Why Does My Cat Not Use the Litter Tray? Causes, Health Issues & Proven Fixes

It’s a pretty common frustration: the cat suddenly starts doing its business outside the tray, leaving messes for you to clean up. This is a common issue with cats and it is very fixable once you work out the cause.

This issue is rarely down to “bad behaviour”. In most cases, it is caused by medical, environmental or emotional factors. In this guide, we will look at common causes, warning signs and practical solutions to help you tackle it quickly.

If your cat is peeing on the floor, we have all the advice you need to know here.

The Most Common Reasons Cats Stop Using the Litter Tray

Though there can be many things that prompt a cat to stop using the litter tray, it usually boils down to three core categories:

• Health: Certain health concerns like UTIs or kidney issues can cause cats to associate the litter box with pain.

• Litter tray issues: The tray isn’t clean, the cat doesn’t like the litter, or the tray is difficult to access.

• Behaviour/stress: When cats are stressed for any reason, behaviours like peeing outside the litter tray sometimes happen.

Cats are naturally clean animals that don’t like to urinate somewhere that they can’t bury it. If you notice sudden changes in habits, it is often a signal that something is wrong.

Could It Be a Medical Problem?

If your cat starts urinating outside the litter tray, and this is not something that sometimes happens, we strongly recommend that you contact a vet early. This is even more urgent if you notice symptoms like straining to urinate, blood in the urine, or crying when urinating.

Unusual litter tray behaviour could be a sign of a health condition, such as:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

• Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD)

• Kidney disease

• Diabetes

• Arthritis (especially in older cats)

• Digestive issues (diarrhoea/constipation)

If a cat experiences discomfort when urinating, it may begin to associate the litter tray with pain. This is sometimes why they do it elsewhere. For this reason, if your cat does have one of these health conditions and recovers, they still might want to avoid the tray.

Litter Tray Problems That Put Cats Off

Sometimes, a cat develops an issue with the litter tray itself. Cats are notorious for being fussy and very particular about things, but it can cause problems if they develop an issue with the litter tray. Usually, this is something you can fix by addressing the problem.

Is the Litter Tray Clean Enough?

Many cats prefer extremely clean conditions even in their litter trays. It is your job to maintain cleanliness in the tray as dirty trays are a top reason for refusal from cats. Try to get yourself into a routine of doing the following:

• Scoping at least once a day (preferably twice)

• Carrying out a full litter change regularly (weekly depending on type)

Are You Using the Right Type of Litter?

We often find that cats have preferences when it comes to their litter. Though this is not always the case, it is often found that they prefer unscented litter with a fine, sand-like texture. In fact, many people with outdoor sandpits find that cats use the sand for this.

Avoid things like:

• Strong fragrances

• Sudden changes in litter type

If you have to change litter, we recommend that you transition gradually over a period of 5-7 days.

Tray Size, Type & Accessibility

The tray you use for your cat litter should be large enough for the cat to turn comfortably when they are in it. It should also be easy to enter - this is crucial for older cats that may have mobility issues.

Covered trays can be great for smells and messes, but some cats dislike these enclosed spaces because they feel unsafe or trap odours.

Is the Location Suitable?

One thing that people often overlook is the importance of placing the tray in the right area for the cat. When choosing where to put the litter tray, you should avoid:

• Noisy areas (near washing machines, for example)

• Areas close to food or water bowls

The ideal placement would be somewhere quiet, private and easily accessible. In multi-storey homes, it is recommended to have one tray per level.

Stress, Anxiety & Behavioural Causes

Cats are extremely sensitive to changes to their home environment. It can cause them a lot of anxiety if something changes, which can result in unusual litter tray behaviour.

Common triggers for this anxiety include:

• Moving house

New pets or people

Changes in routine

Conflict in multi-cat households

Lack of stimulation or boredom

It is important to understand the difference between spraying and toileting. When cat spray, it is often on vertical surfaces to mark territory. If you are finding urine on horizontal surfaces in large volumes, this is more likely to be toileting.

Never punish a cat for what you perceive to be bad behaviour. You will only increase the animals’ anxiety and cause more of the behaviour you are frustrated about.

Multi-Cat Households - Hidden Competition Issues

This is a cause of not using the litter tray that sometimes gets ignored. As a rule of thumb, it is generally recommended that you should have enough litter trays for the number of cats in your household + 1.

Spread those trays across different areas so your cats always have somewhere to go. This will prevent behaviour where one cat claims a tray as its own and guards it against others.

In a multi-cat household, every cat should have access to:

• Food

• Water

• A litter tray

• Resting spaces

How to Stop Your Cat Toileting Outside the Litter Tray

Let’s look at a step-by-step process of how you should respond to tackle the issue of a cat not using the litter tray:

1. Visit the vet: The first priority should be to rule out any medical causes.

2. Deep clean affected areas: Use enzymatic cleaners, avoid ammonia-based products, to clean everything entirely.

3. Improve the litter tray setup: Increase the number of trays if necessary. It may also be worth adjusting the location and even gradually changing the litter type.

4. Reduce stress: Try to keep your cat happy by sticking to a regular routine each day. You should also provide safe hiding spaces and even use pheromone diffusers if you need to try something extra.

5. Reinforce good behaviour: Reward your cat when it uses the tray - this might help encourage the right behaviour. Avoid punishment as it doesn’t really work with cats.

Stick to this process and you should be able to fix the problem quickly.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you carry out the entire process from the previous section and the behaviour continues, you may need extra help. The first thing to do is to consult your vet again for advice. If necessary, you may even need to consult a feline behaviourist.

There are a few red flags that should prompt an urgent vet appointment:

• Ongoing accidents

• Signs of pain

• Aggression or extreme anxiety

How to Prevent Litter Tray Problems in the Future

Once you have solved the problem, you will want to make sure it doesn’t happen again. The first thing to do is to make sure you keep the trays consistently clean so cats have nothing to put them off using them.

Here are a few other things you can do to help prevent problems:

• Avoid sudden changes to routines or environments

• Monitor behaviour regularly - perhaps try Litter Sense to monitor urine health

• Provide enrichment - toys and climbing areas can help keep them happy and worry-free

• Regular vet check-ups ensure any issues that do arise are handled swiftly

It isn’t complicated to keep your cat healthy, happy and using the litter tray properly. But you can’t simply ignore issues and hope they will go away by themselves.

Final Thoughts

Issues with cats not using the litter tray are very common and usually solvable. Remember that your cat isn’t trying to be difficult - it is communicating a problem through this behaviour.

We recommend that you act early rather than waiting for it to get better by itself. Observe patterns and see if you can figure out the cause of the problem.

It won’t be long before you and your cat are back to normal. Consult the vet if you have any concerns and they will give you some expert advice.