possibility (and anyway, he is going to the right room).

What else can I try to stop having to mop my bathroom floor every day?

cats toilet-training

cats toilet-training

share|improve this question

asked 4 hours ago

fluffy

1405

share|improve this question

asked 4 hours ago

fluffy

1405

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

asked 4 hours ago

fluffy

1405

asked 4 hours ago

fluffy

1405

asked 4 hours ago

fluffy

1405

1405

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

1 Answer
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Replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into was a good idea, as was experimenting with different types of litter. For many cats, one of those would have solved the problem. But it sounds like your elderly cat associated the pain with the location, rather than the box or the litter.

At least temporarily, put a second litter box on the floor where he's currently pooping. Yes, that will probably mean you have a new litter box right in front of the old one. Once he's pooping in the new litter box consistently, you can probably retire the old one, and then s-l-o-w-l-y move the new one where the old one was.

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answered 2 hours ago

mhwombat

4,876927

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks, I'll give that a try. Or maybe I'll start by moving the existing litter box to where he poops. I just hope that doesn't throw off my other cat too much...
  – fluffy
  35 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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1 Answer
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1 Answer
1

active

oldest

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active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes

up vote
2
down vote

Replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into was a good idea, as was experimenting with different types of litter. For many cats, one of those would have solved the problem. But it sounds like your elderly cat associated the pain with the location, rather than the box or the litter.

At least temporarily, put a second litter box on the floor where he's currently pooping. Yes, that will probably mean you have a new litter box right in front of the old one. Once he's pooping in the new litter box consistently, you can probably retire the old one, and then s-l-o-w-l-y move the new one where the old one was.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

mhwombat

4,876927

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks, I'll give that a try. Or maybe I'll start by moving the existing litter box to where he poops. I just hope that doesn't throw off my other cat too much...
  – fluffy
  35 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

Replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into was a good idea, as was experimenting with different types of litter. For many cats, one of those would have solved the problem. But it sounds like your elderly cat associated the pain with the location, rather than the box or the litter.

At least temporarily, put a second litter box on the floor where he's currently pooping. Yes, that will probably mean you have a new litter box right in front of the old one. Once he's pooping in the new litter box consistently, you can probably retire the old one, and then s-l-o-w-l-y move the new one where the old one was.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

mhwombat

4,876927

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks, I'll give that a try. Or maybe I'll start by moving the existing litter box to where he poops. I just hope that doesn't throw off my other cat too much...
  – fluffy
  35 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

up vote
2
down vote

Replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into was a good idea, as was experimenting with different types of litter. For many cats, one of those would have solved the problem. But it sounds like your elderly cat associated the pain with the location, rather than the box or the litter.

At least temporarily, put a second litter box on the floor where he's currently pooping. Yes, that will probably mean you have a new litter box right in front of the old one. Once he's pooping in the new litter box consistently, you can probably retire the old one, and then s-l-o-w-l-y move the new one where the old one was.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

mhwombat

4,876927

Replacing the litter box with one that's easier to get into was a good idea, as was experimenting with different types of litter. For many cats, one of those would have solved the problem. But it sounds like your elderly cat associated the pain with the location, rather than the box or the litter.

At least temporarily, put a second litter box on the floor where he's currently pooping. Yes, that will probably mean you have a new litter box right in front of the old one. Once he's pooping in the new litter box consistently, you can probably retire the old one, and then s-l-o-w-l-y move the new one where the old one was.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

mhwombat

4,876927

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

mhwombat

4,876927

answered 2 hours ago

mhwombat

4,876927

answered 2 hours ago

mhwombat

4,876927

4,876927

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks, I'll give that a try. Or maybe I'll start by moving the existing litter box to where he poops. I just hope that doesn't throw off my other cat too much...
  – fluffy
  35 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks, I'll give that a try. Or maybe I'll start by moving the existing litter box to where he poops. I just hope that doesn't throw off my other cat too much...
  – fluffy
  35 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Or maybe I'll start by moving the existing litter box to where he poops. I just hope that doesn't throw off my other cat too much...
– fluffy
35 mins ago

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Or maybe I'll start by moving the existing litter box to where he poops. I just hope that doesn't throw off my other cat too much...
– fluffy
35 mins ago

add a comment | 

 

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