Litterbox Problems

No one wants litterbox problems, but they are common and occur for numerous different reasons. If your cat stops using the litterbox, the first thing you need to do is take the cat to the vet as there could be a medical problem contributing to the issue. Once the vet gives the cat medical clearance, then you can start to figure out why the cat is not using the litterbox, and when you know that, you can set about fixing the problem.

Some cats are very fussy about their litterbox and once used, may not use it again until it has been scooped. Some cats require two litterboxes, one for poo and one for pee. And yes, some cats refuse to share the litterbox with another cat.  Even the litterbox itself can be an issue - some like it covered, some don't.

The actual litter can be very important to some cats too. Personally, I try to stay with unscented litter. Scented litter smells nice to us humans, but to cats, who have way more sensitive noses than we do, scented litter can be overpowering and distinctly unpleasant. The texture of the litter may also be important to your cat.

One of the most common reasons for a cat refusing to use it’s litterbox is that it is just plain dirty. Cats are very clean creatures and that includes their toileting. A dirty litterbox is almost a guarantee that your cat will find another location to do it’s business. 

A general rule of thumb is one cat to one litterbox scooped once per day. If you have two cats, one litterbox may still be adequate, but it must be scooped twice per day. My two cats were happy with that setup for fifteen years until one cat became unwell - he made it very clear that he needed a second litterbox and even chose the location. Once a second litterbox was put in place, all was well. 

Issues covered in this post are relatively easy to figure out and to remedy. Other, more complicated litterbox issues will be dealt with in a later post.

Night Howling

Don’t be disturbed if and when your cat starts howling (blood curdling howling) in the middle of the night and early morning hours. Yes, your sleep is disturbed, but chances are, there is nothing actually wrong with your cat.

Cats are very smart, and if you get up just once and say, give your cat a treat, they will continue the howling every night to get that treat, and the cat will have you, their human, well trained in a matter of days. It’s much better not to start that practice in the first place.

It’s perfectly normal for the cat’s human to think that something is wrong and to get up and check on the cat, I’ve done that myself, but after one or two nights, you have to stop. Get ear plugs or just shut the noise out. After a while, the cat will realise that you’re not getting up and it will stop.

Researchers don’t totally understand why some cats may do this, but since they are such smart creatures, it is highly likely that they just want some company or a snack or to go outside and hunt or some other perfectly normal cat behaviour.

Night howling is, however, a very common behaviour amongst senior cats. One of the reasons is thought to be that the cat wakes up and is either disoriented or suddenly realises no one is around, and the howling is to get a reassuring word from their human. Since my own elderly cat is now deaf, I just turn a light on that she can see from where she is to let her know that she’s not alone. And some early morning hours she does her blood curdling yowling at the top of her voice, but I have learnt to ignore it and she stops and goes back to sleep. Senior cats can also suffer from dementia, and both day and night howling tends to be more common in these situations.

So, if your cat is night howler, don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal cat behaviour.

Senior Cats - Mobility

Like humans, as a cat ages, it becomes less active, causing many a human to query the health of the cat. And yes, there may be a medical problem, but chances are that the older cat is just slowing down.

For a cat that is seven or eight years old in human years, it is in fact, in it's late sixties to early seventies in cat years for an outdoor cat, and an indoor cat would be in it's mid to late forties. No wonder they're slowing down!

Typically, this means that as a cat ages, it also spends a lot more time sleeping. The kitchen counter may become less appealing and higher vantage points will eventually be left out altogether. And for a really old and arthritic cat, even navigating in and out of the litter box can become a challenge. When this happens, simply cutting down the side of the litter box to create a "doorway" can make a world of difference, both to you in not having to clean up all the "misses" and to your elderly cat.

All sorts of steps and ramps can be created to allow your feline family to get onto the bed or their favourite spot. Just because they're aging doesn't mean they don't want comfort and to spend time with you too.

My own cat in the photo is 17 1/2 years old and very healthy, but she does sleep 99% of her day and uses a halfway step to get onto the sofa. She goes up and down the stairs every day, but she walks, no more running. Thankfully, she is happy and healthy, and eats well (maybe a little too well).

Let's Talk About Cats

If you are reading this, it means that you love cats and would like to better understand them. In my blog, Talk About Cats, I will write about the behavior of cats from kitten hood through middle age and on to old age.

Everyone knows about the lively playful kitten that comes into our life when it's about eight weeks old, but what changes might there be over the next few years as they settle into our homes and our routines? Life is very busy nowadays, and people tend to spend a lot of time on their phone or computer. Well, cats get lonely and feel neglected too.

Cats pick up on our own emotions and health and tend to react accordingly. What seems to a human like a simple thing such as re-arranging the furniture in the living room, can totally throw a cat off balance and result in behavior that is unwanted and misunderstood by the human, but the cat has no other way to express his or her distress.

So this blog is going to be about all the numerous behaviors that cats may exhibit, both wanted and unwanted, and many of which I will take from my personal experiences and those of some of my clients.

So please join me on this exciting journey into the feline world.