Usually my first response is kidney disease or problems, and second more boxes, and third never change the type of litter. You pretty much covered those. My cats hated that yesterday's news and protested just like your kitty. I had to actually get real dirt from outside and put it in the box to get the dirt scent for them to go back there. All cats have a natural instinct for real dirt. You might give it a try, I eventually gave up the clumping type and went to the regular old clay litter. Cats can be extremely picky about the litter.

Is he declawed? Some declawed cats will not use a litter box. Someone dumped a purebred Persian at the dock. My husband brought him home. He had been declawed. He never would use a box. He had to be an outside cat. I tried every kind of litter and even shredded paper. His favorite spot to go was in the bathtub. Checked by a vet. Was told some declawed cats are like that.

My first thought is some kind of an infection, but he's so young! It's very unusual for a cat not to use his litter.

We used Yesterday's news when they were first declawed, but not since. They don't particularly like it, plus I find it holds the urine smell.

Are you using UNscented litter? That's a biggie.....don't use scented. Most of them are quite strong. I had a freebie given to me from the Pet store to try it out. It was a new lightweight litter, and was supposed to last a month without changing it out, but the smell was horrifically strong. I took it back after one day.

Sounds like you have tried almost everything. We did too. When our cat was about 4 months old (she is 2 now) she peed on a blanket (which we could just throw away) and on our bed (fortunately it only was on the bunched-up comforter, and we washed it right away with Nature's Miracle).

Our vet recommended Feliway Comfort Zone diffuser and spray. It sounds a little New Age-y, but it is cat pheromones that calm them down. They will not pee in those rooms where the product is sprayed into the air. It worked for us -- she has not gone outside her box once since then, even after moving her box a few times !

We got the products on Amazon. There are reviews there that warn of the diffuser getting too warm and "melting down" in the outlet, but we did not have a problem with the ones we bought. Pet stores also sell these products if you are in a hurry.

No help from me. I have had 15 cats over the decades and encounter this occasionally with some of them. One of the present cats, a 15 year old Tortie would regularly do this. I have one large Sterile box up stairs and all the others are in the basement, about five I think. She 'd pee in the big one while I was on the nearby computer and then poop right outside it. I have wood floors too so it cleaned up well. Now she's stopped for no reason and I did nothing . I don't know if she was bullied or not.

IMO, you're doing every right. I don't like the scented litter at all and never buy them. I don't kn ow what the cats thought of them. We clean all boxes daily.

We always purchased non-clumping, non-scented litter. Our feline developed a light cough and the vet asked if we used the 'clumping' litter...which we had tried for a month or so. Apparently when the cats scratch the clumping litter they inhale small amounts of this dust, and we all know how "pee" turns into a hard clump, well the same holds true in the cats esophagus and lungs. Just plain nasty.

Also had problems with the "newspaper" type litter -- held the water because it was so tightly wound and hence smelled awful and the cats refused to use it....pee'd/poo'ed right beside the box as it to let us know that they knew where to go, but didn't like what was in it LOL.

I had a cat who (after very complicated health issues) wouldn't use the litter box. She'd go near it, but not in it. I finally resorted to puppy pee pads that I could place near the boxes (or any other place she took a shine to) and she would use those. If nothing else works, you might want to try those.

My sister also has a cat that doesn't use the litter box. Like Olychick's cat, this cat will use the puppy pee pads. My sister decided just to ditch the litter box and go with the pee pads. Oh and the cat is declawed.

There's an exhaustive list over on the Pets forum. I think it's a myth about declawing to discourage people from doing it.

I would say he is telling you that he doesn't like his litter box. It could be the litter (fragrance, poor odor control, texture) or the box itself (lidded, too high of an entrance, location). This happened when you switched litters, so that is your biggest clue.

Why did you switch to Yesterday's News? I found it to be very unpleasant and it was a hard box to keep clean. Maybe he doesn't like digging in it. He might still be too young for clumping litter. It can clog their nostrils.

Dr. Elsey has the best litters (for clay dust and odor control). One has a natural attractant added for problem cats (clumps). There is also a shaker product of attractant available. He might have a litter just for kittens. There are quite a few to select from including one that imitates the outdoors as I recall.

