Help, my cats are NOT using their litter box!!!!?

As your cats are both declawed it's highly likely that their refusal to use the litter boxes is linked to a pain issue. Both cats may have urinary tract inflamation caused by stress which is caused by pain in their paws.

Complications from declaw surgery can surface months to years after the surgery. Bone fragments, distorted internal scar tissue, nerve damage can all happen and do with regularity.

You need to find a vet who does not declaw cats and take them both to the vet for a thorough examination and paw x Rays to establish if there is a problem in their paws. If there is, then sometimes surgery can help remove the source of pain. It is essential that you use a vet who does not declaw as only they will give you an honest assessment of your cat's issues. Vets who declaw only care about money and will do anything (including lie) to stop you thinking that declaw is a bad thing to do to a cat.

Other things to do - you need to clean out those litter trays totally (wash with hot water and petsafe disinfectant) once a day - it isn't enough cleaning them out only once a month. They should all be scooped as soon as they are used to. You wouldn't like to use a toilet that hadn't been cleaned for a month or not flushed for a day would you? I wouldn't either. Your cats are the same.

Have you had any changes in the household. Cats are terribly sensitive to stress (stress in cats breaks down the mucosal lining of their bladders and this causes urinary tract inflamation which hurts them - like cystitis in humans it causes urinary urgency and pain)

Changes which can affect cats - humans having rows or being upset, loud parties and rowdy visitors, loud music, practicing musical instruments like drums especially, rearranging the furniture, building work, remodelling, workment or maintainance staff working in the home, new machinery like a new washing machine, use of air freshener diffusers, humans wearing very strong scents, visitng dogs who may be friendly but boisterous, small children visiting (kids squeal alot and this upsets cats) you being away for an unusual period of time, a change in who lives with you, someone the cats love going away perhaps to college, being surprised on the litter tray by humans or other pets, intruder cats outside, being visible from windows, changed laundry detergents - see - loads of stuff to consider.

A cat's world is very different to ours, scent and sound are much more important to them than they are to us.

Sounds daft, but get down on your hands and knees and try and see their world from cat's eye height. You'll be surprised at what you notice, this might give you a clue about what is bothering them.

Keep up with the Feliway diffusers.

Best of luck.

Last year my oldest cat (she's 20 now) decided she didn't want to go outside anymore and soiled indoors. So I put out a litter tray but she still went on the carpet. I put the tray where she was soiling and, smart cat that she is, she used the tray. So rather than put things in the way, like say a laundry hamper, I put the tray where she was already going. I know you say they have tried new spots but if you cover the old ones they actually have no choice but to find somewhere new.

You have tried a lot of things including different litter. Have you tried a new tray/trays?

Cats have an incredibly acute sense of smell and although I'm sure you clean the trays very well perhaps they can smell something you can't.

When you say 'all of a sudden' something changed it shows that, although nothing drastic to you, an event occured to change their behaviour. Not easy to track down but worth going over. Something is affecting them that's for sure. I really do wish you luck.

I totally agree with Everycat 100%. It can be a number of things after the declawing surgery which is very stressful on a cat. To realize that it no longer can scratch itself properly, or stretch properly, or defend itself, even the rough cat litter can irritate their paws. Go and get their paws looked at and get the X-rays done. It won't hurt to just have them checked out. Make sure to find a Vet that does not declaw. Their opinions will be (I feel) very truthful. You should scrub out the litter boxes once a week when you change the litter. Make sure during the week you clean their boxes out daily and maybe more than once a day.

I really feel Everycats advice is perfect. You have adopted two cats that have been declawed by the previous owner and probably did not treat them very well after their surgeries and they began to have behavior problems that stem from declawing. So instead of dealing with it and training the cats and educating themselves, they gave them away. You are the lucky one to tame them. Good luck to you all.

Just a question for now: do they use their litter box at all? like once a day, or for poop but not pee, or any other pattern you might have noticed? Do you ever catch them in the act while they are going outside their litter box?

I might try separating them for a couple days and keeping each one confined in a small room with a litter box, so you can keep track of their litter box habits individually. Then, I think I'd recommend getting a second opinion at another vet, just in case.

i happen to have cats too and there r always some that just dont like the box. mabey the people hat make the litter have changed something about it that only the cats have noticed. if i were u id keep a close eye on your babies because every time u see one take a squat or something pick them up and put them in the box. u might have to do this a number of times but hopefull they will edventually get the message that the box is there potty and not there home. even if there already about to go pick them run to the litter box and they will get the message. that is how we have trainned new out door kittens to there new indoor home. and because there adult cats it might take longer 4 them top get the message. do not get frustrated it may take time. hope that helps good luck

Well Angie, you have done everything possible in the world, the only thing i can say is that cats do not like the smell of orange peel so if you put some where it soils it shouldant go there again. so buy a few oranges ok sweetheart. good luck to ya.

Anytime there is an accident, put the poop in one of the litter boxes and cover it, so the scent is there.

Have you tried newspaper? Sometimes on a declawed cat, their paws get sensitive and they need something softer - some people have had luck with newspaper.

You might try keeping them in the basement for a few days - with access to food and water, too - to retrain them about the box.

try taking their paws and run them through the litter box... thats what i did with my kitten and she used it right away... also try to change the type of litter your using, they might not like it. hope this helps! :)

move 1 box in the house where you guys often are. maybe they dont like going far to use the box. it has nothing to do with them being de-clawed. if that doesnt work, it could be something medical. that would be strange though for that to be the issue....since its happening to both of them at the same time.

maybe take to vet

maybe you should try moving there litters somewhere else in the house?

at least try moving one and see what they do ?

i have no cats im just giving you what i would possibly try.

sorry! best of luck to you