My skittish new cat pees outside the litter box. How to stop it?

Question

I adopted a cat one week ago, and she refuses to urinate in the litter box unless she is locked in the bathroom with it. She poops in her box with no problem, but seems to be making a border around my (carpeted) bedroom, even though I spray it with Nature's Miracle every time I realize it's happened. She's very skittish and remains hidden most of the time, so I'm trying to give her space and not stress her anymore while she settles, but I don't know what else to do to discourage this. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 2 years and 2 months old | 6 lbs

Mara Howard, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear your new cat has been having litterbox issues. To start, I would recommend offering at least one other box of a different kind (covered vs not, for example). I would also add cat attract litter to the boxes, and consider putting a pheromone collar on her. If these suggestions are insufficient to help with her issue, I would recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian to assure that there is no underlying medical issue contributing to her urination problems and then moving on with a plan from there. Good luck!

My skittish new cat pees outside the litter box. How to stop it?

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