The purpose of this guide is to provide support if you are having issues with your cat not
using the litter tray, either at all, or sporadically.
• Have them checked by a vet to rule out health issues as cause or a contributing
factor.
• Have at least 2 litter trays available as cats can sometimes be fussy about doing
their pees and poops in the same tray. You may need more than 2 trays if you have
more then 1 cat, as some cats do not like sharing resources.
• Make sure the trays are spot cleaning the trays as you noticed they have been used.
Some cats won’t go in a tray, even if they’ve used it once.
• Make sure you are cleaning up any accidents using diluted biological washing
powder. This helps strip all the ammonia smell and helps prevent reoffending in the
same locations due to smell.
• Provide different litter textures. Some cats are super fussy with the textures they
experience on their paws. For example, try one tray with wood chip litter and one
with gravel. This may give them the options they need. This may take some
experimenting, as there are a variety of litter textures out there.
• Make sure the litter trays are somewhere quiet and away from their food and water.
• Consider the use of a covered or uncovered tray, if the above doesn’t help (or both).
It maybe that they want privacy for number twos for example.
• Invest in a feliway plug in which, will can help if the behaviour is stress related.
• Make sure you are not punishing them for any accidents. They won’t know they are
doing anything wrong, and punishment usually makes these issues worse.
• Consider if the litter tray is big enough for your cat.
Set up a camera that can record where the cat is most often toileting. This may help
identify any triggers that may be causing this behaviour.
Extra help
If you are struggling, please get in touch with a qualified behaviourist. These can be found
by copying and pasting the following link into your web browser:
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist