Getting cat to use litter box outside

by Michelle
(California)

About six weeks ago, I decided to move the litter boxes out of my room and put them outside in the catio. It took a few days for the cats to give in and use them all the time. But I have one cat that has now decided to only pee out in the boxes half of the time.

He pees on the floor in my room, and will almost always pee on any throw rug throughout the rest of the house. How can I get him to start using the litter boxes again 100% of the time without moving one back into the house?

My thoughts: I'm sorry to hear your cat is having troubles. Assuming he's not facing a medical problem, it sounds like he doesn't like something about the new arrangement.

Dumb Friends League has a handout on getting cats back on track, and here's what they recommend:

"Put a litter box in the location where your cat has been eliminating. When she has consistently used this box for at least one month, you may gradually move it to a more convenient location at a rate of an inch per day."

Based on that, you could put a box back in the house on the most used spot, and then slowly move it to its new location outside. He may be more willing to accept a slower change.

You could also try adding Cat Attract to the box, but it may be less effective if the box is outside. If he's developed a medical problem during this time, then all bets are off until that is addressed.

I hope that helps and please keep us updated on what works for you.
-Kurt