He does have a kitten attract litter. It is clumping but ground finely for 'tender' paws. 8 weeks to 1 year.

https://drelseys.com/product_category/specialty/

We just got a kitten yesterday and he peed on our bed this morning:(. Glad you started this thread.

Well, it's not a myth, snookums. I have no reason to make this up and my vet (who does declaw) told me and I have had several other people tell me their cats wouldn't use a box after being declawed. It is cutting off the first joint of their "fingers". I can see why it would affect how it feels to dig through litter, or anything else. I have had dozens, if not downright hundreds of cats in my lifetime and that was the only one who wouldn't use a litter box and no matter what I tried, he wouldn't use one. He would not even attempt to bury....like go through the motions....just squat and do it. Would not do it in a box to save my life. I have no doubt that was why he was dumped out....whoever had him got tired of cleaning up after him. I had him for about a dozen years and he made a nice cat....outside. Fortunately I live where it doesn't hurt a cat to go outside.

A lot of cats don't like the covered litter boxes. We have 2 boxes (large, open Sterilite containers). Often, the lid keeps the odours inside where they're strong to the cat's nose. Nice for us, but not for them.

Sterilite litter boxes are pretty inexpensive. I'd buy 3 different kinds of litter and put each in a separate litter box, and put the boxes around 6 feet from one another. Label the boxes so you know what is in them.

If the kitten is one with strong litter brand preferences, and uses a box, and then the next time uses the box with the same kind of litter, you have an answer.

I realize he's young and you've had him checked by a vet, but I would probably get a second opinion only because we've had sick animals where an illness was missed by the Vet. Not because we had a bad Vet but because it was either too soon to show up in the tests or they didn't do a test at all for what our pet actually had. With our beloved cat, by the time we got the correct diagnosis, it ended up being too late to help her. I highly recommend seeking out a Clinic that is for cats only, they may be more equiped to properly diagnose.

Well the obvious answer does seem that he simply doesn't like Yesterdays News. So maybe the answer is to continue mixing in a bit of the old brand. I would rather do that than have to clean up cat pee and poop from the floors.

Lucille's advice is good way to make sure it's the litter.

You are not alone, but I am no help. My cat took to pooping outside the box a while back. We finally started putting newspaper down and she will use it. Doesn't always get in the middle of the paper , though. White floor, so easy to find and clean up. She has two boxes, and will use them in turn. Somehow we progressed to folded newspaper in the bottom of those, with some paper towels to help keep the feet dry. I change all of these when she has used them. I try to explain to her that she needs to be good about this because I can't cope if she starts going elsewhere. She is an inside cat , is allowed on the patio if I am nearby, but will always come inside to use her facilities. CATS!

Update on Maverick. I was happy last night when I got home to find no signs of going outside the boxes. Just after I arrived, I saw him use one of them. Then a few minutes later, I noticed him pawing at the floor in a location where he's been before (didn't put a box in that location). I picked him up and carried him to a box. He jumped out, sniffed the floor, and started scratching again. I put him in a different box nearby, scratched his paw, and he used the box. This morning I got up to find pee on the floor just outside one of the other boxes. Will put a second box there as that seems to be a favorite spot. A few minutes later I heard scratching in the box and saw him using it. So he does use it sometimes.

Yes, he is declawed. Three of our other kittens had the surgery (we opted for laser surgery) at the same time and none of them is having litter box issues. I've watched Maverick use the box and he digs a hole and scratches vigorously to cover, so I'm really not sure it's the declaw. We used shredded paper at first after and then progressed to Yesterday's News with shredded paper on top. We only switched back to the other litter after the vet had checked each to make sure they were healed.

Putting out the other boxes and watching him to catch and redirect him does seem to be helping. I also bought some of the Cat Attract additive and am using the pheromone spray. I'm wondering if the little fella is confused now that he's been in those locations. It seems like he may still smell something despite my use of Nature's Miracle. I've seen him several times sniff at the area and then start scratching. When Magic was a very small kitten he went outside the box a few times. The first time it was an accident; he just couldn't make it in time. But after that he could smell it and used it a few more times. Eventually we removed the bedroom carpet. Our Gizmo had some issues with peeing outside the box, but we found that it was from kidney failure as he was 12.

