Cats instinctively use a litter box. You don't have to take them to it and praise them 4-6 times a day like you would when house breaking a puppy. You set it down, show them where it is at and as long as they can make their way back to it they will use it starting at 4-6 weeks of age.
But sometimes litter box usage can become an issue for older cats. A veterinarian needs to be a diagnostician (like House), a kitty psychologist and a behaviorist to determine the cause and rectify the situation. We can tell you one reason that cats do not stop using their litter box and that is spite. Cats don't see going on the bathroom rug as a punishment for their owners they only see it as a way to relieve themselves when the litter box, for some reason, isn't working out.
The first issue to consider is always adequacy of the facilities. Are there enough boxes - the recommendation is the number of cats there are plus one. So if there are 3 cats in the household you should have 4 litter boxes. Are the boxes big enough? Are they easily accessible? Walking down to the basement may have been a non-issue for 12 years but in older cats, as arthritis sets in, it may become too much of an effort to walk that far. Litter box cleanliness is critical as well. Cats noses are hundreds of times more sensitive than ours so if it is more noticeable to us it may be downright overwhelming to them. Daily scooping of the litter is a necessity. Is the type of litter acceptable to the cat? Most cats prefer the soft sand-like clumping litters. Excessive perfume in the litter can also be a turn off for some cats. Most cats do not like covered litter boxes. It can make them feel trapped and vulnerable if someone or something comes at them from the opening.
There are also medical reasons for litter box lapses. Young healthy cats seldom develop bladder infections. Their urine is so concentrated it sucks the moisture right out of any invading bacteria and kills them before they get a chance to set up and infection. Young cats however can have other problems that resemble a bladder infection by causing urgency and blood in the urine. Cats can develop bladder stones. Bladder stones are rock like accumulations of minerals. Usually the minerals stay dissolved in the urine and pass out as part of the liquid waste. Some cats (and dogs and people) have a tendency for those minerals to start to stick together forming a sand-like grit all the way up to stones measuring a 1/2 inch in length. The stones are quite rough and irritating causing the bladder to bleed and creating the feeling of having to go all the time. Sometimes the pain of urinating will make the cat start to avoid the litter box. They may think the box is causing the pain. Sometimes they just feel like they have to go all the time and start squatting where ever they happen to be when the urge hits. Treating the stones will usually make this type of litter box problem go away.
Another cause of litter box troubles in young cats is a fairly recently described and often frustrating problem called sterile cystitis. Sterile cystitis is diagnosed when there is blood in the urine but no other reason, such as infection, stones or tumor can be found. Sterile cystitis seems to occur in cats that have high anxiety levels. Anxiety and stress can actually cause bladder pain and bleeding in a small population of cats. The signs can come and go so it can seem like antibiotics have helped even if no infection is present. In these cats we try to find and eliminate the cause of stress. If life in general causes stress sometimes anti anxiety medications are helpful. A wide variety of treatments are used for this problem because some cats respond well to one type of treatment and other cats respond better to another. Usually the symptoms can be controlled to decrease the frequency and severity of the episodes.
Older cats present a totally different medical profile when the litter box becomes a problem. Cats over 7-10 years of age may have a health issue such as kidney disease or diabetes that greatly reduce the concentration of their urine so true bacterial infections can occur. Sometimes the urine is so dilute it is necessary to do a urine culture to prove an infection is present. Treating the infection and the underlying cause should resolve the litter box issues. Cats with kidney failure may be more prone to recurrences of bladder infections because their urine concentration will always be low.
If you have concerns or questions about litter box issues please give us a call. We would be happy to help you with any issues your cat may be having.
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