While some cats would spend an absurd amount of time in their litter boxes, the others tend to avoid it. While the former might do little more than pique your interest, the latter could mean soiled carpets, furniture, and linens on the regular. Cats not using their litter box could be a problem, and to know how to solve it, understand these few common reasons why cats start avoiding the litter box like the plague.

Change of location
It is possible that your cat does not like the area its litter box has been placed in. Or, they prefer a few other places to take care of its business. In this case, try to check if placing the cat litter box in an area of your cat’s preference can help solve the problem. If your cat hunts down a new place to go, you will have to make the new place unlikeable for them. You can employ tools like lights, motion sensors, double-sided tape, and other such tactics to repel your cat.

Litter issues
One of the possible reasons why a cat starts to avoid their litter box and hunts for other places to eliminate may be contained in its litter box. Chances are, the new litter you brought home does not appeal to your cat. Since cats are sensitive to touch, smell, and even their location, a sudden aversion to their litter box might result from changes. This could be either because the new cat litter does not smell and/or feel right. To avoid these problems, you might want to stick with the same quality of the litter.

Negative ideas
If your cat has borne witness to an uncomfortable or upsetting event while on the litter, it might develop an aversion to the box. Signs of this problem could possibly be the speed with which your cat exits the litter box after entering it. Alternatively, they could be associating pain with litter, after one painful experience of elimination.

Inability to climb in
If your cat is injured or old, they might experience difficulty climbing into the litter box. This could be a problem that leads them to seek a new place to eliminate. Cats might not want to invest in the time and energy of jumping, climbing, or strategizing ways to get into the litter box. The high sides of the litter box could particularly be a problem for geriatric cats. So, switch to a low-entry litter box for easier access.

If you’re looking for litter brands, you may consider Fresh Step® cat litter. It is a great way to keep your home clean and odor-free. The brand offers various types of litter including scented and unscented clumping litter. Alternatively, you can opt for non-clumping litter as well.