This is the best Maverick has done since it started - only one accident in a day and a half. I'm at least feeling encouraged at this point. I did put in a call to my regular vet yesterday and he's to call me back today.

I talked to my regular vet this morning and am taking Maverick in tomorrow to recheck for uti. The vet that saw him before wasn't our regular vet.

Glad to hear that you are doing that. It sure could be a uti. At least you are making progress. Have the vet check his vision too. I had one of my cats that went blind and she began having litter box problems. I guess she just couldn't always find them in time.

I'm glad too and hopefully, if it does have an ailment, it's nothing serious.

The vet said that if they found no physical problems there is a medication that's used to help with retraining. Yesterday morning there were no accidents from the night. Then, while I was showering for work, he pooped in the hall beside the box. I put another litter box there a few inches away from the other. No problems when I got home last night after a very long day. I saw him using one of the boxes at some point. Then right before bed he pooped in the hall again. No problems found when I got up this morning.

I'm not expecting the tests to return anything. At this point, it seems like he's confused. He uses the boxes sometimes, but not always, so it seems like he's confused about the fact that he needs to use it all the time. The spots he's picked on the floor are odd too. We tried to put the boxes in out of the way areas to give some privacy as I know some cats are funny about that. Yet where he's used the floor are some of the highest-traffic areas in the house.

Maverick is a very sensitive boy so I'm making sure to take extra time with him and to pet and praise him once he's out of the box if I see him using it.

Well, glad to hear that nothing was found again, better safe than sorry. Since you say he's doing it in higher traffic areas, maybe there is something bothering him or he's being territorial.

At this point because of the damage cat urine can cause on floors and so on, if it were me, I'd start crating him when I'm gone and training when I'm home. I'd use a very large sized crate with solid sides so he feels safe and secure and it has to be large enough that it can house a small box for him as well. Then I'd be taking him to the box every hour when home.

If he's food driven like our boy cat is, you might try giving him a small treat after each success. I know that sounds crazy but our mischievous male is very treat driven and will do just about anything for a goodie. He's even learned the word "cuddle'. :c)

When we moved across country, we housed two older adult cats in a large crate like the one I propose and the car ride didn't phase them a bit as a result. We kept it out for them for a long time when we moved into the new place and they found it very comforting. If something has him anxious or nervous, maybe it will offer the same comfort to Maverick too.

I'm not a cat expert, nor do I play one in real life. I have no idea how to fix your problem.....just wanted to commensurate.....acknowledge how hard I see your trying to fix it.

Thanks everyone. Maverick is doing better. He had one accident yesterday; there was poop in the hall. We have seen him twice today start scratching at the floor, once in the office and once in our bathroom. Neither of these is spots that he's used before. In both cases, we picked him up and put him in a box and he used it. No accidents last night or so far today.

We are considering something like lukkiirish suggested to retrain him. The poor little fella is obviously confused. I'm not sure how the crating would work with the other kittens around. I'm afraid crating him and leaving the others out would upset him. I've thought about crating him and isolating him in one room but again not sure how he'd react to that. He's never been an only cat; he's had other kittens around his entire life.

I'm not sure what purpose crating would do. Each time you catch him going in an inappropriate place, do what you've been doing and redirect him to the litter box. I'd find some kind of treat he likes, and reward him when he uses the litterbox. Crating would just cause confusion, especially when he sees the other kittens out free. Rather than punish inappropriate behavior, redirect him to do what you want, then reward him profusely when he does what you want him to do.

With crating, it's also where they eat and sleep. Opportunities to eliminate elsewhere are limited. They wouldn't want to go where they sleep, for instance.

Well, Sephia, cat urine ruins floors and carpets and finding poop everywhere is not fun either, the only way to prevent it is to contain him when no one is home. I wasn't suggesting he eat in the crate either, HOWEVER, cats are often kept in small cages while waiting for new homes. The box, food and bedding are all in there with them, it doesn't seem to hold them back from doing what they need to do and it doesn't seem to damage them in anyway either.

Kittiemom, is there anyway you can maybe use something like this? I found it and several others on Amazon. It's not expensive and questions were posed by buyers about how well something like this could accomodate a kitty (as opposed to a pup). Even though I didn't read them all, the responses I saw were positive. It's waterproof and washable and can be returned if it doesn't work. It actually comes in a variety of sizes should you want to house more than one so he has company. My sister uses one for her two dogs and the size might be more accomodating to your needs.

