Why won't my unneutered male cat use his litter box? Any tips?

Question

I have an unneutered male cat about a year old and he refuses to use a litter box. He pees and poops all over the house. Even right in front of the litter box but won't use it. Any suggestions? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 5 lbs

Amber W · Accepted Answer

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Inappropriate urination and defecation can be very frustrating to deal with. The first step you should take is to have Picachu neutered. An unneutered male will commonly spray in the household. A veterinarian can check to ensure there are no illnesses like urinary crystals or a urinary tract infection causing the inappropriate urination. You should also use a product like Natures Miracle cleaning solution to try to remove urine odor from carpets and elsewhere in the house. The odor of urine will likely attract Picachu to areas and cause him to continue to spray. If the problem is severe you may need to remove the carpet. The following are some other steps you can try: 1. Cats will urinate or defecate outside of the litter box for stress related reasons. Therefore it is best to keep the litter boxes in several different, quiet areas of the household. 2. A pheromone diffuser like Feliway can be quite helpful. 3. Ensure you have at least one litter box in the household per cat plus one. For example, if you have 3 cats, then 4 litter boxes are recommended. 4. Feeding an all canned food diet can help if there is inflammation in the bladder. There are also prescription diets available to help with bladder inflammation or digestive issues. Your veterinarian can help you choose the best one for your cat. 5. The litter boxes should be cleaned once to twice daily and completely emptied and washed weekly. Most cats prefer litter to be the clumping type that is kept a few inches deep. Certain litter types like Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter may be helpful. 6. If you are still having problems after taking the above steps you may want to talk to your veterinarian about behavioral medication. Good luck!

Why won't my unneutered male cat use his litter box? Any tips?

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