If you have a cat who doesn't use her cat litter box, it might
be the type of cat litter you buy for her.
Cats are fussy about a lot of things, and the cat litter brand
you think she'll likes might end up offending her for a number
of reasons. If she doesn't like it, your cat will communicate
the only way she knows will get your attention - she'll stop
using the cat litter box.
There are a confusing number of cat litter brands to choose
from. Some are made with humans in mind. These types often
contain perfume or some type of smell that pleases you and me,
but not necessarily to kitty.
A cats' sense of smell is much more sensitive than a human's.
Cat litter that is drenched in a pleasant (for humans) scent may
be very offensive to your cat. If her sense of smell is
overwhelmed, she'll avoid the cat litter box.
If you suspect your cat doesn't like her cat litter, this can be
an easy problem to fix. For example, if you faithfully supplied
her with a brand she liked, but you decided to switch brands,
she'll stop using the cat litter box if it doesn't meet her
approval. In this case, switch back to the previous cat litter
brand.
It may feel like defeat, but if you think about it in terms of
saving money, time and frustration because you're not cleaning
up cat messes, then everybody wins.
You may have had to switch cat litter brands because her
favorite brand is no longer available. If this is the case,
experiment with similar brands and see which one she prefers.
Here's an easy way to test cat litter brands to get kitty's
approval:
Set up two litter boxes. Each box should have a different cat
litter brand. Leave the boxes down for a few days. At the end of
your test period, see which box accumulated the most deposits.
If one box was preferred over the other, you have your winner.
You may need to repeat this test a few times before your cat
decides you got it right.
If you have several bags of cat litter left over from your
tests, donate them to your local feline rescue organization.
They can always use any type for their rescued kitties.
If you switched cat litter brands because your nearest pet store
no longer carries it, consider making a trip to one a little
further from your home. The trick is to stock up with a large
number of bags so your trips are as infrequent as possible.
Cats are demanding creatures. Since we don't speak meow, and
they can't talk, cats communicate clearly (according to kitty
logic) with radical, startling actions. It's up to us humans
(isn't it always?) to translate our cat's wishes and concerns.
By paying attention to past events (like switching litter brands
on kitty), we can decipher and solve many cat litter box
problems.
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