Playpens for Pets

I don't think there is anything wrong with confining him for training purposes. Not using the litter box is very serious stuff. He can't be trusted at this point. You don't want to chance a bad habit developing around something like that. He probably is a bit confused. Limit his choices and opportunities until he learns the appropriate routine well. It doesn't mean he isn't ever allowed out. Caged/confined environments are common when waiting for a home. He is probably used to it.

Great minds think a like, thanks Snookums, :c)

lukkiirish, thank you - I hadn't seen those. We don't have dogs so I would have never known to look for something like that. They are pretty inexpensive and look like a good option if we go that route. I was discussing this with DH last night. He is concerned that Maverick might feel punished if we do this. I suggested putting his littermate/best buddy in with him for company. My thought was to confine them to a crate (now that I've seen this playpen option I like it better) within a separate room. That way the other kittens aren't coming up to them. They aren't used to being in a crate or cage except when at the vet. While waiting for their new home they were confined to a room or a couple of rooms but not to a cage, so we're not sure what effect that would have. We are definitely considering it though.

For the last few days, he's been peeing in a box and sometimes, but not always, pooping outside it. We are glad for that at least. We will consider placing him on medication. My vet mentioned it but we didn't really discuss the pros and cons. We'd prefer not to do that as I've done some reading and know there may be side effects, but will if necessary.

Kittiemom, I'm not an expert by any means. I can only speak from the experiences we've had with the numerous cats and kitty litters we've had over the years. Housing it so I could determine the cause and retrain it is what I would do if I had a similar issue.

I honestly don't believe cats see something like being housed or crated as punishment. They live in the moment and instead just see it as "it is what it is". They may not be happy about it or necessarily like it but they don't view it as a negative that's attached to their owner. Instead it's something like "well here I am, now what?". On the other hand, at some point, you will be the one to let him out and maybe even with a treat in hand. That will be a positive experience for him and that's what he'll be focused on, especially if you give him the treat consistently every time you bring him out. I would try it first without any other cats around because that could tell you if he is doing it out of fear, as a way to show dominance or because he doesn't like the toilet habit of another cat using the same box. Give it a try while you're home first so you can see how he responds.

Also, cats typically enjoy being inside of things like boxes and crates; it makes them feel more secure, that's why cat totes are as small as they are. It's so they can feel safe during the transport experience. If he is acting out of fear, this could turn out to be a calming experience for him.

As an after thought, I also wonder if you're sure that Maverick is actually peeing or if he is marking instead? As you probably know already, those are two very different things. Did either Vet discuss that with you at all?

I don't think the kitten will associate this with punishment. He likely doesn't know what that even means at this point in his life.

He's definitely peeing, not spraying. He squats while he's doing it. I also used a black light to check if he was spraying and somehow we'd missed it, but didn't find anything.

Right now he seems to be peeing in the box and pooping outside of it. He's always used the same boxes as the other kittens and has never had a problem with it. They all get along very well. If he has a problem with others using the same box I have to admit that I'm not sure that I know how to solve that. But, he's always been used to not having his own box. We got him from a breeder and all the cats and kittens used communal boxes.

I was trying to think back today if anything else changed that could have stressed him or caused him to start this, but couldn't think of anything. It does look like retraining and/or medication is the only thing to do at this point. I think he's gotten into a habit of using the floor and we need to fix that.

We've both been spending extra time with him, cuddling and trying to be reassuring and calming.

Hmmm, those are the only reasons I've ever heard about, unless like our dog, he's developing phobia's. Our dog tends to show fear over the silliest of things and it just started out of the blue.

I did find this article which may offer you some other ideas, Pet Education

And the only other thing I've seen out there as a suggestion is that if he's declawed that area of his feet could still be bothering him...

I can relate to your concerns about the medication, nice that it's an alternative but....

I have to give you lots of kudo's though, Maverick is a very lucky boy, a lot of people would not be so caring and loving. Rather than taking the time to figure out what's wrong, they'd ship him off to the shelter instead. I hope you're able to find resolve soon.